dying snails

[mattmku]

I've had 5 snails and they've all died. They seem to live a couple weeks and then just drop off the glass of rock onto the crushed coral. Can't figure it out because i have several crabs and a peppermint shrimp that are thriving...??

 

[XXFirefighter]

What kind of snails?
If most snails fall off the glass then they can't fix themselves and die...

 

[mattmku]

they were astraea conehead. I'm pretty sure they were dead. Most of the time i found their shells empty. I'm not sure if one of my crabs at them???

 

[phases99]

Could be an acclimation issue. You should use the slow drip method for at least 1-2 hours depending on the difference in salinity. Is there enough food for them? Snails could also be more water quality sensitive than crabs. What are your params?

 

[JG]

Most snails can't right themselves when they fall. Crabs move in and pick them out of their shells. Watched it happen many times.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

As far as the drip acclimation a lt of people don't have the time or patience for this method. What I do is check salinity in the lfs tank and my tank. If there is a major difference then I slowly adjust mine to there's and then I put the specimen in a pail with the water from the bag and some water from my tank. I gradually add a little water at a time for about a half hour then I release. Since I have been using this method I have had no problems. One mistake that I made and learned from is to not leave them in the sealed bag for too long as this will deprive them of oxygen. Phases I'm not knocking the drip just giving an idea

 

[mattmku]

i drip acclimated the last three. I'm sure that's not the problem. They're surviving sometimes 4-6 weeks and then mysteriously dying???...starting to think it's the crab

 

[phases99]

As far as the drip acclimation a lt of people don't have the time or patience for this method.

Patience is key in this hobby and a lack of has gotten many hobbyists in trouble.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

Ya and there is more than one way of doing things

 

[seaham358]

You have the high nitrates right???

 

[mattmku]

yeah, now but when they died they were low at about 10 ppm. I haven't gotten a new snails for a couple months

 

[frshwaterfinatc]

Bet it's that they fall off the glass and can't right themselves. Then the crabs eat them. Happens all the time.

Here snails are 15 cents a piece and people come into the store to buy them because they fall off the glass.

 

[cmonkey]

snails for 15cents?! where! All the LFS here sell snails/hermits for $4 each. I have 1 snail/hermit right now and both look very lethargic and dont move much. When i got them 2 wks ago they were eating like mad at first. I thouhgt the hermit was dead so i picked it up and put it towards teh front of the tank, but then it walked back to hide in some rocks.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

who me? And what does that have to do with anything?

 

[phases99]

Ya and there is more than one way of doing things

Yes, a correct way and a wrong way

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

So your the expert now and everyone elses way is wrong Give me a break. Just because I don't drip acclimate my livestock doesn't mean it's the wrong way.

 

[phases99]

So your the expert now and everyone elses way is wrong Give me a break. Just because I don't drip acclimate my livestock doesn't mean it's the wrong way.

If its working for you then don't change. But have you offered any advice to the original poster on what could be causing his snail problem?

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I was simply stating a different way of acclimation and a mistake that I had made once. Sorry I didn't satisfy you

 

[phases99]

Back to the post. It sounds like the snails are either not getting enough to eat or there is a crab picking them off. You may want to supplement the crabs diet by putting in some sinking food at night.

 

[mattmku]

must be the crab because there's plenty to eat