Marques2009

Hi, I was writing this post to see if anyone had any advise to why my 3 turbo snails recently died? My water levels are 0 ammonia , 0 nitrites , 20 PPM Nitrates, calcium is around 440 my shrimp seems to be ok I hope he's not next my tank has been up and running for about two months now. I just did a water change about 5 gallons and I have a 24 gallon tank I was able to get my Nitrates down to about 15ppm. I have two clowns that seem to be doing great and my lil shrimp thats all that makes up my community.

Steve McKay

First welcome to Fish Lore! When you found your snails were they upside down? What kind of shrimp do you have? Turbo Snails can not turn themselves over if they fall and land upside down.I find mine this way and turn them back over.I have lost two this way. I did have three Peppermint Shrimp,one day I found one of my Margarita Snails upside down.It was away from any LR and didn't fall I turned it back over.A few minutes later I looked at the tank and watched a Peppermint Shrimp come over and turn it upside down again.The shrimp can't kill a snail by attaching it but they can turn it over and wait for it to die.Then the shrimp can get in and eat it.The shrimp were also starting to eat my Coco Worm even though I fed them well.So I took them back to the LFS.

Marques2009

what do you feed your shrimp mines died this morning I don't think it was eating anything I tried frozen food but it would only grab a piece of two out of the water didn't seem to eat the pellets my clowns are eating the snails where upside down but they weren't moving at all a couple of days before they rolled over not sure what happen?

Steve McKay

If the dead snails are still in your tank get them out,they will contaminate your tank.Shrimp too.I presume looking at your aquarium info your talking about feeding a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp,they will eat anything you feed your fish.My Peppermint Shrimp would eat anything including OSI Shrimp Pellets.If your shrimp died too I would check your water parameters again.How often do you change the water? Is there enough
algae for three Turbo Snails? If you keep your glass clean and you only have ten pounds
of LR there might not be enough algae.Turbo Snails eat a lot of algae.I've started to worry about my snails here lately because there is no algae in my tank that I can see.
So I don't clean the glass till it really needs it.Make sure all the fish and inverts get fed
but don't over feed.

Marques2009

Yeah I have algae all on my back wall not sure how or if the shrimp was eating when I fed the fish frozen food they would pick thu it and the shrimp only ate what floated by him he was not active at all. The snails moved around a bit when first introduced but stop moving after a couple of days and found a spot to stay in and died. I have done about 2 water changes since I have setup my tank which has been running for about 2 months now I let it cycle slow and the right way I added live rock then after a few days introduced some blue devils after my tank fully cycled I exchanged the devils for 2 clowns and my shrimp and snails. The clowns are fine and so is my water prems only concern is my Nitrates where at 20ppm at time of death for the snails and soon after my shrimp. I did a water change about a week ago and I'm now down to 15ppm Nitrates my Nitrites are at 0ppm as well as Ammonia. Calcium is at 440 not sure what went wrong I'm thinking it was my nitrate level I'm doing a 5 gallon water change once a week and I have a 24 gallon tank should I be concerned about my Nitrate levels and does anyone have any advise as to why my snails and shrimp died?

Steve McKay

20ppm isn't great but it wouldn't kill.I took my skimmer off my tank to get ready for a new tank,it didn't come as expected.My nitrate rose to over 20ppm I did a 50% change last night.My animals are fine,I have a Coco worm and they don't like nitrate.If a Coco worm stresses it will lose one or more of its crowns,mine didn't.Nitrate at 20ppm didn't kill your inverts.What was your ammonia and nitrite level at the time you added the snails and shrimp?API Reef Master Kit doesn't have ammonia or nitrite what test kit did you use?Is the water you add the same temp?What kind of water are you using?Have you tested the water before adding salt especially for copper?Tap water can contain copper deadly to inverts.Other than this I'm at a loss for answers.