I have some apple snails in my tank. This morning when I checked on the tank, I noticed one Apple snail was attached to another ones back, however, the attached snail's shell and tissue had changed color from the normal milky yellow to almost black! All the other snails appear and behave the same.

Later I checked them and the snail was still attached in the same position and same discoloration. I gently slid the attached snail off, thinking it had died in that position. I gently set the snail on an ornament in the tank and it just sort of floated there for a bit, then started crawling around, supposedly normally. But it's still almost black colored!

I'm too much of a beginner to know if the snail is sick, dying, or if this is normal, perhaps due to mating.

I'd greatly appreciate any ideas, I don't know if I should get it out of the tank or not.

Ive never heard of this but it is possible hes just gone through a color change. Apple snails come in just about every color–yellow, brown, white, black, blue, green, violet. (Those last 3 are awesome if youve never seen them!). Is it a baby or full grown? Are you sure its not a pond snail who hitched a ride in on a plant or something?

Thanks for the reply, he's definitely not a suprise, he's a large apple sized apple snail I added along with some others. I think he actually might have been that color and I just never noticed!

How's your snail?