Why?

[LittleBee]

Simple question. My turbo snails always so this do days on end. How are they surviving when all they do is look dead on the substrate. There is plenty of algae for them to eat, that's why I got them. Does anyone else have this problem.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Temp 79
SG 1.026

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

I might worry about trace copper or another metal and run a polypad filter for a while. How do you test your salinity?

 

[LittleBee]

I have a hydrometer but I also brought it into the store to be tested with a refractometer(sp?) if it were copper or another metal wouldn't all the snails be like that? Only those two are.

 

[Willistein]

If they haven't been in there long, they might just be acclimating poorly. I like astreas and trocus (sp?)

 

[tmz]

Interesting observation , I don't know enough about their behaviors to say. Can't id those specimens from the picture either . Maybe they don't like whatever is coming up from the gravel underneath them or maybe their feet were damaged on the way to your tank. Do they have and operculum;ie it trap door?

This article might be of interest:

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/snails.html

There are others;under a search for marine snails or sea snails.

 

[Flanders]

when my snails do that I figure they're on their way out and I toss them. never had more than one doing it, though.

 

[LittleBee]

They have been in the tank for a few months. And I don't just Toss in my snails when I get them. I drip acclimate them like I would for a fish. They do have their operculum. If I touch them or move them they will shut it. They used to crawl around and eat just fine and now they have been doing this. It's so strange. I just want them to clean up my algae on the sand

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

they look like a snail commonly called the "commercial turban".

they eat algae and reproduce readily in home aquaria (IME) but do not usually graze algae in/on sandbeds.

are any of your fishes pestering them?
are you dosing Mg... or is Mg at a high level?
are you doing LaCl3?

 

[block head]

With some of the "turbo" snails its a water temp issue. I love CC, always a crap shoot IME

 

[LittleBee]

Not dosing anything and no fish pestering them. I did a large water change tonight and placed the snails on the rock work and one on the glass. He readily stuck his foot to the glass so we will see where they end up I guess.

 

[tmz]

Some species are rock dwellers and not inclined to deal with the sand or critters there like bristle worms Some of those don't have an operculum. which is why I asked.