Losing a snail everyday

[VioletThePurple]

Every day for the past three days I have been losing a mystery snail. My nitrates were very high (40 ppm) so I've been doing water changes every day to get them down. Now it's at 5ppm and still losing snails. The only symptom they have before dying is that they turn greyish. Still active, still eating, no unusual spots or tumors, and the shells are perfectly intact (but empty and I end up finding the body on the substrate floor). My PH is 6.0, no nitrites. I recently added a couple new platies that show no signs of illness. I did lose a fish when my nitrates were high, but I haven't lost any more fish since getting my nitrates down. But I've still been losing one snail per day. The tank isn't new; it is at least a year old. Unless my platies or cories are eating the snails, there are no other fish in the tank. I have had my snails for three months prior to this with no issues.

 

[Abaddon]

How long have you had them? Is it possible that they might just be dying of old age (if you've had them for more than 1-2 years then it's not inconceivable)?
The only potential issue here other than the nitrates is the pH, which is very low for snails (they prefer neutral to to slightly higher levels). Have you noticed any signs of shell damage/erosion? If so, that could be the cause since it's the most obvious thing that's off in this scenario.

If you're finding bodies, it means the fish are not eating them These snails have a "trapdoor" so are usually able to hide from predators. Your fish would have to be pecking at them relentlessly to cause them to actually die imho; I don't think this is the cause tbh.
And I don't think 40ppm nitrates is enough to kill them off unless the levels were this high for a very long time, or the snails were already weak/old.

It's a bit of a reach, but poisoning is another potential reason (esp. copper) - have you used any new meds or fertilizers recently?

 

[VioletThePurple]

How long have you had them? Is it possible that they might just be dying of old age (if you've had them for more than 1-2 years then it's not inconceivable)?
The only potential issue here other than the nitrates is the pH, which is very low for snails (they prefer neutral to to slightly higher levels). Have you noticed any signs of shell damage/erosion? If so, that could be the cause since it's the most obvious thing that's off in this scenario.

If you're finding bodies, it means the fish are not eating them These snails have a "trapdoor" so are usually able to hide from predators. Your fish would have to be pecking at them relentlessly to cause them to actually die imho; I don't think this is the cause tbh.
And I don't think 40ppm nitrates is enough to kill them off unless the levels were this high for a very long time, or the snails were already weak/old.

It's a bit of a reach, but poisoning is another potential reason (esp. copper) - have you used any new meds or fertilizers recently?

A platy pregnant platy just dropped dead out of nowhere. Like I said, I've only had the snails for 4 months. And I've been finding the snails shells intact. I started treating with bacter shield, which stopped the deaths for a day but I didn't add it today because the instructions say to add it every other day. I'm about to have a meltdown and just quit this hobby, cause it seems no matter how much I learn and improve, I always have livestock die young...

 

[Abaddon]

I understand your frustration, I myself just lost an expensive & rare centerpiece fish after - drum roll - a grand total of 26 DAYS in my tank & despite intensive efforts to cure himAnd the new fish I got have now developed something on their skin that I'm still trying to identify (fingers crossed it's nothing and I'm just paranoid). So yeah, I've also felt like throwing in the towel once or twice, even though it's literally been like 2 months since I got back into fish keepingDon't get discouraged though, this is a finicky hobby & things happen. If your cories are doing fine but everything else seems to be struggling then my money would be on the pH being too low (assuming all other parameters are OK), but I'm not 100% sure. With the fish that died, did you notice any symptoms or abnormal behaviour beforehand?

 

[GaryE]

Powerlessness corrupts, and we get discouraged when we seem to have no control over what happens in our tanks. Sometimes we have to focus on the tank itself.
You can be the best fishkeeper in the world, but if the animals arrive compromised - if they had a rough time before you got them - there's nothing you can do. Certainly, good care can bring them around if they healthy enough to respond, and they can live long lives, but if what they've faced has been too much, then it will play out.
You are in the US, and @Abaddon is in the 6th circle of hell, so location doesn't help. It may matter though. This issue comes up a lot,so I may be repeating myself (sorry) but large areas of rural North America have water problems with nitrates from farming in the water. How is your tap?
Large areas of North America are as hot as @Abaddon 's environment is said to be in the old tales, so what temperatures are these fish enduring? This is a season where fish die in spite of our best efforts. Your tank may be considerably warmer than water in Mexico where your platys or apple snails originated.
What do you think of your source? Is it a good local pet shop - clean, well run and well informed or is it a quick turnover chain store, designed for shareholders and not customers? If you bought them online in the fast couple of months, they may have encountered killing heat.

You aren't describing any symptoms that make diagnosis easy, because they probably aren't there. What's happening is inside a shell, after all. Older aquarists like me will think you've hit a bad patch with unexplained fatalities, because it happens to all of us (and to our fish). Sometimes it's our fault, but sometimes it's the environment we can't control. The dead of summer with new fish and snails is tough. Once the tank ages in and is established, it gets easier.

 

[VioletThePurple]

Powerlessness corrupts, and we get discouraged when we seem to have no control over what happens in our tanks. Sometimes we have to focus on the tank itself.
You can be the best fishkeeper in the world, but if the animals arrive compromised - if they had a rough time before you got them - there's nothing you can do. Certainly, good care can bring them around if they healthy enough to respond, and they can live long lives, but if what they've faced has been too much, then it will play out.
You are in the US, and @Abaddon is in the 6th circle of hell, so location doesn't help. It may matter though. This issue comes up a lot,so I may be repeating myself (sorry) but large areas of rural North America have water problems with nitrates from farming in the water. How is your tap?
Large areas of North America are as hot as @Abaddon 's environment is said to be in the old tales, so what temperatures are these fish enduring? This is a season where fish die in spite of our best efforts. Your tank may be considerably warmer than water in Mexico where your platys or apple snails originated.
What do you think of your source? Is it a good local pet shop - clean, well run and well informed or is it a quick turnover chain store, designed for shareholders and not customers? If you bought them online in the fast couple of months, they may have encountered killing heat.

You aren't describing any symptoms that make diagnosis easy, because they probably aren't there. What's happening is inside a shell, after all. Older aquarists like me will think you've hit a bad patch with unexplained fatalities, because it happens to all of us (and to our fish). Sometimes it's our fault, but sometimes it's the environment we can't control. The dead of summer with new fish and snails is tough. Once the tank ages in and is established, it gets easier.

Nope, already tested the nitrates of my tap and it comes out as zero. Tank temp is 75. I have bought them online as I figured it would be the best place to get them since I don't have a local fish store.

 

[VioletThePurple]

I understand your frustration, I myself just lost an expensive & rare centerpiece fish after - drum roll - a grand total of 26 DAYS in my tank & despite intensive efforts to cure himAnd the new fish I got have now developed something on their skin that I'm still trying to identify (fingers crossed it's nothing and I'm just paranoid). So yeah, I've also felt like throwing in the towel once or twice, even though it's literally been like 2 months since I got back into fish keepingDon't get discouraged though, this is a finicky hobby & things happen. If your cories are doing fine but everything else seems to be struggling then my money would be on the pH being too low (assuming all other parameters are OK), but I'm not 100% sure. With the fish that died, did you notice any symptoms or abnormal behaviour beforehand?

Wait, I think I might've figured it out. Which would also explain why my plants are melting despite adding fertilizer the day before. Look at the copper levels of my city water. And my dad confirmed that we don't have a water filtration system. I was doing water changes nearly every day as I thought there was something wrong with the aquarium water, but by adding in dechlorinated tap water everyday this might've created a lethal amount that the snails can't handle.