Snails dying?

[Marchillo]

hello all

I have a 40g breeder with two clowns and a starry Blenny. My cuc was getting sparse 3 hermits 3/4 snails and the diatoms were out of control. I added 8 snails 5 Nassarius and 3 turbos. I also added a fighting conch. 2 of my originals snails are upside down. I flipped one a couple days ago and he moved around. My tank is so clean now it's crazy. Sand is white and rocks dont have the brown hair coming off. I think redoing my rock work helped eliminate dead spots.

There is still plenty of algae on my tank. I started putting a little nori in there that my Nassarius definitely like to eat. Are they starving to death? Api showed nitrates at 20ppm and Red Sea only 2ppm. I have ordered a 3rd to cross check. Salinity is 1.025 ammonia/nitrite 0. Temp is 78-79.

Thanks in advance.


Steve

 

[Marchillo]

Plenty of algae meaning on the glass where the two snails that are upside down typically go.

 

[gone fishin]

My personal opinion would be to go with the red sea test. I have always had trouble matching the colors on the API, that's just me maybe.

Snails don't need much to eat and it doesn't sound like you have to many or a low nutrient tank. just my 2 cents worth.

 

[CStrickland]

You'll see diff snails labeled "turbo" depending where you shop. I got a few that are actually astrea's and it seems that in nature they live in places that are almost all rock. So when they lose their grip they land in a nook or crevice and can just grab the wall next to them. That means they never had to learn the crazy acrobatic manuver that your nassarius can do when they land on the sand to right themselves. So when my "astrea turbos" land on their backs on the sand with nothing nearby to grab, they are stuck there til I right them. If I don't they will die and foul the tank water.

They do clean the rocks real good, but whatever little trail they make through the glass algae is just annoying to me. I don't notice the walls are green until they clean a spot for comparison your mag float is the tool for glass cleaning

 

[Marchillo]

Yes they could be astrea's. Hope that's it . I righted them so we will see what happens.

 

[Marchillo]

I got the salifert test in today. That measured between 2.5 and 5 ppm. So I guess it must just be random that these snails are dying. Nothing else in the tank is showing any negative signs

 

[jminick2]

what's ph

 

[Marchillo]

Good question. I honestly don't pay much attention to PH anymore. Just ran it and it's 8.2. I have just the API for that. But that light purple color is pretty distinguishing as compared to the nitrate test. Maybe I'll grab another ph test next time I'm out.

I have a few little baby snails that have survived that came from my original cuc. They are starting to grow. Maybe it's just random. I hope so. If there is something I can do for them I want to do it

 

[Marchillo]

Well now I know it's official. 3 of my Nassarius snails are all under the shell. Looks like they are babies feeding off of a mother like kittens do.

Guess that's why they call it the cuc

 

[julie180]

Nassarius are meat eaters.