Cleaner shrimp died for unknown reason after 8 months

[Brad Coughlan]

I have had this cleaner shrimp for 8 months, got him fairly small and he has grown a lot larger. Looked at the tank today to find him dead (it is not a molt)

I do not know what killed him. In terms of aggression, I have 2 clowns, 1 firefish, 1 tailspot blenny. Also 1 pepermint shrimp but the cleaner shrimp seemed to have aggression towards him.

My question is, since I don't know the cause of this death, is there anything known to kill cleaner shrimps that I am unaware of? I did a water change, carbon change yesterday, which seem completely fine and didn't negativley effect anything else.

Parameters are
Salinity 1.026
Alk 7.4
Calcium 406
Magnesium 1270
Nitrate 5ppm
Phosphate 0.0ppm (need to ease off the nopox dosing)

 

[morrisDR]

I have had this cleaner shrimp for 8 months, got him fairly small and he has grown a lot larger. Looked at the tank today to find him dead (it is not a molt)

I do not know what killed him. In terms of aggression, I have 2 clowns, 1 firefish, 1 tailspot blenny. Also 1 pepermint shrimp but the cleaner shrimp seemed to have aggression towards him.

My question is, since I don't know the cause of this death, is there anything known to kill cleaner shrimps that I am unaware of? I did a water change, carbon change yesterday, which seem completely fine and didn't negativley effect anything else.

Parameters are
Salinity 1.026
Alk 7.4
Calcium 406
Magnesium 1270
Nitrate 5ppm
Phosphate 0.0ppm (need to ease off the nopox dosing)

Most people forget that a shrimp is an animal that also needs food like the fish. Most of the time they die it's because you underfeed the shrimp. A pipet should be used every 3 days to make sure he eats enough. I see all these YouTubers and local people saying well it's been 3 months let's buy a new cleanser shrimp because this one is dead ....

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Most people forget that a shrimp is an animal that also needs food like the fish. Most of the time they die it's because you underfeed the shrimp. A pipet should be used every 3 days to make sure he eats enough. I see all these YouTubers and local people saying well it's been 3 months let's buy a new cleanser shrimp because this one is dead ....

Right ok
For the past few weeks I have been feeding 3 times day

I am mostly sure he was getting a good amount

 

[morrisDR]

Right ok
For the past few weeks I have been feeding 3 times day

I am mostly sure he was getting a good amount

Was the shrimp already big when you bought it? I myself buy them when there small it takes about a month for them to get big. It could just be old age. Some fish may eat them with teeth like puffer fish or hawkfish will sometimes do it.

 

[morrisDR]

In total they can live 3-5 years btw. But yours could be old when buying it

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Was the shrimp already big when you bought it? I myself but them when there small it takes about a month for them to get big. It could just be old age. Some fish may eat them with teeth like puffer fish or hawkfish will sometimes do it.

He was a lot smaller when I got him compared to now

Yeah I suspected fish but I only have clowns firefish and blenny

 

[Brad Coughlan]

In total they can live 3-5 years btw. But yours could be old when buying it

That's why I cannot understand why he died, he was young on purchase and molted fairly frequently and got quite large

 

[morrisDR]

That's why I cannot understand why he died, he was young on purchase and molted fairly frequently and got quite large

When they reach their large state they will mostly only mold when alkalinity swings happens or any other swing ofcourse. Maybe the problem is to much swings in your parameters

 

[Brad Coughlan]

When they reach their large state they will mostly only mold when alkalinity swings happens or any other swing ofcourse. Maybe the problem is to much swings in your parameters

Oh, I was unaware of that

My alkalinity seems to have held around the 7.5 for a few weeks, only thing I can say in parameters that is significant is phosphate hitting 0.0, and also feeding frozen food that has been soaking in water for days, maybe ammonia accumulated and I dumped it into the tank, although I have been doing this for quite a while now, shrimp began acting unusual a day before its death

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Oh, I was unaware of that

My alkalinity seems to have held around the 7.5 for a few weeks, only thing I can say in parameters that is significant is phosphate hitting 0.0, and also feeding frozen food that has been soaking in water for days, maybe ammonia accumulated and I dumped it into the tank, although I have been doing this for quite a while now, shrimp began acting unusual a day before its death

Do you think it could be due to dumping that food that has been soaking in water for says into the tank? I'm just thinking of ammonia... although the peppermint shrimp is fine, same with everything else

 

[morrisDR]

Do you think it could be due to dumping that food that has been soaking in water for says into the tank? I'm just thinking of ammonia... although the peppermint shrimp is fine, same with everything else

It could definitely be a cause. Maybe the shrimp was eating rotting food and got sick by it. But I'm not an expert. You may also have had bad luck. What fish do you have in the tank?

 

[exnisstech]

I'm just throwing this out there. Quite often things die in our tanks with no explanation. I know it's frustrating but it happens. I lost my hippo tang recently. I had the fish for over 5 years. No odd behavior or signs of disease. I feed one morning and she doesn't come out to eat. Found her dead in the rocks. She was fine the night before. All other fish including tangs 6-7 year in the tank doing fine.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

It could definitely be a cause. Maybe the shrimp was eating rotting food and got sick by it. But I'm not an expert. You may also have had bad luck. What fish do you have in the tank?

Clowns, firefish and blenny

Only reason I'd say it isn't from the food is that the peppermint shrimp is fine, and also I was feeding the same for a week or so

Definitley a weird death, unfortunate though as I really loved that shrimp

 

[EricR]

I had my first cleaner shrimp for 2+ years and it died unexpectedly, like you said.
Mine seemed to be a failed molt but, after 2+ years of molting about every month or two, and growing from tiny to fairly large, it was a surprise.

No help there but I feel your confusion.

 

[Uncle99]

I have had this cleaner shrimp for 8 months, got him fairly small and he has grown a lot larger. Looked at the tank today to find him dead (it is not a molt)

I do not know what killed him. In terms of aggression, I have 2 clowns, 1 firefish, 1 tailspot blenny. Also 1 pepermint shrimp but the cleaner shrimp seemed to have aggression towards him.

My question is, since I don't know the cause of this death, is there anything known to kill cleaner shrimps that I am unaware of? I did a water change, carbon change yesterday, which seem completely fine and didn't negativley effect anything else.

Parameters are
Salinity 1.026
Alk 7.4
Calcium 406
Magnesium 1270
Nitrate 5ppm
Phosphate 0.0ppm (need to ease off the nopox dosing)

Dead as in broken parts, parts missing.
Or fully intact?