Why do my mexican snails keep dieing

[weemanpow3]

every week and a half I keep going to the fish store and buying 2 or more snails and they will just die within a week or more. I have green alage in my tank and all the test are perfect.

Please tell my why they are dieing

 

[Hara]

Please define "perfect" water conditions with test results. How are you acclimating? and what temperature is your tank kept at? The other thing I see is you have hermit crabs. Hermits will kill snails for their shells.

 

[weemanpow3]

Water change = weekly of 5 gallon RO/DI water
Temps = 76 - 78
Tests = PH 2.8 / salt level 1.023 / ammonia 0 ppm (mg/L) / Nitrate 0 ppm (mg/L). These are the test results I got from the SALTWATER MASTER Liquid Test Kit.

the crabs are the size of the nickel or dime in length. The snails are 2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches high.

Only my bumbble bee sanils have never died and they have been living for 4 months.

 

[roka64]

Could it be the hermits? They leave my bumblebees alone, but I have seen a few hermits in cerinth and nassi shells. I would sugges, get some larger shells for the hermits to move into.

or

How do you acclimate them?

 

[weemanpow3]

I dont not think its the hermets killing them becase the snail shells are 10x bigger than them and I have about 30-40 shells scatterd on the bottom and they are all differnt sizes.

could it be the green hair algae that the snails are eating and killing them

Ill put the bag in the tank and leave it their for 15 min then I put water from my tank in the bag and let it sit for 30 min. then i put them in.

 

[roka64]

Ill put the bag in the tank and leave it their for 15 min then I put water from my tank in the bag and let it sit for 30 min. then i put them in.

This might be the problem. I drip acclimate all of my inverts for 2+ hours. When you put the bag in the tank, that is to get the temp in the bag the same as the tank. When you add a good amount of tank water in the bag, that doesn't give the critters a slow acclimation period, this might be causing then undue stress and shock. I like the drip, because I set it up and let it drip, no measuring, just watch a movie (and the cats and dog, they like to sniff) or do something, come back and add them to their new home.

 

[weemanpow3]

my brother has the same setup and had his snail for 2 months. He does the same thing with acclimattion as I do. I think their is something up with my tank. Is their any other possiblities why this is happening

 

[Hara]

if your water parameters are good, and it isnt the hermits, then it is definitely your acclimation procedure.

 

[Bearfan]

I would agree, I drip acclimate my inverts for at least 2 hours, they're really sensitive.

What type of snail are they? Mexican Turbos are the big snails.

 

[weemanpow3]

I have the Mexican Turbo snails. I only have 2 left now. And the next time I get some will will try the drip acclimate.

Can you show me what it looks like. And how do I do this.

For Drip acclimate

 

[roka64]

There is one on this site, but I know where to find this one:
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/acclimation.php
It's really easy and you can do other stuff while they are acclimating.

 

[JG]

Do you have enough algae to support them? I have read that they will not do well if they don't have enough grazing space and algae.

 

[weemanpow3]

yes their is plenty of algae. Right now I have an algae problem of half inch of hair on rocks

 

[seaham358]

could be the bumblebee snails.. they can and will kill other snails for food.

 

[roka64]

could be the bumblebee snails.. they can and will kill other snails for food.

Really? Wow, I didn't know that. Mine all seem to stay in the same area. But seem to munch the algea and not the others. I think my hermits have taken out a few nassis, I have seen two hermits in their shells.

 

[Fluff]

I'm not sure which snails you are referring to by "mexican snail". If it's Margarites pupillus or the "Margarita snail", none of them live for very long in our warm tanks. They come from much cooler waters and the warm temps of our tanks shorten their lives dramatically. It may also depend on where you are getting them and how long they've had them.

could be the bumblebee snails.. they can and will kill other snails for food.

Really? Wow, I didn't know that. Mine all seem to stay in the same area. But seem to munch the algea and not the others. I think my hermits have taken out a few nassis, I have seen two hermits in their shells.

Bumblebee snails are not algae grazers they are carnivores/detrius consumers. Feeding on detrius and leftovers in the tank. Some will do some janitor duties in the sand bed but for the most part they are rock dwellers. They like meaty foods and really should be supplemented every now and then.

HTH

 

[roka64]

Wow, thanks! I missed that when I read their desc on liveaquaria. I didn't even notice they are carnivores, LOL! Thanks for the learning experience seaham358 and Fluff.