jsoong
Aquarium Advice Addict
Over the last 3 weeks I've lost all 5 of my apple snails, plus 4 egg clutches (hatched 3-6 weeks ago) with no obvious survivor (I am hoping that there may be babies hiding in the gravel, but I doubt it).
I've had the snails for 6-9 months, they are about 1-1.5" in size. All were acting normally, then all of a sudden, inactivity, followed a couple days later with obvious signs of death.
There is no obvious problems with the fish.
Tank params had been stable, temp 75, pH 7.8, NH3/NO2 0/0. We have medium hard water (KH/GH in 150-180 ppm range).
The only thing new I am doing to the tank is adding Flourish Excel (at about 1/2 to 3/4 the recommended dose due to presence of some vals). With the addition of the Excel, I've also increased the plant fertilizer dose to maintain NO3 level at around 10.
Before I started Excel, I emailed Seachem & they assured me that it is fine with snails & inverts. I don't think the increasing ferts is the problem. The only ingredients that may be toxic is copper. Before I was dosing at 0.0008 ppm/week, now it is 0.0016 ppm (this is about 1/2 the copper levels in PMDD schedule). <Also, all the trace ferts are chelated.>
I quite enjoyed the snails, but I am loath to get more until I can be sure I am not killing them.
Any thouhgts?
I've had the snails for 6-9 months, they are about 1-1.5" in size. All were acting normally, then all of a sudden, inactivity, followed a couple days later with obvious signs of death.
There is no obvious problems with the fish.
Tank params had been stable, temp 75, pH 7.8, NH3/NO2 0/0. We have medium hard water (KH/GH in 150-180 ppm range).
The only thing new I am doing to the tank is adding Flourish Excel (at about 1/2 to 3/4 the recommended dose due to presence of some vals). With the addition of the Excel, I've also increased the plant fertilizer dose to maintain NO3 level at around 10.
Before I started Excel, I emailed Seachem & they assured me that it is fine with snails & inverts. I don't think the increasing ferts is the problem. The only ingredients that may be toxic is copper. Before I was dosing at 0.0008 ppm/week, now it is 0.0016 ppm (this is about 1/2 the copper levels in PMDD schedule). <Also, all the trace ferts are chelated.>
I quite enjoyed the snails, but I am loath to get more until I can be sure I am not killing them.
Any thouhgts?