I've seen large die off in the LFS tanks when they get new crews in. Sometimes you might be taking a bunch home that weren't going to make it even at the LFS...

What species of snail did you get? Not all species eat the same foods or are well adapt for our tanks. Hermit crabs are opportunistic omnivores and will eat whatever is convenient including snails even if they don't want their shells.

Margarita snails are a subtropical species that slowly cook to death in typical reef tank temperatures.

No this is not normal at all. 30 dead in one week. Something is wrong.

I have barely lost that Many in 5 years.

Keep us posted. Temperature? SG?

She said 3 of 30 died not 30 died .

Temp fluctuates between 78-79
The species in my CUC are a mix of Trochus, Nerite, Astrea, Turbos and I think some of the Astralium okamotoi variety.
All of the Astralium okamotoi are doing great. The Astreas and turbos all lived too. It is only the Nerites that seem to be the finicky ones.
There is plenty for them to munch on but I just read this on chuck's addiction:

Most Nerites are not suited for aquariums simply because they are inter tidal, moving above the water line and only returning to the water to feed upon algae. I doubt that any of the species made available would be of a suitable species simply because the collectors can easily gather them by their hundreds near the shallow shore lines.

So perhaps this is why they didn't make it.

I'll try not to take it to heart. Sorry for bugging you guys.

It never hurts to ask the question. Thats how we learn :biggrin:

3 of 30 isnt bad. Depends on how good their health was from LFS.
I wouldnt worry much about it.

i float mine and drop them in, i have turbos that are almost 3 years old, hermit crabs and nassaius that are huge. high SG is a snail killer, what kind of SG tester you using, the cheap hydrometers are crap.

I hadn't even bothered with another other than a refractometer. SG is 1.026, just tested it 5 mins ago. Should I strive for 1.025 instead?

i run at 1.025, but 1.026 should not kill snails, before i got my refractometer (when i first started in hobby) my SG was 1.029(hydrometer said 1.025), snails kept dying till i got my refractometer and corrected my SG.