Is it just me???

[austinfish]

I just want to ask a question about survival of shipments of Red crabs, and turbo snails. It could be it's just me. I find that I order a bunch, take me time and follow the instructions on acculamation, but I still loose about 10% in the first few days after I get a new batch. I hate this, I don't alway find them fast and I'm really having problems with algae anyway.
Is it just me or does this happen to most people. I usually have better luck with fish.
Just wondering. I tested my water, all is fine and I'm still doing water changes ever two days or so due to a past phosphate problem.
Thanks inadvance to anyone who takes the time to give imput.

 

[jonthefb]

these red crab that you are referring to, are they the scarlet hermits? or some type of hermit? i really havent had any problem with them surviving shipping. i have, however had problems with snails. it could be that they suffer from shipping, but it doesnt seem very likely as they are pretty hardy. Where are you ordering them from? located at, etc. Here in colorado i always have to ask the retailers to include heat packs, cause its almost alway kinda cold here anytime other tnak june july or august. if you live in a warm climate, you might ask them to inculde cold packs. what types of algae are you having probs with? one cleaner i would highly reccommend is the cerith snail. these guys come from the sea of cortez and are great little buggers. they eat all the time, on th eglass in the sand, on the rock, and although they cant tackle large algaes such as hair, etc they do keep the micros under control and are even effective at chowin cyanobacteria. plus they lay eggs, and reproduce easily in an aquarium. next time, look at gettign some of these guys and some trochus snails, and you should hav e apretty effective clean up crew!
good luck
jon

 

[austinfish]

I'd rather not say where I got them. I just thing this could be a normal amount to loose in the first few days after shipping??
I got red hermits, and some of them died, and blue hermits.
The larger snails seem to fair better. I love the Mexican/Trochus Snails, they are big and really clean!
I have hairy algea I'm trying to control, got an algae blinney and he is fat and happy. I'm hopeful that I get get some balance. I also fear that my tank is to hot most of the time, 82 and a bit higher. I'm getting a chiller, fans are not doing the trick. I live in Texas, and its really hot.
So have most folks have found that about 10% or so of the new little hermits and crabs don't make it??
This has happened to me 3 different times from different suppliers, all well know and very good companies.