[subliminal77]

I have a question about these guys. My 55 gal tank has been set up now for five months. I put about fifteen of them in a few months ago. slowly they have died off, I noticed that the red leg crabs in my tank have a taste for them, if they fall they are gone. So I went to get more cleaners this time. I got twenty more of them along with some nassarius and pepperment shrimp. I did a drip acclimation for a good hour then put them in. Everything seemed to be great then they started falling off the rocks and glass. Not all at once, but one every thirty minutes or so. So out of the twenty, about three are left on the rocks. I flipped them back over so they are facing down. I noticed when they hit sometimes they cant flip back over since there stuck in the sand. But I dont think they are going to make it, they look kind of burned, like if you were to pour salt on a slug, wrinkly. And some red legs have already gone after a few of them. I know the water if good, I take it up to the store to have it tested once a month along with testing it myself. So basicly I want to know if it sounds like I am doing something wrong.

thanks.

[Phayes]

Truth be told, astraea snails aren't perfect reef snails... They originate from the coasts of California, in cooler waters, and also from area's with no sandy substrate. Because of this, they have no ability to flip themselves over when they do land on their back... making them an easy target for predators. If you do notice some lying on their back, you will have to manually flip them over, or nudge them close enough to some liverock so they can flip themselves back over and scurry about their little business.
In addition to this, your hermit crabs will take fine opportunities like this to eat a good meal (your astraea snails) if they are lying on their back in the sand or in an area where they can't flip back over. I guess it doesn't pay to have a shell 5 x the size of their body.

[IceMan]

i've had to flip a couple of mine over, but i gotta say they are awsome cleaners.