Mystery Snail Eggs Fell in Water, Can You Save Them?

Last Updated on January 20, 2022 by cmoarz

If you’ve ever had egg-laying mystery snails, You know for a fact they aren’t always as secure to the tank as they could be. Perhaps you’ve already experienced an egg fall, and if not, you can expect it in the future.

So what do you do when mystery snail eggs fell in water? Can you save them? This article will tell you what to do and how to save these eggs as best as possible.

Can Snail Eggs Survive in Water?

Normally mystery snail eggs can’t survive in the water, unlike many other species.

That’s why they lay the eggs above the water line so they don’t get wet. However, If an egg sack falls in the water it can survive for some time.

This doesn’t mean you should let it lay there and wait to see what happens. Most of the snails will suffocate and die if their eggs are underwater, so you shouldn’t wait too long before starting your rescue attempt. You should act quickly if you want your snail eggs to be healthy.

There are some repercussions to this however, one is mainly mold. But if you get the eggs out quick enough it should be fine.

Be sure not to confuse the moldy appearance of eggs that are ready to hatch as actual mold, they are easy to confuse.

What to do When Mystery Snail Eggs Fell in Water?

1. Add a few layers of damp (not too wet) paper towel into a bowl or old margin container for example, and float it on the surface of the tank.
2. Scoop out the eggs, and place them on some paper towel. Don’t worry about drying them off, you will just end up damaging the eggs.
3. Place a slightly damp paper towel over the top of the eggs so they don’t completely dry out.

They should hatch like normally. FYI this is the same process for apple snail eggs that fall into the water. The two are very similar.

Are Mystery Snail Eggs Toxic?

Mystery snail eggs are none toxic, But apple snail eggs are toxic. You should always be very cautious in a tank that contains apple snails eggs.

Many people who have apple snails often confuse them with mystery snails. They’re nearly identical until later in life when the apple snail begins to outgrow its mystery snail cousin.

It’s important to know the snail you actually have.

Apple snails have a toxin in their eggs called PcPV2. The slime coating can also contain lungworm that is capable of infecting a human and can cause serious health issues.

But if you do have mystery snail eggs, You don’t need to worry about their toxicity. And if they fall in your water, no harm will be done to the water quality.

Apple snail eggs won’t hurt the water either, but anything that eats them could be poisoned. Luckily almost nothing will eat an apple snail egg because of the toxin.

Why Did My Mystery Snail Eggs Fall?

Mystery snail eggs fall for different reasons, but it mostly comes down to how well they are secured to the side of the tank and the positioning in the tank.

Eggs laid on the cover of the tank are more likely to fall due to gravity.

Eggs that are placed on objects closer to water will much more likely fall due to the object becoming too heavy with moisture and falling in, or the water causing the sticky slime to eventually let go.

They can also be nudged into the water by the laying snail by accident, especially in tight spaces.

This can be prevented by making sure you remove the eggs to your hatchery after they’ve been laid, But not too early. They need a bit of time to harden up before you can remove them, at least 24 hours.

Those first 24 hours are most crucial and when they are most likely to fall into the water.