nassarius snails + high nitrates = missing ?

serotonin · 05-16-2006, 09:32 AM

Hello again everyone,

5/8/2006 I decided it was time to start adding some LR to my MT. I put 25lbs in my 90gal setup. A serpent star and a small snail were hitch hiking with the LR. The next day I ordered a 220gal rated coralife super skimmer and received it two days later and immediately put it into service. On 5/12 I added a cleaner shrimp and 3 nassarius snails. on 5/12 my nitrates were less than 20, now there going upwards of almost 40

I haven't seen my nassarius snails since I put them in the tank.

I know my nitrates are WAY too high, is it still b/c of the new LR? Perhaps the 3 nassarius snails are dead and decaying?

One thing I would like to add is I spotted the hitchhiker snail this morning so that must be a good sign. All the life in the tank is doing well but I'm worried about the rising nitrates and missing snails.

I feel inclined to do a 20% water change, or should I hold off?

Thx all.

Brandon1023 · 05-16-2006, 09:58 AM

Definitely do a water change.

Matt Rogers · 05-16-2006, 10:34 AM

I'd bet it's the rock. It will go its course.

Urban_s · 05-16-2006, 11:30 AM

If nitrates are high it never hurts to do a water change.

rickzter · 05-16-2006, 12:02 PM

Yah. Usually when you buy rock and it smells it's often a dead sponge who's the culprit. When choosing your rock at the LFS, rinse it well and remove the dead sponge to prevent nitrate spikes.

Nassarius snails dig in the sand, I bet they are under the sand bed looking for food. You can tell whether they are buried if you can see their little snout sticking out of the sand. If they are not in the front of the tank, they will be in the back, those guys really do travel and are fast! I added 7 of them and am thinking of adding more, they move like tanks! According to vamp, they are hardier than astrea's and turbos, so I shouldn't worry about them.

Water change will not hurt but only benefit.

coral reefer · 05-16-2006, 01:27 PM

DO A WATER CHANGE! Test your water again. Don't add anything else to your tank til nitrates are gone.

Bruce · 05-16-2006, 04:42 PM

I doubt its the snails...i never see them unless i over feed the tank on accident and the food lasts long enough for them to smell it and wont in on the action...or at night, i see them chilling with the cowries

rickzter · 05-16-2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce

I doubt its the snails...i never see them unless i over feed the tank on accident and the food lasts long enough for them to smell it and wont in on the action...or at night, i see them chilling with the cowries

Those guys eat meat, huh? Man, when chunks of meat hits the sand bed while feeding, those guys zoom to it! They also seem to always follow each other too. Pretty neat.

Bruce · 05-16-2006, 06:13 PM

Yup, they eat anything, its really cool when they eat, the food gets sucked into their long mouths, natural straws.

serotonin · 05-18-2006, 07:58 AM

I did a 20% water change last night and tried to remove as much of the detritus as i could from the sand bed. My nitrates are down around 20-30 ppm. I have cut the feeding to probably 25% what I used to feed them. I'm pretty sure that the nitrates are due to overfeeding or the live rock. I stared at my sand bed for an hour last night looking for a sign of the snails. Unfortunately, no sign of them.

I'm sure there in there somewhere, unless they slimed their way out of my tank? I haven't found any corpses near my tank so I guess that's not where they are

I'll keep hoping that the nitrates were b/c of my mistake and not their poor rotting corpses

05-16-2006, 09:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
serotonin Purple Spiny Lobster Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New Berlin, WI Age: 31 Posts: 498 Skin: Mint Karma: 205	nassarius snails + high nitrates = missing ? Hello again everyone, 5/8/2006 I decided it was time to start adding some LR to my MT. I put 25lbs in my 90gal setup. A serpent star and a small snail were hitch hiking with the LR. The next day I ordered a 220gal rated coralife super skimmer and received it two days later and immediately put it into service. On 5/12 I added a cleaner shrimp and 3 nassarius snails. on 5/12 my nitrates were less than 20, now there going upwards of almost 40 I haven't seen my nassarius snails since I put them in the tank. I know my nitrates are WAY too high, is it still b/c of the new LR? Perhaps the 3 nassarius snails are dead and decaying? One thing I would like to add is I spotted the hitchhiker snail this morning so that must be a good sign. All the life in the tank is doing well but I'm worried about the rising nitrates and missing snails. I feel inclined to do a 20% water change, or should I hold off? Thx all. _________ Learn about my tank at: http://www.tankprofiler.com/displayT...t.php?tankID=1

05-16-2006, 09:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
Brandon1023 Eyelash Blennie Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Age: 25 Posts: 1,296 Skin: Mint Karma: 6782	Definitely do a water change. _________ 72 Gal Bowfront Reef. Born March 2002 FISH: GSM Clown, Hippo Tang, Sand Star, 3 Chromis, Fire Shrimp, Purple Pseudochromis, Coral Beauty Angel CORALS: Green Striped/Red/Purple Mushrooms, Green Star Polyps, Yellow Toadstool Leather, Bubble, Frogspawn, Hammer, Yellow Polyps, Open Brain, Ridge Leather, Various Zoas, Button Polyps, Kenya Tree, Colt, Elephant Ear Mushroom, Clove Polyps, Torch, Rose LTA

05-16-2006, 10:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Matt Rogers KingFish Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Pt. Richmond, Ca. Age: 40 Posts: 9,021 Skin: Mint Karma: 49273	I'd bet it's the rock. It will go its course. _________ Go slow, let it grow. My tank build thread <-- Support 3reef! - Now with monthly option for only $2! 3reef shirts here! - Now with free bumper stickers! Help Me with unanwered posts! Promote!

05-16-2006, 11:30 AM	#4 (permalink)
Urban_s Sea Dragon Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT Posts: 533 Skin: Mint Karma: 47	If nitrates are high it never hurts to do a water change. _________ Senior Noob Setting my 75 back up soon Main SW Tank: 55gal, 70LBS of Tonga/LFSDIY, 50lbs LS, 1x250watt MH(20k), AquaC Remora Skimmer Live stock: Velvet Damsel, (12)Blue legged crab, lawnmower blenny, (1)cleaner shrimp, Yellow Tang, Featherduster CoralsRandom Zoo's(like 10), more zoo's,red mushrooms and hairy mushrooms, Sinularia

05-16-2006, 12:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
rickzter Torch Coral Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 28 Posts: 1,197 Skin: Mint Karma: 218	Yah. Usually when you buy rock and it smells it's often a dead sponge who's the culprit. When choosing your rock at the LFS, rinse it well and remove the dead sponge to prevent nitrate spikes. Nassarius snails dig in the sand, I bet they are under the sand bed looking for food. You can tell whether they are buried if you can see their little snout sticking out of the sand. If they are not in the front of the tank, they will be in the back, those guys really do travel and are fast! I added 7 of them and am thinking of adding more, they move like tanks! According to vamp, they are hardier than astrea's and turbos, so I shouldn't worry about them. Water change will not hurt but only benefit. _________ 30g reef tank, CPR CY192 filter w/ DIY plumb running Rio 17HF return, Coralife 3x 9w UV Sterilizer, 3 24W T5-Helios 10K Daylights/3 24W T5-Helios Blue lights, 2 Logysis blue meteor light strobes (moonlights/24 Blue LEDs). Tiger tail cuke, asst. snails/hermits, asst. feathers, rainbow acan,zoos,shrooms,bubble,galaxea, asst. shrimp, 2 ocellaris,mandarin,zebrasoma xanthurum,pink-spot watchman,red-striped pistol.

05-16-2006, 01:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
coral reefer Giant Squid Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 4,721 Skin: Dark Karma: 8110	DO A WATER CHANGE! Test your water again. Don't add anything else to your tank til nitrates are gone. _________ 125gal.,75gal.,3gal. and 1gal. tanks Yellow,Naso,Tomini,Sohal Tang, Pink Tail Trigger, Snowflake Eel, BANDED CAT SHARK,Hardwicki, Six-Line Wrasse, Blennies/Gobies- Soft and Stony Corals (Crocea, Derasa clams) +numerous inverts "IF THE PHONE DOESN'T RING...IT'S ME" jb associated content.com aka parrothead

05-16-2006, 04:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
Bruce Giant Squid Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 22 Posts: 3,511 Skin: Classic Karma: 1365	I doubt its the snails...i never see them unless i over feed the tank on accident and the food lasts long enough for them to smell it and wont in on the action...or at night, i see them chilling with the cowries _________ Tank Specs: 55 Gallon Mixed Reef 48" Tek Light: 4-54W T5 HO Fluorescents Bulbs: 1 x 54w Fiji Purple T5 HO Fluorescent 1 x 54w Super Actinic Blue T5 HO Flourescent 1 x 54w 14000K AquaBlue 75/25 T5 HO Fluorescent 1 x 54w 10000k AquaSun T5 HO Fluorescent Hard Stuff: 100+ lb. Fiji Live Rock 65+ lb. Live sand

05-16-2006, 06:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
Bruce Giant Squid Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 22 Posts: 3,511 Skin: Classic Karma: 1365	Yup, they eat anything, its really cool when they eat, the food gets sucked into their long mouths, natural straws.

05-18-2006, 07:58 AM	#10 (permalink)
serotonin Purple Spiny Lobster Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New Berlin, WI Age: 31 Posts: 498 Skin: Mint Karma: 205	I did a 20% water change last night and tried to remove as much of the detritus as i could from the sand bed. My nitrates are down around 20-30 ppm. I have cut the feeding to probably 25% what I used to feed them. I'm pretty sure that the nitrates are due to overfeeding or the live rock. I stared at my sand bed for an hour last night looking for a sign of the snails. Unfortunately, no sign of them. I'm sure there in there somewhere, unless they slimed their way out of my tank? I haven't found any corpses near my tank so I guess that's not where they are I'll keep hoping that the nitrates were b/c of my mistake and not their poor rotting corpses Last edited by serotonin; 05-18-2006 at 08:03 AM.

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