[dhboyd1]

I have two strange things happening in my tank. Several of my Astraea Snails have died and for some reason their shells are piled up in the front center of my tank. There are 6 at last count. I understand things might be happening to kill them but why all in the same place. They seem to come to the center of the tank and die.

The second strange thing, is one of my cleaner clams surfaced from the substrate with a broken shell. He died but I don't know what killed him. I don't have any mantis shrimp which would be the logical culprit, so I am at a loss here too. My other cleaner clam seem ok at this point but I am worried about it too.

I have the usual clean up crew in the tank, plus 3 green chromis, a sand sifting cucumber, 2 brittle stars, 2 Red Mithrax Crabs, and 30 small feather dusters.

Any help would be appreciated.

[swinginbeef]

How are you sure that you don't have a mantis shrimp?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I would say that current is taking the shells to there resting place. I wouldnt be at all suprised at a cracked clam shell as they are farely common in the wild.
I would be concerned about the death of so many hermits in a short period of time.

[rlcline76]

What are your water parameters? I want all the goods, including salinity.

[dhboyd1]

I haven't lost any hermits, just snails and a clam.

Water parameters are:
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 2.5
Salinity 1.025
PH 8.3
Alkalinity 3.0 meq/L

Tank Parameters:
55 gal
Sea Clone Skimmer
Red Sea Ocean Clear filter
55 lbs live rock
35 lbs base rock (has coraline algae started on all surfaces)
40 lbs live sand
RO/DI water
System age 8 weeks

Livestock:
Scarlet Hermit Crab:10
Blueleg Hermit Crab:10
Nasssarius Snail:10
Brittle Starfish:2
Emerald Crab:3
Turbo/Astrea Snail:10
Cleaner Clam:1
Red Mithrax Crab:2
Feather Dusters:30
Sand Sifter Cucumber:1
Blue Ricordia:1
Green Ricordia:1
Green Sea Mat:30Polyps
Sun Polyp: 10 Polyps
Green Chromis:3
Glass Anemone:2
One unknown critter with photo elsewhere on this site.

Live rock was soaked for a brief period in water with Salinity of 1.04 to remove critters. Squid test negative.
Hours of observation negative.

I am not sure what else to include. Took calm shell out and clam was still intact (wasn't eaten).

Thanks for the help.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Yeah I was thinking about hermits because of an e mail.....thats a typo.