A female mystery will lay her eggs above the water surface shortly after mating with a male mystery snail. This can span weekly for four and a half months. Many people feel a bit of panic when mystery snail eggs fall into the water or get submerged.

When they drop into the water, questions arise: Are they ruined? Can the babies still hatch? What should you do next? This guide covers why eggs end up in water, what really happens when they submerge, and important steps to try saving them.

Understanding Mystery Snails and Their Eggs

Mystery snails thrive in warm, slow-moving waters. In aquariums, they stay peaceful and help clean up leftover food, algae, and decaying plant materials. Their shells range from gold to blue, ivory, or black. Adults grow to about 2 inches (5 cm). These snails breathe through gills and a siphon for air. 

Females lay eggs above the waterline to protect them from fish and poor oxygen levels underwater. A clutch forms a cluster of 100–300 small eggs in a pink or reddish mass. It looks like a honeycomb or bubble wrap stuck to glass, tank rims, or lids.

The pink color shows fertility. Fertile eggs darken over days. Unfertilized ones stay pale and fail to develop. Hatching usually takes 1–4 weeks, depending on temperature (around 75–82°F or 24–28°C speeds things up). Humidity matters too — dry air can kill embryos, but water contact is worse.

Interestingly, a female can store fertile sperm for up to a hundred and forty days and will lay fertile eggs afterward. She can also lay infertile eggs if she does not mate with a male mystery snail, but the eggs cannot hatch. 

For mystery snails’ eggs to hatch, they require the following;

1. High air humidity.
2. Temperatures of between 75 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. They should remain above the water surface.

However, you can increase the hatching rate by using an incubator, but you will need to be very cautious because the eggs can fall into the water while transferring them. Don’t confuse the eggs with mystery snail poop.

Why Do Mystery Snail Eggs Fall into the Water?

Egg clutches don’t always stay put. Several reasons may cause them to drop:

• Loose attachment. The female glues eggs with mucus, but vibrations from filters, fish activity, or tank movement can loosen them.
• Tank setup issues. Low water levels give space for laying, but decorations or plants might knock clutches down.
• Human error. Moving the tank, cleaning the glass, or adjusting the equipment can dislodge eggs.
• Overcrowding or curious fish. Some fish nibble edges, or snails climb, and cause falls.

Can Mystery Snail Eggs Survive in Water?

Mystery snail eggs need air. The embryos inside develop lungs and need oxygen from above water. Submersion in water causes problems:

• Short exposure (a few minutes). Some clutches survive if rescued quickly. 
• Longer submersion (hours or days). Embryos drown. The clutch turns white, mushy, or moldy. No babies emerge.

Studies confirm immersion lowers hatching success, but exceptions exist. Some keepers report partial success with quick action. Others see tiny snails drop even from soggy clutches. It depends on timing, temperature, and clutch age. Freshly laid eggs seem more fragile. Near-hatching ones sometimes fare better.

Don’t assume total loss right away. Many aquarists try to save them — and sometimes win.

Steps to Take If Eggs Fall In

If you are quick to remove the eggs after they fall into the water, they have a good chance of surviving. Here is what you can do to salvage the eggs after falling into the water.

1. Assess the situation. How long were they under? A quick fall (under 10–15 minutes) gives better odds. Longer submersion usually means low viability.
2. Remove the clutch gently. Use clean hands, a soft tool, or a plastic card. Avoid squeezing — it damages eggs.
3. Place the eggs on the paper towel in the bowl. Do not dry the eggs because you might end up damaging them.
4. Put one damp paper towel over the eggs so that they do not dry out. They need to stay moist to hatch.
5. Set up incubation. Options include putting a few layers of damp paper towel into the bowl and placing it on the water’s surface in the tank or using a separate container near the tank with high humidity.
6. Mist the eggs with tank water daily to prevent drying. Aim for 75–85% humidity.
7. Monitor changes. Fertile eggs darken and turn grayish. White or moldy spots signal failure. Near hatching, the clutch looks “moldy” or deflated.
8. Prepare for hatchlings. Babies drop into water when ready. Use a sponge filter to avoid sucking them up. Feed blanched veggies, algae wafers, or crushed shrimp pellets. Add calcium (cuttlebone or crushed eggshells) for shell growth.
9. If no hope, dispose kindly. Freeze unwanted clutches humanely before discarding. Never release into the wild — they can become invasive.

To avoid mystery snail eggs from falling into the water, you can hatch them in an incubator.

How to Tell if Mystery Snail Eggs are Dead

Mystery snails do not reproduce asexually and require a male and female to mate. Breeding starts with a male and a female. Females store sperm, so even solo snails lay later. In good conditions, a female mystery snail will lay eggs that will hatch in two to three weeks. Proper feeding and warm water trigger more eggs.

A fertilized egg that is hatching will start to grow and darken in color. Towards their hatching day, you will notice dark spots on them.

Without a male mystery snail, the female will also lay eggs, but they cannot hatch. Even after two to three weeks, infertile eggs will still appear small (the same size as when they were laid). They will also have a uniform dark color but no dark spots. 

Infertile eggs may start to have an awful smell after two weeks, and if you put them in a paper towel, they will stain it with a red substance. In such a case, you need to dispose of them appropriately.

How to Dispose of Infertile Eggs

When you notice the mystery snail eggs are infertile, the only option left is to dispose of them. Most people will throw them in the trash or the garden. Although the eggs might seem infertile, a few might be alive.

Throwing it in the garden will mean you have released a mystery snail in the wild. They will be able to reproduce without being controlled, and they will eat vegetation and crops. Also, releasing snails into the wild is prohibited in the United States and Canada. 

Here is how you can dispose of them safely;

1. Crush the eggs – wrap the eggs in a paper towel, crush them and dispose of them in the dustbin or flush them in the toilet.
2. Freeze the eggs – wrap them in a paper towel and put them in a freezer for two days. Remove and flash them in the toilet or put them in the trash.

How to Hatch Mystery Snail Eggs in an Incubator

As long as you provide a good environment for your mystery snails, they will lay fertile eggs. The snails should be well fed, have good water parameters, and have a male to mate with. Follow these simple steps if you plan to hatch mystery snail eggs in an incubator.

1. Provide an open space for the female mystery snail to lay her eggs above the waterline.
2. After she lays the eggs, allow them to stay intact for about two days. The eggs are soft and have a jelly-like consistency when laid. In an attempt to move them before they harden, you might damage them.
3. As you wait for the clutch to harden, prepare your incubation box. A container with a secure lid would also be okay.
4. Before moving the eggs, dip two or three paper towels in water and squeeze all the water out ( the paper towel should be damp, not wet). Place the paper towel at the bottom of the container.
5. Move the eggs and place them on top of the paper towel.
6. Seal the container and put it in a warm and humid place. You can also float it in the tank.
7. You will need to open the container daily for a few minutes to allow airflow to prevent mold and mildew, and also oxygenate the eggs. Do not leave it open for long because it will alter the moisture content in the incubator.
8. Wait for the eggs to hatch.

Final thought

Mystery snail eggs cannot hatch underwater. However, if you remove them quickly from water after falling and follow the above steps to salvage them, they will certainly hatch. If you are unsure how long the eggs have been underwater, you can still remove them and put them in an incubator. Wait for two weeks, and if you do not see the changes mentioned above, properly dispose of them.