Ok so I have...or had, I think he's dead now, a golden inca snail. I have had several snails in several tanks and this is the first time I encountered this problem. The golden inca I had before, in the same tank and with the same fish, never attempted an escape despite great amounts of time spent by the surface. I was wondering if there is anything that prompted this behavior or if it simply found the opening and with a stroke of bad luck decided to climb the filter. If there's anything I should do please let me know.

Thanks,
Jess

P.S.
I plan on getting a glass cover before the next snail...no more of that happening!

Yes definitely cover all openings of the tank. Snails, as you probably know, breathe air and have lungs as well as gills. Usually it's the females that go above the waterline, as that is where they lay their eggs.

Definately keep the whole tank covered.

I am guessing that it was probably just bad luck that he got out. To be quite honest, I used to have small openings on the top of my tanks, and I never lost a snail. I was lucky, because I should have had the top covered.

I am really sorry about your snail though.

Thanks guys, I'll be getting new covers as soon as I can get to a store...I feel really bad I should have thought of the possibility before, but he's/she? is not my first snail and it hasn't happened before.

It's not unheard of for males to go out-of-water exploring, but in the vast majority of cases this is mostly a female thing.

My female snail went wondering one night and I found her on the carpet in the morning. She was a bit upset and shaken for a couple of hours, but then she came good.

I'm sorry you lost your snail

all better! my snail is crawling around and plenty happy again, just a scare...my betta died though unknown causes

Im glad hes okay! Mine used to try to escape at waterchange time. He was a quick little guy too. I have heard of snails actually surviving being out of their tanks for up to a month, as long as they stay sealed up in the shell. If it ever happens again dont toss out the snail, put him back in the water and he might be okay.