I have a 10 gal thank with a fire shrimp cardinal and little clown fish. It's been up for around 2 years and I do weekly 1 gal water changes with RO and keep my ca, alk and ph balanced. I check amonia, nitrite and nitrate periodically with no change. It's in a book case so the filtration is very basic with one power filter and power head no skimmer. I'm not sure why I can't keep snail alive when the other animals do fine. Is there something I'm missing?
snails dieing
- Thread starter odin5738
- Start date
Alex T.
Active member
Are they dead or kind of just falling off the glass and laying dormant like they're drunk?
Reason I ask is that if Magnesium level are too high, it's been reported that snails....especially Turbo Snails, can have the equivalent of a psychedelic episode. Believe it or not it's true.
Happened to me. When I dripped a little kalk as suggested, magnesium levels dropped and snails were normal again.
Reason I ask is that if Magnesium level are too high, it's been reported that snails....especially Turbo Snails, can have the equivalent of a psychedelic episode. Believe it or not it's true.
Happened to me. When I dripped a little kalk as suggested, magnesium levels dropped and snails were normal again.
njdevilsfan
New member
dieing is an odd looking word
njdevilsfan
New member
i thought you spelled it right
i just thought it looked weird
i am the worst speller on this site
btw how old were these snails
i just thought it looked weird
i am the worst speller on this site
btw how old were these snails
YUP thats my guess, and a strong possibility
I know the SG swings pretty drastically since it's only a 10 gal tank. I'm going to try to add only one snail and keep the water topped off to maintain the SG. They only live for two to three weeks and I've never had this problem in my 90 gal thank. Soon to find out if it's the SG and or starvation. Dieing is wired the correct spelling is dying.
psteeleb
Team RC
A couple things come to mind
- Most snails can tolerate short terrm SG, temp and Ph swings more so then other critters as most are snails come from tidal zones. That said, it is a short term tolerance.
- Snails can't tolerate a high Mg swings but this usually will kill them faster then 3weeks. If they don't die in a few days they get acclimated to the higher Mg.
- Infestation of pyramid snails - real small suckers that literally suck the life out of larger snails and clams
- hermit crabs
- My highest suspicion is: the snails you are buying are from a colder water climate. For example Turbo snails will die in most reef tanks if the water is around 82 degrees. The Mexican Turbos can tolerate the warmer temperatures of our reef tanks but most others can not. What happens is the same with cold water starfish; that is, their body metabolism increases with the water temperature to a point where they burn calories faster then they can eat (so even if you have a food source they will still starve to death)
- Most snails can tolerate short terrm SG, temp and Ph swings more so then other critters as most are snails come from tidal zones. That said, it is a short term tolerance.
- Snails can't tolerate a high Mg swings but this usually will kill them faster then 3weeks. If they don't die in a few days they get acclimated to the higher Mg.
- Infestation of pyramid snails - real small suckers that literally suck the life out of larger snails and clams
- hermit crabs
- My highest suspicion is: the snails you are buying are from a colder water climate. For example Turbo snails will die in most reef tanks if the water is around 82 degrees. The Mexican Turbos can tolerate the warmer temperatures of our reef tanks but most others can not. What happens is the same with cold water starfish; that is, their body metabolism increases with the water temperature to a point where they burn calories faster then they can eat (so even if you have a food source they will still starve to death)
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