Why my Malaysian trumpet snails becoming like this?

[professorjimjam]

Look at this attached photo. For the past two months, I have found my Malaysian trumpet snails like this in the tank. I don’t know why this is happening to them. Is it due to a calcium deficiency? Could it be a disease that affects snails, causing them to deteriorate like this? Or is there a fish or another animal in the tank that’s eating them and causing this damage?

In my tank, I have adult male and female bristlenose plecos, guppies, and Congo spotted puffers, but I’ve never seen the puffers bite these snails. So, puffers are likely not responsible for this. Besides, these snails have hard shells, and the puffers have lived with them for three years without any problems like this occurring before. I even started adding cuttlebone to increase the calcium levels, but that hasn’t helped either, so it doesn’t seem to be a calcium deficiency.

Could there be some invisible species in the gravel that’s eating these snails? I also checked the water quality, and it’s great— all the other fish are thriving, but only the snails are dying. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are all within the safe range.

So, I’m asking for your help. If you know why this is happening to my snails, please tell me

 

[tlindsey]

View attachment 1547557

Look at this attached photo. For the past two months, I have found my Malaysian trumpet snails like this in the tank. I don’t know why this is happening to them. Is it due to a calcium deficiency? Could it be a disease that affects snails, causing them to deteriorate like this? Or is there a fish or another animal in the tank that’s eating them and causing this damage?

In my tank, I have adult male and female bristlenose plecos, guppies, and Congo spotted puffers, but I’ve never seen the puffers bite these snails. So, puffers are likely not responsible for this. Besides, these snails have hard shells, and the puffers have lived with them for three years without any problems like this occurring before. I even started adding cuttlebone to increase the calcium levels, but that hasn’t helped either, so it doesn’t seem to be a calcium deficiency.

Could there be some invisible species in the gravel that’s eating these snails? I also checked the water quality, and it’s great— all the other fish are thriving, but only the snails are dying. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are all within the safe range.

So, I’m asking for your help. If you know why this is happening to my snails, please tell me

If you're aquarium water doesn't smell and your water parameters are stable I wouldn't be surprised if it was the congo puffers.

 

[professorjimjam]

If you're aquarium water doesn't smell and your water parameters are stable I wouldn't be surprised if it was the congo puffers.

yes, water doesn’t smell and parameters of the water are perfect. Puffers beaks are overgrown , they hardly even bite the earthworms , also looking at the puffers , I never seen them attack the snails. And the way these snail looks like they are ripped apart. And these MTS snails are very hard shelled.

 

[Midwater]

Is your water unusually soft? If so, could you buffer it with a few pieces of coral?

 

[professorjimjam]

Is your water unusually soft? If so, could you buffer it with a few pieces of coral?

Thanks.
The water is hard not soft.

 

[Morti]

I have trumpet snails in really soft water and it's the oldest whirls, ie the smaller ones on the pointy end, that dissolve away, the newer growth is fine. In those pictures it just looks like very old snail shells that are naturally breaking down. In most tanks they tend to get stuck under hardscape or buried by the activity of the other inhabitants.
If these are definitely shells from recently passed snails then I don't really know another explanations other than the puffers are attacking them.

 

[FJB]

No disease on the snails. Puffers eating them. Afterwards slow shell dissolution. All normal. The puffers are saving you from an explosion of snails.

 

[professorjimjam]

Many thanks! These are not too old snails. Even some younger ones i find them like this. But those who are under gravel are fine. Only I find some in the upper gravel and they are found like that

 

[professorjimjam]

Thank you guys. In that case it is the puffers then

 

[Deadeye]

I agree - it looks pretty consistent with the damage I see to mts shells I had in puffer tanks.