? about cleaning crew...

[uf_gators]

I am just wondering. I had 3 margarita snails, and a emerald crab. with in the past month to today, they have all passed on, and died . Do they have a short life or did they not have enough to eat in the tank from the waste/uneaten food particals ,diatom ? all my corals, and shrimp ,fish and 1 Nassarius Snail,and

1 Turban Snail are all fine, and healthy.

My levels :

SG - 1.023

PH - 8.0

Ammonia - 0 ppm

Nitrate -0 ppm

Nitrite - 0 ppm

[Zoafreak]

how long have you had it? and 20g?

[junginit]

I have read that margarita snails aren't really made for the reef tank, that the water is too warm for them. They are excellent cleaners and slowly die over time.

 

http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?option=c...8&Itemid=69

 

I would go to reefcleaners.org and order some snails from him.

 

Great service there and they will answer your questions if you have any.

 

I wouldn't recommend another emerald, I hear mixed reviews about them.

[uf_gators]

I have read that margarita snails aren't really made for the reef tank, that the water is too warm for them. They are excellent cleaners and slowly die over time.

 

http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?option=c...8&Itemid=69

 

I would go to reefcleaners.org and order some snails from him.

 

Great service there and they will answer your questions if you have any.

 

I wouldn't recommend another emerald, I hear mixed reviews about them.

 

zoafreak - they have been there for a month ,maybe a little more. Emerald maybe 2.5 weeks..

 

junginit - gotcha, yeah my tank is always 80-82 degrees *F... just freaky how they all just went. I was about to remove the emerald, cause I have caught him in my xenia more than once.

[junginit]

Yeah, that is strange how they all went around the same time.

 

I also started out with margarita snails and they have slowly died off here and there. Keep my tanks a little lower around 78 F.

 

I just got my order of new CUC for my new tank from reef cleaners. They def sent me more than I ordered. If you want a cool crab, won't do much for algae, but I like pom poms and I just got some porcelain crabs from reef cleaners. Pretty cool to watch.

[ferissp]

Margarita snails die in under a year (or so) in our warmer reef tanks. It is too bad, they really do a good job. You don't know how old they were when you got them.

 

Starvation? These creatures are more glass and rock cleaners than they are sand sifters/diatom eaters. How long did you have them? Where you supplementing their food if you didn't have natural algae for them to eat?

 

Did you run a copper test?

 

Everything died at the same time (like literally) then look back to what may have happened at that time, water change, hot day, etc., etc. Your PH right now is 8.0. Take a look at your PH when the lights have been off for +8 hours then again when they have been on for 8+ hours and see what the difference is.

 

Your bioload for a new tank is HUMONGOUS. You should know if you have water quality problems though.

[uf_gators]

Margarita snails die in under a year (or so) in our warmer reef tanks. It is too bad, they really do a good job. You don't know how old they were when you got them.

 

Starvation? These creatures are more glass and rock cleaners than they are sand sifters/diatom eaters. How long did you have them? Where you supplementing their food if you didn't have natural algae for them to eat?

 

Did you run a copper test?

 

Everything died at the same time (like literally) then look back to what may have happened at that time, water change, hot day, etc., etc. Your PH right now is 8.0. Take a look at your PH when the lights have been off for +8 hours then again when they have been on for 8+ hours and see what the difference is.

 

Your bioload for a new tank is HUMONGOUS. You should know if you have water quality problems though.

All the fish are babies, like the clowns are 1/2 and 3/4 inch, and the damsel is 1/2 in. and the goby is 1.5 in.'s But they will all be moved into my new tank in a month or 2 at the latest. I love the 24 in long 20 gal. but I want it to be 24 deep, and 20 high. so by cal. it would be 40 gal tank. That I am having made !

 

I stay on my tank everyday , hell all the time. lol

I guess it's the OCD thing,lmao But funny thing is the emerald is alive still, he was hiding under a rock, and when I went to get a new bulb today, and some food. I was telling my lfs which is not a chain, they are indep. she was asking me am I sure it died ? I said yep, i pulled him out, and such. She said , I bet he is still in there when u get home. That he molted, I was like really and the shell and all feeling like it did. I said my pepperment molted, and it was like a ghost. lol

Low and behold he was in there, alive and eating on the bottom of some liverock.

 

Copper test : nope, But I only use RO/DI water . so I figured I shouldn't need to ,since the same RO water is used in their tanks ! and they don't have any problems. Also , everything else is Par !

Levels :

sg - 1.023

ammonia - 0 ppm

nitrite - 0 ppm

nitrate - 0 ppm

temp - 81.8

 

supplement algae- no , my bad on that part, since I thought there would be enough on the glass, and substrate, and rock. but today I got some marine snow for the other guys .

 

But other than the emerald, the snails died a few days apart from each other, and from what I have read. I didn't know they were cold water guys like 72-78. They are not warm water critters at all !

So , it could only been 2 things (warm water temp or no supplement food) .. damn I feel bad now . I should have read up on them and ask ?'s about their habitat ,before getting them.

[junginit]

Yeah, don't feel bad about the snails. My LFS sold them to me as normal tank cleaners in tropical tanks. Most of mine have been doing fine, but seems like one dies a month.

 

Thats funny about the emerald. Cool he is alive.