Snails Dying Off

[PeterC99]

Wondering what could be the reason for my snails dying off so quickly? Had a dozen turbo snails but only have 2 left. Finding their shells up-side-down. Tried flipping them back over but no movement days later. Remove the snail shells from the aquarium and they smell awful. Aquarium running 1 1/2 years with no problems. Parameters stable, corals & fish thriving but losing all my snails. Trying to find out the cause. Is it possible that my brittle starfish is eating them? Appreciate any help! Thanks!

 

[SlugSnorter]

have hermits? what fish and inverts do you have? what snails did you get? Turbos are not super agile, and likely fall down from the shear rockface and get flipped and die. I would recommend getting some florida ceriths, they are less active, but can flip themselves super well and fit into gaps that turbos cannot. you could also get like 100 zigzag periwinkles. Fuzzy chitons are cool too.

 

[PeterC99]

1/2 dozen hermits, 2 tangs, 2 clowns, copperband, long nose yellow butterfly, and 3 wrasses. Have had these inhabitants for most of the 1.5 years.

 

[snorklr]

mine do that too...i'm thinking they slowly starve cause using them as scavengers there isnt enough of what they really eat in our tanks...and once they fall over they are too weak to right themselves...dont think they can right themselves on sand as it just gets stuck to the foot and lifts off the bottom...seem to get 6 month to a year out of them....blamed hermits in the past but my current ones are tiny

 

[SlugSnorter]

1/2 dozen hermits, 2 tangs, 2 clowns, copperband, long nose yellow butterfly, and 3 wrasses. Have had these inhabitants for most of the 1.5 years.

your tank is not at all suited to turbos, its very healthy, but turbos dont do well on shear faces like this.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Possibly not enough algae? Turbos eat a lot , need to almost treat as tangs and give nori

 

[dvgyfresh]

Sorry to side line but how did you get copperband to eat / what’s it eating? I just got one and it won’t eat my foods yet

 

[PeterC99]

Sorry to side line but how did you get copperband to eat / what’s it eating? I just got one and it won’t eat my foods yet

Mine eats frozen foods. It's important to see the copperband eat at the LFS before buying. Hopefully there is some aptasia in your aquarium for the copperband to eat.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Possibly not enough algae? Turbos eat a lot , need to almost treat as tangs and give nori

They live on rocks and are big and clumsy, but cannot right themselves. This tank is not their ideal location, i think their getting flipped and starving or getting picked over by hermits

 

[loui]

I Think I read somewhere about low magnesium can be a problem with snails.

 

[PeterC99]

I Think I read somewhere about low magnesium can be a problem with snails.

Don’t think I have low magnesium

 

[SlugSnorter]

Don’t think I have low magnesium

As I have said, turbos will not thrive in your tank. the terrain does not suit them at all, they will flip over and die.

 

[PeterC99]

As I have said, turbos will not thrive in your tank. the terrain does not suit them at all, they will flip over and die.

They thrived for 1.5 years and now all of a sudden, they are dying off? They grew as the tank grew, constantly moving all over the back wall and glass and consuming the algae.

 

[SlugSnorter]

They thrived for 1.5 years and now all of a sudden, they are dying off? They grew as the tank grew, constantly moving all over the back wall and glass and consuming the algae.

the corals are bigger now, they cover much of the rock, the already difficult space for them has become even harder for them to handle. As they grow, they also become less able to climb.

 

[PeterC99]

Have noticed that my nassaurius and margarita snails also dying off.

 

[G Santana]

14 months ago I bought 6 large Mexican turbo snails and right around the 1 year mark I lost 3 within days of one another. I too am stumped, old age, illness but not predation as I really don't have anything that would take on a huge turbo snail, plus the were dead in their shells with nothing eating them not even the small hermit crabs were on them.
Still scratching my head.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Mine eats frozen foods. It's important to see the copperband eat at the LFS before buying. Hopefully there is some aptasia in your aquarium for the copperband to eat.

Thanks I def do have aptasia , it hasn’t ate it yet. It has been picking the rocks and ate almost all the feather dusters , hoping it learns from the tangs soon

 

[HuduVudu]

Iron.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

IMO turbos are more sensitive than other snails. When my tank was young they would only last 6 months or so. Once my tank was established, they’ve been good for 6+ years. I have sheer rock work and large acros and it’s never been an issue for them. I can’t speak to righting themselves on sand though as I don’t have any. I also know that high magnesium can kill snails say 1800+.

I can’t see a reason for deaths in your tank. It is clearly established and your Mag is normal. I’d maybe start looking at perhaps a bad chemical?

Have your phosphates or nitrates made big swings lately?

 

[Spare time]

Wondering what could be the reason for my snails dying off so quickly? Had a dozen turbo snails but only have 2 left. Finding their shells up-side-down. Tried flipping them back over but no movement days later. Remove the snail shells from the aquarium and they smell awful. Aquarium running 1 1/2 years with no problems. Parameters stable, corals & fish thriving but losing all my snails. Trying to find out the cause. Is it possible that my brittle starfish is eating them? Appreciate any help! Thanks!

I've seen snails die when magnesium gets a bit high (and read somewhere on here that it acts like a sedative to snails at high levels) though I can't say if that was for sure the cause in my case. Maybe male sure your magnesium reading is correct?