Help! Snail Operculum dropped off!

[elsiear]

I have 2 mystery snails, both have been thriving in my 24 gal for several months now. The gold snail even laid her first clutch this morning!!

I noticed this morning that the blue snail's operculum looked off center and his shell wasn't resting on it properly. This evening when I got home I noticed the operculum on one side of the tank and the blue snail on the other! He is moving around the tank normally and doesn't seem phased by it.

Why or how could that happen and most importantly- will he be ok? I'm guessing it will grow back? There is a small 'stub' there now where the operculum used to be.

Tank mates include zebra danios, ghost shrimp and x-ray tetra.
Parameters are Ammonia-0 Nitrite-0 and Nitrate <10

I feed them algae wafers and Snello.

Thanks in advance!

 

[BettaFishMommy]

i have had an apple snail live for some time without its operculum. if i recall it was about half a year, maybe a bit less. i kept reading about how they can't survive without it but i just didn't have the heart to euthanize him and the fish weren't bugging him any.

they can survive but they don't have their defense mechanism any more, so be sure to keep the snail in a tank that doesn't have any nippy or aggressive fish. your current stock 'should' be ok.

 

[elsiear]

Thank You