More dead snails

[kreblak]

Two months ago I had two turbo snails die within a day of each other. Today, I had two more die at the exact same time. All of my other inverts are fine.

I want to believe that my turbo snails are just at their end, but to have two die in the same day... twice... something just smells funny.

[latazyo]

how big are they and what sized tank?

perhaps they starved to death

ALSO, blue legged hermits often kill snails and take over their shells...huhet

[kreblak]

Okay, zero chance they starved to death. They were my last two snails in a 46 gallon loaded with more diatoms and crud than I care to admit. Also, I only have one blue legged hermit, and he is tiny.

[tmace64]

I believe that calcium "may" play a part in snails health. I have 4 snails total. 2 of em have not moved for several days!! One is on the front glass with NO activity, no eating or movement of any kind. I just recently tested for calcium and found that I have around 550 - 555 ppm in my tank. My LFS said woah,,,, thats too high,,,, they said it shouldn't threaten any of the fishes lives. These snails seemed to stop moving and eating as with the peak of this calcium level in my tank. Could high calcium levels possibly affect the health of snails?? I have a corrolation between 2 inactive snails and an accidental overdose of too much alkalinity and calcium products. Let me know if I'm wrong,,, not an expert here.

Tod

[VoodooChild]

It's possible, but I doubt it. 500 ppm's isn't really anything to high, considering optimal levels are 450 ppm.

[Triggerman]

Everyone loses snails.
They really aren't suitable for a closed system.
Just have to keep buying them.
I lost all of my turbos but two.Those two got very huge and do a decent job of housecleaning.
I have two original nassarius snails that I got with my live rock.
they have quadrupled in size and I am kinda attatched to them.
That is one of the frustrating aspects of a dsb.
Snail loss.
It's just part of the logistics.

[mogurnda]

They really aren't suitable for a closed system. First I've heard of this. If you're limiting that statement to turbos, I might agree with you.

You might try other snails. I haven't tried turbos in a few years, but never had much luck with them. Astreas have worked very well for me. I have one astrea that's over 2 years old, and the the other 10 are over 1.5 years. I haven't lost any over that time. They just keep getting bigger. If you have sand without rubble on top, I wouldn't suggest astreas, they can't get up without at least a small piece of rock to hang onto.

You might try the little Strombus maculata, which breed prolifically and will eat algae off the glass and rocks. Ceriths are also good, and will stir up the surface layers of the sandbed. I've kept a few of those for several years. People are very happy with trochus also, but I have never tried them.

Another thing that might help, if the problem is the snails falling on the sandbed is to buy a pile of old snail shells from a place like Premium Aquatics. I have been adding them steaily to the tank for the hermits, and the added benefit is that the stupid astreas can fall onto the rubble and right themselves. Shouldn;t interfere with the sandbed function.

I agree with VoodooChild about the Ca hypothesis. Ca that high should help calcification, as long as the alkalinity is not really low. I am a little surprised that it's so high without great effort. Are you running a reactor? One risk is that you are approaching saturation, again depending on your alkanlinity. What is your alk right now?

[Triggerman]

They will work ,but we cannot provide them with the proper environment.They are way too sensitive to parameter fluctuations.They can survive,but they miss essential elements and water conditions that a closed system cannot offer.
Introducing them into systems with crabs is also a dilemma.
Live rock contains many species of crabs that are very happy to take them out at any time.My mantis shrimps had a field day with my snail population.Finally got the last of the four mantis's I had.

[mogurnda]

They will work ,but we cannot provide them with the proper environment.They are way too sensitive to parameter fluctuations.They can survive,but they miss essential elements and water conditions that a closed system cannot offer. This statement puzzles me. On what data is it based? What parameters are so hard to keep stable? What elements are missing? People can propagate very sensitive species (like acroporid corals) in closed systems, so I'm hesitant to accept that turbo snails are beyond current husbandry practices.

Edit, after driving into work:
I've been doing some thinking. When my turbos were doing poorly, it was in a FO tank, with a good growth of cyanobacteria. Maybe cyano makes them sick. From other posts, I know Kreblak has some.

[Triggerman]

I suspect my cyano also with the deterioration of some of my snail species.
My crabs actually seem to eat the stuff.

[mogurnda]

Yep, I've watched scarlets graze on it all day.

[kreblak]

Yeah, I have cyano, and lots of it. I have noticed that my snails started to drop like flies when it appeared. I never put it together until now, but it certainly is possible that they were killed by toxicity within the cyano. On another not, my hermits seem to eat the stuff too. I added an emerald crab recently, and I have yet to see him. I assume he is putting a hurting on my green hair algae, but he is nowhere to be found. Are emerald crabs nocturnal?

[Triggerman]

Mine occasionally comes out.
I think the bigger question is "what is gonna try to eat me?"
For being at the bottom of the food chain,they are true survivors.