Having problems with inverts - mostly snails

[crazy8]

I am having problems keeping my inverts. I have 5 fish in my tank and all are doing well. But inverts are a whole different story. I bought turbo/astrea snails, white cerith snails, scarlet hermits. Most of these now litter the bottom of my tank with shells.
My specs are 55 gal tank, 80 deg, 8.2 ph (this had fallen to 7.8 before), Ammonia 0, NitrItre 0, Nitrate 0. I just now started testing for Calcium and it was low at around 260. That is all I am testing for. I am now adding Kents supplements and calcium hoping to get some sponges or easy to keep corals. But before I do I need to know what my problem is with inverts.
Tank is about 2 months old with pop existing for about 1 month now. I do now have nass snails which seem to be doing well (no shells littering the sand floor) I also have 2 scarlet cleaner shrimp which appear to be doing fine, but they are new after I lost my CBS.
I don't know what else to add here. I am looking for reasons. Could these guys just be starving or what? I didn't have a lot of algae on my rocks or glass, but now the algae is blooming big time. I don't want to run out and buy more cleaner crew just to see them perrish. Give me some things to look for.
Just in case, my fish stock is:
1 False Perc Clown
1 Blue Damsel (Yellow Tail)
1 Firefish
1 Royal Gramma
1 Green Mandarin
That Mandarin has been going strong now for several weeks too. He was the one I was worried about starving!

 

[reefnut]

What is your water source?

 

[crazy8]

Okay, this is where I get reamed. My water source is the good ole water of mother nature delivered to me via my local water authority.
And yes, my SG is down to 1.022. I will try doing a water change and increase my SG slowly that way.
I guess I am going to be told that without a RO/DI I will continue to lose inverts? I knew I was going to have to cave in and buy one of those thing Can't save a dollar in this hobby can ya

 

[crazy8]

Oh...and I forgot. About the chance of a mantis -- I don't hear any clicking sounds. Plus when I first set up the tank I didn't put anything in for over 1 month. I assume if one had hitchhiked, he would have starved or I would have seen him pop out. You know how it is when you just sit and stare at your tank day and night.

 

[reefnut]

No reaming but that would be the first place I would start. Mother nature is good, it's what effects man has on mother nature that isn't .

 

[crazy8]

Reef, I am sure you will love to hear that I don't have a protein skimmer hooked up yet either.
That was actually going to be my next purchase. Maybe I will have to tell my girlfriend we can't spend that $1000 bucks on the beach next week, I have fish concerns to take care of.
Then I will be posting on this board if anyone knows of a nice young lady in the central VA area

 

[reefnut]

She'll get used to it. My wife has. Heck, now she is buying me corals .
For the skimmer, your tank-your choice. The only thing I get upset with is when people discourage others away from things like RO/DI water and skimmers and don't share the full store. We all have different methods and that's great.
Good luck

 

[crazy8]

I knew I would have to get a skimmer before long. FO I was fine with all the little fish I think, but in the long run I had planned on getting one of those. I really didn't think I would be trying to go reef so fast, but this hobby is very addictive.
As for the RO/DI, I will not argue that subject at all. I understand the logic completely. I realize all the additives in public water have to cause damage to an ecosystem sooner or later. It just baffles me to take this water and strip it from all these minerals and then have to run out and buy essential elements to add back in.
Never said I was a chemistry major
I love getting this advice personally. Without it, I would just end up getting frustrated and wasting so much money and not getting the enjoyment out of this hobby. Heck, I was taking pictures this morning before work because finally all my fish are popping out in the A.M. all at once. I had a royal gramma and firefish that would hide until they were starving. Now they all seem to be getting along like one big happy family.

 

[reefnut]

Sounds like your tank is coming along well.
Can't save a dollar in this hobby can ya
I would just end up getting frustrated and wasting so much money and not getting the enjoyment out of this hobby
I think you just answered your own question. IMO, the way to save a dollar is to do things right the first time... It saves buying equipment you don't want, live stock to replace the dead ones, etc. I've been there done that . I went through 2-55g tanks and a 40g tank, several cheap skimmers, cheap lights, cheap DI units, distilled water, PUR filters, cheap tank covers, fish, snails, hermits, etc. Although they were cheap it added up very quickly. I have less money invested in my current setup than I had in my "cheap" setups, don't figure.

 

[saltynewbie]

i would also test for copper.. that could be the reason the inverts are the only ones affected.

 

[crazy8]

If I have a copper problem, (which I have yet to test for) what is the solution? Getting rid of all my rock/sand and starting over?
I ask because that is the only thing I have heard of doing on these boards.

 

[cb]

Was the tank used when you got it? If so then do you know if they used copper in the tank?
Do you ever add the water from the lfs to your tank when you buy a new fish? This is a big no because some of them add copper to their tanks.
These would be a few things to check as a source of copper in your tank.
I just noticed that you have a manderin do you have alot of live rock these fish need pods to survive and they need a neverending source of them.

 

[crazy8]

Okay.....as to the filter. Can I get those for a canister. I will look, but if you know that would be helpful.
Now as to the tank questions.
1) No the tank was not used.
2) Yes, I have added some of the water from LFS when adding fish. someone please explain how you add fish without adding the water. And I am being sincere here. I know you can't use a net and not damages SW fish.
3) I do have a mandarin. He is eating well. I have 90 lbs of LR in a 55 gal tank. The tank was set up for about 6 weeks before he entered. I also have a DSB of 5-6 inches. I vary my feeding, but when I feed brine, I also put it in a turkey baster so that I can try to spot feed him. He seemed to eat it at first, but now he appears to just eat out of the rocks instead. Have had him for about 4 weeks now I guess. I was afraid when I got him of starving him, but hopefully all is well.

 

[crazy8]

I was afraid of handling the fish with my hands. I do that for snails and such and look what has happened But I am planning on getting a copper test at lunch to see if that could be the problems or if I just have some other unknown from a relatively new tank and not using RO/DI
Thanks. As for the fuge for feeding my mandarin, I have a 20 gal tank set up with about 20 lbs LR and 50 lbs LS. I will scoop some of that over to the new tank if I feel the mandarin is having trouble finding food. I assume that would work about the same as a fuge except the pods wouldn't be floating back in automatically through the return.