Mystery Snail Issue? Please help...

[MissFishy]

So I bought my first snail this past weekend and put it into my new 20H. This tank had previously been fishlessly cycled...but somehow the nitrites have skyrocketed...I've been doing water changes furiously, but they don't seem to be going down much. I'll give the newest test readings in a few minutes...I just did a water change. But I came home and the snail was floating on the surface with bubbles on it...thought for sure it was dead...but I took a closer look and it's still alive...but it looks deformed...and seems to have left some slime on the wall that it touched. I'm worried the nitrites might have gotten to him? Should I take him out and put him in a fish bowl and see if he recovers? Suggestions?

 

[Illyria]

When the snail gets air trapped in thier shell from airstones or another source, they will float at the surface until they can expell the air. Mine have done that before, they sink down again when they have gotten rid of the air. That is normal. The slime(mucus) as you probably know is normal also. What do you mean by deformed? What also are your water conditions: Hard, Soft, Alkalinity, PH, etc. Snails like hard(Calcium rich) water.

 

[RISK2123]

id take it out till u get the nitrites back in order.

 

[Lotus]

Put the snail in a large cup or jar of dechlorinated water, and change the water daily until the nitrites in your tank are at zero.

 

[MissFishy]

Into the fish bowl he goes! Hopefully he'll pull through...don't worry, I'll be dechorinating the water, putting some plants to float on top, and some food for him.

He seems to look normal, then somewhat shrivel up without going back into his shell...that's what I mean by deformed. I seriously thought he was dead! He has something hanging off of him too...looks like what a rotting dead fish would have on it, but then he just perks up and looks normal with his tentacles and everything...I don't know. Thank you for the advice!