I have been checking in with this website for a long time now and i finally got a reef tank started. Its about 35-40 gal and it has 0 ammonia, nitrite, and low nitrates. The salinity and temp are fine but i got my water tested and it seems i have high phosphate. I have two clowns and a green chromis and about 10 hermits that are all fine but all my snails have either died and had to be taken out or they just sit there and dont move. I asked the guy at my LFS and he didnt know so i thought i might ask you guys..
WHATS WRONG WITH MY SNAILS!!!!
- Thread starter dgenz24
- Start date
Sorry for delay its finals week.... 
I got my water tested at my lfs and my alkalinity is at 9.6, calcium is 500+, and Phosphate is at 0.2 or less. Im trying to get my water stable and ready for coral that i want to put in. The guy at the lfs said that the calcium is high so i shouldnt dose it but other than that he didnt tell me much (hes young also). What water conditions should i shoot for to make it optimal for coral growing? PS My ammonia nitrate and nitrite are all fine.
I got my water tested at my lfs and my alkalinity is at 9.6, calcium is 500+, and Phosphate is at 0.2 or less. Im trying to get my water stable and ready for coral that i want to put in. The guy at the lfs said that the calcium is high so i shouldnt dose it but other than that he didnt tell me much (hes young also). What water conditions should i shoot for to make it optimal for coral growing? PS My ammonia nitrate and nitrite are all fine.dgenz24":1ne9iy0x said:Sorry for delay its finals week....
The phosphate level is a little high for delicate corals, but is not the problem for what you have. It is quite possible that the crabs are killin or annoying the snails. See if they are active at night, which would be normal for them, and if you have very little diatom growth they may be starving.
It's not clear from your post how long the snails are in the tank before they die. Snails are fairly sensitive to changes in salinity and need proper acclimation when you introduce them to your tank. I use a slow drip to acclimate snails and shrimp. I put the snails in a plastic container about 1/3 filled with water from the bag. Get a piece of flexible air line tubing. Start a siphon from your tank or sump, tie off one end to reduce the flow to a drip and drip water into the container. The goal is to slowly fill the plastic container. How long to do this is a matter of debate, but I usually have good luck dripping for about an hour. Some recommend a much longer process. Search for "drip acclimation" and I'm sure you will find lots of opinions.
If you have already properly acclimated your snails, then you can ignore this post.
If you have already properly acclimated your snails, then you can ignore this post.
One other note on new tanks and snails... they are usually overstocked and quickly run out of food. Once there is not enough food for constant grazing, the population will wane. It usually takes a couple of up and down cycles (and the tank to become stable in regards to nutrients) until a proper number of snails is settled on (which is usually ALOT lower than people think).
If your fish store's water has PO4 in it, you should ask them what their water source is.... if it is RO, they need to replace their filters/membrane. If it is not, find another source. There should be no phosphate making it through the initial filtration process.
If your fish store's water has PO4 in it, you should ask them what their water source is.... if it is RO, they need to replace their filters/membrane. If it is not, find another source. There should be no phosphate making it through the initial filtration process.
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