My snails shells are dissolving and they're dying

[Rhiannamal]

I just ordered the Api kit for the gh kh to see what that really is too

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks. If my tap water is 7.2-7.5 and my tank water is the same would removing the wood make a difference? Like if your tap water is x amount ph won’t your tank water just be the same unless u add something ? Or do tanks naturally go higher than the tap water I put in?

Wood tends to decrease hardness by absorption so once you lose the minerals, the organic processes of a fish tank creates acids which if you don't have enough alkalinity ( KH) to counter the acids, the pH falls. If you increase the gas exchange ( through bubbles) in the water, the pH can rise. ( This is why Aiken & I talked about your water surface agitation.) If you do not get enough exchange of gases, the CO2 increases in the water causing the pH to fall. ( The fish's breathing creates the CO2).
Regarding the wood in the tank, as explained, the wood is absorbing the calcium out of the water that your crushed coral is slowly supplying so you are either even or behind the game by having the 2 together. It's like pushing the gas pedal and the brake pedal at the same time in a car. All you are doing is wasting gas. You are not going to get anywhere. So if you remove the wood, open up the surface by removing some of the floating plants, you agitate the water more and you do your weekly water changes which is adding back in 7.2-7.5 water with whatever carbonate hardness you have in your water, the pH in your tank should remain stable of at least 7.2-7.5. Since you have mystery snail, you'll want to get your GH and possibly your kH) to that 150-300 ppm range. ( GH levels for mystery snails is 140-200 ppm) So depending on what your test results are, you may need to add something to raise one or both of those levels or if they are too high, leave the wood in but keep a better watch on the GH/KH levels so that once they fall to the right level, you remove the wood and keep watch on the pH. So just removing the wood is not going to be the magical answer to the whole problem.

 

[Rhiannamal]

yes but after I tested both with the new kit my ph was the same exact colour as tap and the tank- inbetween 7.2-7.5 that’s why I asked that last question.
But yeah I weeded out the floaters and increased filter flow so far. I’ll probably take out the wood next.
My ph in the tank is good for mystery snails according to most people in articles I’ve read at that 7.2-7.5 but I dunno maybe their wrong.
but I still need to find out my true gh/kh with the new kit I just ordered.

 

[Andy Sager]

yes but after I tested both with the new kit my ph was the same exact colour as tap and the tank- inbetween 7.2-7.5 that’s why I asked that last question.
But yeah I weeded out the floaters and increased filter flow so far. I’ll probably take out the wood next.
My ph in the tank is good for mystery snails according to most people in articles I’ve read at that 7.2-7.5 but I dunno maybe their wrong.
but I still need to find out my true gh/kh with the new kit I just ordered.

That will help answer a lot of questions. What I know about those snails is that 7.2 is the minimum while 8.4-8.6 is the maximum for their best health which means you want to be somewhere in the middle of those 2 numbers for long term and not at any edge for a prolonged period of time.