All my snails croaked!

revhtree · Aug 11, 2012

Not sure why as all my fish and coral are doing excellent! But most all the empty shells are to the left side and right side of the tank located in the same area. About 100 of them or so dead! LOL! I have about 2-3 hermits still in there so surely they could not have done all that.

ritter6788 · Aug 11, 2012

What!? That's crazy. Maybe your tank is so clean there isn't enough algae for them. They all die at once or over time?

swannyson7 · Aug 11, 2012

Perhaps a rogue wrasse? Any "reef safe w/ caution" fish in the tank? I had a Pinkface Wrasse in my tank that never caused a problem with my CUC until one faithful day. Once he developed a taste for snails, he wiped out my CUC in a matter of a week or two.

Poseidon · Aug 11, 2012

Have you added any rocks that may have housed a crab/mantis?

revhtree · Aug 11, 2012

Seems like they all died over a few days maybe. No wrasse or any other fish like that. Just a basslet, anthias, clowns, tangs, urchin, and serpent star. LOL!

secretreefer · Aug 11, 2012

Possible predatory flatworm in the tank Rev? They're good at hiding. check out this link to a reefer who had one.

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?78806-Predetory-flatworm-HELP!

revhtree · Aug 11, 2012

I have not added anything to the tank like that is over a year. The snails were probably 8-10 months old. I don't see one alive.

ritter6788 · Aug 11, 2012

Poseidon said:
Have you added any rocks that may have housed a crab/mantis?

I knew someone was going to mention a mantis.

If it's a mantis the shell will be broken.

What about Whelks? I have them in my tank and they are fairly quick at wiping out my snails.

kmaintl · Aug 11, 2012

usually wrasse, dottyback, sometimes blenny or goby, a pest crab or mantis.

revhtree · Aug 11, 2012

Non of the above! LOL!

I did add one small reef safe nudi about 2 months ago.

secretreefer · Aug 11, 2012

well........ maybe he wasn't reef safe?

kmaintl · Aug 11, 2012

if you haven't had anything really new for such a long time... they probably starved to death... you had too many based on your bioload?

Poseidon · Aug 11, 2012

Look for a penny Rev, snails would be the first to go from Copper, it doesn't take much to knock them out. I know that sounds crazy.... I hope there is not any coins in there.

kmaintl · Aug 11, 2012

Poseidon said:
Look for a penny Rev, snails would be the first to go from Copper, it doesn't take much to knock them out. I know that sounds crazy.... I hope there is not any coins in there.

+1 true... or anyone spilling something into the tank that doesn't belong.

64Ivy · Aug 11, 2012

Yep, test for copper. Have you noticed any lightening of the corals?

revhtree · Aug 11, 2012

No everything seems to be doing great! They may have starved to death honestly. I barely get any algae film on my glass. LOL!

kmaintl · Aug 11, 2012

revhtree said:
No everything seems to be doing great! They may have starved to death honestly. I barely get any algae film on my glass. LOL!

Just means that when you replace them, need only a few. For hermits, it's easy to feed them... just feed your tank more heavily, so they get some... but for snails, you don't need as many as you've been keeping.

Bandomo · Aug 11, 2012

What about a drop in alkalinity rev? I tend to lose snails when I slack on my dosing regimen.

Cl0ne1 · Aug 12, 2012

Do they have SW assassin snails? I know my coral beauty attacks snails if they move when she is close to it. Maybe the serpent star is starving? You know...I can't stress this enough. My friend bought a used and already set up tank off of craigs list and it came with a purple firefish(full grown). When we set up his tank, we thought it offed itself(jumped out). About a month or two later, VWALA purple firefish and he was a nightmare to catch so we could get rid of him. There might have been something hiding all this time that just now decided to come out when the lights go out and kill all your snails. GL with finding the problem though. Hope it turns out well.

Tank you for your time,

Kevin