Mysterious Shrimp Deaths

[amq]

Okay, so I've had a cleaner shrimp for a few weeks when it suddenly died. After testing water, I determined it was an unknown natural cause of death. So, I bought another one yesterday. He died today; I found a nassarius snail devouring him. So now I'm beginning to think, is there something I didn't test (I don't have a nitrAte testing kit, fresh out)? At what reading do they die? The specific gravity is at 1.022, is it too low for them? Is that the cause? I just can't seem to find the cause, so hopefully one of you can. The peppermint shrimp which I bought with the newest cleaner is still alive, so I am very confused. How hard is too hard of water for shrimp?
Many thanks.

 

[roka64]

How are you acclimating them?
I have had shrimp just up and die on my also. Cleaners and fire shrimp. My thought is a lack of iodine/iodide, but I haven't tested this yet.

 

[amq]

I use a slower version of the turkey baster method. Half a baster store water out, half a baster tank water in every... 10(?) minutes. But I would think they would have succumbed to shock a lot sooner than a couple of weeks (or in the last one's case, a day).

 

[Fierro Nights]

i have a fire shrimp, when i first got him i turned off my lights, placed the bag in the tank for 3 or so minutes, then put in 5ml of my tank water into the bag every few minutes or so, i only acclimated him for about 10 min or so then let him in. he's doing just great 3 weeks later and has shed his shell twice already.

i just got a clown today and did the same w/ him, he's doing great. he's been putting flakes in his mouth and spitting them out making a mess in tank so im going to try some brine shrimp later tonight.

there must be something major wrong w/ your water. do you have any inverts in your tank? if you have crabs or so and they are doing great then there is no reason why your shrimp should die.

i test my water for ammonia and nitrite every once in a while, and do water changes through out the week. i add some kent dKH powder stuff, just a tiny pinch of it sometimes, i dont know the levels of calcium or anything or w/e but my coroline is growing crazy and my fish love to eat all the food i put it so i think my tank is fine.

you may want to do what im going to do in the near future, im going to buy a sea urchin, im thinking a pencil urchin, from what i hear, they will loose their spines when the water quality is bad, which will give me time to check things out and fix the water, its a great visual of water quality. the spines grow back, and that warning can pay off if you have expensive live stock.

 

[amq]

Yeah, I have crabs and a peppermint shrimp and the appear to be doing fine. The urchin idea sounds pretty smart.

 

[roka64]

I think regular testing would be easier than waiting for their spines to fall out. I have a pencil urchin and they do shed spines, even with great water conditions. If you get one, make sure your rock is secured because they sometimes like to wedge between rocks.

 

[Fierro Nights]

here's my tank, about 2 months old.

 

[amq]

Looks in good health. What I don't understand is, my first cleaner shrimp had molted once, so I didn't think their was an iodine/iodide defficiency. And then would that affect them as quickly as a day?

 

[roka64]

Sometimes they have a bad molt, or get caught before their shell hardens.

 

[amq]

I'd think there would be bodily harm though. I watched mine stagger around the tank bottom for a few minutes, without any injury to him and then he just lay down and died.

 

[Fierro Nights]

does your water stink?

how much life stock have you purchased from the store in which you got the shrimp from? there not mail ordered are they?

has anything copper been placed in the water ever? copper wire, copper sulfate, medications, etc. or do you do water changes while using hot water or have copper piping in your house? shrimp dont like copper.

 

[amq]

No copper. They came from a LFS and seemed to be in good health. The water doesn't stink, believe me, I checked.

 

[Fierro Nights]

i found this link

Petshrimp.com -- All about shrimp

seems what iv'e asked about is in here already, there has to be something wrong w/ your water.

what is your ph? your fish may have gotten used to over a weeks time of bad water and now live okay w/ it.

 

[roka64]

The OP has other inverts in the tank, this leads me to think, it is one of those mysterious deaths. I had the same thing happen to me, with pristine water conditions. Sometimes you get a shrimp that is old, sick or weak.
As long as the water tests come back as 0/0/<20ppm of ammonia, nitrItes, nitrAtes, I honestly don't believe there is anything with the water (unless, it fits into the "possible" iodine/iodide" issue).

 

[amq]

Thank you.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

The OP has other inverts in the tank, this leads me to think, it is one of those mysterious deaths. I had the same thing happen to me, with pristine water conditions. Sometimes you get a shrimp that is old, sick or weak.
As long as the water tests come back as 0/0/>20ppm of ammonia, nitrItes, nitrAtes, I honestly don't believe there is anything with the water (unless, it fits into the "possible" iodine/iodide" issue).

Also agree with Roka. Well... except that he meant to type "< (less than) 20ppm nitrates". Granted - you can shoot for greater than 20ppm... but I wouldn't recommend it!

 

[roka64]

LOL, I had a feeling I had that backwards! I'll edit it. I sat there for about 10 minutes switching them...DOH!!!