# My Apple Snail Memorial (& Process)



## LloydTheSnail (Jan 8, 2011)

*Lloyds Display Case*
*A memorial to a snail that was the star of my aquarium.*















Lloyd died on February the 18th 2012. I was very upset about it all really. So I wanted to remember my snail well. I got a display case made and prepared my snail shell, which now sits in a case as an object of interest. 

_Ignore where the case is in the photos, the shell was promptly placed out of direct sunlight as snail shells will fade if left that way._

I never thought in a million years I would own an under water snail. Or manage to get so attached to one. But now Apple Snails are easily one of my favorite species of creature on the planet.

If someone had told me they had a pet they loved that was a snail in a tank a couple of years a go, I would have thought it was strange. *#3

Below is what I did. At the end of the post I talk about why Lloyd was such an important pet to me.

*The Process*
After my snail Lloyd died, she was put into a plastic butter box I referred to as the "tomb".  It had some holes cut into it and was weighed down by aquarium rocks and some pebbles on top, wedged in a safe place. Of course, things don't always go to plan; freak weather and storms had me running around daily moving the tomb about.








Her remains were out there for over two weeks. I ordered a case from a company in Auckland, New Zealand, at DisplayCases. They were able to create a handmade built to measure case in a few weeks for $47NZD. Previous quotes from other companies were hundreds, which was simply ridiculous, so this was good. 

Once the case arrived I opened Lloyds tomb (although I had been regularly checking it before) and the shell was almost completely empty. Using a solution of hot water, a splash of bleach, and concentrated dish washing liquid, the shell was swooshed and soaked. Some dried remains, especially on the foot, were removed and the swooshing released various bits from deep inside. At one point, what was left of the snail became visible-- very little body parts that must have been lodged around the spiral. I tipped it out onto paper towels. It was a very clinical process. No eww factor really, despite how it sounds. And thanks to my approach, there was no "infamous decomposing snail" smell at all. It was simply the remains. After 45 minutes the snail shell and operculum were put to dry which only took a few minutes with more paper towels. 








A nail varnish and repairer glue was used on the operculum and the shell. It provides a high gloss while having the strength to re-attach nails (or in this case, keep any cracks or deterioration in the shell bonded and strong). The snail shell was filled with bits of torn cotton to add a feeling of weight and prevent light shining through to enhance color. The foot was placed on the cotton and the nail glue held it to the sides of the shell as well; its as if the apple was sleeping. *ZZZZ








For the next fifteen minutes I glossed the whole shell with the varnish / nail repairer. Why? It preserves the color, keeps the cracks tight and creates a shine that gives the illusion the shell is still wet. The shell was then moved to the case and held with a bit of blu-tack to stop it rolling around in case the table was bashed (plus living in an area that is experiencing earthquakes after a magnitude 7.1 and 6.3, its best to be safe HAHA).








Lloyds remains were buried where the tomb once sat. Her shell now sits proudly in the case, looking almost like Lloyd has curled up and is sitting there wet. Its a nice way to remember my personal favorite pet. 















*About Lloyd*
My first apple snail, Lloyd, was a creature I grew very attached to. I loved apple snails before I even got to buy one after seeing them online. Lloyd had an algae covered shell when I got her (note I was unaware she was female at the time of naming but the name Lloyd just seemed amusingly right for the snail even afterwards) and was not the prettiest snail in the shop, but I picked her from the rest purely because she was the first snail I saw in the pet store that I adored, and she hadn't shifted for weeks. 








Lloyd would eat lettuce direct from my hand, knock over tank ornaments, and would be a source of comfort at night where I could turn my head to the tank and see a silhouette of her bouncing across the tops of plants in the tank.

On one side of Lloyd's face, she had two eyes on one stem. She also lived through several thousand sizeable earthquakes here (between 3.0 to 7.1 in magnitude, the 7.1 only 5km deep!!) many enough to have her drop from the glass and curl up for safety. She lived approx 2.5 to 3.0 years. She was half grown upon purchase.

Lloyd was a cannaliculata.

HD hi-res video of Lloyd:
Applesnail.net • View topic - [Video] Beauty of an Apple Snail

Lloyd eating lettuce:
Applesnail.net • View topic - [VIDEO] Lloyd the Golden Apple Snail : Eating cabbage


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## debisbooked (Jan 7, 2012)

LloydTheSnail said:


> *Lloyds Display Case*
> *A memorial to a snail that was the star of my aquarium.*
> 
> Sorry for your loss. The Lloyd videos really showed her personality.​


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Do you have another apple snail now?


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## LloydTheSnail (Jan 8, 2011)

snail said:


> Do you have another apple snail now?


I purchased a very small Apple Snail that was black / purple about half a year a go to witness interaction between the snails. This snail is also female.

She has grown rather large and is nice to watch. I like that Apple a lot, but its not the same as my first snail Lloyd. It never will be. You can't replace pets really-- not even Apple Snails. I find they all have personalities, maybe not as deep as humans or other animals, but unique enough to set them apart from other snails of their family.

I probably won't be purchasing anymore afterwards. Apple Snails are brilliant and to me they are more endearing and dynamic than fish. But sadly they only live up to three years on average, if you didn't already know. At the end of the day they are still lil' mollusks and don't live for very long.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

sorry for your loss.. interesting process of preservation!


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

I am sorry for your loss. I love that you made a memorial for her, it is very nice.


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