snails dying??

fisherkid91

fisherkid91

Member
I have about 15 turbo snails in my 35 gal. They all seem to be dying or already dead. I bought them more then 7 months ago, and all at the same time. Is that about how long they live? I took my water in last week and they said everything was good my ph was just a little low at 8.0 so I've been adding buffer. All my other inverts seem fine. My bluelegs (that I bought at the same time as the snails) are going around and cleaning up al the dead snails. So could there be something wrong in my tank or is this normal?
PS my tank is about a year old so its not cycling or anything
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
Do you notice any of those blue legs with nice new snail shells? I believe your snails were executed )
 
fisherkid91

fisherkid91

Member
Originally Posted by Farslayer
Do you notice any of those blue legs with nice new snail shells? I believe your snails were executed )
Yes a couple blue legs have taken there shells, but there are snails that have been just lying in the sand for a few days. I dont think the crabs would just kill them and leave without taking the shell or atleast eating it would they?
 
n_jones

n_jones

Member
They may not be dead.......... I have heard that snails can and do just stop for days at a time. Resting I suppose. At least I hope so. I have 2 Turbos that have been setting in the same place for about 48 hours now...... I picked one of them up a smelled him..... didn't smell dead so I put him back...... I guess we'll see what happens.......
 
estein02

estein02

Member
Originally Posted by fisherkid91
I have about 15 turbo snails in my 35 gal. They all seem to be dying or already dead. I bought them more then 7 months ago, and all at the same time. Is that about how long they live? I took my water in last week and they said everything was good my ph was just a little low at 8.0 so I've been adding buffer. All my other inverts seem fine. My bluelegs (that I bought at the same time as the snails) are going around and cleaning up al the dead snails. So could there be something wrong in my tank or is this normal?
PS my tank is about a year old so its not cycling or anything
I haven't been at this for that long, but from what I've read 15 turbos sounds like a lot for a 35 gallon tank. I've read that 1 for every 20 gallons of water is a good amount. Not certain...but perhaps they are running out of stuff to eat and are starving. Just a guess...
 
appaloosa1

appaloosa1

Member
Yeah 15 is a lot for that size tank and I think starvation is a possibility. But its strange for them to die all at once. I just bought 2 for my 24g, probably only need one, but I have a killer crab that is probably going to make a meal out of one and take its shell.
 
fisherkid91

fisherkid91

Member
Oh I heard 1 per gal, but I dont think there starving, I have algae growing all over my back wall because I dont scrub it. I dont know though, there is not a single snail on my glass, it looks like they all fell off the glass or rock and are just lying in the sand, some upside down.
 
estein02

estein02

Member
SWF.com says 1 turbo per 10 gallons of water. I had 3 in my 65 with about 10 Astraea snails...I now have 2 and they are all over the place. I was bumded after the one died thinking that my tank was all screwed up that something died. I would try supplementing their diet as Farslayer suggests and see what happens. Good luck.
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
Maybe this is a good time to ask somebody. I have an astrea which is going on nine years old. Anyone else ever experience such a long lived snail?
 
kirkland

kirkland

Member
Turbo snails can't right themselves so if they fall or get bumped off the glass or rocks and land upside down, they are stuck that way unless you notice and flip them over. They don't need a way to turn themselves over in their natural environment so they never developed that capability. We have 8 turbos in a 92 gallon and I worry that it's too many and they might starve so I feed them algae sheets. Also, if I remember right from my research, they only eat diatom algae, not the other types.
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
mexican turbo snails are pretty tough. IMO you have too many. I'm surprised that they don't go on your glass. Mine has no rhyme or reason as to where it goes but it goes everywhere. What else do you have in your tank and what is your salinity or specific gravity?
 
ifirefight

ifirefight

Active Member
Snail info for Astrae from another source. Says 72-78 degrees. Temp is fine as long as there is no drastic swings up or down.
Care Level: Easy
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 1"
Color Form: Olive
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Herbivore
Origin: Caribbean
Family: Astraeinae
 
fisherkid91

fisherkid91

Member
Its the turbo/astrea ones not mexican. And I dont think that they just cant right themselvs because I have placed some on rocks right side up and they still dont move. I'm not sure what diatoms are and if that is the kind of algae I have though.
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
If they are dead your shrimp and crabs will be all over them. What are your parameters? Is your sg upwards of 1.025?
 
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