Mystery snail is a first choice for hobbyists for its unique color and increase their tank beauty as well as help to reduce algae.
But sometimes aquarists experience an egg fall from their egg laying mystery snails.
Basically, female mystery snails lay their eggs above the water surface. But it can fall into the water.
Snails egg changes its color until it hatches. First time the egg color is pink and is very soft. As well as turn dark grayish before the hatch time.
However, as the mystery snail eggs fall in water it raises some questions such as can snail eggs survive in water or what to do when mystery snails fall in water?
In this post I will give all the question answers about snail egg fall along with solutions and prevention methods. So read till the end.
Can Snail Eggs Survive in Water?
In short, the mystery snail eggs can not survive in the water. Though other species’ eggs can survive in water yet the mystery snail eggs can not.
For instance, mystery snails lay their eggs above the water line to keep them safe. But if the egg falls into water it can survive some times.
However, mystery snail eggs can survive a short time in the water. But it can not survive for a long time or if it falls in the water again.
So you should rescue it to keep healthy before too long because the snail will suffocate and die if it remains underwater for a long time. Also the fallen egg hatching rate is less than unfallen mystery snails egg.
How to Tell If Mystery Snail Eggs are Dead?
Female Mystery snails can lay fertile or infertile eggs. If the egg is fertilized it will take two to three weeks to hatch the egg.
Also the egg will grow and color will be dark at hatching period. When the hatching day comes, there will be dark spots. The dark spots are baby snails.
Furthermore, if the egg is infertile you will not see any progress in the hatching period except dark color.
There will not be any dark spots. As well as that you will get a terrible smell and it leaves a pink or red mark on the damp paper. These are the dead or infertile mystery snail egg signs.
How to Dispose Dead Mystery Snails Egg Clutch?
When the hatching time is over and you have experienced a negative result it’s time to dispose of the egg clutch. You can dispose of them using the following two methods.
First you can cover them with a paper towel and mash them, finally you can dispose of them in either a dustbin or a flash in the toilet.
Another method is to cover the egg clutch with a paper towel or put them in a zip lock bag and freeze them for a few days.
After a few days remove from the freezer and flash them or dispose of them in the dustbin.
If you do not follow the above mentioned method you can fragment the mystery snails egg clutch using your hands then put them in your tank to feed your fish.
Why Do Mystery Snails Eggs Fall in Water?
Generally, the fall of mystery snail eggs can be an accident. When mother mystery snails coincidentally push the egg it will fall in water.
Or it can happen by the tank owner when they scrub the aquarium glass. Another reason is that if the snail’s egg gets moisture it becomes heavy and falls down for its own pressure.
This case can happen if the tank height from water is too short. It will assist the egg to be heavy by moisture.
However, moisture and warmth help to hatch mystery snails eggs. But sometimes moisture makes the eggs heavy and fall into water.
As well as the egg can fall in water for its first 24 hour. Because when the egg will lay it will not be hard and it takes time to be harder and in this period this can happen.
What to do When Mystery Snail Eggs fall in Water?
When mystery snail eggs fall in water, take them out as soon as possible. Keep the egg clutch in an incubator.
And maintain moisture along with warmth to hatch the snail eggs. It takes around 2-3 weeks to hatch the egg on average.
By the way, female mystery snails require a good environment to produce fertile eggs.
That’s why you need to maintain a good feeding habit, necessary water parameters along with a male tank mate. Also keep a good distance between the water and the top of the aquarium.
Here’s the incubating process to hatch the mystery snail eggs:
- Wait to get egg clutch from female mystery snails
- Keep the egg clutch around 24-48 hours to make them harden then take it
- Take any kind of container
- Take a towel and make it damp but not wet using your aquarium water
- Place the damp towel in the container
- Keep the egg clutch upper the towel inner of the container
- Cover the container with a lid (make some holes if the lid has no holes.)
- Now float the container in your aquarium water
- Open the container daily to oxygenate the egg clutch as well as providing airflow to shut out the mold and mildew. Do not keep the container open for a long time.
- Now wait for the egg hatching day.
Follow the above incubation process to breed the mystery snails and increase the aquarium beauty.
How to Prevent Mystery Snail Eggs From Falling Into Water?
You can prevent the mystery snail eggs from falling into water following the incubation hatching method. There are two methods followed to hatch the mystery snail eggs.
- Natural method means keeping them to the aquarium glass surface to hatch its own.
- Remove the egg clutch and incubate in a container with a damp paper.
If you follow the first method and wait to see the baby mystery snails there remains a chance to experience the fall of eggs in the tank water.
Because moisture can make the clutch heavy and it will fall down by itself. Or by accidental push can make this happen.
So it’s better to remove the egg clutch and incubate it to hatch the egg. Because it is a safe method to keep the snail eggs healthy as well as along with a high hatching rate.
Final Words
Mystery snail eggs need warmth and moisture to hatch. If your snail’s egg falls in water, rescue it quickly even if you are not sure when they fall in water.
Because they can not hatch underwater. Also if the egg clutch remains underwater for a short time then no problem.
Hence, take the egg clutch and follow the incubate method which is explained above to hatch the eggs.
It will take almost two to three weeks to hatch and if you do not see any progress in this period it might be damaged or infertile eggs. In this situation the only remaining option is to dispose of the egg.
However, female mystery snails lay eggs weekly for four and a half months. So if you can not save any mystery snail baby for the first time try next time following the above steps.