I have suspected it for some time, because I hadn't seen her in a long while, but nerite snails are little ninjas so I held out even a tiny bit of hope until it was confirmed, but my dear Macha the snail has crossed the rainbow bridge. :(
She and Sanglainn taught me a lot and got me rather obsessed with snails. I love them and they are super fun to watch. They're a lot faster than you think, and do parkour (that's what I call it when they're hanging upside down on things or clinging to narrow stalks and such).
Parkour!
I am pretty sure it was from old age. Some websites say nerites live from 1-3 years, and another said 2-3 years. I don't know how old they were when I brought them home, but they have been with me since October of 2022.
She got small before she crossed the bridge (her body, not her shell), so I think maybe that's a sign of old age for them. There was food in the tank - Sanglainn was still fat and happy when she was getting smaller - and I watched them eat. And very recently, Sanglainn has been looking a bit smaller, so I think he is aging too.
I always thought her shell looked like a slouchy hat
I found her shell when I was doing a water change and cleaning the gravel yesterday, so it was confirmed. People in snail groups online said that it smells very bad when they pass, and once she came up (I think she had buried herself in the substrate before she died), there was a bad smell. I didn't realize how bad it was until I went outside to give some dirty tank water to a tree (it's full of nutrients) and came back in and realized it was hitting me in the face as soon as I walked in the door. So anyone that isn't sure if their snail has died, you will know. You will not have to put them up to your face and sniff. It's strong. And she was small.
Even though I had suspected that this had happened for some time, I was still heartbroken. I love my aquarium friends. They're sweet little creatures and they have given me a lot of joy. 💚
Snail in peace, beautiful Macha. I will love you forever. 🐌