Turbo Snails in new aquarium

[bragru]

I am just setting up my new reef tank. All elements of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, SG, etc. are all perfect. Peppermint shrimp are fine. Hermit crabs are fine. Turbo snails seem to die within hours. Bought some coral than did not open up. Brought it back to pet store. Much quality live rock set up for reef. Feather duster on one of the rocks is good.
After filling from faucet that is treated well water snails died. So then I drained tank complete down to and a little below sand because I am treating my water with an iron filter that has potasium pernangimate. After draining complete I filled again with water direct from well tank. All levels are perfect again. Bought two turbos and one margarita snail. Turbos look like they will die again. Margarita seems to be holding on but crawled to top of tank and is just staying there.
I know I may have traces of iron in my well water but many tanks I hear survive just fine on well water with coralife addative.
What's my problem. Can anyone shed some light on this?

 

[sign guy]

welcome to the boards
first off is there any thing for the snails to eat? second I would look at a rodi water unit. what size is your tank?

 

[barchtruong]

so....your tank is not cycled?
you filled the tank with well water, checked traced elements and add snails and stuff in?
If so, that's why everything dies and will die.
Well water is very hard, can't use them unless you are very familiar with it and know how to balance it.
I just added 11 turbo nails in my tank yesterday and an sea cucumber, they moved around and clean the tank none stop since.
Go with DI water, and the tank need to be cycled before you start any thing, my 2cts.

 

[bragru]

Tank has cycled.
What is DI?
Am I killing the live portion of my live rock?
Water is treated in a 30 gallon container first before adding to tank.

 

[barchtruong]

check water temp and keep it constant, mine stays at 76. It's 78 went MHs are on.
if your salinity is below 1.024, you will have a hard time keeping inverts. I keep mine at 1.025
Calcium, check your calcium. I have mine at 420. Trying to raise it to 440, but can't do. I don't wan't to add to much Calcium into the water, that will screw up my Alk.
Check your Alk, I think that's your problem. If it's too high, your snails will get killed.
DI is deionized water. It's filtered water and you can buy them at lfs or you can buy your own DI filter and filter your own DI. The filter is not cheap.

 

[bragru]

My sg is about 1.022
Don't know alk.
Added aragamilk as suggested.
Temp about 76-77 degrees.
I my live rock OK?
Hermits & peppermint shrimp seem fine.
Tank size is 65 gallons.
18x36x24 tall

 

[barchtruong]

you need to bring sg up to 1.025, that's the recommended level for all inverts.
well water is very high in alkaline.
you need to buy a Alk test bottle and test it.
if your ALK is above 15, your inverts will not like it.
live rock is simply rock with good bateria housing round them, rock wont die. so, no worry about your rock.
what filtration system do you have? powerheads? any water movement?

 

[bragru]

Thanks for your replies. Getting very frustated.
Have a sump tank with bio balls.
UV filter.
Protien skimmer.
Sand substrate.
Not knowledgable on lights but have a nice one with actinic, moon & whatever.
Had discus fish prior for about 10 years.
New to salt.
Would you bring up SG with just adding mixed water little at a time?
Two power heads in tank to move water plus return line from sump.
Also have lights off to control the brown algae growth that the snails are'nt eating because they are not alive.
Kind of a "Catch 22" would'nt you say?

 

[barchtruong]

I would do a .001 increment per day.
do a 2-5% water change every other day and increase sg slowly.
be sure so mix your saltwater and let it stand for at least 24hr. longer is better, add a bubble head in your water jugs to aerate it is better.
Fresh and salt aquarium are 2 different stories.
you are already ahead of the game on light and UV thing. Fishes don't need good light and skimmer, only corals do.
How big is your tank anyway?

 

[bragru]

Tank is 65 gallons. Have nothing in it but live rock, cleaner shrimp & hermit crabs. But, you think I probably will not be able to use water direct from well to mixing tank, then add salt, mix for 24 hours, then add it to sump to pump into tank because the alk. is to high?
You think I should get RO system to my aquarium only?

 

[blackaero1]

Originally Posted by barchtruong
you need to bring sg up to 1.025, that's the recommended level for all inverts.
well water is very high in alkaline.
you need to buy a Alk test bottle and test it.
if your ALK is above 15, your inverts will not like it.
live rock is simply rock with good bateria housing round them, rock wont die. so, no worry about your rock.
what filtration system do you have? powerheads? any water movement?
Wow this has become an interesting thread for me as I can't seem to keep snails either. Please explain this Alk a little more if you don't mind. How does one go about raising/lowering it? Would you want to raise it? I can figure out the test kit part as I will need one of those but so far everything else about my tank seems to be in line with what I've read on here. I haven't tried hermits or anything like that yet as I figure if the snails are dying the crabs would too.

 

[barchtruong]

I am not sure how exactly you treated your well water before it goes to your tank, but one thing I know is well water has a very high ALK level.
I am not sure if the RO filter can change ALK level.
How long did you run that tank? and how much rock you have in the tank?

 

[bragru]

I will put 30 gallons into a container and add Coralife.
Run a power head & heater for 24 hours.
Note: Water is directly from well. Does not go thru softener or iron filter. Iron filter is treated with potasium pernanganate. Add some aragamilk at the same time I put in the Coralife last water change out. Have about 55#'s of live rock.
Thanks for you imput!

 

[barchtruong]

You need to go to lfs and get a set of marine test kit that has phosphate, calcium, Alk in it.
Run a test of it.
write everything down.
then go buy DI water and try it for a week or two and test the water again and see the diff. between well water and DI water.
oh, your Ph is somewhere in the 8's zone right!!!
7.8ph is not going to do.