I've had my tank at work for about 2 years now and it's doing well. No babies yet, but shrimp seem content. However, my snails keep dying and I don't know why.
I've had 4 snails in there so far (not at the same time; when one dies, I bring another one over from my tanks at home). They seem to be ok for a few months, then I notice there will be a bout a 2-week period where they seem to move slowly (even by snail standards) and I think they are already dead because they are just staying in the same place for hours or days. Then they unexpectedly move again. But then a few days or a week later they'll just be dead. It's the same pattern every time. Last time, I brought 2 snails and they have now died about a month apart. Any ideas what could be causing this?
I wonder if some kind of contaminant is in that water, given that you are keeping snails alive just fine in your home tank. I'd mix a triple batch of new water, sieve out the shrimp and put them aside, dump the tank water, rinse the tank and everything from the tank in new water, then fill it with new water, restore the shrimp, let things settle down for a couple weeks, and try again to put a snail in there.
If you get everything from Mustafa -- shrimp, snails, chaeto -- you can minimize the risks of introducing unwanted organisms or chemicals.
Sorry, I've been away for a bit. Here are the pictures of the tank. If you need more, let me know.
I used plastic aquarium-safe plants, lava rock and some shells - all thoroughly cleaned. I used substrate from the same bag as my other 2 tanks. This tank is about 2 years old now (maybe 3). It's just under a gallon; bigger than my tanks at home. The shrimp are fine, it's just the snails that seem to have problems.
I did end up doing a 1/2 water change a while back just in case something had gotten in I wasn't aware of as this is does sit on my desk at work. But it has a lid that I only take off during my working hours. It close it at night and on weekends. And I use an LED light for algae growth (and apparently my succulent loves it too. It's huge!).
Hi SuperProofer! What type of substrate are you using, and what are the yellow pieces on its surface? Also, where did you get the snail shell—was it purchased from a pet store or did you collect it yourself? If it was sold as decoration (i.e.it wasn’t specifically sold for aquarium use), it may be coated with chemicals that could be harmful, even if you've thoroughly washed it.
Hi, the shell came from an aquarium safe decor bag of shells. The substrate is the brand they sell at petsmart (I think it's caribsea), not live. It's mostly white. I did crush up some shells (from the same bag of shells) and mix them into the substrate. I believe the yellow bits are pieces of those shells the snails sifted around. Otherwise, I think they are just a little algae coated. I can't be sure. But this is the same set up, from the same bag of sand and shells I have in my two tanks at home. The plants, the lava rock, all from existing larger pieces I have at home and in other tanks. The only difference here is it's in my office. I understand something could have gotten into the water which is why I did the partial water change. But then you'd think it would have also affected the shrimp. It's just the snails that don't seem to thrive.
Edit: looking closer the yellow on the sand pieces just appears to be algae. I think since I use an led light instead of indirect sunlight, the algae isn't as green.
Last time, I brought 2 snails and they have now died about a month apart. Any ideas what could be causing this?
