How to Know if an Apple Snail Eggs Are Dead

Apple snail reproduction is a relatively easy process to encourage, largely because given the right circumstances, even a small community of apple snails can produce several clutches of eggs over the course of a few weeks. The most common place to find the apple snail egg clutches is just a few inches above aquarium water, though a few species, such as the rams horn apple snail, prefer to lay their eggs underwater. Regardless of species, it is important that the eggs remain moist throughout the gestation period, otherwise they may dry out. This is the single greatest factor in the death of a clutch of apple snail eggs, aside from predation.

Things You'll Need

  • Magnifying glass
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Instructions

    • 1

      Inspect the apple snail egg's gel suspension visually using a magnifying glass. Look for signs that the eggs have dried out, such as small cracks in the gel that the eggs are suspended in. If this gel is dried out, then the eggs are dead or are near to death.

    • 2

      Inspect the eggs themselves with the magnifying glass. From the time that they are laid, they will change color and harden over the course of approximately two to three days. If they do not harden, or take on cracks in the surface of the eggs, they will likely be dead. Additionally, if you notice that the eggs are shriveling, this is indicative of their drying out, which means that they are dead.

    • 3

      Check the conditions in which the eggs rest within their clutch. If the snail is a rams horn snail, the eggs should be laid under water. If they are not submerged, they will die within a few hours. Most other apple snail species lay their eggs out of the water. If these species' eggs are submerged for more than a few minutes, then the eggs will drown.