Snails dying

[jackets22]

Snails dying... I have pulled 3 out in the past couple days and it looks as if I will be pulling out another today.

What would make this happen? Fish and corals are doing fine..

Stumped.

 

[taillonjohn]

How long have they been in the tank?

 

[uscharalph]

How do you acclimate them?

 

[finfan4u]

How many you got? You could be starving them!

 

[Savas]

Are they being eaten or just dying? If they are being eaten, i would look at your hermit crabs if you have any.

 

[Aquarist007]

I would agree with savas--if you have hermit crabs that could be the problem

 

[jackets22]

I have had them for 2 1/2 months. No hermit crabs. 39 gal tank with diatoms on glass that I scrape off. 40 lbs live rock. Had 2 astrea - 5 Mexican turbos. Sand sifting star, brittle star. I wouldnt think that they would be starving...

But I am not sure

 

[-=Efrain=-]

You need to get rid of the Sand Sifting Star as that will starve to death in such a small tank. And if the sand is new it will die even sooner unless you are spot feeding it..

 

[Savas]

I am stumped. My simple answer is to do 10% water changes once a week for the next month... maybe it is something you are not testing for.

 

[jackets22]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11740016#post11740016 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by -=Efrain=-
You need to get rid of the Sand Sifting Star as that will starve to death in such a small tank. And if the sand is new it will die even sooner unless you are spot feeding it..

I have not been spot feeding it only the brittle. I didnt know the sand sifter could be spot feed. I will start spot feeding like the brittle. Or I will give it to the LFS.

 

[Tswifty]

ammonia/nitrate levels spiking...???

I'd check my levels if things are dying... invertabrates are usually the first to go if something is wrong.

also, do you use tap water when doing water changes?

 

[jackets22]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11740025#post11740025 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Savas
I am stumped. My simple answer is to do 10% water changes once a week for the next month... maybe it is something you are not testing for.

But the snails are so hardy the corals and fish would have been affected first wouldnt they? My only guess is maybe they are starving...

 

[jackets22]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11740047#post11740047 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
ammonia/nitrate levels spiking...???

I'd check my levels if things are dying... invertabrates are usually the first to go if something is wrong.

also, do you use tap water when doing water changes?

I will check the paramiters now and post in a bit. I use RO water for top off and petco sea water for the changes.

 

[Tswifty]

yeah that's the best way to start.

Get your levels, post them on here, and everyone here will help you firgure out what's up.

That's what's great about RC... No matter how crazy or outrageous the problem... you're guarranteed to find someone on here has dealt with it... haha

 

[Aquarist007]

snails are not as hardy as you think---i would check your salinity level--they are very senitive to sudden changes in salinity levels

 

[jackets22]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11740215#post11740215 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
snails are not as hardy as you think---i would check your salinity level--they are very senitive to sudden changes in salinity levels

nitrate 0
nirite 0
ammonia 0
ph 8.2
calcium 400
salinity 1.025
temp 77

BUT I added a wet dry/sump and it added about 5 gals of water to the system and it may have affected the salinity a bit. It may have went up and down between 1.023-1.026 for a couple of days until I got it dialed in with the autotop off that came with the sump/wetdry. So maybe the salinity was the cause..

 

[Smork81]

Maybe you have some sort of hitch hiker that uou don't know about and is eating your snails..

 

[clownFish1313]

maybe they fliped over and kicked the bucket becouse thats the only thing they could do.
my snails die becouse of that i had turbos and they died becouse they fliped overmy new astras fliped and fliped right back over.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11740251#post11740251 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jackets22
nitrate 0
nirite 0
ammonia 0
ph 8.2
calcium 400
salinity 1.025
temp 77

BUT I added a wet dry/sump and it added about 5 gals of water to the system and it may have affected the salinity a bit. It may have went up and down between 1.023-1.026 for a couple of days until I got it dialed in with the autotop off that came with the sump/wetdry. So maybe the salinity was the cause..

that won't affect it---its differences like between .018 and .026 that can kill them. LFS's often keep their water at .018 and when the unsuspecting reefers acclimitizes the snails for an hr or two in their tanks alot of the snails instantly perish.
Make a point of always checking the salinity in the bag esp when purchasing inverts.
I qt mine in the same salinity of the bag now and over 24 hrs bring it up to my tank---haven't lost a snail since.

 

[handtlkr]

How do you all aclimate? I put the .... in a tupperware bowl with origional water and then add 25% of mine over about an hour. I've heard of the "drip" method and there are kits out there....any suggestion?

Thanks!