keep track of your snails!

[Korbin]

I have a 3 gallon thats been running fine since January with 2 lazy astreas and a couple of trochus snails.  They've always had a lot of algae to eat, so I never worried about anything.  But lately, for some reason, my algae just hasnt been growing back as fast (because of coralline taking over?).  

Anyway, a few days ago I tested my water and found my nitrates were off the chart.  The test turned out blood red (red being the highest nitrate concentration).  Then I got to thinking... i havent seen my astreas.

So I turned my tank around and there they were, laying dead in the back, getting eaten by copepods.  

I pulled one out and it was just a shell, the other was still there and it stunk :pukeface:.  I think as the algae decreased, the trochus snails out competed the astreas and they starved.

So I did about 4 50% water changes and my nitrates are starting to look normal again.  My peppermint shrimp and my corals all seem fine.  Whew!

 

Let this be a reminder....  Bad things happen fast in nano-reefs!  

[HuBu]

yup. its hard keeping track of those d*mn snails. especially when they fall off the rocks or glass and cant get back up. if you are not paying attention, the next thing youll see is hermits picking at the snail.

[Sahin]

I log everything I add to the tank.

 

The hermits should be fne so I dont worry about them, as Asrea snails have a tendancy to fall over and die, I attempt to count everyone each day.  Just the other day I saw the largest one eating the last remnants of diatom on the sand and he managed to slide past a rock and turn over...had to pick the bugger up and place him on the rock.

 

So yeah, its wise to keep track of them.

And bad things happen in nanos easily.

[Kapelakin]

One time I found a snail in the impeller for my Rio 2500 that was powering my skimmer.  Impeller's don't work so well when the little fin parts are broken off by an errant snail.  :erm:

[jtown]

yes, I've lost quite a few snails .. I just don't know where they went ... must be in the rocks upside down or something.  

[My Alife 7]

I don't know if this is weird or not but I count my snails and hermits everyday. And they're always there.

[SLOreefer]

my hermits seem to slowly be disapearing but ohwell they are so small...but if a snail dies i can see a difference in my tank. sic ei am a ful time student i am away alot so i sometimes can only check on my tank like at most once a day. but nothing disasterous has happened yet. if i see something going wrong i take it out quick and do a water change. im glad to see all of your animals mad eit through the deaths man.