Apple snails does not fit in her shell...then dying.???

Lately I have been noticing that my big apple snail seems too big for her shell, that is the best way I can describe it anyways. When she closes up while sleeping or whatever she is still poking out but if I pick her up or disturb her she IS able to get all in there. I am thinking maybe her shell is not growing fast enough for her?

I just started giving my snails calcium supplement recently but before that it was just algae wafers, shrimp pellets & veggies. I do have a water softener system in the basement which I think is the root of my problems! I am going to TRY to start using some untreated water (no spigot in basement & it being Winter makes that hard).

Anything else that may cause her to not be able to close her trapdoor completely?

Thanks. That is a good possibility, she is in a shrimp/snail only tank so little threat there. When she does go all the way in she does seem to have a hard time doing it though.

Thanks, cute name. Unfortunately I just found her dead in the tank!! :cry: :cry: She was my very very favorite aqua friend!

I did an excel dip on my anubias earlier today (last night, haven't slept yet). It called for 20ml per 10 gallons, I did 2ml in 1.75 gallons (almost half the dose they called for) and then a soak in clean water AND THEN wiped the leaves with a paper towel to rid the leaves of the algae more easily. Any chance that could have killed her? I feel absolutely terrible!
I did find several egg looking sacks on the leaves too which I removed.

Something must be wrong with that tank. I have had several completely out of nowhere deaths lately. Everyone looks perfectly healthy (breeding even!) and then they are gone, I don't get it! For the record...

Ph - 8.1
Kh - 12
ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates (after WC last night) - 10

After everything I just dug up online about people dosing with excel and within hours having dead snails I am going to say that had something to do with it. :shakehead: I was so concerned about the shrimp w/ferts and it was my snails that were in danger! I was told they would be fine from other's personal experiences but that doesn't remove this horrible guilt.

I thought I mentioned it earlier but shortly after I added the plant back into the tank I did see her on it too.

Thanks Rachel. Hopefully she died from residue excel & hopefully once I get some untreated water in the tank everyone else will be happier too.

As long as some of her children stick around I will be much happier! I have about 4 that are marble size+ and about a dozen smaller ones still.