feeding snails

[kimba]

I have a 12 gal and have 6 turbo snails. I purchased them within the last month or so, I was finally clearing up an algae/briopsis problem.

Now I have absolutely no algae left, they are a fairly good size (1-2") and one just died. I'm wondering if they're getting enough food.

I don't have a fish right now. I have the 5 turbos, 5 hermit crabs (blue legged), 4 sand sifting snails, a cleaner shrimp and a few soft corals and just picked up a candy cane coral.

I feed 6-7 1 mm pellet new life spectrum marine food 3x a week. I also have zooplankton (suspension) I feed 1-2xs a week and frozen mysis I do maybe 1x a week.

But I'm not sure my turbos are getting any of this. Is there something I should be feeding them specifically?

 

[jman9331]

could of been your hermits killed one off, happens in my tank at times especially when they see a bigger shell that they want.

 

[kimba]

They were eating him, but not sure they actuallykilled him. For most of the day yesterday and a little the day before I kept fining him upside down. The first time I thought he was dead, but when I pulled him out he moved, so I put him back in.

I know it's kinda common to have to flip a turbo over everynow and then, but this was pretty often. That's another reason I think he was starving, he seemed to be getting weak.

I just don't want to loose any more.

my levels are all good
amonia, trites, trates 0
temp 78
PH 8.2
salinity1.02

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IMO. that's too many turbos in a small tank unless they're small.
Im not super anal about my tank. I leave swaths behind my rock I almost never clean. Its my snail feeder. I figure better fed than dead.
Consider some spirulina flakes. Phytoplankton too, but phyto is pretty small.
And keep an eye on them, if they do die they let off some NASTY thats bad for a tank. Esp a smaller one.
If the crabs aren't eating enough they do become active hunters. IME...Make sure you have extra shells to. Its funny to watch the crabs bicker over them.

 

[trio91]

IMO. that's too many turbos in a small tank unless they're small.
Im not super anal about my tank. I leave swaths behind my rock I almost never clean. Its my snail feeder. I figure better fed than dead.
Consider some spirulina flakes. Phytoplankton too, but phyto is pretty small.
And keep an eye on them, if they do die they let off some NASTY thats bad for a tank. Esp a smaller one.
If the crabs aren't eating enough they do become active hunters. IME...Make sure you have extra shells to. Its funny to watch the crabs bicker over them.

I agree I think you have too much of a clean up crew for that small of a tank, as mentioned earlier the inverts will start to feed on each other and what's left over may just starve out

 

[kimba]

I have had good luck keeping around 6 hermits, but normally I keep about 2 turbos. When they get around 2" I trade them in for smaller ones. Maybe when I go to LFS tomorrow, I will bring 3 or 4 back.

thanks for the help

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I went the other rout..Got rid of some crabs. Never saw a snail go on a murder spree.
Hope we helped

 

[jman9331]

At first I'd always go and flip my snails back over, after reading into it I realized they are just clumsy and fall a lot of the time so I just let them fall and hopefully for their sake they land right lol. otherwise its the circle of life!

 

[trio91]

not all snails can turn themselves over so id keep an eye out for them....the last thing that you would want would be a snail to stay over-turned, die and then release nitrates/phosphates back into your tank...i know Nassarius have that ability to flip themselves over but the others id watch out for