Nassarius Snails dying in my Seahorse tank

hmmmm..I have no problems with nassarius, BUT I also keep a tiger sand conch and a cleaner clam in the SH tank too

I'm sure with seahorses there is enough food because I have never had a sw critter eat any messier. I don't have any issues either, and my tank stays between 71 and 75. The only thing I know of that affect inverts like that are high nitrates and that would affect everything in the tank.

Why don't you go ahead and do all the tests and see what you see. Check calcium, alk, phosphates, ammonia...everything

Doubt it's the temp....I keep my SH tank at 69

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTLDreef 

 

That's my thought, with established sand, and messy eaters, it's not starvation. It's very, very odd. I can't chalk it up to a bad batch, or poor acclimating because the half that went in the reef, which were acclimated the same way, are fine. The only thing that is different between the tanks is salinity level and temperature, neither one of which is that different that it should be killing snails.

 

 

These were my morning tests today:

nitrite, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate - 0ppm

alk - 9.5dKH

Calcium 400

pH 8.2

temp 73.4

1.023

 

You know, I put so many snails in my tank (65 altogether, 20 nassarius) I wouldn't know if a few died. When I feed the horses I never really watched the snails. I keep thinking I only see like 5 or 6 at any time. My SH tank is loaded with coral...and with hair algae I can't really see. I will wonder if it's more common than we think for them to die like that. In the 90g its so big who cares and I have hermits in there...

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTLDreef 



That's a good point!

What size is your tank again? How many horses/fish are in there? What is your CUC?

I have two tanks.

My Seahorse tank is 30g:

• 65 different types of snails, 20 are nassarius, 25 Cerith and 20 nerite (LOL...one of the types have an extra 5)
• 4 Erectus seahorses 3 males and 1 female 
• 5 peppermint shrimp
• 1 Hectors goby 
• 2 yellow clown fish.
• 2 fan worms
• Soft corals and a foam rock wall. 3 types of red macro algae.

 I noticed some hair algae had started and I got the Hectors goby, but that tiny little fish didn't have a chance against such fast growing algae, but he is pretty cool for a tiny little fish. Now it's everywhere like an explosion after the 4 days the power was out. I had opened windows to let the sun shine in, so the horses would come out to eat. It worked at coaxing the horses, but it fed the hair algae...oh boy did it feed the hair algae.

The other tank is a 90g,

• I have hermits from years ago, and I added another 65 different snails in that one too. I purchased the identical group for it when I ordered the CUC for the SH tank.
• lemonpeel angelfish
• Solon wrasse
• Lawnmower blenny
• Orchid dottyback
• 2 perc clowns
• 2 serpent stars

I wouldn't notice any snails missing I don't pay that much attention.  There is no algae in that tank at all anymore. I feed them algae sheets. I run the aquaripure filter on that tank...vodka dosing...so no nutrients. Last night I put the rock with GSPs that I had in the SH tank into the 90g to let the critters pick at that algae, they seem happy enough. I went looking and I don't see many snails but they hide in the daylight.

could you think of any way they could have been flipped over because with many snails they die if flipped over as they cannot right themselves

Quote:

Originally Posted by rainbow grouper 

could you think of any way they could have been flipped over because with many snails they die if flipped over as they cannot right themselves

Not Nassarius snails...they bury in the sand....Astrea snails are the ONLY ones that have issues righting themselves....