Dead snails

[LouJones]

Hello,
Over the past few weeks I've had 3 snails die? Fish, corals and crabs all ok!
Any ideas?
Thanks Louise

 

[jstephens24]

Ppl will probabley need to know your water parameters

 

[tomreefer]

snails do die but yeah we need your water parameters..

Saltinity, Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Hermit crabs can kill snails as well if you have them

 

[jason2459]

Just curious but have you added any magnesium? High levels or possibly quick increase in Mg can basically stun snails and you may think they are dead.

 

[LouJones]

Hello, thanks for your help, checked water all ok? Got hermit crabs so maybe? Not added any magnesium? Just had a third one go today? V strange?

 

[dkeller_nc]

No offense, but there's little we can do with "water parameters are OK". You'll want to post some details, such as how long the tank's been up and running, and a complete water chemistry profile with salinity, temperature, ammonia, and nitrate concentrations. Since you've corals, Ca, alkalinity and magnesium test results would also help us help you.

Husbandry practices are also good information, such as frequency of water changes, dosing of calcium and alkalinity additives if used, feeding frequency and with what, etc...

 

[snorvich]

Of course, hermit crabs kill snails so that could also be a factor.

 

[gone fishin]

some fish as well like to snack on snails.

 

[South City]

I've heard that if some snails get flipped over onto their back and are unable to right themselves that they may die.

 

[edavis]

also are they starving? is your CUC too much for the waste your tank produces for them to eat?

 

[potterjon]

One other thought is stray voltage. It will kill snails before other things in your tank. But more than likely, it is one of these things stated above. I am guessing your tank is too new for a cuc. It seems see alot of people on here set their tank up and cycle it and then run and get a cuc, without any waste for them to eat. One other thing to consider is what kind of snails. We tend to clump them together but they come from different places with different temp water, salinity, etc.

 

[JR8999]

I've experienced the same thing when during my first few months. I chalked it up to a low bio load in which the tank waste was not enough to be able to sustain the number of snails I had.

 

[Teenreefer15]

params?

 

[Sk8r]

Margarita snails are cold-water snails and always die. Pointy snails don't live on sand in nature, and unfortunately won't live on it long in our tanks, either. They fall over, and fish and crabs both eat them.

My advice is to get ceriths, limpets, nassarius, and little strombus grazers, who are very self-protective and who don't usually get in trouble.