hermits offing in record #s.

[fditty]

my hermits have been dying lately. my nitrates are 20ppm. i cant get them down is this likely the cause? what will keep nitrates down? my temp is also around 84. i dont have many shells in there either except for the ones left by the dead hermits. please help me.

 

[a&m aggie 04']

are they getting too big for their shells, ive had a few die b/c they outgrew theirs and didnt have one to change into.

 

[peasly1]

nitrates at 20 is not that bad,should be lower but I dont think that is killing your hermits..your temp is a few degrees high

 

[bang guy]

Could you post all of your tank parameters? How are your snails doing? Are any of the Hermit shells damaged or cracked? How long has the tank been set up?

 

[fditty]

all my snails are doing great. here is what i have. 75 lbs fiji lr, sand bottom, pencil urchin, purple tip urchin. blue leg hermitsabout10-15, 4 feather dusters. 3 peppermint shrimp. 1 sally lightfoot crab a serpent starfish, 5 turbo snails. purple sea slug, flame angel, mandarin, 4 damsels from cycling that are still in the tank, and a flame scallop. i got the tank at the end of oct and finished cycling the end of nov. i got the mandarin first and he has done very well eventhough i was told after i bought him not to add him until after the tank is well established. its a 90 gallon tank. my flame angel seems to have tail rot or the damsels are picking apart his tail. he has almost none left. what should i do about that? i dont have a quarentine tank.

 

[tangtang]

I just got my flame angel out of my 180 FO tonight. Either my domino damsel or my undulated was shredding it's tail. She is the Queen of my 29 gallon reef now. Unfortunately, anything you do at this point is going to be hard.
IMO: 1) You could take out the more aggressive damsels, 2) take out the flame angel, or 3) let nature take its course.
Good luck!
Linda

 

[spongebobsquarepants]

Are they blues or reds?..........I can't keep reds alive in my tank for the life of me. Blues, I have no problem.

 

[tangtang]

Sad update: My flame angel did not make it. I guess I waited to long? Or, maybe she was a gonner from the start? Someone here mentioned weak/sick fish get picked on...