# Removing snail from shell...?



## iheartfish:)

How do you completely remove a dead snail from its shell? I want more shells for my cichlids, and I want big ones that are meant to be eaten that I can get at a local market. The thing is, how do I get them out? The last ones I did I boiled, like for eating, then I took them out. However, some of the icky stuff all the way in the back (either the liver or a poo sack... ) always stays behind. What I did was soak them in water for a week or two and then I could just tilt it and it would all come out with the water (with a few rinses). Is there another way to do it, though? It was really, really stinky. What do you expect, they had to decay... yuck. I don't want to put them in bleach as it can be harmful. Any other way to do it? Oh, and I can't bury them (like some people say to do) because it's winter... ;-)


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## bmlbytes

Bleach really shouldn't be harmful as long as you rinse them good. Get a jar, or other airtight container, and soak them in there. They wont stink at all, until you open it. Then its only a few minutes of stink (which you can do outdoors).


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## iheartfish:)

Okay, that works. How much rinsing would be enough?


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## bmlbytes

Rinse until you cant smell the chlorine at all. Then add some of your aquarium decholorinator to it. That should get rid of the bleach for sure.


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## iheartfish:)

Cool, thanks!


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