A loss today

[GrndHog]

I looked at my tank this morning and noticed my fire shrimp that I've had for about a month was not in his usual spot. The first thing I thought was that he was molting, that would have been his third molt since I've had him. Then noticed a few snails over him, it then hit me that he was dieing a slow death.

Last night I hand fed him w/ no problems, I also fed the stars and noticed the shrimp and one of the stars fighting over a few scraps. You think the shrimp got injured in the struggle?

I also added ROWA phos last night to my sump. The tank water got real brown with sediment, read that it was normal for this to happen.
Comments on that?

Everything in the tank looked normal except the shrimp when I left for work. My wife will report back to me later on in the day to tell me how everything else looks.

My thoughts were that maybe when the shrimp was trying to molt he was attacked by the snails and couldnt get away. Is that possible?

I snapped a few photos before I left for work and will post when I get home

 

[TwtyBrd]

Sorry for your loss, hope you get to the bottom of it.

 

[Hara]

no, the snails are most likely not responsible. I would be highly suspect of the additive.

 

[GrndHog]

Sorry for your loss, hope you get to the bottom of it.

Thank you, I hope I do to. It was one of the largest I've ever seen, a good 5 inches

 

[GrndHog]

no, the snails are most likely not responsible. I would be highly suspect of the additive.

A lot of people have used this (ROWA phos) to rid the tank of phosphates, I hope that I wasnt the one that killed my shrimp.

 

[Hara]

Shrimp are very intolerant of sudden water chemistry changes....

 

[Brisc0]

For what its worth, the lifespan on a fire shrimp is only about 3 years. Don't rule out old age as the culprit. 5" is pretty large, maybe he just lived out his days. Losses in out tanks due to things we can identify often lead up to overlook the rare but occasional "natural" answer. I am sorry for your loss and wish you the best.

 

[snapcrackler]

5" is pretty large, maybe he just lived out his days. .

I was thinking that too when I saw the 5" size

He probably lived a long, happy, shrimpy life and died of old age.

 

[GrndHog]

That did cross my mind, I hope that was the case.

 

[GrndHog]

Here are few pics I took this morning before I left for work. If you look just to the right of him you'll see part of his molt. ???????

 

[lad2knowu]

Poor little fella. Sorry man.

 

[GrndHog]

Poor little fella. Sorry man.

Thanks,

Kevin, what are your thoughts on this? Any idea of how it just came up dead this morning.

Everything in the tank tonight looks great.

 

[quarryshark]

Really nothing to add. Just wanted to say.
Sorry for your loss. I have 2 of them. Beautiful animals, hopefully it was old age.

 

[MT79]

If you look just to the right of him you'll see part of his molt. ???????

I can't view pics for some reason, but I've read that if a shrimp doesn't escape from it's old shell fast enough it could suffocate (lack of respiration+exhaustion=death), just another possibility.

 

[mhaynes01]

thats a pretty lil fellow

maybe you can get another just liek him