where did all my snails go?

T

timrandlerv10

New member
yesterday I saw a snail crawling up the stalk of my anemone...I didnt want to pull him off, and I was unsure if anything bad would happen. Late yesterday, the snail was in an odd position between two rocks.

This morning, he was in the same position, and sure looks dead, but I can't tell! He has his trap door shut, but I dont want to leave him in the tank dead...


what do I do?


I also had my most physically active snail die this week, and 4 hours after I thought 'he hasnt moved since I came in to work today' the tank had a horrible brown bloom on the glass and sand.

what gives?

last one:
My GSP hasnt opened...its like they all closed up and wont come out. I got it yesterday, and it hasnt opened yet.

what gives?

reallly the last one:
the GSP rock had what looked like a shrimp, but doesnt swim. maybe 1 cm long, 3-4 mm wide. There were two, but I tried to pick up one. Now there is one.

subpart of really the last one:
how do you pick up things like that without killing them? i know chopsticks doesnt work...

Tomoko, I looked at all those hitchiker pictures you sent me, and I dont think I saw it.
 
Both a trace of copper and a high level of phosphate can kill snails.

A lot of snails die from the lack of proper acclimation, too. They need to be acclimated slowly.

GSP can stay closed for a while if they are stressed. I'd keep an eye on it but I won't worry about it too much. If you lose it, just ask one of us to give you a frag.

The brown stuff all over can be cyano bacteria or diatom bloom. Is it slimy?

The shrimp like thing could be a larger variety of amphipods. If it's amphipod, it is a good thing. They hide in the nooks and crannies of live rocks and macroalgae.

Tomoko
 
...anyone able to test my copper or phosphate this afternoon?

i acclimate very slowly...maybe not quickly enough, if thats possible. they had also been in there for several weeks.

its not slimy (sidenote: that word was used to describe the grilled chicken snack at mcdonald's yesterday...dont think i'll be eating that anytime soon...)

OH...i was at work late last night. so i took a flashlight and shined it on my tank. NO PODS. AT ALL.

other weird things:
one chromis wedges himself in a corner by a pipe to sleep. the other burrows into the middle of the cheato. my anemone wraps himself between two rocks. all the crabs in the tank can be found in ten square inches. during the day they are all over. the kenya trees were flopped over like somebody unplugged them.

water--walmart $.33 a gallon bring your own bucket water.
 
Test your water: all available parameters and list them here for us to help.
If a tank won't support snails, something is wrong in the chemistry.
 
Remove snail. Gingerly sniff. If the smell makes you want to gag, the snail is dead. If not, set the snail upright on the rocks/sand as the snail species prefers.

I suspect your snail is dead.
 
doh...

doh...

17 is too high...how about 8.5? :(
my first physics teacher used to say 'units rock!'
17 drops in a 10ml tube vs 8.5 drops in a 5 ml tube...sorry.




OK...he doesnt stink. he also didnt move. i took him out and put him on my desk, 1 hr later, he still hasnt moved or peaked out.

sitting in a bowl of water, 2 hours later, nothing.

i'm no alabama football coach, but i think i'm qualified to say this one has no future...
 
I agree with JimW. The dkH of 17 is way too high. What additive or buffer are you using? You need to stop using the additive that raises alkalinity.

Tomoko
 
dKH of 8.5 is not bad.

If alkalinity is not the issue, then you must look for other reason for the death and the sluggishness of your snails.

You need to add more calcium chloride such as Dowflakes or Seachem's Reef Complete or Reef Advantage Calcium to boost the calcium level, although this is not really related to your snail problelm.

You can get a copper or phosphate test kit from any LFS's. I doubt that Petsmart or Petco has them, though. Try Aquarium Shop if you are going to Huntsville, today. They might be able to test your water for copper. John Newby (Coral Reef Aquatics) should be able to test your phosphate level.

If you are doing water changes regularly as you indicated elsewhere to me, I doubt that the issue is related to phosphate.

Astreae snails cannot turn themselves right easily when they fall and land upside down. You need to help them or they may be dead in a few days. On the other hand I have seen Turbo turn themselves right and move fine over the sand, too. Nassarius and a variety of conchs don't have any problem with turning themselves right side up.

Is your snail starving to death by any chance? Queen and fighting conchs are known to starve to death fairly quickly in an ordinary aquarium.

Tomoko
 
starving? hadn't occured to me :(

ok, topic bend:
what snails SHOULD i have?

44G of light bioload
HOW MANY should i have?

what do you feed snails, or more accurately, what should i feed the remaining snails once this brown bloom goes away?

my very active snail was seen yesterday chomping for all he was worth right in the middle...he was doing a little snail Audie Murphy impression :)

does John (newby) post here?


thanks again!

tim
 
Tim-

What snail do you have?

If your aquarium is not supporting snails, I would not add any more right now until you find out the reason for their demise. We don't usually feed our snails on purpose. The starvation concern is mainly for conchs.

No, John no longer posts here. I understand one of the moderators kinda chewed him up for something he posted (probably about something he was selling) a long time ago.

Tomoko
 
i'm not sure. i'll bring him with me today on my travels and ask people :0

i'm off to change water, carry my dead snail, and hopefully drill some holes...
 
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