Can't keep shrimp alive.

[Bearfan]

Hey everyone...I guess I'm getting back into the hobby a little more after a hiatus (maintenance only kind of situation, with a little fragging). Having a 3 year old, finishing my teaching degree and being a first year teacher as well as starting a little photography business has kept me away from the tanks like I use to. Down to the 72 gal bow planted and the 75 gal SW reef. Maybe reverse MTS from 5 to 2....

Anyway, I cannot keep shrimp, and can't explain why. No medications, very little supplement except target marine snow 1x week. Fish fed blender mush and algae sheets. Any ideas would be welcome.

Test results:

PH 7.9ish - 8.0
Temp 78 constant
NO2, NO3, NH3 - 0
PO4 - 0
Sal - 1.025

Setup:
75 Gal show
4x65 PC w/ ML
100 # LR
4" DSB
75 Gal Sump
29 Gal Fuge w/ Chaeto

1 Yellow Tang
1 Gold Stripe Maroon Clown
1 Royal Gramma
2 Yellow Watchmen Gobies
Lots of snails and hermits, some emerald crabs
Clove Polyps, Shrooms, Zoos, Pink Starburst, Moon Brain
Few Aips (what...those AREN'T desireable....)

[Sadielynn]

There are a couple things that jumps out at me is the gramma they can eat shrimps that are small enough as can the emerald crabs ,also your PH is a bit low .... How are you acclimating them ?
Have you tried to place the shrimp in the sump ... Perhaps an unknown hitchhiker ? How long has the tank been up and how long has it been since you tried a shrimp ?
Have you found the body or just disappeared ?How big have they been?
Try a peppermint shrimp they are not terribly expensive and would also act as a clean up shrimp (not to be confused with a cleaner ) to try this again try adding one to the tank , and one to the sump and keep an eye open , I had a crab that was snaging thme I had a nest of them in my tank that I did not know , I kept loosing them and didnt know why I ran all tests and could not come up with it , one nite I scooted by the tank and found a small crab (big enough to take down a 2" shrimp. Then later found a second one YIKES , I have since found our LFS has a big herd of them in thier coral tanks so now every thing is QT in t he 6.5 tank and dipped) Not sure if it is a hitch hiker or not it was in my tank for nearly 6 months or longer before he was discovered ... try to observe for as long as you can after adding one to see if you can catch a culprit with the smoking gun .

[Bearfan]

Originally Posted by Sadielynn

There are a couple things that jumps out at me is the gramma they can eat shrimps that are small enough as can the emerald crabs

Nope, full bodies

Originally Posted by Sadielynn

,also your PH is a bit low

True, I can't seem to get that .1 with any kind of stability

Originally Posted by Sadielynn

.... How are you acclimating them ?

Standard long drip.

Originally Posted by Sadielynn

Have you tried to place the shrimp in the sump ... Perhaps an unknown hitchhiker ?

Going to try a pep in the fuge.

Originally Posted by Sadielynn

How long has the tank been up and how long has it been since you tried a shrimp ?

Tank up 4 years, just tried a shrimp after a 2 year break from them.

Originally Posted by Sadielynn

Have you found the body or just disappeared ?How big have they been?
Try a peppermint shrimp they are not terribly expensive and would also act as a clean up shrimp (not to be confused with a cleaner ) to try this again try adding one to the tank , and one to the sump and keep an eye open , I had a crab that was snaging thme I had a nest of them in my tank that I did not know , I kept loosing them and didnt know why I ran all tests and could not come up with it , one nite I scooted by the tank and found a small crab (big enough to take down a 2" shrimp. Then later found a second one YIKES , I have since found our LFS has a big herd of them in thier coral tanks so now every thing is QT in t he 6.5 tank and dipped) Not sure if it is a hitch hiker or not it was in my tank for nearly 6 months or longer before he was discovered ... try to observe for as long as you can after adding one to see if you can catch a culprit with the smoking gun .

I'm finding the whole body, no apparent damage. I know there is a small pistol shrimp that has survived and I periodically hear him when something encroaches, but I think it's more likely a chemistry thing.

Thanks for the reply. I know my clean up crew would remove any bodies quickly if I didn't find them first. Luckily, 15 day guarantee in effect.

[Sadielynn]

It could be the pistol however it is a small chance since they will defend their terrritory. As for the PH I would aim a power head to the surface to break the tension at the water surface , and also pointing a fan over it and also opening a window for a bit can raise your PH ... What was your last H20 change and how much ?
also try to speed the drip up and drip for no longer than 1/2 hour (which is how I do it when I add one since it is possible when dripping that your perameters can go wacky ) I have not lost one doing it this way and it is worth a try . How old are your test kits? perhaps a new or fresh one or perhaps some one else can test with a diffrent kit to make sure yours is good , once exposed to air their shelf life is between 6 months to a year ..
Try to test for Iodine/iodide .
Calcium .
Phosphates .. How long before they kick and what was the longest one survived , it could be that the LR was treated with copper before you got it ? So test for copper as well .Other than that I am truly stumped on this one ...

[roka64]

Have you checked your iodine/iodide? I had the same problem with shrimp. You might want to up your PWCs a little more often to replace those trace elements....

[Bearfan]

I'll have to get an iodine/iodide test and let you know. Working on the pH currently, but I've got a lot of surface agitation already, so I'm not sure that's going to change by adding more, but working on it.