How does everyone keep snails?

[Mr.Shrimps]

All of my snails fall off the glass and sit upside down until my hermit crabs eat them. I have tried all sorts of different kinds. What am I doing wrong?

 

[manfrog]

I've found that snails will make a quick meal for many an opportunistic feeder even when there is plenty of food to go around.

Shrimp, hermits and pretty much anything else that eats meat will take them down.

How many snails do you have in relation to your tank size?


You may need to cut back on either the number of snails you have or their predators.

 

[kmbyrnes]

Snails are like snacks to some tank inhabitants.
I just bite the bullet and buy some every month as they get eaten.

 

[Xxero]

I'm not sure why, but I have had the same seven snails for over 2 years now. Mostly Astraea Snails, a couple of Margaritas, and one Mexican Turbo.

I only keep Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs, and I personally distrust all Shrimp. At this point, I would be just as upset at losing one of these snails as I would if it were an old fish or coral piece. :bigeyes:

 

[Hitch08]

I don't keep any hermit crabs in my tank. However, I often find snails upside down on the bottom of my tank. I have one of those long handled grabber things that I put in the tank to flip them back over.

 

[mako61]

I have an acrylic rod i use to snail tip. I check a couple times day for upside down snails. My wife checks also. Sometimes my Melanurus wrasse will get one before we turn them over. I dont have crabs or shrimp im guessing my wrasse would eat them, never tried.

 

[Sk8r]

Pointy-top snails cannot crawl on sand and fall over and die of starvation. Get ceriths and chestnut turbos. Also, provide your hermit shells of the same species they're weaRing, but just a little larger---the crabs themselves will suffer if they can't get new shells in a larger size. Ultimately they do reach species max, but until then, they need a succession of shells. It's life or death for the crabs, too.

 

[homer1475]

Pointy-top snails cannot crawl on sand and fall over and die of starvation. Get ceriths and chestnut turbos. Also, provide your hermit shells of the same species they're weaRing, but just a little larger---the crabs themselves will suffer if they can't get new shells in a larger size. Ultimately they do reach species max, but until then, they need a succession of shells. It's life or death for the crabs, too.

I've read this a few times now, and my hermits have lived in their same shells for the last 2 years even though I offer larger shells.

 

[on the spot]

All of my snails fall off the glass...

how big is your tank, and how many snails are you talking about?

How do you top off?

how clean is the tank?

What salt do you use, and how often do you do a water change?
do you test for calcium and alkalinity?

On the chance you have something else in the tank you might try polyfilter.