Avery February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 My snails keep dying and I'm not sure why.. Maybe possible starvation? I've noticed that before they die, they kinda slow down and stay in once spot. Sometimes falling off the glass and then I try to help them back onto it. Right now the tank doesn't have any fish in it, so I haven't really been feeding. However there is a bit of algea growing on the rocks.. Water parameters seem fine. PH - 8.0 Ammonia - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 0 Phosphate - 0.25 Temp - 77.8 Salinity - 35 Here is a picture of one of the snails that I say is in a "slow down" state.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 Where do you buy your snails? How and how long do you acclimate them before putting them in your tank? How long (after you put them in the tank) before you see them slowing down and dying? How long has your tank been set up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhOU February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 what’s your magnesium? High mag will slow snails down.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery February 4, 2020 Author Share February 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Origami said: Where do you buy your snails? How and how long do you acclimate them before putting them in your tank? How long (after you put them in the tank) before you see them slowing down and dying? How long has your tank been set up? I’ve bought my snails from different places. The ones that seem to be dying are the Mexican Turbos that I bought from Supreme Reefs. Acclimate them usually for a few hours using drip acclimation. I bought these guys maybe six weeks ago and started noticing the slow down this week. The tank has been set up for five and a half months now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 did you buy the tank new or used? it could have been used with medication at one point and that medication is leaching from the silicone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery February 4, 2020 Author Share February 4, 2020 52 minutes ago, jhOU said: what’s your magnesium? High mag will slow snails down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Interesting; I don’t have a magnesium test but I will look into one. I’m not sure why it would be high, I don’t dose anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhOU February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 Interesting; I don’t have a magnesium test but I will look into one. I’m not sure why it would be high, I don’t dose anything. What salt are you using? Some salts mix super high in magnesium. A newer tank not consuming much magnesium can take a very long time to bring it down. I’ve had bad luck with turbos in general, trochus snails are great though.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 1 minute ago, jhOU said: trochus snails are great though. +1 to this! one of the best snails you can get! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery February 4, 2020 Author Share February 4, 2020 43 minutes ago, sethsolomon said: did you buy the tank new or used? it could have been used with medication at one point and that medication is leaching from the silicone. So the tank is brand new but I treated a Bryopsis problem with Fluconazole. I read that it would be reef safe, however it did kill a rock flower anemone. I've done several water changes since then and run carbon. So I don't think there would be any remnance of the medication left in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery February 4, 2020 Author Share February 4, 2020 30 minutes ago, jhOU said: What salt are you using? Some salts mix super high in magnesium. A newer tank not consuming much magnesium can take a very long time to bring it down. I’ve had bad luck with turbos in general, trochus snails are great though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I use instant ocean reef crystals. I don't have many corals so maybe there is excess magnesium. I do have some trochus snails and they don't seem to be affected, or at least not yet.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 5 minutes ago, Avery said: So the tank is brand new but I treated a Bryopsis problem with Fluconazole. I read that it would be reef safe, however it did kill a rock flower anemone. I've done several water changes since then and run carbon. So I don't think there would be any remnance of the medication left in the tank. I would run some carbon and see if they perk back up. Their could potentially be still some remaining. And worse case, you get cleaner water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery February 4, 2020 Author Share February 4, 2020 2 minutes ago, sethsolomon said: I would run some carbon and see if they perk back up. Their could potentially be still some remaining. And worse case, you get cleaner water. I've been running some for a while but I will swap it out for new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 Just now, Avery said: I've been running some for a while but I will swap it out for new. Ahh ok. NVM then it's probably not that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 I'm wondering if they're just starving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 4, 2020 Share February 4, 2020 Sometimes acclimation problems can surface weeks after. However, the sand in that tanks looks so clean and Mexican Turbos can be voracious feeders. It makes me wonder if starvation may be at the root of this. Have you tried adding something for them to feed on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bues0022 February 7, 2020 Share February 7, 2020 I've noticed I have snails that die fro the same reason. But, I've taken the approach that the websites that promote buying "reef cleanup crews" suggest far too many for my tank, then they die off to what is needed. The problem is though, when they die, their nutrients go back into the water, which then create algae problems, then you have to get more cleanup crew to fix the algae problems, which then once it's gone then they die and the cycle starts again. Just let 'er ride I say. Don't add any more just because people say you need xx snails per gallon. I think I went a full 6 months when I started my tank before I finally got any snails/hermits. Tank did ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 7, 2020 Share February 7, 2020 15 minutes ago, bues0022 said: I've noticed I have snails that die fro the same reason. But, I've taken the approach that the websites that promote buying "reef cleanup crews" suggest far too many for my tank, then they die off to what is needed. The problem is though, when they die, their nutrients go back into the water, which then create algae problems, then you have to get more cleanup crew to fix the algae problems, which then once it's gone then they die and the cycle starts again. Just let 'er ride I say. Don't add any more just because people say you need xx snails per gallon. I think I went a full 6 months when I started my tank before I finally got any snails/hermits. Tank did ok. I usually do with very little of crabs and snails. A brittle star and shrimp will deal with food bits and detritus on the sand and rocks, without having dozens of hermits. Mag floats will take care of the glass, and a tang will take care of algae. Of course right now I don't have those things. I think the snails and hermits are a greater necessity in smaller tanks than they are in bigger tanks, though I have done no experiments to prove my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 9, 2020 Share February 9, 2020 I agree with Tom, not much algae and they need a lot of food to sustain themselves. Also, not many of the “reef safe” treatments out there are truly reef safe, many of them claim this but you will inevitably get die off. Always best to remove carbon when treating and then add it back in after to remove but keep in mind that many things that do not decompose will remain in the rock and sand after treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 9, 2020 Share February 9, 2020 Low oxygen in the water maybe? How many powerheads do you have in what size tank and are you running a skimmer? Mag needs to be super high to mess with snails most salt mixes aren’t above 1600. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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