mysterious snail deaths

nlreefguy · #1 02-23-2010, 02:46 AM

I don't really understand this problem - snails just don't seem to live in my tank. I have added nasarrius, cerith, astreas, turbos - all with the same result: the vast majority of them just never do eat and just die where they laid when introduced or very shortly after. They are all acclimated well over about an hour or so in a near-drip fashion. The water parameters are all great (ph 8.2, nitrates and phos 0 or undetectable, alk 9, calcium 400 or greater, mag 1350 range, no ammonium or nitrites, temp 79 to 81, salinity 1.025 according to my refractometer). Algae is growing on the glass, rocks, and sand (enough to sustain a small population of snails) and i've only ever added them as the need arose, so it's not like I'm stocking 50 snails and then wondering why some don't live. Only small numbers have ever been introduced at once... and it's not a predator or parasite, these snails just languish and die after introduction and then are consumed by scavengers. Any ideas???

tlo · #2 02-23-2010, 02:48 AM

strange... has your tank ever been treated with copper?

blueyota · #3 02-23-2010, 02:55 AM

when i drip my snails i do it for around three hours or more but i try to replace 300% of the water in the bag with both snails and shrimp
maybe try dripping for a longer period of time see if that helps

lorenz0 · #4 02-23-2010, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlo

strange... has your tank ever been treated with copper?

i second this. also are you having an issue with dino's?

naesco · #5 02-23-2010, 05:05 AM

If you have 50 you have way, way too many.

If you have hermit crabs, they are predators and eat snails.

I agree with the other comments.

nlreefguy · #6 02-23-2010, 08:59 AM

no, no, I said I didn't have 50 and that I add them very slowly according to need.

I have no hermits, and these snails are not being killed by anything, they just die slowly on their own.

My tank has never seen copper (it's new from the store) and all my other inverts are fine.

I don't know of anyone who acclimtes things as diligently as me either, the guy at the LFS just chucks his snails right in (i know, I know) and never has snail deaths at the same rate as me.

naesco · #7 02-23-2010, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nlreefguy

no, no, I said I didn't have 50 and that I add them very slowly according to need.

I have no hermits, and these snails are not being killed by anything, they just die slowly on their own.

My tank has never seen copper (it's new from the store) and all my other inverts are fine.

I don't know of anyone who acclimtes things as diligently as me either, the guy at the LFS just chucks his snails right in (i know, I know) and never has snail deaths at the same rate as me.

Are you buying all your snails for this LFS? If so that is your problem.

You need to consider an ethics talk with the LFS if he handles his livestock like that.

corpusse · #8 02-23-2010, 04:40 PM

I would say there is a very good chance your tank has stay current that is affecting the snails. Especially if they aren't moving much after you first put them in.

Do you have any koraila powerheads? If you do they are likely the culprit. Heaters is the next likely thing but it could be anything. I actually crashed my tank adding more and more snails until I figured out the problem. I only found out when I got a shock. If you don't want to test with your hand get a volt meter, otherwise just cut your hand and stick it in the water and see if you get a shock

A grounding probe will help but not prevent this.

nlreefguy · #9 02-24-2010, 04:50 PM

The stray voltage is a good idea - I improvised a grounding probe last night, and some of the snails perked up visibly and immediatley. The others may be too far gone already???

nlreefguy · #10 02-24-2010, 04:51 PM

Oh, yeah, I have a koralia 4, by the way. So that's a big problem with those powerheads, is it? If so, that makes up my mind for tunze in the future!