snails are dying

need help · 08/22/2006, 08:42 PM

can anyone tell me why my snails keep dying and the hermet crabs and tube worms are living ok?

sir_dudeguy · 08/22/2006, 08:44 PM

welcome to reefcentral!

first, you need to look at your water parameters...any amonia nitrite or nitrates?

however my guess, and i'm almost positive it would be this (unless water is bad) is that the hermits are killing the snails...hermits arevery known for killing a snaill for its shell...mine have killed about 8 cerith snails, and then decide they dont even like that shell so they go to the next one...never again am i getting hermits..they dont really clean much for me either.

Jayded · 08/22/2006, 08:45 PM

Are the hermits eating them?
I notice when I have some smaller hermit crabs they tend to eat the snails in the hope of taking their shells. This has only happened 3 times but I have caught one where the crab and snail have been shell to shell and Ive pulled the crab off to find the snail was now gone

deepboy · 08/22/2006, 08:47 PM

Yes, get rid of the hermits if your not attached to them. I had the same problem until I got rid of mine!

need help · 08/22/2006, 08:49 PM

thank you, I have seen them eating one but I thought it had died. Good Idea The herments must go.. The Snails will keep the tank cleaner
Is that right.

sir_dudeguy · 08/22/2006, 08:52 PM

yes that is right. I was very dissapointed in my hermits, because they were cool looking, but they didnt do anything besides go for my snails lol. my snails clean everything tho, and i'm actually getting 50 of them tomorrow for 20 bucks, along with an emerald crab and a peppermint shrimp

need help · 08/22/2006, 08:57 PM

50, wow I only have a 55 gal tank, how many would you suggest having?

bertoni · 08/22/2006, 08:59 PM

Could be the hermits or starvation. Lots of tanks seem to have very high snail populations, which often leads to starvation over time.

sir_dudeguy · 08/22/2006, 09:02 PM

i've only got a 55 also lol. But i overfeed a little and i've got tons of algae growin, and since it was a group buy, i had to get either 50 or a hundred. I'm only paying like 24 cents per snail tho so its all good.

It also depends on what type of snail you get...if it was like turbos, i'd only get like 12 or so for a 55...but if its like the golden astreas (the ones i'm getting), everyone recomended 50 as a good number for what i need...if i see they clear out the tank completely and quickly, and if a few start starving to death, i'll sell a few away.

Lamorak · 08/22/2006, 10:16 PM

I've got a 60 gallon tank and my experience with turbo snails is that they are total eating machines. They can hose down a lot of algae in a short amount of time. For a turbo, I'd start out with a low number; like 2 or 3 for a 55 gallon tank. IMHO, anything over 5 in a tank less than 100 gallons is way too many when dealing with turbo snails.

High numbers of astrea and cerith snails seems ok, as they don't eat as fast or as much as a turbo.

Just my opinion on this of course

sir_dudeguy · 08/22/2006, 10:23 PM

my turbo sucks...and i dont mean he sucks up the algae..i mean he sucks at eating it lol.. he doesnt touch half the stuff, but he sticks to stuff like fish food. So i personally dont really do turbos anymore, but for the record, i had 2 in my 55, one got stuck on the powerhead, so i'm left with one...but i hear that lots of people say to get more because they're good eaters...i disagree and get few

Sk8r · 08/22/2006, 10:34 PM

You do know that the pointy snails can't right themselves if they fall over on the sand. They starve to death and then the crabs eat them. This is no joke: they evolved to live on rock, and their foot can't grip the sand. Other snails make it fine.

Lamorak · 08/22/2006, 10:57 PM

Hehehe. Well, I suppose need help could compromise and appease us both by getting a number of turbo snails inbetween our two recommendations.

Sk8r is right about conical shelled snails though. I've rescued my share of snails that had fallen to the sand and couldn't get up.

08/22/2006, 08:42 PM	#1
need help Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 8	snails are dying can anyone tell me why my snails keep dying and the hermet crabs and tube worms are living ok?

08/22/2006, 08:44 PM	#2
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	welcome to reefcentral! first, you need to look at your water parameters...any amonia nitrite or nitrates? however my guess, and i'm almost positive it would be this (unless water is bad) is that the hermits are killing the snails...hermits arevery known for killing a snaill for its shell...mine have killed about 8 cerith snails, and then decide they dont even like that shell so they go to the next one...never again am i getting hermits..they dont really clean much for me either. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

08/22/2006, 08:52 PM	#6
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	yes that is right. I was very dissapointed in my hermits, because they were cool looking, but they didnt do anything besides go for my snails lol. my snails clean everything tho, and i'm actually getting 50 of them tomorrow for 20 bucks, along with an emerald crab and a peppermint shrimp __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

08/22/2006, 08:59 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Could be the hermits or starvation. Lots of tanks seem to have very high snail populations, which often leads to starvation over time. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/22/2006, 09:02 PM	#9
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	i've only got a 55 also lol. But i overfeed a little and i've got tons of algae growin, and since it was a group buy, i had to get either 50 or a hundred. I'm only paying like 24 cents per snail tho so its all good. It also depends on what type of snail you get...if it was like turbos, i'd only get like 12 or so for a 55...but if its like the golden astreas (the ones i'm getting), everyone recomended 50 as a good number for what i need...if i see they clear out the tank completely and quickly, and if a few start starving to death, i'll sell a few away. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

08/22/2006, 08:45 PM	#3
Jayded Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 158	Are the hermits eating them? I notice when I have some smaller hermit crabs they tend to eat the snails in the hope of taking their shells. This has only happened 3 times but I have caught one where the crab and snail have been shell to shell and Ive pulled the crab off to find the snail was now gone

08/22/2006, 08:47 PM	#4
deepboy Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 265	Yes, get rid of the hermits if your not attached to them. I had the same problem until I got rid of mine!

08/22/2006, 08:49 PM	#5
need help Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 8	thank you, I have seen them eating one but I thought it had died. Good Idea The herments must go.. The Snails will keep the tank cleaner Is that right.

08/22/2006, 08:57 PM	#7
need help Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 8	50, wow I only have a 55 gal tank, how many would you suggest having?

08/22/2006, 10:16 PM	#10
Lamorak Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: O.C. California Posts: 107	I've got a 60 gallon tank and my experience with turbo snails is that they are total eating machines. They can hose down a lot of algae in a short amount of time. For a turbo, I'd start out with a low number; like 2 or 3 for a 55 gallon tank. IMHO, anything over 5 in a tank less than 100 gallons is way too many when dealing with turbo snails. High numbers of astrea and cerith snails seems ok, as they don't eat as fast or as much as a turbo. Just my opinion on this of course

08/22/2006, 10:23 PM	#11
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	my turbo sucks...and i dont mean he sucks up the algae..i mean he sucks at eating it lol.. he doesnt touch half the stuff, but he sticks to stuff like fish food. So i personally dont really do turbos anymore, but for the record, i had 2 in my 55, one got stuck on the powerhead, so i'm left with one...but i hear that lots of people say to get more because they're good eaters...i disagree and get few __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

08/22/2006, 10:34 PM	#12
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You do know that the pointy snails can't right themselves if they fall over on the sand. They starve to death and then the crabs eat them. This is no joke: they evolved to live on rock, and their foot can't grip the sand. Other snails make it fine. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/22/2006, 10:57 PM	#13
Lamorak Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: O.C. California Posts: 107	Hehehe. Well, I suppose need help could compromise and appease us both by getting a number of turbo snails inbetween our two recommendations. Sk8r is right about conical shelled snails though. I've rescued my share of snails that had fallen to the sand and couldn't get up.