Nassarius Snails and DSB's

[DenverDave]

I have about 8 of them in my nano and am trying to change my husbandry practices b/c of successive algae blooms.

I'm feeding daily, just enough for the 2 fish I have to eat (not gorge themselves), plus maybe an iota more.

This has been going on for 2 weeks, and last night the Nassarius Snails (a few of them) just seemed to be crawling around on the surface a lot more time than normal after feeding and into simulated dusk with my actinics.

2 look like the don't feel so good ( kinda just staying on top 24/7 and no moving much), and one committed suicide about a week ago- I found him on the floor.

Maybe the one of the floor was a coincidence, but I do see a slight shift in behavior. Can they starve?

I'm drying to keep my DSB sifted, and these snails do an excellent job.
What's next if they do end up dying? I'm not going to feed more- I'm sick of algae, and my fish don't need it.

Thanks
Dave

 

[guinness0514]

well the extra food is what they feed on, so maybe you are doing too good of a job of keeping your tank algae free at the cost of starving them. can't have your cake and eat it too.....

 

[Dweezle]

Here's an idea for ya. Take a pill bottle, remove the lable and clean it well. Next, drill a few small holes in the bottle and one in the lid. Find a piece of live rock rubble that will fit in the bottle (just for weight). Run a piece of fishing line thru the hole in the bottle cap and tie it to the chunk of rubble. Put a thawed silver side in the bottle, then the rubble, screw on the cap and drop it in the tank after lights out. DIY snail/creepy-crawly feeder. I do this once a week.

 

[DenverDave]

Thanks, Dweezle.

 

[A.VOID]

8 in a nano is a lot. nass' are voracious.
they are also pretty hardy as far as snails go.

 

[mullinsd2]

Yeah, I was giong to say the nass. can eat some food. They even eat the pellets that make it to the ground in my tank.... there since of smell amazes me though; they begin moving as soon as food hits the water surface. If you want to keep the sand sifted get a goby and pistol!! lol