Please Help

[TankTastic]

I introduced my cuc today a cleaner shrimp a blood shrimp and some crabs and snails. Floated them for an hour in the bags like I did with the fish, then slowly introduced and mixed the water and then added them fully to the tank. Within 30 mins the shrimps had died. Everything else was fine (so far). Why did the shrimp die so quickly. Anyone???

[TLTGF]

Shrimps are, from what I understand, the most "fragile" of the inverts to acclimate. They are very sensitive to Salinity, Alk, and pH.

Typically a drip acclimation method is prefered for all inverts and fish for that matter.

Acclimation Procedure for Aquatic Life: Welcoming Home New Arrivals

[mr_X]

Yep...you have to drip them...Unless by some chance you have the same parameters, but it's not likely.

[cmor1701d]

As states, inverts should be drip acclimated for an hour or two using a very slow drip.

[TankTastic]

Feel so guilty. As you can see from my other posts I do all I can to be sure I am doing everything right don't know why I thought the shrimp would be as easy as fish. I really should have researched properly.

[TankTastic]

Well did a 20% water change and tried the drip method for two new red leg hermit crabs. It took 5 hours and both seemed happy. Put them in the tank and they are now stationary. They have been for hours. They are not dead as they are looking at me wiggling that thing above the eyes. The original 2 are not dead either as they keep going in and out of the shells and wiggling also but they have not moved in over 2 days now apart from to come out of their shells. I fear the 2 new ones will be the same. We have 2 x mexican and 2 x tiny rock crabs that seem more than happy in the tank. Why are the red legs not moving or dying. What can I do?

[Mike1989]

my hermits, shrimp etc seem to be more active at night and feeding time. Also it takes more then a day or two for new inhabitants to become acclimated to your tank. they are probably still getting used to their new surroundings

[TankTastic]

I would like to think that really I would. But 4 crabs scamper around all the time. 2 x red legs have not moved at all not a mm. They are alive but only in the sense they are awake but no other form of life. They come out of their shell thats it. The other two again not moved a mm since putting them in. Slow dripped them for 5 hours. Just don't get it. Ready to throw in the towel now. Can't take the guilt.

[TLTGF]

Drip acclimation shouldn't take more than an hour to an hour and a half. It should be 4-6 drips per second.

Other than that, I always shut the lights off for a few hours when I add any livestock. It reduces the stress and they may move more.

[TankTastic]

The drip method only took about an hour and 20 the rest was floating etc. But I don't understand why 2 of them have not moved for over 2 days. Not even at night with the lights fully off. Does nobody else think that is strange? Also one of the little ones chucked his pincers out of his shell but still has not moved.

[mr_X]

Any possibility that you are getting these hermits from the same place as they others and they are already sick before you added them?

[TankTastic]

No this is the third place I have tried.

[EriksFish315]

What are your parameters are they in check?

[TankTastic]

Yeah all spot on ph is a bit low at 7.8 but it's stable.

[EriksFish315]

I've read shrimp are veryyy sensitive to changes and should be drip acclimated extremely slowly and for a longer amount of time. I acclimated my shrimp for over 3 hours and started drip with a cup of water and ended with 3