Snails struggling in QT

[SallyWho]

I've got a couple of snails in QT right now- one trochus and one turbo, according to the LFS- but they seem to be starving. There's not a lot of algae in the tank, so I've been dropping algae wafers in there and rubber banding nori to the rock, but they don't seem to be interested. They're not moving around much, and I keep having to flip them over, which wasn't happening when I first got them. What else can I try to feed them so they don't starve to death? Blanched romaine? Fresh cucumber? Try to find a gross algae-covered piece of rock from another tank?

 

[Flexin]

What are the water parameters in the QT?

 

[SallyWho]

What are the water parameters in the QT?

Just tested this morning.
pH 8.3
Temp: 75°F
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0.05
Nitrate 10
Salinity 1.022 (which I know is slightly low, but I'm raising it from the 1.020 that my LFS uses to the 1.025 or so that I will use)

Snails were added on 6/6/18 after cycle was completed by dosing pure ammonia. Dosed to 2ppm while using Stability, waited until ammonia dropped to zero, then dosed back to 2ppm and it was back to zero within 24 hrs. Did a small water change, and added these two snails, three tiny cerinths (which appear to be doing fine), and two hermits. The hermits are happily dining on a little of the nori, and the freeze dried blood worms that I drop in there. Once or twice a week, I've added a tiny bit of mysis, too, in the hopes that extra nutrients may encourage algae growth for the snails.

 

[Flexin]

Nitrite is a problem, the tank may be in a cycle. Also, 1.20 is low for a reef. You should be up around 1.025-1.026

 

[SallyWho]

Nitrite is a problem, the tank may be in a cycle. Also, 1.20 is low for a reef. You should be up around 1.025-1.026

Nitrites were zero when I added the cuc, so I may just be due for another water change. And I know 1.022 is low- see my comment about how low my LFS keeps its salinity. I'm raising it up to 1.025 a little at a time.

 

[Flexin]

Hi Sally, Nitrates should be zero and not necessarily indicative of a water change, it means the tank is cycling. In the QT how much established live rock is there? Setting up a QT is easy for corals, but inverts and fish is definitely tricky. To your point a water change will help, but they were already sitting in ammonia for an unknown amount of time, and now in the nitrites. Which is probably causing the problems.

 

[SallyWho]

Hi Sally, Nitrates should be zero and not necessarily indicative of a water change, it means the tank is cycling. In the QT how much established live rock is there? Setting up a QT is easy for corals, but inverts and fish is definitely tricky. To your point a water change will help, but they were already sitting in ammonia for an unknown amount of time, and now in the nitrites. Which is probably causing the problems.

I'd purchased a lg grapefruit-sized piece of established LR out of one of the tanks at the LFS, and added ceramic media (I use loofas cut into pieces to make kiwi-sized pouches of ceramic media- pretty convenient for moving them around or tucking them into filters, and easy to rinse in clean saltwater if they get a little gunky) during the cycle. I later added a few small pieces of dry rock rubble for some added surface area. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it takes up a good amount of room in a 10g tank. Using Stability per bottle instructions, and adding ammonia to 2ppm and watching it fall to zero, and then adding again for it to go to zero w/in 24hrs. How can it still be cycling? It's not like I added 20 snails and 30 hermits in there? Should I start using the Stability again? I had stopped after the cycle was done because I thought it wasn't needed any more. Thanks for the help, Flexin.

 

[Flexin]

HI, sorry for the delay. Test again and do a heavy water change. Keep in mind whatever the change percentage is, in general that's the percentage of Ammonia, Nitrites or Nitrates that will be removed. Normally if you have any ammonia or nitrites, the tank is in a cycle. Only testing for the ammonia conversion is part of it, you also have to test for nitrites because that still needs to get converted quickly to nitrates. If not, you're still in a cycle.

Did you perform a water change since 6/6? Not sure how long you want them to remain, for me, in general I do weekly water changes when I use a QT and test in between to see if I need one more often. If the snails are not eating, that food you put in there will create waste also, so it's not only the waste from the snails, it can also be over feeding (meaning more food goes in than is consumed).

Oh, and go slow with changing the salinity. Inverts are very sensitive to salinity changes.

Hope this helps..

 

[Flexin]

Oh and to help, there are ammonia badges so you can quickly see if there is any buildup in the QT.

 

[SallyWho]

Oh and to help, there are ammonia badges so you can quickly see if there is any buildup in the QT.

Yup, I've got some of those! They've been a real life saver in my freshwater tank. I don't have time this morning (night-shifter), but tomorrow I should have time for another water change and another round of testing. I'm cycling a fish QT right now, too, so I may as well test both. I appreciate your help! Do you think once I get the nitrites to absolute zero, the snails will start eating again? What if they continue to ignore the algae wafers and nori?

 

[Flexin]

I would go lighter on the food as not to increase the waste. If you stay on water changes the conversion of nitrites should not be a problem. It’s hard to get a tank to actually balance let alone when we use a QT short term. So I let frequent water changes help with that.