Who is my suspect?

[Scribe]

Ordered a clean up crew for Reef Cleaners last week. Highly recommend them by the way. Anyway ordered 20 trochus snails with other stuff. Next morning 20 empty trochus shells. Is it my Red Head Solon Wrasse, Yellow Coris Wrasse, Yellow Tang, Emerald crabs or hermits? Guesses? I'm leaning towards the Yellow Wrasse.

 

[Squishie89]

Out of curiousity, were the snails alive when you last looked at the tank before finding them all empty? How about your other snails?

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

My guess and this is just a guess would be the yellow coris wrasse.

 

[jedimasterben]

I had the same issue about a month ago, but with no snail-ivores in the tank.

 

[Squishie89]

I had the same issue about a month ago, but with no snail-ivores in the tank.

I would be concerned about polyclad flatworms then.

 

[jedimasterben]

I would be concerned about polyclad flatworms then.

Within a matter of hours? Not a chance.

 

[evolved]

I find it hard to believe a canary wrasse could eat that many in less than a day, and especially eat that many and not look like an obvious blimp.

How did you acclimate the snails?

I tend to believe they either all died, were already DOA, or there's an unknown predator in the tank (like a polyclad(s), amongst others).

 

[Scribe]

They were all alive after acclimating them I hold them near the glass and let them latch on. They were all cruising around..other snails seem ok. Strange I agree I would think the yellow wrasse would be a tub, but he is the only borderline reef safe one in my tank. Not sure how to check about the worms. Any insight?

 

[Ike]

How did you acclimate them? How were they packed? Snails are probably more sensitive to acclimating to a new environment than most of our fish and corals.

 

[Scribe]

I acclimate the temp by floating for about 30 minutes, then put them in. I used to drip acclimate them, but had been told by a bunch of people it's uneccisary....also reef cleaners who I purchased them from recomend the same.

 

[Ike]

IMO that's the problem. Snails have complex circulatory systems and can have a hard time with adjusting to salinity and PH changes. I typically acclimate snails more carefully than I do fish or corals. The other problem is some vendors will ship many snails per bag, which just makes the situation worse.