My last snail died today, everyone else is fine, help?

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yoshii

Guest
For my starting CUC I bought 5 snails (1 astrea, 4 turbos) and 5-6 zebra hermits. This was about a month ago. My snails have been dying, one by one :( My favorite (and last) snail died today, and I can't figure out why. At first I worried it was copper or something since I bought a used tank, but then wouldn't my hermits and goby be dead?
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-under 10 (I need to buy a new lower range test kit)
pH-8.1-8.2
sg-a little low 1.022
 
T

tiny

Guest
It could be pyramid snails that are killing off your snails. Google them to get more info.
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Originally Posted by Tiny
http:///forum/post/3210906
It could be pyramid snails that are killing off your snails. Google them to get more info.
Wow, I just found some a few hours ago on some rock rubble I was cleaning. Well, I think there are pyramid snails, they are pretty small, but I didn't see any on my snails, I'll go take a closer look at the most recently dead one and see if I can find any snails. Thank you! If these snails are the cause of death, then should I just starve them out? I'm planning to get a pair of cleaning shrimp soon but when my snails started dying, I wanted to find out what caused it before I got the shrimp. Hopefully this is the reason they died.
I only found a few on/around one piece of rock rubble (lol, and I also found out that my bristle worm is huge now) but maybe this is the cause :)
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Hmm, this morning I took a look at the recently dead snail, I didn't find any pyramid snails, maybe those other snails I saw weren't pyramid snails, they were a bit bigger than the pics I saw on google :/
 
T

tiny

Guest
Pull one of the suspected pyramid snails out of your tank and put it under a magnifying glass. The best way to tell if it is one or not is to look for the pattern on it's shell.
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Originally Posted by Tiny
http:///forum/post/3211238
Pull one of the suspected pyramid snails out of your tank and put it under a magnifying glass. The best way to tell if it is one or not is to look for the pattern on it's shell.
Thanks :) Do you know what kind of pattern I should look for?
 
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tiny

Guest
Google "pyramid snail" in images, and compare it to the picture of the one on top of the dime.
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Well I went and got a dime for scale, and the snails I found I think are too big to be pyramid snails :(
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Another possibility is the way you acclimated them. You have to acclimate snails for a good 3+ hours. If you don't, the changes in salinity can cause them to die. It can take up to a month for them to die.
Also, Astraeas and Turbos often are collected in waters colder than the water in our tanks. This can also slowly kill them. I personally have never been able to keep an Astraea alive for longer than a few months, although I do have four Turbos that I have had for more than a year. I would recommend Trochus. I haven't had them for very long (one month), but so far am very happy with them. They seem to eat more than Astraeas too. Plus, they can flip themselves over. JMO though.
One more thing, your hermits may have killed them. Zebras are rather well known for killing snails. I have even seen my blue leg kill a dying Astraea.
Hope this helps!
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Originally Posted by yannifish
http:///forum/post/3216845
Another possibility is the way you acclimated them. You have to acclimate snails for a good 3+ hours. If you don't, the changes in salinity can cause them to die. It can take up to a month for them to die.
Also, Astraeas and Turbos often are collected in waters colder than the water in our tanks. This can also slowly kill them. I personally have never been able to keep an Astraea alive for longer than a few months, although I do have four Turbos that I have had for more than a year. I would recommend Trochus. I haven't had them for very long (one month), but so far am very happy with them. They seem to eat more than Astraeas too. Plus, they can flip themselves over. JMO though.
One more thing, your hermits may have killed them. Zebras are rather well known for killing snails. I have even seen my blue leg kill a dying Astraea.
Hope this helps!
Thank you for the info! Hmm, I thought hermits only killed snails for their shells, but my hermits are tiny and the snails were huge compared to them :/
Hmm, maybe I'll try some of those Trochus snails, thank you!
 
raymond2688

raymond2688

Member
just a thought i am assuming this is a new tank. i had a problem with snails when i first started and could not figure it out. every snail i put in my tank died. i went to my local coral farm and they checked my water. i was just going with the normal readings to include ph. my ph was fine but my alkalinity was way off. i have since found that i no longer test ph but rather my alkalinity and i got that in check and had no more problems...again just a thought.
 
jtt

jtt

Member
my vote is for killer hermits. my hermits killed every single one of my snails since i started the hobby.
 
jtt

jtt

Member
PS, welcome to the boards! nice to see someone else from the bay, I live in the east bay.
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Hmm, well the hermits and snails were in quarantine with my fish for a month in a 30 gal, you'd think they would have killed them then :/
well, I misplaced my alk test kit, I have to go look for it later
Cool, I'm from the east bay too! :) Btw, I like your avatar, although I prefer the original series :p
 
jtt

jtt

Member
the avatar is showing them in a flight suit that is only shown ONCE in the entire star trek world. in my opinion the most awesome uniform design ever created. and yes, I am wearing a replica in my wedding in 2 months.
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Originally Posted by yoshii
http:///forum/post/3216982
Thank you for the info! Hmm, I thought hermits only killed snails for their shells, but my hermits are tiny and the snails were huge compared to them :/
Hmm, maybe I'll try some of those Trochus snails, thank you!
I think Hermits kill for food, although I personally think they just like killing as well. My blue leg hermit has more than enough algae to eat, but has still killed a couple snails. And, like I said, you have zebra hermits, which are notorious snail murderers.
Glad to help!
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Originally Posted by JTT
http:///forum/post/3217564
the avatar is showing them in a flight suit that is only shown ONCE in the entire star trek world. in my opinion the most awesome uniform design ever created. and yes, I am wearing a replica in my wedding in 2 months.
haha, I just thought they were fancy suits or something xD
Spock's uniform is my fav, but that's probably cause he's my fav character lol
 
Y

yoshii

Guest
Originally Posted by yannifish
http:///forum/post/3217591
I think Hermits kill for food, although I personally think they just like killing as well. My blue leg hermit has more than enough algae to eat, but has still killed a couple snails. And, like I said, you have zebra hermits, which are notorious snail murderers.
Glad to help!
adfjadfjkldjf, I should have went with scarlet hermits xD
 
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