Smell the shell carefully. If the shell smells rotten or foul, the snail has died. Examine the water snail shell carefully. If the body of the snail is no longer inside the shell or if the snail hangs out of the shell and does not move, then the snail may have died.

What happens when a snail dies?

When a snail dies, their body shrinks, meaning the shell will appear lifeless. Moreover, if your snail has been dead for a while, the body will decompose, and the shell will be empty.

Why is my snail not moving?

High levels of Nitrite and/or Ammonia

The most common reason why a nerite snail will stop moving is due to chemicals found in water or due to poor water quality. If there are higher levels of nitrite or ammonia, they will stop moving.