Can't keep snails alive,,, any thoughts

[aquablizz]

do you have to feed the little buggers?? thought they lived off of algae..

water chem is good except for nitrates.. plenty of coralline everwhere.

Blizz

 

[GoVols]

What kind or snails?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

are they dying off quickly? Or just slow starving. As much as I promote snails, I think is also wise to look at how much food is available in the specific tank.

 

[aquablizz]

the snails are turbo type... seem to loose 1 a week. slow die off I guess. always seemed to be more active at night.

 

[GoVols]

When I've shot my mag up real high to fight bryopsis I've seen snail die off.

My first thought is as above . Starvation

 

[Roy 9121]

How high are your nitrates? What's your PH and ammonia?

 

[GoVols]

Can you put some nori strips in and see if they take to it and bounce back?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Are you getting them from the same place or different sources?

Where did your rock come from?

 

[primo21]

are they mexican turbos? have heard they only do well in cooler water than a typical reef.

 

[GoVols]

I've gone with the Banded Trochus Snail's from LiveAquaria over the past year.

Their great, but like most snails "hair algae" is not part of their diet but I've seen them working on cyano.

 

[saltnewb]

do you have any hermit crabs in there? my snails didn't last because my hermit crabs went all psycho and ate them.

 

[glb]

do you have any hermit crabs in there? my snails didn't last because my hermit crabs went all psycho and ate them.

Boy is that the truth. Emerald crabs are even worse.

 

[glb]

They don't like high mg or temps too high. Also, you probably don't need many. And yes, crabs are notorious snail eaters.

 

[aquablizz]

Thanks for all the responses... My temp averages around 78, no crabs,, zero ammonia zero phosphate and zero nitrates. Nitrates 30ppm even with dosing 10ml daily,, skimmer does not produce much skim, maybe 2 cups per week on 100 gal which includes the sump.. Average fish load,,, oh yea, fish only tank with minimal feeding . Snails only in the display tank..

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Have you bought more than one type or always the Mexican? Do you always get them at the same store?

 

[aquablizz]

I don't know if they are Mexican or not. Always from the same store.. I had started with 6 but now down to only 3.. Sure seems like starvation but can't be sure..

my previous post should have stated zero nitrites not nitrates... would not let me edit.

From what I have read they appear to be sensitive to nitrates so I'm guess that's my problem. Not sure what the upper limit is for nitrates, not posted in the articles that I have read.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Can you put up a picture of one?

It's only the one set that is dying? Not repeated introductions bought at different times? If it's just a one time purchase, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Something could have happened to them long before they got to you. If they were treated poorly somewhere throughout the supply chain, they may not do so well in your tank.

 

[bigroost]

May need to try another species, I have really good luck with dwarf cerith and florida cerith, not so much with Nassarius Vibex and Nerites. I don't have any experience with turbos.

 

[aquablizz]

Here is a phone pic of 3 snails..

Also I rarely ever have hair algae... PH is 7.9

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I would try and feed them some algae sheets or pellets.