Can't keep snails alive

[Llorgon]

So I've had this problem of not being able to keep the majority of snails alive. Any new snails I add seem to die within a couple days.

Current cuc is
2 turbos
1 blue legged hermit
4 nassarius
3 bumblebee

Any other sort of algae eating snails are dead within days. I added 2 turbos on thursday night and I have already lost one. There appears to be lots of algae to eat. I can see the trail on the back wall the one made as it ate.

Params are:
Temp 77
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate 5ppm
Phos 0.107ppm
Copper 0
Mag 1380

I use ro/di water. Acclimate to match salinity and temp.

 

[Uncle99]

Being someone’s lunch?

 

[Dkmoo]

Bumblebee is carnivorous. Will prey on other snailnis there is not a mature sandbed to forage meaty bits

 

[DHill6]

Bumblebee is carnivorous. Will prey on other snailnis there is not a mature sandbed to forage meaty bits

I disagree, tank is bare bottom 37g, I have 20 bumblebee snails, red banded trochius snails, astrea snails and one Florida certh. They’ve been model citizens unless and astrea has died by not being able to right itself. I do feed LRF which they clean up the leftovers.

 

[Llorgon]

Being someone’s lunch?

possibly? I have predatory fish. Never seen the other snails or hermit pick on a live snail.

Bumblebee is carnivorous. Will prey on other snailnis there is not a mature sandbed to forage meaty bits

I make sure to feed a bit extra for the nassarius and bumblebee. Never seen them bother a live snail. I do see both eating the dead snails.

I disagree, tank is bare bottom 37g, I have 20 bumblebee snails, red banded trochius snails, astrea snails and one Florida certh. They’ve been model citizens unless and astrea has died by not being able to right itself. I do feed LRF which they clean up the leftovers.

My experience has been similar... at least I think. Who knows, maybe it is them killing them quickly.

 

[Jekyl]

Edit: disregard my post

 

[Uncle99]

Predatory fish....hermits.....freakin lunch....escargot actually.
Just don’t replace, not a requirement.

Hermits are quite crafty, work most in the night.
Do not trust at all.

I have not kept any crab for more than 5 years now.
Saves money.

I’d say that might be the trade off, predator tank, limited invert selection...

 

[Brady4000]

My vote is the hermit crab Is eating them.

 

[Streetlamp]

I’ve had this too. Could your nitrates be higher than your reading

 

[Llorgon]

Predatory fish....hermits.....freakin lunch....escargot actually.
Just don’t replace, not a requirement.

Hermits are quite crafty, work most in the night.
Do not trust at all.

I have not kept any crab for more than 5 years now.
Saves money.

I’d say that might be the trade off, predator tank, limited invert selection...

Sounds like I should look into getting rid of the hermit. It's just a small guy. Didn't think it would cause issues.

I’ve had this too. Could your nitrates be higher than your reading

It's definitely a possibility. I have 2 test kits for Nitrates red sea and API. Neither read crazy high. How high would they have to be to kill snails?

 

[Cory]

Do you have dinoflagelets? Snails will die. Also copper and heavy metals will kill them.

 

[Llorgon]

Do you have dinoflagelets? Snails will die. Also copper and heavy metals will kill them.

Copper test came back at 0. What other metals should I test for?

Been fighting some cyano in the sand bed for a few weeks, but no visible dinos. This issue has been going on before any of the cyano started.

 

[Streetlamp]

I’m battling cyano too. Sounds like we’ve a similar problem. The only snails surviving for me are nassarius.

 

[Cory]

You sure its cyano and not dinos? Got a pic?

 

[Llorgon]

I’m battling cyano too. Sounds like we’ve a similar problem. The only snails surviving for me are nassarius.

Interesting. Have you had that problem of keeping snails alive before cyano?

You sure its cyano and not dinos? Got a pic?

I'm pretty sure. It doesn't look like the dinos I had in my last tank. Here's a pic.

 

[Cory]

Interesting. Have you had that problem of keeping snails alive before cyano?

I'm pretty sure. It doesn't look like the dinos I had in my last tank. Here's a pic.

Thats definitely cyano. My advice is to look into detritus and dissolved organics. Ime cyano grows on decaying things, even hair algae in my sump where it feeds off it. Chemiclean will kill it too.

 

[t5Nitro]

My snails last about as long as yours, for the most part. What survives longer than days-1 week seems to be a handful or less, and they move like they're in slow motion. I feel like they don't work very hard, the ones that still show they are attached to glass. Could be hermits. Would never add those again. Although doesn't seem to explain snails moving in extra slow motion, lol.

Following.

 

[Suohhen]

It isn't distypical for large algae eating snails to starve in tanks overrun by algae as they prefer to eat new growth and hardly anything will touch established cyano. Your best course of action is to manually remove the cyano. It is quite easy to do with a turkey baster. It might come back pretty quickly but each cleanup will make things better and better.
Slowly add snails, my recommendation is Astrea as they are simply the best algae eater hands down. Other turbos are overkill and you need to feed them to keep them alive long term which kinda defeats the purpose. Also change your supplier as snails shouldn't be dying in a matter of days.

 

[Streetlamp]

Interesting. Have you had that problem of keeping snails alive before cyano?

I'm pretty sure. It doesn't look like the dinos I had in my last tank. Here's a pic.

No only when nitrates went high and cyano started did I start losing snails. I’ve been told high nitrates are bad for snails. It slows them right down.

 

[Llorgon]

Thats definitely cyano. My advice is to look into detritus and dissolved organics. Ime cyano grows on decaying things, even hair algae in my sump where it feeds off it. Chemiclean will kill it too.

I'm trying to get rid of it with water changes before chemi clean. It's slowly getting better.

My snails last about as long as yours, for the most part. What survives longer than days-1 week seems to be a handful or less, and they move like they're in slow motion. I feel like they don't work very hard, the ones that still show they are attached to glass. Could be hermits. Would never add those again. Although doesn't seem to explain snails moving in extra slow motion, lol.

Following.

Interesting. Mine don't really seem slow. I just see them move once or twice then they are gone. Eventually I see the shells. In the sand.

It isn't distypical for large algae eating snails to starve in tanks overrun by algae as they prefer to eat new growth and hardly anything will touch established cyano. Your best course of action is to manually remove the cyano. It is quite easy to do with a turkey baster. It might come back pretty quickly but each cleanup will make things better and better.
Slowly add snails, my recommendation is Astrea as they are simply the best algae eater hands down. Other turbos are overkill and you need to feed them to keep them alive long term which kinda defeats the purpose. Also change your supplier as snails shouldn't be dying in a matter of days.

I've been trying to add snails for months now. Usually 2-3 at a time. Mostly cerith since that seems to be the most available around here. I could try ordering some online.

Of the 2 turbos I added one is still alive.

I seem to have lots of new algae growing. If I leave the back wall alone for a couple weeks I get tons of gha on there. I can see the trail of clean glass the turbo has left. Although now he's in the same spot for about a day or so.

Astrea are actually the worst for survival for me. I have the best luck with trochus, but haven't seen them and lfs for awhile now.

Cyano is a work in progress. It's slowly getting better. Fyi this was a issue well before the cyano showed up.