snails keep meeting there maker

[e-cat]

any ideas as too why my snails keep droping dead?, they have all been added recently over the last 2 weeks and tehre is only 2 turbos left out of 12 and no trochus left out of 4. my lion fish is fine, managed too count all 15 blue legged hermits, 2 red scarlets are fine and my fighting conch is doing fine, my corals are open and good, whats killing all my algae eaters. :? my perimaters are-
free ammonia- 0.0 mg/l
total ammonia- 0.05 mg/l
nitrite- 0.0 mg/l
nitrate- 0.0 mg/l
ph- 8.2
alkalinity- 7 meq/l
calcium- 350 mg/l
sg- 1.023
i know my calcium is a little low and my alk is a little high, do you think that could be the cause? what should i use too raise my calcium so my alk lowers?

 

[steve-s]

I don't think the chemistry will be the main cause but could be a contributor on the whole. The water parameters seem fine but the salinity is a little on the low side for snails. You would do better to raise that up to 1.025 over the next week or so. Acclimation more than anything will be what does in an invert like snails. Drip acclimation over several hours is best. How where they introduced?

what should i use too raise my calcium so my alk lowers?

A powdered form of CaCl would be the best suggestion as it will not be adding anything else that you otherwise do not need. Start off slowly and add daily until you reach a better level. If you get the Ca up to about 450 ppm, the alkalinity should fall but I would also suggest testing your mag levels. Excessively high magnesium can also be a contributor to uni-valve/bi-valve animal deaths but unless you are adding an Mg supp, it's not very likely. Do you add strontium?
You could also do a series of water changes (10-15%) to bring the water chem back into balance. Just be sure to test a freshly mixed batch to be sure it is not the source of the high alk.

Cheers
Steve

 

[e-cat]

they where acclimanated, over about 30min, i had too go out right away, i probably killed them, didnt i. i will raise my salt level up starting now, i bought some reef advantage calcium today, so i will rais ethe calcium over the next week.
i dont add strontium, but the reef advantage calcium says it contains mag and strontium at a value of 100:5:0.1, ca:mg:sr
thanks again for your help steve-s

 

[steve-s]

they where acclimanated, over about 30min, i had too go out right away, i probably killed them, didnt i.

Sorry to say but it would be a great contributor.

i will raise my salt level up starting now, i bought some reef advantage calcium today, so i will rais ethe calcium over the next week.
i dont add strontium, but the reef advantage calcium says it contains mag and strontium at a value of 100:5:0.1, ca:mg:sr

The reason I was asking about the strontium is you should not be adding it as a "stand alone" suppliment. It is not necccessary and will skew the tank chemistry if above about 250 ppm. The Reef Advantage should be okay but watch the Mg as well while you do this. Even though it has a small amount, it could raise it to an unwanted level since it is being used to correct a problem rather than maintain the level.

Cheers
Steve

 

[e-cat]

next batch of snails i get will be acclimanated with the drip acclimanation.