Snails Missing

kilroy217 · 04/11/2009, 02:03 PM

Hi all,

I have been running my tank with the TBS package now for about 3 months. Everything was going well, but all of a sudden I seem to have a lot of the brown algae growing on the glass. After looking around, I noticed that I can't find any of my snails. Could the mantis shrimp have eaten them all? I think I have at least 3 mantis in there that I have been unsuccessful at catching since day 1. They are quite elusive... in any case... any ideas where all the snails have gone?

Thanks!

noahm · 04/11/2009, 02:45 PM

possibly mantis/likely culprit for at least some deaths. They are usually pretty lazy. Could be hermits going after the bigger shells. Could be they overcleaned at the beginning and starved. Just get a smaller number like 10 and let them go to it. Do you have an urchin. Mantis wont touch them and they are very efficient.

I had the best luck getting 3 of the mantis out when i could trap them in a hole w/only 2 exits. Even if you have to plug a hole temporarily. I just put a length of clear 1/2" tubing with a plug on one end over over one hole (use just enough to be able to wedge the other end against something to free your hand), and put a length of airline into the other end and blew bubbles. Down they go and can't turn around. It takes the right circumstances, but eventually (lots of battlefield time), you will get them. I have one left.

divemonster · 04/11/2009, 08:27 PM

Noah is right, it is probably a combination of mantis shrimp predation and hermit crab predation, and possibly starvation. The snails are definitely at the bottom of the food chain (well at least they are in my tank).

There were 3 mantis in my tank, but I decided to start culling them when I had an algae outbreak and very few snails left to handle it. At first I used a bottletrap. When that stopped working I took a fondue fork and speared them when they would come out to steal food from the anemones. There is only 1 mantis left and I think it is dying since it took a fork prong to the head.

You could order a C.A.R.E. package from Richard to replace your missing snails.

Yogre · 04/12/2009, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by divemonster

There is only 1 mantis left and I think it is dying since it took a fork prong to the head.

Ouch! Excedrin headache #459... fondue fork to the head! :-)

These are some good ideas, I need to thin my mantis herd a bit and the little rats are too smart for the bottle trap... I've got at least 4 still in my tank, and a pretty good algae outbreak in progress, not a lot of snails left.

What I think did my snails in... astrea snails getting flipped on their backs, and promptly attacked by hermits. Starvation, not much algae to eat initially. Mantis shrimp.

Once I get the mantis under control, I'll need a CARE package too.

kilroy217 · 04/12/2009, 08:05 AM

Thanks for the tips, guys! Even after only two months, you think this is the case, eh? I'll have to get an order together with Richard.

Thanks again!

divemonster · 04/12/2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kilroy217
Thanks for the tips, guys! Even after only two months, you think this is the case, eh? I'll have to get an order together with Richard.

Thanks again!

It's hard to say without knowing your water parameters and husbandry practices (e.g. how often you perform water changes, remove detritus/debris from the sandbed or sump, lighting and schedule, etc). There was a flurry of mantis raiding after I introduced snails and hermits from my C.A.R.E. package recently. I heard the CLICK-CLICK-CLICKing of them breaking open shell after shell. That's when I decided to go mantis hunting.

kilroy217 · 04/13/2009, 12:20 PM

Well, I have a cannister filter, not a sump, but I clean the pads once a week. Do weekly 10-15% water changes, whether the parameters need it or not. Took the media out of the cannister and replaced it with GAC and GFO about 3 weeks ago. Phosphates and Nitrates have dropped significantly since then. Typical values for water parameters are:

Salinity 1.024-1.025
Temp 76-78
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate around 20 usually
Phosphate less than 0.05, but more than 0 (test kit isn't too precise)
Calcium 490-520ish
Alkalinity 8-9
pH 8.2-8.4 (sometimes goes down to 8.0 if I don't keep up with my dosing of the parts A & B).

Lighting is 2 x 54W T5's - One 18K white, the other blue actinic. Lights on at 2pm, off at 11pm.

Anything else you need to know, just ask. Thanks for the help!

noahm · 04/13/2009, 01:44 PM

Keep an eye out for whelks (trunk-like snorkel) as well. They look like your average friendly snail, but they will quickly dispatch a lonely mollusk. If you want to find them, just put a container w/shrimp meat stuck to the bottom, and they will start heading that direction.

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/whats_a_whelk.html

04/11/2009, 02:03 PM	#1
kilroy217 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 834	Snails Missing Hi all, I have been running my tank with the TBS package now for about 3 months. Everything was going well, but all of a sudden I seem to have a lot of the brown algae growing on the glass. After looking around, I noticed that I can't find any of my snails. Could the mantis shrimp have eaten them all? I think I have at least 3 mantis in there that I have been unsuccessful at catching since day 1. They are quite elusive... in any case... any ideas where all the snails have gone? Thanks!

04/11/2009, 08:27 PM	#3
divemonster Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Lewisville, TX Posts: 493	Yep! Noah is right, it is probably a combination of mantis shrimp predation and hermit crab predation, and possibly starvation. The snails are definitely at the bottom of the food chain (well at least they are in my tank). There were 3 mantis in my tank, but I decided to start culling them when I had an algae outbreak and very few snails left to handle it. At first I used a bottletrap. When that stopped working I took a fondue fork and speared them when they would come out to steal food from the anemones. There is only 1 mantis left and I think it is dying since it took a fork prong to the head. You could order a C.A.R.E. package from Richard to replace your missing snails. __________________ Teri sed scribe ut potes et nichil a te amplius exigetur Current Tank Info: 65g tank and refugium/sump, TBS Reef; 34g Hex w/10g custom refugium, TBS Reef

04/11/2009, 02:45 PM	#2
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	possibly mantis/likely culprit for at least some deaths. They are usually pretty lazy. Could be hermits going after the bigger shells. Could be they overcleaned at the beginning and starved. Just get a smaller number like 10 and let them go to it. Do you have an urchin. Mantis wont touch them and they are very efficient. I had the best luck getting 3 of the mantis out when i could trap them in a hole w/only 2 exits. Even if you have to plug a hole temporarily. I just put a length of clear 1/2" tubing with a plug on one end over over one hole (use just enough to be able to wedge the other end against something to free your hand), and put a length of airline into the other end and blew bubbles. Down they go and can't turn around. It takes the right circumstances, but eventually (lots of battlefield time), you will get them. I have one left.

04/12/2009, 08:05 AM	#5
kilroy217 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 834	Thanks for the tips, guys! Even after only two months, you think this is the case, eh? I'll have to get an order together with Richard. Thanks again!

04/13/2009, 12:20 PM	#7
kilroy217 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 834	Well, I have a cannister filter, not a sump, but I clean the pads once a week. Do weekly 10-15% water changes, whether the parameters need it or not. Took the media out of the cannister and replaced it with GAC and GFO about 3 weeks ago. Phosphates and Nitrates have dropped significantly since then. Typical values for water parameters are: Salinity 1.024-1.025 Temp 76-78 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate around 20 usually Phosphate less than 0.05, but more than 0 (test kit isn't too precise) Calcium 490-520ish Alkalinity 8-9 pH 8.2-8.4 (sometimes goes down to 8.0 if I don't keep up with my dosing of the parts A & B). Lighting is 2 x 54W T5's - One 18K white, the other blue actinic. Lights on at 2pm, off at 11pm. Anything else you need to know, just ask. Thanks for the help!

04/13/2009, 01:44 PM	#8
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	Keep an eye out for whelks (trunk-like snorkel) as well. They look like your average friendly snail, but they will quickly dispatch a lonely mollusk. If you want to find them, just put a container w/shrimp meat stuck to the bottom, and they will start heading that direction. http://www.melevsreef.com/id/whats_a_whelk.html