Okay crazy things

[breutus]

This ones new to me!

I have one of my many RBTA's that started splitting tonight and kept splitting from one to four, that's weird in it's self. But the really weird thing is that my nassuirus snails attacked one of the RBTA's gained up on it and was eating it! :eek2: pics included.

 

[Schplitter]

It probably died...

 

[breutus]

well even with over half of it eaten away last night before I could save it. It is pulling its self back together and moved up high in the tank so maybe it will pull through.

 

[breutus]

OKay this is getting insane! Today I added a feather duster to the tank and with in a half an hour the snails were on top of him and had pulled his crown off of him and then proceeded to eat over half his tube, going as far as to dig down in the sand to get to the tube

 

[stlouisguy]

sounds like they are just hungry. Throw some silversides in every few days to satisfy them

 

[breutus]

I haven't really though about that... could I have to many for my tank. I believe I have 10 -12 nass. snails, 3 zebra turbo's, 2 cerith, 2 astrea, a brittlestar and a cuke. the tank is a 72 gallon bowfront with a 30 gallon sump.

I don't believe these guys are whelk snails I have looked up alot of pictures and they definitly look like nassuirus snails to me.

 

[Nanook]

Sounds like lack of food. What are your water parameters?

 

[breutus]

Everything is pretty norm, my nitrates are at about 15 but thats been normal in the tank for some time. I do have too high of phosphates I just found out recently testing at .5 but I put a phophate reactor in two nights ago to help with that. I believe it was from frozen food. I don't have a calcium test so that one I don't know

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 15
Nitrite 0
temp 80-82
SG 1.025
Phos .5

I have never feed my snails directly in the past. I feed the tank every day to every other day with a small pinch of flakes and some clown pellets. I put a big piece of dried seaweed about once a week sometimes sooner. And feed DT's usually about once a week, again sometimes more. on a rare occasion I feed a chopped up uncooked shelled shrimp. I do water changes sometimes daily but always at least weekly.

it makes since that they could be hungry. I just wish they would have told me before they ate my new feather duster!

 

[Nanook]

I would think starvation is a big factor in your tank...these systems while needing clean water have enormous nutritional needs...I would get some frozen seafoods, mix it up with some high quality Nori and some of the smaller food sources available for a home-made recipe of nutritious food and feed it daily at least.