Turbo snails dying off.

Added 6 Mexican Turbo Snails on 11/14/13 and everything seemed to be fine. They cleaned up the whole tank and occasionally fed on the dry seaweed we put out. Anyways about 10 days ago we noticed they started to die off and now we are down to only 1. Water has tested stable and no other tank mates had been added since. The only new item introduced was microbe lift special blend that was recommended to control the amount of nitrates. Could this be the cause? Could the hermit crabs or peppermint killed them? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

29 Gal reef
2 Percula Clowns
2 B. Cardinals
2 Green Chromis
3 Peppermint shrimp
6 cortez Hermit crabs.
35+ lbs of Pink Fiji live rock

 

Food and hermits could be an issue.

Ive never been a supporter of adding things to control algae or nutrients. Get to the root of the issue.

 

Are they starving off?

 

How would I know if they are starving?

 

Not enough info really. Do you have a calibrated refractometer? Not sure about that microbe lift stuff but I know I wouldn't put it in my tank.
If the snails look dead don't write them off as dead for at least a week unless you are 100% sure they're dead. I have a rimless and sometimes snails get out and sit on the floor for days.. I put them back in and they sit for a couple days without moving but eventually move. I had a bought of Dinos and I thought most of my snails were dead but they just kind of hibernated for a long time. .. maybe a couple weeks. Dinos will kill snails. Got any brown slime type algae?

I would do some water changes.. they could just be sick from that microbe lift stuff.

 

That's my first guess. Turbos require a lot of fresh green algae. If they were eating dried prepared food, they were starving.

 

+1 You couldn't sustain one let alone 6. I had 1 starve in my 90 they are so efficient. I am with Kevin on this. Large cuc are counterproductive ime.

 

I like nassarius snails better than turbo snails because of what has been discussed here plus they will stir your sand bed to find food.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497 526 1133&pcatid=1133

 

I agree with others. As Av8 said, you do want to make sure they are indeed dead. I think that it probably is starvation - I didn't know this until fairly recently that Mexican turbos are really efficient and you really only need one or two for a system. I'm not suggesting that one or two turbos is all you need just only a small number of that type in your CUC. I wouldn't dismiss the addition of the product as potentially causing some damage since it correlates in time. If they are still alive, see if you can take them in for a trade for some other CUC.

 

How are you toppping up your tank ? RODI ?
I lost all my snails and crabs in a week period a couple of years ago, when i changed my RODI for a 7 stage unit, the water had zero calcium in it which in turn killed off all my critters

Whats your levels like ?