[NanoReefer1]

ph-7.5-8.0
Ammonia-0
Nitrates-0
Nitrites-0

My thinking on why they died could be because of my peppermint shrimp. Every so often I will see a shrimp bullying a snail around, and usually I break it up with the turkey baster. I am assuming that since I have been somewhat starving the tank (to decrease the hair algae) that this is the cause of the peppermints going after the snails? Everytime I drop some meat fish food in even if their is plenty of pellets if all nassarius have one to themselves, and the shrimp as well (so now 4 pellets) the shrimp still terrorize the snails, and take the food away. I dont think the snails died because of starvation though because the cerith are not solely detritus, and meat eaters.

idk... any ideas to how they died?

Also light has not been on in 2-3days because the bulbs prematurely burned out (covered by a 3 month warranty) so new ones are coming in the mail for FREE. But in the mean time I guess no light cycles helps the hair algae problem just hope it dont hurt my corraline algae to much.

thanks!

[Lance]

They really dont need lightl.
Cierth snails eat algea for the most part and some uneatin food and pick at fish waste breaking it up and reducing it.

Nass snails live under the SB and eat anything the fish cant get and decaying matter. Not algea.

Algea is more likely from water source or maintance or flow or feeding habits.

With all that said they are hardy stock so i guess your tank is newly setup.

[NanoReefer1]

Originally Posted by Lance

They really dont need lightl.
Cierth snails eat algea for the most part and some uneatin food and pick at fish waste breaking it up and reducing it.

Nass snails live under the SB and eat anything the fish cant get and decaying matter. Not algea.

Algea is more likely from water source or maintance or flow or feeding habits.

With all that said they are hardy stock so i guess your tank is newly setup.

I guess what I am wondering is what you mean't by "newly setup". What things happen in a tank not a year old?

[Lance]

How long has it been setup?
Any LR or LS?
The smaller the tank the harder it will be to maintain.

[NanoReefer1]

Originally Posted by Lance

How long has it been setup?
Any LR or LS?
The smaller the tank the harder it will be to maintain.

Like I put previously...all of my levels are fine, and the temperature does not fluctuate by a huge range. I have both Live Rock, and Live Sand, and the tank has been setup 2 months. On top of this I have a VERY healthy pod population.

I have not had a hard time managing my nano so far(other than the cliche` outbreak of hair algae with associated with a new tank), and I dont believe it is the size of the tank that is causing this problem. Personally I think either im not feeding enough or I just have a very aggressive peppermint shrimp.

Anyone else have any opinions?

[Lance]

Answers like levels are fine will never cut it. Algea likes nitrate and phosphate to grow. Do u test for phosphates?

How many nass snails and cierths did you add?

[NanoReefer1]

No I don't test for phosphates, and the hair algae is currently deminished... It isnt healthy anymore, and I added 3 nassarius 4weeks ago, and 3 ceriths 3weeks ago, and 2 peppermint shrimp 2 weeks ago. Up until this point there was absolutely nothing wrong with them.

I would also like to know if algae takes nitrate in order to grow how I have 0ppm...(other than the algae consuming it which the algae is now dead/dying/weakened and still I have 0ppm)

[Lance]

The main sources are nitrate and phosphate and flow could play apart as with water source.

Algea is always present and ready to bloom , so its all about preventing , it could be from 1 source or multyple sources.
Is the tank by a air vent or a window with direct sunlight?

[NanoReefer1]

Originally Posted by Lance

The main sources are nitrate and phosphate and flow could play apart as with water source.

Algea is always present and ready to bloom , so its all about preventing , it could be from 1 source or multyple sources.
Is the tank by a air vent or a window with direct sunlight?

Its by a sliding door, but we have the shade drawn dang near 24/7, and even now before the light bulbs went out the HA was starting to die because I would stuff ALOT of filter floss in my HOB, and then turkey basted the crap out of my live rock. It seemed to be working because the HA was dying, and usually my light shift is set when the sun rises, and off when the sun sets.

The turnover rate of my tank is 96times per hour with a total flow of 960gallons per hour. I don't think my problem is flow.

[weez1959]

I also have a few thoughts...
Do you have an auto top off in this tank? Snails are very sensitive to salinity fluctuations.
Another thing that is very possible is acclimation. For snails it takes even longer than fish, check Lee's stickys for the proper procedure. It takes snails quite a while to die of this.
And even if you did do it right, (like in my case), Did your LFS do it right.
I was recently told by my LFS that he doesn't bother to acclimate the snails anymore because he doesn't think it affects them! I'm sure when he blurted that out he felt like kicking himself in the butt!
Needless to say I don't buy his snails anymore.

About nitrates and phosphates, if you're having an algae outbreak problem, you can test for them 'til your blue in the face and they will read 0 because the algae is taking it all in.