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Mystery snails are a common type of freshwater snail. They are often kept as pets in aquariums and are fun to watch; they always tend to surprise with their behavior.
If you have got Mystery snails in your aquarium, then most probably there is one thing you may have observed, i.e., they keep falling.
So if you are wondering why do mystery snails keep falling? Is it normal? Or will it cause any harm to them? Then you are at the right place.
In this article, we’ll discuss why mystery snails do it and will tell you if it is something you should be worried about or not.
Why Do My Mystery Snail Keep On Falling?
The reason why your mystery snails keep falling inside your tank is pretty straightforward – it is because they enjoy it, or they are trying to eat something like small fish while falling.
It is their instinctual behavior and even has a name, i.e., Parasnailing. It is completely normal for mystery snails or other species of snails to climb up to the top of the tank and then jump right in to eat something in their way or to play around.
Mystery snails in the wild frequently move with the current while falling in search of new food sources.
Mystery Snail Falling Behavior
Falling is a ubiquitous and unique behavior of mystery snails to fall from decorations in your tank, plants, the side of the tank, and other items, and they do it in an astonishing way.
Moreover, the snails also slowly climb up the tank wall and then let go to jump and glide like a parachutist to the bottom. While they are floating to the bottom, they can control how fast they fall and can even stop before touching the bottom of the aquarium.
Sometimes they do it all together, i.e., in groups, whereas sometimes, they do it alone. After reading and researching, we have found that the snails do it on purpose to eat small fish in the aquarium. If you don’t have any fish, the mystery snails will still do it on purpose to eat other types of food, catch flakes, or have fun.
If you have got a giant or bigger mystery snail along with a small fish, you might have introduced a predator in the tank because when the snail falls, it will probably try to go for your fish to eat it.
Snails Gliding Behavior
Besides falling down or jumping from the top of the tank, mystery snails can also glide on the aquarium wall by lifting part of their foot to skate down the wall quickly. Similar to when they fall, they can also control their speed and direction while gliding down the wall.
Mystery Snails have the ability to store air in their shells which they slowly release as they fall. They can control this air to reduce the impact of their landing inside the tank and can suddenly rise a few inches from the substrate or bottom.
Is Parasnailing Harmless Or Dangerous?
Now the question is, is it harmful if mystery snails keep falling over and over again? And the answer is no; it is not harmful to mystery snails to keep falling inside your tank, as it is their nature to do it. The problem is when they fall and are not in water.
Most people think that when the mystery snails climb up and fall, it can hurt them, their shells will crack or damage, etc., but this is not true.
It is their natural behavior, and it is completely safe for them. So if you are worried about your mystery snails, then don’t be because they are absolutely fine.
In fact, it is suitable for them as it helps them to get the adrenaline rush and excitement they need, and if your snail does that, then congrats, it means the snail is happy in your tank.
Wrapping Up!
So that was our take on why mystery snails keep falling inside the tank and whether it is harmful to them. After reading this article, we hope all your doubts have been cleared.
In a nutshell, the reason why mystery snails keep falling is that they enjoy it, it is their natural behavior, and it is not harmful to them in any way. So if you see your mystery snail falling, don’t worry about it, and just let them be.
