Help! Why do my Snails Keep Dying

[moonlightdriver]

Can someone tell me why I can't keep snails a live in my F.O. tank?
It's a 55 gal RR tank w/ sump. I have 2 pink skunk clown fish, 2 fire gobies & a 6 line wrasse.
Fish are all going fine & healthy... Hermit crabs are doing fine as well but for some reason snails just die on me...
All test show that the tank should be ok ... Just wondering if there is something else that might be in there that I can't test for..
I bought 10 snails last friday and none of them even moved after I put them in... I acclimated them for 15-25 mins or so before I put them in... Just thought I would ask if anyone had similar problems

Parameters:
Salinity 1.022
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphates .25
PH 8.3

 

[insomniac2k2]

Copper and large salinity shifts are #1 culprit from what i've been reading.

 

[Eastamherstbias]

I thought it was a temperature issue. I was always told that the turbos never last that long because they are taken from cold waters and put in warm water tanks.

 

[naprestsleep]

+2 on Salinity, you are running it low for inverts to thrive. Id bump it up and try a slower acclimation process, you could do it over hours(while maintain a correct water temperature) as you don't have to worry so much about oxygen and ammonia issues you might with a fish.

 

[moonlightdriver]

thanks for the help ... I will have to get a test kit for my copper level... I keep my tank right around 78-79 deg... I will also increase the salinity as well next water change (seeing I just did an 18 gal change over the weekend) 1.026 - 028 for salinity correct?

 

[cardiffgiant]

I keep mine at 1.026. Are you using RO/DI?

 

[naprestsleep]

1.026, how do you check salinity? Up it slowly, add some of your top of water as saltwater not plain water.

 

[moonlightdriver]

Yes i am using an RODI... I use a refractometer ...

 

[insomniac2k2]

Be careful. Changing your salinity should be very slow. Not in one water change. If you have a filter sock or something, you may want to throw some pinches in there slowly and watch your salinity rise over a week or so.

Of course there are many ways, changing your top off water to salt water for a temporary period, etc.

Salinity shock is what i meant. Snails cannot handle drastic shifts.

snip from a random site:

"Caution: Your Cleanup Critters are the most fragile during acclimation ( they are very sensitive to salinity and ph change), and need to be acclimated very slowly, over a period of approximately two hours. Do not rush this procedure or losses will occur.

Acclimation Procedure: Snails, starfish, and other inverts are very sensitive to minor salinity and ph changes and must be slowly drip acclimated to insure their survival. Place invertebrates in a container and use a drip line to slowly acclimate all invertebrates. It is critical that invertebrates be slowly acclimated!! Drip acclimate at a rate of 1-2 drops per second for at least 2 hours. "

Should give you the idea on the acclimation side...

 

[Sir Edward]

I have the same trouble. I just cannot keep snails. All fish/corals and shrimps and crabs are doing good. I have my salinity at 1.025, Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphates .25

PH 8.2 I've just given up on snails

 

[naprestsleep]

Short term vs long term survival are two different issues. Many people have snails die off after time due to lake of nutrients or snails not native to the environment of a home aquarium. Instant death seems to be acclimation or conditions of the water.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I'm in agreement with this being a salinity issue. Personally I aim at 1.024 to 1.026. I'd be willing to bet the tank/water they came out of was higher than your 1.022. This type of invert is particularly sensitive to nitrates, swings in pH, and salinity. I don't think the 15-20 minutes used to acclimate them was enough. Next time go much slower (I'm not judging, as I've done the same exact thing in the past), do a sloooow drip over at least an hour. Preferably 2 if you can swing it.

 

[naprestsleep]

OT --- >> Cully, 3 more to 10K, how you going to celebrate?

 

[Tonynlo]

Are your hermits killing the snails?

 

[tmz]

I'd guess sg shift or copper. 1.O22 and snails can't osmoregulate like fish can. I would not add raw salt . Mixed aerated water aged overnight will give the ammonia, ammines etc in the salt time to settle out. In any event more than .001 sg upward shift per day is likely to stress your fish and calculating exactly how much to add is very tedious math. Topping off with pre mixed salt water at say 1.035 instead of freshwater should get you there slowly and safely.

 

[tent boy]

Can you keep hermits and snails in the same tank successfully?

 

[block head]

LOL , i'm working on a evil lfs conspiracry theory for snails,hermits,most crabs/shrimp.

 

[moonlightdriver]

well the next batch I get I will acclimate them longer... but in the mean time I am going to get the salinity up to snuff over the next couple of weeks...

 

[Sir Edward]

I acclimate mine like I do everything going into my tank between 1 1/2 to 2 hour drip. What happens is the Turbo's just die off over a week or two. There is only one left from my last batch of a dozen, been close to a year since I bought them. I have close to a dozen Narcissus snails, they have been fine since day one. I've just given up on Turbos. All my tangs seem to do a good job on keeping the algae off the glass.

 

[Gravesj1s]

Recently I added a trio of anthias to my tank.After getting them home ,I calibrated my refractometer,added a few drops of water to get an idea how long I should drip.

Water tested : 1.015 (SG) My tank,1.026. Ended up doing a 5 hr drip. Using a 5 gal pail.Doing well now for the past week.

Ive never checked sg or salinity coming from their coral & invert tanks,but likely will next time I pick something up.
Im with the others from past experience to rapid of change in salinity is likely the cause .