added snails - they died, but all params are good. What's wrong?

[ariane209]

Hi everyone,

New to saltwater and now very depressed...

My tank cycled in 3 days, but I waited 3 months to add anyhing in there. I added 2 snails recently. They died within 24 hours. The params then were the same as now: Ammonia = 0, pH = 8.2, nitrate = 0, nitrite = 0, temp = 78-80, salinity = 1.023 (hydrometer)

I posted a thread on this site and got some great feedback. As suggested, I ordered online a poly-filter, a refractometer, and alkalinity and calcium test kits.
Poly-filter = turned brown after about 2 days. (brown = organic. Organic is not bad, right?)
alk = 7 dKH
calcium = 300 ppm (low, but i dont think it's meaningful for anything right now)
salinity = still 1.023 (refractometer confirmed hydrometer measurements)

Tank is 12g nanocube, pre-mixed saltwater from the LFS, distilled water for top-offs (thought that might be the problem, but the poly-filter doesn't show any trace of copper).

So here I am again, still wondering why my snails died if all params are good! Let me know if you have some ideas. It's very much appreciated! I don't know what else to do anymore, I can't keep anything alive!! I will switch to ro/di water from the store instead of distilled water (eventhough it doesn't seem to have copper), is there anything else left for me to do?

[ariane209]

Oh by the way, I did acclimate the snails over 45 minutes.

[zotzer]

45 minutes is probably not long enough for inverts....unless the salinity matches the LFS's exactly.

By "acclimate", did you simply float them in the bag for that long, or did you gradually add tank water? If the former, that's probably the reason your snails didn't make it.

Tracy

[bearpeidog]

Have you tested for copper? That would be the first thing I'd do.

[bertoni]

The SG is low, but not enough to kill the animals immediately. I agree that acclimation might be the issue. Also, some of the PinPoint 53 mS solution would be a good way to check the calibration of the refractometer.

[obzezzed350]

Now you have got me worried...I added 12 snails today and a cleaner shrimp and did drip acclimation for 1.5 hours. They all look fine for the last 6 hours, but half of them are under the sand...

[Swanwillow]

in my experience. I just toss in snails. If the water is the same temp.. In the wild, they experience quite the extremes, including low and high tides, where they have normal salinities, to high salinities, to no water for a while.

What type of snails were they? were they correct for the type of tank you have? Some snails are marketed at our warmer freshwater temps, but are killed in them since they are from temperate waters. I don't think this is what happened though.

What was the temperature outside like today where you were, and how long did it take to go from the LFS tank to your tank?

[uscharalph]

The best way to introduce snails is to let them attatch to the glass above the water line and let them enter the tank on their own terms.

[bertoni]

What was the SG in the bag before the drip was started, and when it ended? Was the volume in the bag doubled, tripled?

[daven]

I had the same experience. Everything tested fine but I sent my water to aquariumwatertesting.com and found out that my copper level was just a little too high. Treating with cuprisorb and the snails seem more active.

Caveat - I tested for copper with API test kit and it didn't show any copper. Send it off to be tested.

[killagoby]

Might be copper...

[backej1]

I do the same thing as "swanwillow" - I throw the snails in when the temp is the same. I have 7 tanks and lots of "live" snails.

[saltyshoe_nano]

hmmm....I didnt "float" my inverts...and they were fine...I would raise your sal. to about 1.025...It will give you a little more leaway....but sounds like these guys know what they are talking about I would send off for the copper test tho...API tests varry...good luck lol Im new to

[drillsar]

I thought you calibrate a refractometer with ro/di water, is this the case?

[bertoni]

Using RO/DI water is fairly risky:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-12/rhf/index.php

[drillsar]

Where do you get the solution to calibrate the refractometer?

[bertoni]

I bought mine from PremiumAquatics.com, but there are a lot of vendors of the PinPoint products.

[drillsar]

Thats good to know, I was always under the impression to calibrate it from RO/DI water.

[Swanwillow]

I didn't mean freshwater tanks when I posted above, sorry. I ment warmer tropical temp tanks. GAH, and its been WAY over an hour. sorry!

[killagoby]

My snails spawn every night. I've got thousands of babies growing; eggs everywhere. I don't think it is how you acclimate them. I just dropped mine it. I would say it's somthing in the water.

[Sk8r]

Snail acclimation: match salinity to .001 th of a point. Match alkalinity to .1 of a point.
Your alkalinity s/b 8.3-9.3.
Temp is less critical than those two, but should generally match up within 2-3 degrees.
Salinity set to 1.025 is a good middle of the road safe reading.
Organics reading from polyfilter is fine. If it's not blue, you have no copper.

[jjakes24]

coming for the ride on this one. I am unable to sustain a snail population also. I have had about 5 hermits in there for a couple years but snails keeping dropping. Only about 4-6 left right now and havee always wondered if it could possible be a copper problem if I never treated with copper.

[Swanwillow]

hermits=dead snails

they'll rip em right outta the shells, quite funny to see

[capn_hylinur]

I have found the best way to acclimate snails is to setup up a qt tank with the same water parameters as in the bag--and usually the salinity is at .018. I gradually increase the salinity pH or alk over 24 hours in the qt tank then the snails go directly into the main tank.
Since I have started doing this I have not lost a snail.

[jjakes24]

Swan, I know this, they have all been banished to the fuge but I still seem to have lost snails even after this.