Nassarius Snails Killed Live Peppermint Shrimps

[gobygal]

Everyone is probably going to tell me that my two new Peppermint Shrimps were dying......they seemed fine.
I also know that they are salinity sensitive and we acclimated them with patience.
Yesterday morning I saw both shrimp doing fine and going along doing their "shrimp business". Afternoon came and I saw one shrimp and looked hard for the other. I found victim #1 on the back top of a rock with two Nas Snails on it. I couldn't believe it. I thought maybe, just maybe, he suddenly died. BUT.....BUT.....BUT.......evening rolled around and the other shrimp (looking alive and well, like the other one did) was cleaning the side of a rock and as my husband was watching, a Nas Snail popped out of the sand and ambushed the shrimp...smothering it and killing it instantly. YES....they are Nassarius....
Maybe its possible they were not as well as I thought they were...but we SAW a LIVE shrimp get ambushed by the snail. My snails have done what everyone is saying they don't do. We SAW it.
Like I said, maybe just because the shrimp were alive doesn't mean I can assume they were healthy..... But, they were very much alive before those snails decided to make a meal of them....they KILLED them!

 

[gobygal]

So many people say it's just not possible for a snail to just go up and kill a shrimp....but what we have seen with our own eyes proves otherwise.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GobyGal http:///t/394291/nassarius-snails-killed-live-peppermint-shrimps#post_3509366
So many people say it's just not possible for a snail to just go up and kill a shrimp....but what we have seen with our own eyes proves otherwise.
Snails don't kill shrimps, they are too slow. If the shrimp stood still for the snail, it was dying. The nassarius snails eat the dead things and wasted food the fish miss, that's why they are part of the CUC (clean up crew). I'm afraid it's true that the critter may not be "dead" at the moment the eating begins, but if a shrimp which is normally very agile can't dodge a snail...it was a goner. Many times a shrimp sheds their skin and goes to hide until the shell gets hard again....and the CUC feeds on what looks for everything in the world like a white carcass of the shrimp.
Shrimp are to the fish tank, what canaries were to the coal miners....they are so sensitive, that if the water quality is off, they are the first to die.

 

[gobygal]

I figured out what the problem is.......ME
I was in another thread and was asked if my tank was too clean (no leftover food or detritus) and it is VERY clean. Rarely any food makes it to the bottom.
My snails are starving. I am looking into how to hand feed them and also my blue legged hermits.
I feel awful.....I don't have naughty snails....the poor snails have an uneducated owner. Nobody to blame but myself here. They were just trying to survive.
Also...the shrimp DID NOT move away from the snail....so like you said, Flower, they may have been unwell and my poor starving snails saw an opportunity. When we were buying the peppermints from the store...they were even sluggish at the store as well.
I learned a lot from this and I thank everyone for their input!!!
Oh yeah..Flower....you said at the end about water quality and shrimp sensitivity......that makes sense too cuz my nitrates are 20ppm. I am doing weekly water changes of 5gal (120g tank). I realize I also need twice as much live rock as I have to help get those nitrates turned to nitrogen. I may start another thread about that!!

 

[bang guy]

Take a meaty piece of seafood and stick it on the sand bed. The snails will find it. If you have fish or other animals that will steal it then place it just under the surface of the sand.

 

[gobygal]

I will do that!!! Thank you so much!!!!!

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GobyGal http:///t/394291/nassarius-snails-killed-live-peppermint-shrimps#post_3509528
I figured out what the problem is.......ME
I was in another thread and was asked if my tank was too clean (no leftover food or detritus) and it is VERY clean. Rarely any food makes it to the bottom.
My snails are starving. I am looking into how to hand feed them and also my blue legged hermits.
I feel awful.....I don't have naughty snails....the poor snails have an uneducated owner. Nobody to blame but myself here. They were just trying to survive.
Also...the shrimp DID NOT move away from the snail....so like you said, Flower, they may have been unwell and my poor starving snails saw an opportunity. When we were buying the peppermints from the store...they were even sluggish at the store as well.
I learned a lot from this and I thank everyone for their input!!!
Oh yeah..Flower....you said at the end about water quality and shrimp sensitivity......that makes sense too cuz my nitrates are 20ppm. I am doing weekly water changes of 5gal (120g tank). I realize I also need twice as much live rock as I have to help get those nitrates turned to nitrogen. I may start another thread about that!!
You may want to up the gallons on the WC's. 5g is not much on a 120g system even if you are doing it weekly. I have a 125g and do 13-15g weekly WC's and that is to keep nitrates at 0. If I wanted to bring them down, I would do 26-30g weekly for a month. I would test after each WC and go from there. Do you have a sump/ fuge?? Macro's in the sump can help as well.
Don't beat yourself up over a couple of shrimp or snails. You are not a reckless reef keeper. I have snails die all the time. The LFS I go to has Astrea snails, they can't flip themselves over if they fall. They have great deals on them so I pick up a few here and there. Every time one goes down and I don't flip it back over in time the Nassarius snails are having a dinner party. Nom Nom Nom!!! LOL.
You are doing the right thing by coming here and asking questions. Keep up the good work!!!

 

[gobygal]

Quote:
Originally Posted by sweatervest13 http:///t/394291/nassarius-snails-killed-live-peppermint-shrimps#post_3509541
You may want to up the gallons on the WC's. 5g is not much on a 120g system even if you are doing it weekly. I have a 125g and do 13-15g weekly WC's and that is to keep nitrates at 0. If I wanted to bring them down, I would do 26-30g weekly for a month. I would test after each WC and go from there. Do you have a sump/ fuge?? Macro's in the sump can help as well.
Don't beat yourself up over a couple of shrimp or snails. You are not a reckless reef keeper. I have snails die all the time. The LFS I go to has Astrea snails, they can't flip themselves over if they fall. They have great deals on them so I pick up a few here and there. Every time one goes down and I don't flip it back over in time the Nassarius snails are having a dinner party. Nom Nom Nom!!! LOL.
You are doing the right thing by coming here and asking questions. Keep up the good work!!!
I told my hubby 5g wasn't enough!!! (I was right! I was right!! hehehehe)
I just changed 10gal a few minutes ago....so next week I will start doing as you suggested with the 26-30 weekly for a month.
No sump or fuge. I just got done reading a small bit about the advantage of macros. All this I will discuss with my "other half" and we will make some adjustments.
And, thank you for the comment and your snail story.....it made me feel better!!
I have learned SOOOOO much since having a marine tank. My husband had one before...but it's new to me. I also realized that fish are a LOT more smart than I ever gave them credit for!! I have a dog and have had cats....never thought I could fall in love with a fish, but I did!!!!! What a neat hobby!!! I get to watch beautiful fish and learn about ocean creatures that I never knew existed!!