Bleached Astraea

jrue · 10-15-2001, 11:48 PM

jUST WONDERING WHAT WOULD CAUSE MY SNAILS TO TAKE ON A BLEACHED APPEARENCE.

reefguy · 10-16-2001, 12:58 PM

if the "bleaching" is just on the very bottom of the shell where the snail's foot and mouth protrude, it's probably just normal shell growth. snails remove calcium from the water and use it to build on to their "mobile home." if the bleaching is over the entire shell, i would either suspect a decline in nitrates/phosphates or something in the water that is starting to kill algae, but this is only a guess. if the snails look healthy and are eating, i probably wouldn't worry too much about it. hope this helps...

jrue · 10-17-2001, 02:24 PM

Right. Well its actually the coralline algae that was my main concern as the snails had really neat color because of it. It now seems to be receeding a bit from the live rock and that it not what I want to have happen.
Also I'm a bit curious as to why nitrates should be kept at zero if it necessary for all types af algal growth to occour.:spook:

reefguy · 10-17-2001, 02:32 PM

actually, nitrates aren't necessary for coralline algae to grow. what IS necessary is plenty of calcium and a relatively high alkalinity in combination with good water movement. it may simply be that the snails are moving around too much and the coralline algae can't cope, or it could be either of the other two scenarios. hope this helps...

FishDaddy · 10-17-2001, 02:36 PM

Jrue,
Are all your snails showing the bleaching? If so, what are your water param's, especially Ca; Alk; pH. What is your lighting?
I have had the occasional snail show up without its Coralline overcoat, in fact have one now, but all others are the same. I have no idea why one snail should shed its Coralline but if all do at the same time, I suspect some water quality issue.
Dick

jrue · 10-20-2001, 01:51 PM

Alk reads high on my test kit, which only says low, norm, high instead of the actuall paramaters in the comparison chart.
Ca is a little low at 350 ppm
Ph is 8.4
Lighting is also very low with 2 15 watt flourescent tubes.
No the loss of color is not around the base at all so I dont think that it is just new shell growth. The coraline thaT IS coming off the LR I think is being blown off by my flame scallop, who is pointed right at it.

jrue · 10-20-2001, 02:05 PM

my parameters are as follows:

Alk is "high" on a low norm high comparison chart
Ca is a little low at 350 ppm
Ph is 8.4
Lighting is also low with 2 15 watt flo tubes

Temp is 25 c
Ithink that my flame scallop is "sand blasting" the coraline algae from my LR. As for the snails the color loss is NOT limited to the base of the shell, nor is it happening to all of them but is bleaching around 4 of 7. One of them in fact is looking very cool with all its color and 2 feather dusters growing out the side of it!

Doug1 · 10-20-2001, 04:16 PM

Coralline shouldn't be blasted off by a jet of water from a scallop. Then again it may be dying off and will be replaced by a species that likes the light you have available.
As far as the test kits go, get Salifert, the one you have is way too vague to be usefull. Personally I am leery of most pH test kits, a good pH meter is much better( Doug shamelessly hinting to santa

)

galleon · 10-20-2001, 05:23 PM

don't everyone mention magnesium at once!

Doug1 · 10-21-2001, 01:19 PM

Magnesium level of around 1200is good

jrue · 10-24-2001, 04:25 PM

Well I got this bottle of Red Sea Coral Trace and it doesn't say what exactly the trce elements it contains are.

I havent actually used it yet and if anyone has any recomendations or knowlege of the product I would surley love to know.

jrue · 10-31-2001, 07:24 PM

Could you please elaborate on the magnesium advise? Is it something that needs to be brought up or down, generally speaking of course.
As for the snails ther color seems to be returning abeit a different color, but color nontheless.
By the way does anyone have a snail with featherdusters growing on it/them? I would love to see some pics if so.