Finding a dead snail

jkhalliday76 · 07-26-2006, 09:01 PM

I am starting to think that I have a dead nassarius snail in my tank. I have three. Two of which I've seen the past couple of days and one that has been MIA for about 3-4 days now. I sifted through the sand that I can get at in the front of my tank, but was not able to uncover the little guy. I'm afraid he might be dead and rotting in an inaccessible part of my tank. I've been having some troubles with high nitrates (about 20ppm) lately, and this might be why!?

Any suggestions? Or should I start breaking down the rock

Woodstock · 07-26-2006, 09:04 PM

Do not break down the rock. Instead, do frequent water changes to bring the nitrAtes down to 10ppm or less.

Cougra · 07-26-2006, 09:06 PM

Unless your tank is extremely new, doesn't have enough live rock or is a very small tank a single dead nassarius snail shouldn't alter your water parameters that much. I would look to overfeeding and other means of exporting nutrients to account for the nitrate levels.

Also stirring up the sandbed and disturbing the live rock can release a lot of nutrients that were trapped out into the system.

jkhalliday76 · 07-26-2006, 09:06 PM

With my 20 gallon, should I do 5 gallon water changes frequently or less than that?

Thanks Woodstock!

jkhalliday76 · 07-26-2006, 09:13 PM

Cougra - I read somewhere that prior to cleaning the tank, I should stir up the sandbed. Am I making a huge mistake doing that? Should I just be siphoning out the desired amount of water and leaving the sand alone? Someone set me straight!

Woodstock · 07-26-2006, 09:16 PM

5 gal water change is a good amount for your tank.

I have a 3-4" sugar sized sand bed. Sometimes during water changes I stir up the top 1/4" and then siphon out any floating debris. I NEVER disturb the bed any deeper.

jkhalliday76 · 07-26-2006, 09:31 PM

Ok, gotcha. Thanks for all your help! That's what I've been doing, 5 gallon changes weekly. I'll keep it up and hopefully can get the nitrates down.

Cougra · 07-26-2006, 10:14 PM

I agree with Woodstock, you can stir up the sand bed a LITTLE to get the detritus from the top layers of the sandbed. I do stir my sandbed up as well when cleaning the tank. It does release nutrients back into the tank so a water change right after stirring is defiantely preferable.

Even your 20 Gallon tank should be able to absorb the death of a single snail without too many problems, especially if you have enough live rock and it's been cycled for a few months.

jkhalliday76 · 07-27-2006, 12:31 AM

Ok, I have about 25-30 pounds of live rock and the tanks been up since February. So I should be ok there.

Thanks for your help!

gimpy · 07-28-2006, 12:22 AM

Your snail is probably still alive in there somewhere. I would not worry too much about him. You have snails in the sand bed, maybe worms, etc, too (?), then I would not worry about stirring up the sand bed. Let them do their job.

5 gallon water changes once a week (for a 20 gal tank) is great. Keep it up.

Frank

jkhalliday76 · 07-30-2006, 09:03 PM

Thanks Gimpy! And he is alive. He's just not as aggressive at feeding time as he once was.

Must be the tap water I am using that is causing the nitrate spikes, any one know if you can buy premixed water online anywhere?

Cougra · 07-30-2006, 09:16 PM

don't buy water, buy an RO unit, it's MUCH more cost effective and you can make as much as you need when you need it.

lcstorc · 07-31-2006, 12:33 PM

shipping on the water would be killer as well. Buy an ro/di and salt and make your own. Lots cheaper and once you get the hang of it, it is really easy. Just takes some patience.

burning2nd · 07-31-2006, 12:34 PM

agreed, single nas snail isnt gonna rase your levels like that. IVe lost one or 2 of thos cool "little antenna dudes" over the days, but it never made a diffrence some time your will have a eazyer time finding your hermits gatherd around for a snail cook out.

i stirr it up (sand) from time to time. useally brings them right up, or when i feed then they will deffintly surface

Did you say tap water?
www.thefilterguys.biz

oh, one more thing, dont know but just comeing to a uneducated guess, if your useing tap water. and your doing 5 gal water changes thats a 1/4 of the tank you could be puting the no2 and no3 right in to the the water. I might have misunderstood this tho

Stalwart · 07-31-2006, 02:58 PM

If you have any type of hermit or other crabs, that dead snail wont rot anyway, it will be lunch in short order.

07-26-2006, 09:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
jkhalliday76 Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 254 View Gallery Karma Komment	Finding a dead snail I am starting to think that I have a dead nassarius snail in my tank. I have three. Two of which I've seen the past couple of days and one that has been MIA for about 3-4 days now. I sifted through the sand that I can get at in the front of my tank, but was not able to uncover the little guy. I'm afraid he might be dead and rotting in an inaccessible part of my tank. I've been having some troubles with high nitrates (about 20ppm) lately, and this might be why!? Any suggestions? Or should I start breaking down the rock

07-26-2006, 09:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Finding a dead snail Do not break down the rock. Instead, do frequent water changes to bring the nitrAtes down to 10ppm or less. __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

07-26-2006, 09:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
Cougra Dragon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 2,216 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail Unless your tank is extremely new, doesn't have enough live rock or is a very small tank a single dead nassarius snail shouldn't alter your water parameters that much. I would look to overfeeding and other means of exporting nutrients to account for the nitrate levels. Also stirring up the sandbed and disturbing the live rock can release a lot of nutrients that were trapped out into the system. __________________ Michelle Just because something CAN be done, it doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done!

07-26-2006, 09:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
jkhalliday76 Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 254 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail With my 20 gallon, should I do 5 gallon water changes frequently or less than that? Thanks Woodstock!

07-26-2006, 09:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
jkhalliday76 Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 254 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail Cougra - I read somewhere that prior to cleaning the tank, I should stir up the sandbed. Am I making a huge mistake doing that? Should I just be siphoning out the desired amount of water and leaving the sand alone? Someone set me straight!

07-26-2006, 09:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Finding a dead snail 5 gal water change is a good amount for your tank. I have a 3-4" sugar sized sand bed. Sometimes during water changes I stir up the top 1/4" and then siphon out any floating debris. I NEVER disturb the bed any deeper. __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

07-26-2006, 09:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
jkhalliday76 Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 254 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail Ok, gotcha. Thanks for all your help! That's what I've been doing, 5 gallon changes weekly. I'll keep it up and hopefully can get the nitrates down.

07-26-2006, 10:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
Cougra Dragon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 2,216 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail I agree with Woodstock, you can stir up the sand bed a LITTLE to get the detritus from the top layers of the sandbed. I do stir my sandbed up as well when cleaning the tank. It does release nutrients back into the tank so a water change right after stirring is defiantely preferable. Even your 20 Gallon tank should be able to absorb the death of a single snail without too many problems, especially if you have enough live rock and it's been cycled for a few months. __________________ Michelle Just because something CAN be done, it doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done!

07-27-2006, 12:31 AM	#9 (permalink)
jkhalliday76 Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 254 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail Ok, I have about 25-30 pounds of live rock and the tanks been up since February. So I should be ok there. Thanks for your help!

07-28-2006, 12:22 AM	#10 (permalink)
gimpy Bryozoan Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northern Arizona Posts: 53 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail Your snail is probably still alive in there somewhere. I would not worry too much about him. You have snails in the sand bed, maybe worms, etc, too (?), then I would not worry about stirring up the sand bed. Let them do their job. 5 gallon water changes once a week (for a 20 gal tank) is great. Keep it up. Frank

07-30-2006, 09:03 PM	#11 (permalink)
jkhalliday76 Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 254 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail Thanks Gimpy! And he is alive. He's just not as aggressive at feeding time as he once was. Must be the tap water I am using that is causing the nitrate spikes, any one know if you can buy premixed water online anywhere?

07-30-2006, 09:16 PM	#12 (permalink)
Cougra Dragon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 2,216 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail don't buy water, buy an RO unit, it's MUCH more cost effective and you can make as much as you need when you need it. __________________ Michelle Just because something CAN be done, it doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done!

07-31-2006, 12:33 PM	#13 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 21,924 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Finding a dead snail shipping on the water would be killer as well. Buy an ro/di and salt and make your own. Lots cheaper and once you get the hang of it, it is really easy. Just takes some patience. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

07-31-2006, 12:34 PM	#14 (permalink)
burning2nd Golden Moray Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pocono PA Posts: 2,037 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail agreed, single nas snail isnt gonna rase your levels like that. IVe lost one or 2 of thos cool "little antenna dudes" over the days, but it never made a diffrence some time your will have a eazyer time finding your hermits gatherd around for a snail cook out. i stirr it up (sand) from time to time. useally brings them right up, or when i feed then they will deffintly surface Did you say tap water? www.thefilterguys.biz oh, one more thing, dont know but just comeing to a uneducated guess, if your useing tap water. and your doing 5 gal water changes thats a 1/4 of the tank you could be puting the no2 and no3 right in to the the water. I might have misunderstood this tho __________________ ________________________________________________ 30g, 10g DIY sump w/ mag7 Csr90 over flow. 36" sunpod 2x150 2 Tunze 6020 40 Lb's Live Rock 20 lb's of Ls Aqua C REmora mIxed reef, softies, pora's, clams, 1 Amphiprion ocellaris (hosting GTA) 2 cromies and one dragon jake the jedi sexy shrimp, and brown bob

07-31-2006, 02:58 PM	#15 (permalink)
Stalwart Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Middle River, Maryland Posts: 274 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Finding a dead snail If you have any type of hermit or other crabs, that dead snail wont rot anyway, it will be lunch in short order. __________________ Mark Reef Newbie I would list my stuff if I knew what it was. I have a box full of water a yellow thing a blue thing oh, and this black box thing that goes whirllllll, blurble,blurble.

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