Traumatic first death :(

[archerf40]

Ok i have a 20G long saltwater that i have just cycled and my water parameters look to be perfect. I got home from school just now and found my dead cleaner shrimp at the front on the tank and a trail in the sand leading to the body I added the shrimp on sun about 3pm GMT.

I have in my tank:
1 other cleaner shrimp (lonely now)
4 turbo snails
4 red legged hermits
10kg live rock

This is my first saltwater death and i dont know about you guys but i was quite emotional.
So could you guys help me to identify the cause of death? Thanks.

 

[Tomchong22]

I'm not 100% sure if this correct but I think it is the red leg hermit crabs. They are more aggressive and I think that is what was the cause.

 

[carey]

How are your test results exactly? Salinity and temperature too...Shrimp are VERY sensitive to changes in salintiy, ph and temperature.

Is it possible he molted is also another thought.

 

[Henry405]

Did you recheck the parameter after the death? How did you acclimate the shrimp?

 

[archerf40]

Ok so
nitrate 0.25ppm
nitrite 0ppm
ph 7
temperature 78 F
salinity 1.022 S.G.

Carey, yes i was told they do shed their skin but i am 100% this is him

nitrite rose to 0.25

is it possible the other shrimp attacked him? the crabs dont seem to move around alot and the shrimps have been hanging upside down on a piece on rock alot.

 

[Tomchong22]

Depends what type of shrimp were they? Also ph is a little low. When did you test for this? I would recommend a water change to get the nitrite down. Maybe a 10% change.

 

[carey]

The ph is a bit low, I'd agree.

How did you acclimate him? I go for over 2 hours with shrimp, seeing as they are SOO sensitive to change.

The ph may have played a role....

Is this supposed to be a fish only system? I keep my tanks salinity at 1.025 usually, another thing shrimps are very sensitive to.

I wouldnt blame a critter for the death, most likely a fluke in my opinion.

I know how hard it is to lose a creature, especially so soon and the first time. You really want an an answer and sometimes there just isn't one.

 

[archerf40]

Lysmata amboinensis

 

[Henry405]

That pH is too low, should be around 7.8-8.2

 

[archerf40]

I spent about an hour and a half doing it acclimating him in a bucket before.
Ok thanks for your help guys, ill sort out the water

 

[archerf40]

Just got back from school and found a red legged hermit dead and ripped apart, i dont understand i have spare shells in there? :S

 

[carey]

They will do that from time to time. Mine do it all the time and I for sure have enough shells in the tank. I think it's quite barbaric how they kill for the shells. I most likely will not be adding any more hermits because of it. I just buy them and they get killed off. :-(

 

[archerf40]

Ok thanks carey, no more for me then!

 

[paulace2372]

Also just a thought... How are you testing your salinity? Are you using a floating arm hydrometer or a refractometer?