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Originally Posted by teevee
Quote:
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Originally Posted by CptCleverer
Are you sure there's nothing else that could be contributing to snail deaths other than a predator?
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I agree, this needs to be considered carefully.
Playing the devil's advocate - most good live rock contains a variety of fauna, including predators. Most of us keep a fair number of snails. Mass snail death is not commonly reported. |
CptCleverer and Quinn,
Absolutely, something other than a predator could be killing them. I just can't imagine what that would be. There were no snail deaths for a few days, then the two I described above, and there were just shells left with those two.
Haven't done anything in this tank that I'm not doing in the others, though I have not done thorough testing for awhile. Maybe pH, calcium, nitrate or other levels could be out of whack and that's what's doing them in. Maybe they are sick with some snail sickness, but how would I know?
Was flashlighting the tank a few nights ago and there was a swarm of 1/4" swimming things. They followed the light and were kind of cool. Then I noticed this worm on the glass. Sort of looked like a very small bristleworm, but with very long legs. When I shone the flashlight on the worm, the swimming things that got close to the worm looked like they got stung and fell to the ground. Don't know if they died or not, but the next night, when flashlighting, only a few of the swimming guys were left. Could be the swimmers were going through the swimming part of their life cycle the night before and were finished the next night, or could be that the worm killed them. Don't know about this.
Now I imagine if there is one of those worms with long stinging legs on the glass, there has to be more. What if a snail inadvertently brushed up against one, got stung, then was open to predation by something in the tank? Who knows??!??
Will do a thorough water testing on Monday and report back.