Dying inverts please help.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

c0mf0rt

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
658
Location
Oregon
My water perms are all good.... 8.3 PH, 1.23-1.24 Sal, 20 or less ppm nitrates....... nil on the ammonia and nitratites......... and I keep losing inverts..... all shrimps and crabs..... I've lost several hermits over the past month or so.... although most of them seem to be out of their shells and eaten..... but the shrimp and the emerald crab I found tonight have no visible damage whatsoever.... and they've all been in the tank for decent periods of time..... so I don't think it's acclimation....... any ideas???????????
 
how close togehter were the deaths, if it was acclimation or temp fluctuation it prolly woulda killed them pretty quickly all at once or something, but if eaten it woulda been slower maybe?, and if they looked eaten, could their be some bad critters in your rocks, if you hav eliverock or something, maybe you picked up a bad hitchiker,
 
I bought a new tank a week ago..... an acrylic with a built-in wet/dry..... and the temp increased due to the pump...... I had kept it around 75 in my glass and since they've been put in the acrylic the tank sits more around 78 or 79....... None of them have looked eaten and the shrimp all died in the glass tank..... I just recently discovered the emerald and maybe a redfoot.... I put him upright but he doesn't seem to be moving... I'll check on him again in the morning..... but with the glass I was constantly loosing snails,hermits, and then finally the shrimp.... only the hermits looked eatin... claws etc leftover...
 
Any way you can double check your parameters? Have the LFS do it or buy a different test kit. Are you sure what your are finding are not molts? It is odd that it would all happen together. Also, when you say "nil" on the amonia and nitrites, do you mean "zero" or are they detectable? Good Luck...Lando
 
Alright this is really pissin me off..... this morning I woke up and found my last emerald crab with three legs missing............................... I'm going to get the water checked today and I'm thinking either my decorator crab or my coral banded shrimp is going to have to go...... any recommendations on either??? I mean what has the strength to remove crabs legs????
 
How much LR do you have and where did you get it? Could be the work of a mantis.
 
c0mf0rt said:
I had kept it around 75 in my glass ... but with the glass I was constantly loosing snails,hermits, and then finally the shrimp.

I think 75 temp is a little too cold and might have contributed to the deaths.
 
what is your calcium level? Calcium is super important for inverts, and also water quality. I'm lucky and our tap water (yes i use tap water :oops: ) has really high levels of calcium, and that is not a concern for me, but you should check it out. You want it somewhere between 400-450 ppm
 
I have about 60 lbs. of LR..... I don't hear any clicking from the tank.... I picked the rock up at the LFS ... they says it's tonga..... the temp has since been stabilized around 80..... and as for the calcium... I've been adding a Seachem supplement for caclium,strontium, and something else..... would it kill them if there was too much???? I haven't really been testing it... I've been adding it at half the dose recommended...
 
O and I forgot to mention I had a clown just up and dissapear about two weeks ago.... the funny thing is ... I have a small psycho goby and damsels and they don't show any signs of trouble.... but I mean the clown is just gone...
 
Ok the LFS tested my water and said it was kewl.... I returned the CBS and the decorator crab.... I picked up two more emeralds and a tomato clown........ will wait and see........ any ideas on looking for a mantis???
 
Sounds like it could be a Mantis. I have one in my tank.

Do you hear any snapping or popping sounds coming from the tank, Especially at night?
 
c0mf0rt said:
That's the thing.... I dont' hear anything at night.......

IMO That seriously lowers the chance it's a Mantis.
you would hear it if you had one. for sure!

You can always set a Crab trap up and see if you catch any bad guys.
if you dont get any after trying then the odds are less likely you have one.
 
well I'll see how the new emeralds do... and then go from there.... I have noticed though that my others did alot of hiding.... the two new ones seem ok with walking all over... maybe I've removed the thing causing fear.... we'll see........ speaking of which I noticed my crabs were missing one leg each.... but they seem to be doing ok.... .think they'll be alright????
 
Back
Top Bottom