Why are all my crabs and snails dieing...

[Treenk]

Have you used any copper treatment in this tank? Copper might be an option to treat certain parasites/diseases in a QT, but is very toxic to inverts. If so, I would recommend to do some WC and add activated carbon to your filtration.

Never did a copper treatment didnt even know that was a thing

 

[Treenk]

Have you checked your alkalinity? I had trouble early on keeping inverts alive and my LFS suggested that my alkalinity might be too low. Since raising it, I've had much better luck keeping things alive.

Nope sounds like I need to buy another test kit any suggestions in brand I dont care much for api the amonia isnt consistant one time nothing next .25 and ph is hard to decide the color match

 

[Treenk]

Alot of LFS use copper in all the fish systems some people dont remove the water from the bag and dump it all in the tank this is where most peoples copper comes from , i never put the water from frags fish or anything into my system. Some inverts are just in ****** condition to begin with , if they gonna die they usually go in the first 2 days for me not way into it

Ewe yeah I did this with multiple things well everything lol

 

[jeffchapok]

Nope sounds like I need to buy another test kit any suggestions in brand I dont care much for api the amonia isnt consistant one time nothing next .25 and ph is hard to decide the color match

Yeah, false positives for ammonia are common with the API tests. I switched to Salifert, and they are much better for most parameters, although the nitrate and phosphate tests are still color matching and a bit of a pain.

I plan to get Hannah checkers for both of those soon.

 

[Paul B]

Ewe yeah I did this with multiple things well everything lol

So you did use the water in the bags from the LFS?

 

[Treenk]

So you did use the water in the bags from the LFS?

Hes I did like 6 total bags too

 

[Paul B]

I think we found the problem.

 

[Magellan]

I think we found the problem.

I’m curious, what’s the solution here? (Assuming copper is the issue). Would removing his rocks, cleaning them, and starting over with a new sand bed be enough?

 

[Treenk]

I’m curious, what’s the solution here? (Assuming copper is the issue). Would removing his rocks, cleaning them, and starting over with a new sand bed be enough?

Oh god I hope there is a more simple solution than that

 

[Paul B]

I’m curious, what’s the solution here? (Assuming copper is the issue). Would removing his rocks, cleaning them, and starting over with a new sand bed be enough?

I wouldn't get that crazy. I used copper in my tank continuously many years ago and it is a full blown reef now. But I would change all the water and use those copper absorbing pads before I tried to add any invertabrates.
It may take a year or so. But any fish should be fine.

 

[AZMSGT]

While I never had to deal with removing copper I would first get a test kit to give you an idea how much copper you‘re dealing with. Then do some research on how best to get it out. Possibly search the forums or create a dedicated thread on the subject. Don’t jump the gun or buy into what people tell you. The Test kit will tell you when things are safe for your tank.

There are copper absorbing methods. One is using metal attracting floss, another is using products like Cuprisorb.

Seachem - CupriSorb

seachem.com

Take your time, don’t panic and SLOW DOWN.

 

[Doctorgori]

How long did you have the inverts and is there enough to eat in the tank?

 

[flsalty]

While I never had to deal with removing copper I would first get a test kit to give you an idea how much copper you‘re dealing with. Then do some research on how best to get it out. Possibly search the forums or create a dedicated thread on the subject. Don’t jump the gun or buy into what people tell you. The Test kit will tell you when things are safe for your tank.

There are copper absorbing methods. One is using metal attracting floss, another is using products like Cuprisorb.

Seachem - CupriSorb

seachem.com

Take your time, don’t panic and SLOW DOWN.

I agree that the next course of action is to get a copper test kit and confirm what we are assuming. Those test kits are cheap. Once you know how much is in there you can formulate a plan for removal.

 

[Magellan]

I wouldn't get that crazy. I used copper in my tank continuously many years ago and it is a full blown reef now. But I would change all the water and use those copper absorbing pads before I tried to add any invertabrates.
It may take a year or so. But any fish should be fine.

If it were me there’s no way I could wait a year! Patience: 100 lol

 

[Dine]

1. Get a copper test kit. Confirm that using LFS water has introduced copper or not. Regardless of answer never dump LFS water into the tank. You can float the bags but dump into a net over a bucket then transfer via the net.

2. I saw acclimation listed as a possible concern. The deciding factor on that is where did the inverts come from? If LFS you can drip acclimate (I don’t usually but you can). If they were shipped in you should NOT drip acclimate. Just match temp and dump (again never dump bag water into tank)

These are the 2 culprits I would start looking at for the deaths. Some snails stay immobile after stress for a couple days, so keep that in mind before you pull them.

 

[motortrendz]

With inverts do not drip acclimate. Expecially if they were shipped as the amonia levels in the bag will quickly become toxic as the ph buffers back up. Best thing to do is the float to temp acclimate then remove inverts from the bag and put them right into the tank. If you go on the reefcleaners website this is exactly how they recommend you acclimate inverts.

 

[Doctorgori]

With inverts do not drip acclimate. Expecially if they were shipped as the amonia levels in the bag will quickly become toxic as the ph buffers back up. Best thing to do is the float to temp acclimate then remove inverts from the bag and put them right into the tank. If you go on the reefcleaners website this is exactly how they recommend you acclimate inverts.

Agreed but some are salinity sensitive also so that has to be taken into account ....usually going down seems less fatal than going up ...but that based on anecdotal observations

 

[Treenk]

Agreed but some are salinity sensitive also so that has to be taken into account ....usually going down seems less fatal than going up ...but that based on anecdotal observations

What salinity do you keep I've seen such a wide spread .023-.027 which is a big leap

 

[Treenk]

So snails dieing but I have this one banded trochus, I believe it's called, that disappeared for like a week. It came out for 2 days and is gone again, but I see this baby this morning not sure if he hitchhiked or what.. how can the baby survive and not the full grown... yeah clown photo bombed hard but good reference to how small it is.

 

[Malifry97]

I would say get some carbon and cuprasorb and lots of WC to make sure you remove any copper