Turbo Snails

[cd5]

I have this 20 gallon tank that I am starting up and it has cycled and is growing the algae that snails and hermits eat(green film algae), the salinity is fine the nitrates are 5-10ppm, which is about where my other 20 gallon which is doing great is at, the only differences in the tank is that the mature tank has a cheap skimmer that everyone tells me really does not help, yet i keep putting turbo snails and margaritas in and they keep dieing, is there something maybe I am missing

 

[ajg1460]

What kind of water, RO, Tap? Do you have LR, LS? How long has the tank been up?

 

[runway1]

I have a "cheap" skimmer and it skims as well as any I've seen. Nothing hi-tech about a skimmer - except the markup.

Have your snails come from the same lfs? Check PH too. marine critters sensitive to PH.

 

[lando]

What are the rest of your parameters? Ammonia and Nitrite? Have you checked for PO4?