Can't Keep them alive.

[Reesj]

Yep this sucks. I lost my 2nd cleaner shrimp also ;Facepalm

I lost my 1st for not aclamating it long enough. I finally got anoterh one and he lasted about 10 days till yesterday.
Yesterday I did my 1st water change (about 10%).
Added 2nd BTA and 2 turbo snails to take care of the Diatoms in new tank.
Today morning he was lying in sand bed diying.
The new anemon seems to have gone for a long walk unlike my 1st (He hid in the hole nearby and fine after 3 days). Maybe he stung it
or maybe my water chang messed it up (Tryied to lower the salinity slightly from around 1.0235 to 1.023 ).
Mayeb casue it didn't get enough food ? (Fish out compete it for food but there are enough diatoms if he eat them) He didn't seems to try to get food when I put it last 2-3 days but didn't look like he managed to.
What do you guys think ?

 

[EW_Fish]

How long has your tank been set up? Has there ever been any copper added to the tank? You can feed him some frozen food if you would like to

 

[Reesj]

How long has your tank been set up? Has there ever been any copper added to the tank? You can feed him some frozen food if you would like to

Nop no copper or any medication for that matter. Tank about 6 weeks I guess and and from first fish about 5 weeks now. Also Active carbon pack running on sump.
3 Similar damsels,
2 Clarkii clowns,
1 Lyretail anthias female,
1 red fairy wrasse.
1 hermit crab.

 

[EW_Fish]

What are the parameters?

 

[juanrmattos]

It seems to me you may still have had ammonia present (Maybe not in the water column but in the sand or rock), diatoms are the first sign of ammonia receding on a fairly new reef... Just something to consider.

 

[Lasse]

Are you sure that´s he/she is dead - not only have moult

Sincerely Lasse

 

[slocal]

Cycling with complex lifeforms is not the way to go, personally. A cycle is hard enough on a hardy fish, let alone a shrimp or anemone.

If I am mistaken, and you are not cycling, forgive me. If your tank is really six weeks old, please test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Also, why do you want to keep your tank at a lower than average salinity?

 

[Reesj]

It seems to me you may still have had ammonia present (Maybe not in the water column but in the sand or rock), diatoms are the first sign of ammonia receding on a fairly new reef... Just something to consider.

Don't think it is present from start. Maybe it could have came up but I highly daught it as I cycled the tank with a high dose of bacteria. Then the fish have been in there and doign great for about one month. Also even the Anemon I put in about 10 days ago is doing great.

Are you sure that´s he/she is dead - not only have moult

Sincerely Lasse

YEs unfortunetly I only removed it after about 4-5 hours of observation.

 

[Reesj]

Cycling with complex lifeforms is not the way to go, personally. A cycle is hard enough on a hardy fish, let alone a shrimp or anemone.

If I am mistaken, and you are not cycling, forgive me. If your tank is really six weeks old, please test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Also, why do you want to keep your tank at a lower than average salinity?

Tank had been cycled for a while. Multiple doses of bacteria bottle were added during it. Maybe the 3 damsels in fist, might have had to go in it a bit towards the end of it. But they did great, with 0 sings of distress and eating like pigs.
In fact I waited over 2 weeks after puting the damsels to add any more fish.
Not to mention the shrimp had been actively trying to get food in the last 3-4 days. He did hid and stayed in back of the tank for about the first week though.

The salinity is becasue I'm adding new Fish.
ALSO casue all my fish and corals I'm hopign to keep are locally socursed. The shalow waters of Sri Lanka have the salinity level around 1.023-1.024.

 

[Reesj]

Here is a good look in to the salinity level worldwide and specially around Sri Lankan waters.

I personally beleive that most people are keeping their tanks unusually high selinity specially when most of their livestoick coems from Indian, Malasian region.

 

[EW_Fish]

Even though you dosed your tank with bacteria doesn't mean your still not in a cycle/mini cycle

 

[Paul B]

Tank is much to new for just about anything IMO. Also IMO bacteria in a bottle is useless. Nothing like real bacteria from a real dead something.
So in short, bacteria is no good, tank is too young and tank is probably much to clean for a shrimp. Give it a little time,a few more weeks, let some algae and detritus get in there. Allow the nitrates to rise a little.

It takes a little time no matter what your test kits read.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I dumped my cleaner shrimp in and never really saw them again. Just a dump and go
Switched from 46g go 75g tank and there they were. Again, just dumped them in with the rocks and left some powerheads on and they eventually disappeared

Switched tanks AGAIN, and dumped them in.........

I still see 2 (had 3). the 3rd I watched a puffer devour when I removed all the rocks and he couldn’t hide......

I never acclimated in any way..... move ahead to a large Skunk Shrimp, I floated and released....... dead in a day....... I thought shrimp needed less acclimation than most fish etc. I made the mistake of thinking they were nearly indestructible since my crabs/snails/other shrimp have been through a lot, and I never lose them.....


Well, when I am ready to try again, I will probably do a solid 45 min acclimation.

 

[Retro Reefer]

What do you guys think ?

Honestly your tank is way to young for anything other than maybe a starter fish assuming it’s cycled.. the number 1 rule in reefing is “nothing good happens quickly “.

 

[Jay Z]

Pictures of your tank and equipment would be helpful also.

I will say (not that I recommend it) adding live stock early can be done, but proper setup is important.

When I set my 45 up on December 30th of last year, I went to the store at noon and had my tank setup by 5pm with 2 clowns, a lta, blue streak wrasse, 2 anemone crabs, CUC, and cleaner shrimp. But I also came home with 110 lbs of live rock, which is key.

My tank cycled in 6 days (bottle bacteria was added also) I lost no live stock. I took my clowns back to the store after a month because they didn't fit the tank theme. I gave my lta away after 5 months because he would keep moving because of both anemone crabs living on him. When he crawled through a 3/8" hole into the back of my AIO, that when I had it with him. Shrimp, crabs, and wrasse are going on 9 months now, no issues.

I've had multiple issues of losing corals over the 8 months, all have been my fault, ato stuck on (bad sensor location), dropping them upside down (multiple times), cooking them with new light. Only things I've lost randomly were a couple fish from LA, which happens sometimes for no good reason.

For acclimation, I float. 10 minutes in the sealed bag, let half of the bag water out in the sink, put some tank water in, let float for another 10-20, let that water out in the sink, then release into the tank. Fish, corals, inverts, all the same. Never had any issues.

 

[ZoWhat]

What's your main purpose for having cleaner shrimp?

1) bc you like their look and like having them to look at in the tank?

Or

2) you use them to clean your fish

If #2 is your main purpose, I'd switch over to an African Cleaner Wrasse. Its has to be marketed and sold as an "AFRICAN" bc africans will adapt to eating the fish food you feed your other fish.

If its marketed as just a "Cleaner Wrasse " and not from Africa, it will not survive. But African Cleaner Wrasses have super high survival rates. It's a night and day difference.

It's also a MUCH BETTER cleaner of fish as it will actively chase down your fish and sweep their bodies as the fish being cleaned is motionless knowing it's being inspected and cleaned.

I would not have a SW tank without having an African Cleaner Wrasse. It's my #1 choice

 

[vetteguy53081]

Be sure it did not molt as they will hide for 24-48hrs after a moult until their new skeleton hardens.
Look at the carcass you found if available yet. If it is meaty with flesh- dead shrimp. If it is hollow or clear, it is a molt as all shrimps duplicate their presence as a decoy until their shells harden

 

[Lasse]

IME - a salinity of 1.023 is to low for the cleaner shrimp (if it is Lysmata amboinensis ). It is around 30.3 psu. Look here - this tool and text is very good. This article shows stress response in Lysmata amboinensis and how light can alter the response. 1.026 at 25 degree C is 34.5 PSU (Practical Salinity Units). 1.023 is around 30.6 PSU

My friend - an importer of salt water organisms into Sweden - import Lysmata amboinensis. He run his fish tanks a little bit lower than 35 PSU (28 - 30 PSU) - he can´t have this shrimp alive in that salinity - he need to have them in separate tanks with higher salinity - this is the same in spite of origin. Believe me - he has killed Lysmata amboinensis from SriLanka with low salinity too.

I do not think this shrimp deaths i connected to your tanks mature level - its cycled and works IMO. However - a little bit older tank will help your shrimps with natural food as Paul B mentioned. This tank have had shrimps in it from around day 7 However I would send in an ICP test in order to exclude copper.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Reesj]

IME - a salinity of 1.023 is to low for the cleaner shrimp (if it is Lysmata amboinensis ). It is around 30.3 psu. Look here - this tool and text is very good. This article shows stress response in Lysmata amboinensis and how light can alter the response. 1.026 at 25 degree C is 34.5 PSU (Practical Salinity Units). 1.023 is around 30.6 PSU

My friend - an importer of salt water organisms into Sweden - import Lysmata amboinensis. He run his fish tanks a little bit lower than 35 PSU (28 - 30 PSU) - he can´t have this shrimp alive in that salinity - he need to have them in separate tanks with higher salinity - this is the same in spite of origin. Believe me - he has killed Lysmata amboinensis from SriLanka with low salinity too.

I do not think this shrimp deaths i connected to your tanks mature level - its cycled and works IMO. However - a little bit older tank will help your shrimps with natural food as Paul B mentioned. This tank have had shrimps in it from around day 7 However I would send in an ICP test in order to exclude copper.

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks. I also think it might have a lot to do with my last water change which lowered my salinity slightly. I was considering on bringing the salinity about 1.0245 eventually but after a while when everything is added
The tank they were in had salinity of 1.026 when I bought them home. I suspect he tops off with more salt water. Last bach of turbo snials salt water from their had 1.031 salinity when I bought them home.
That LFS though has no clue what the heck they doing and just sort of a holding point for few days.

 

[Reesj]

What's your main purpose for having cleaner shrimp?

1) bc you like their look and like having them to look at in the tank?

Or

2) you use them to clean your fish

If #2 is your main purpose, I'd switch over to an African Cleaner Wrasse. Its has to be marketed and sold as an "AFRICAN" bc africans will adapt to eating the fish food you feed your other fish.

If its marketed as just a "Cleaner Wrasse " and not from Africa, it will not survive. But African Cleaner Wrasses have super high survival rates. It's a night and day difference.

It's also a MUCH BETTER cleaner of fish as it will actively chase down your fish and sweep their bodies as the fish being cleaned is motionless knowing it's being inspected and cleaned.

I would not have a SW tank without having an African Cleaner Wrasse. It's my #1 choice

It is mostly the cleaning but the looks is a bit of a contributor also. Unfortunetly I can't find imported fish here. Has to be locally sourced fish. We have the normal one from Sri Lankan waters but as I heard they won't servive a smaller system I looked at the shrims.