Just noticed the new lil girl has like, no trapdoor.....anything that can be done to fix this? Ive never seen one this small in relation to the snail..

Wow,that is really small.I know that when they completely lose them-from what I understand,they can grow back-slowly but surely,you just have to protect them from anyone hurting them.As to why her's is so small,well,we can only hope that Donya may be able to give the answer to that cause I'm not sure.Unless like people,Snails just have their deformaties too?

From what I read yesterday on applesnail.net, the operculum is built off protein rather than calcium, so a really great diet might help, maybe some beans (?). What you see according to them is indicative of poor diet. They also said that a snail can live without an operculum. I found it all very interesting...

This is from applesnail.net under diseases:

Operculum detoriation: holes, loss of operculum
While the shell mainly consist of calcium, the operculum is build out of proteins, although the species from the genus Pila also have calcium deposits at the body side of the operculum. The operculum is much less vulnerable to detoriations, but if a snail is not well fed, it can occur, however, that the operculum is thin and even get's holes in it. In such case, there is not much that can be done besides taking good care of the snail. Also keep in mind that the operculum is not essential for an apple snail to survive in a common aquarium with no snail eating fish around. Beside the shape and the smoothness of the operculum, the attachement of the operculum to the back of the foot is a good indication of the well being (or not) of the snail. In normal situations the snail's tissues completely cover the inside/body side of the operculum. If the snail is not in optimal condition, this tissue is retracted and only the center of the opreculum is covered by snail tissue. In such cases one needs to check the water quality and make sure everything is allright. Old snails can show such tissue retraction as well, while it's not necessairly a real problem with them. After all, one can compare this with the retraction of gums/tissues around humans teeth if not taken weel care of.Occasionally, it does happen that the whole operculum is lost. This is not a life treatening for the snail itself, but it often indicates a real serious health problem in the snail, so be sure to check the water quality and be sure the snail isn't dead.

2 possibilities:

- the operculum was lost and is regrowing. I still don't know why some snails just randomly loose their operculums, unless there are loaches in the tank or something...I had a perfectly healthy Marisa that just turned up one day operculum-less and had to regrow it. No explaination since it was in a snaily "padded cell" at the time with nothing to injure itself on.

- the foot got smashed around the operculum when the snail was small and it can't grow properly while healing. I'll try to post a pic later today of some whacky healed operculums...I had some Salton Sea snails with operculums copletely folded in on themselves. I think I see 2 distinct layers on the operculum in the pic, which means it tried to grow (but was too concave after 1st injury) and then pulled away and is trying to regrow.

hmm, I will try increasing the protein....she is living in a tank with just some real laid back goldies. I assume she came that way, a friend of mine got her for me as a present, i have no clue what store she came from. other then that, shes active as can be, heck, as i was posting that before, she was sliming all over the desk and mousepad and ate a hole in a sheet of paper

If you're feeding anything right now that is on the order of 30% protein (e.g. most fish foods), there's no point in increasing protein if the snail's eating plenty of whatever food that is. Last year people tried the increased protein method feeding carnivor foods and it was expensive and pointless in the end as long as the snails were eating flakes or pellets with some protein in them.

She is eating mostly veggies, with tubiflex a few times a week, and whatever leftover fish food she finds

I just had to repost that quote.