Calm Blue Ocean
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- May 17, 2020
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So I've had a number of snail deaths lately. All nerites. It has been almost 4 months since the nerites were added to the cleanup crew and over the past couple weeks I've lost 4 of 9. I have trochus snails that have been alive and active for over a year. I have a full crew of nassarius snails that have even survived some amazing encounters with the gobies and pistol shrimp (but that's a story for another post). Many ceriths doing great, coming out in droves at night to prowl the glass. Just the nerites seem to be having issues.
I do have 3 blue leg hermit crabs but in the year I've had them I've only ever seen them dig into snails that are already dead so I do not suspect them. I also try to provide a large range of empty shells for them to keep the peace. I think my tuxedo urchin kills more snails by carting them around and making them starve to death but he hasn't tried to wear a nerite yet.
Fish are all peaceful types and not snail assassins (clowns and gobies).
Other inverts include two peppermint shrimps but they seem to occupy themselves with spaghetti worms.
The curious part is that I've previously had species specific problems with snails only last time it was astraeas. I've basically come to the conclusion that I can't keep astraeas. They last a few months and finally slow down and die, just like these guys.
It really feels like they are starving to death even though to my eye there is plenty of food in the tank. I can grow algae at a pretty remarkable rate! Other grazing snails seem to agree and I can see they paths they clear on the glass.
What else is relevant? Snails have been purchased both locally and shipped. Acclimation has been temp and drip, as well as just temp. Tank is over a year old.
So I guess my question is, what might effect exclusively nerites and astraeas? Do they graze on a very specific algae that is maybe not being produced in my tank? Are they more vulnerable to certain water conditions (magnesium, temperature, salinity, etc?).
It just seems really strange that my snail deaths are so restricted.
Thanks for any input!
I do have 3 blue leg hermit crabs but in the year I've had them I've only ever seen them dig into snails that are already dead so I do not suspect them. I also try to provide a large range of empty shells for them to keep the peace. I think my tuxedo urchin kills more snails by carting them around and making them starve to death but he hasn't tried to wear a nerite yet.
Fish are all peaceful types and not snail assassins (clowns and gobies).
Other inverts include two peppermint shrimps but they seem to occupy themselves with spaghetti worms.
The curious part is that I've previously had species specific problems with snails only last time it was astraeas. I've basically come to the conclusion that I can't keep astraeas. They last a few months and finally slow down and die, just like these guys.
It really feels like they are starving to death even though to my eye there is plenty of food in the tank. I can grow algae at a pretty remarkable rate! Other grazing snails seem to agree and I can see they paths they clear on the glass.
What else is relevant? Snails have been purchased both locally and shipped. Acclimation has been temp and drip, as well as just temp. Tank is over a year old.
So I guess my question is, what might effect exclusively nerites and astraeas? Do they graze on a very specific algae that is maybe not being produced in my tank? Are they more vulnerable to certain water conditions (magnesium, temperature, salinity, etc?).
It just seems really strange that my snail deaths are so restricted.
Thanks for any input!
