Help Crabs & Shrimp are dying

[Trouble1375]

Parameters are all in normal stable ranges. Snails are doing great - in fact they are breeding like crazy but we can’t seem to keep crabs or shrimp alive for more than a month sometimes only a few days. Any thoughts.

 

[Jekyl]

Using RODI water? Enough iodine in the water?

 

[Trouble1375]

Yes we are using RODI and Iodine levels are stable and in normal range. At work now and my spreadsheet is at home with the details but all levels have been stable except Strontium which is now stable and normal ranges as well

 

[Nano man]

What salt are you using?
What fish do you have?
Peace.

 

[Jekyl]

Something in the water that shouldn't be is my guess. Maybe acclimation?

 

[Trouble1375]

Instant Ocean

We have a Naso Tang and a bicolor blenny but they just got added on 9/14 and they shrimp and crab were dying well before the addition of the fish. Tank had only inverts and corals after 7/1 when the nem nuked the tank and killed all our fish.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Make sure your Mg is not to high

 

[W1ngz]

Need more info on the parameters. 'Normal' isn't enough.

 

[Lorenzo Angotti]

If you have a sump for the time being place them in there, then if they survive in there, then you know it’s not your water parameters, what other fish or critters have you in the tank, they could be causing them stress.

 

[Trouble1375]

Need more info on the parameters. 'Normal' isn't enough.

I’ll get the exact parameters tonight. They are on my spreadsheet at home.

 

[W1ngz]

I’ll get the exact parameters tonight. They are on my spreadsheet at home.

If it is copper, I'm not sure the API copper test is reliable at low range values. If there's any chance you can stop by an LFS and grab a salifert copper test it might give more insight. Same thing for a package of poly-pad chemical filter pads.

The snails that are breeding are trochus, I assume?

 

[Dom]

Yes we are using RODI and Iodine levels are stable and in normal range. At work now and my spreadsheet is at home with the details but all levels have been stable except Strontium which is now stable and normal ranges as well

Please post your last test numbers and the date the tests were done. Difficult to target the problem with " Parameters are all normal, stable ranges".

 

[W1ngz]

Please post your last test numbers and the date the tests were done. Difficult to target the problem with " Parameters are all normal, stable ranges".

You need to add another line to your sig: 'Normal' isn't a valid test result. lol

 

[Nano man]

A nuked anemones effects can last a while. How much of a water change has occurred after that?

 

[Jon Fishman]

How long has it been going on? Was the tank a complete start-up? Were dry rocks started, or did you start with live rocks bought from a LFS or a craigslist reefer etc?

My initial thought is copper from somewhere. Any shark-bite type pipe fittings etc?

Little kids in the house? AKA “The X-factor?”

 

[Dom]

Instant Ocean

We have a Naso Tang and a bicolor blenny but they just got added on 9/14 and they shrimp and crab were dying well before the addition of the fish. Tank had only inverts and corals after 7/1 when the nem nuked the tank and killed all our fish.

I don't understand why you would add fish to a tank whose inhabitants were already dying. I would suggest that you not add anything to the tank until we can figure out why this is happening.

Let's see your latest test numbers and then we can come up with a plan.

Please don't get discouraged.

 

[ss30]

How do you acclimate your inverts?

 

[Trouble1375]

I don't understand why you would add fish to a tank whose inhabitants were already dying. I would suggest that you not add anything to the tank until we can figure out why this is happening.

Let's see your latest test numbers and then we can come up with a plan.

Please don't get discouraged.

If it is copper, I'm not sure the API copper test is reliable at low range values. If there's any chance you can stop by an LFS and grab a salifert copper test it might give more insight. Same thing for a package of poly-pad chemical filter pads.

The snails that are breeding are trochus, I assume?

We have 6 different kinds of snails and at least 3 different kinds are laying eggs based on the eggs we are seeing


We had no intention of putting the fish in yet however the heater died on the QT tank and we lost 3 fish in QT overnight due to the temp drop and the 2 remaining were breathing fast and were lethargic. We moved them as a panic and within a few hours they both stabilized and are seemingly happy. QT tank has now been cleaned and has a new heater so we can start another QT batch.

 

[Trouble1375]

A nuked anemones effects can last a while. How much of a water change has occurred after that?

We have done 5 30 gallon water changes since the anemone nuke.

 

[RichReef]

When my high salinity issues began it was the anemone who went first. Crabs and shrimp were next. I had a bad floating hydrometer that allowed me to be negligent and my salinity eventually reached 1.035 over a period of time. All the fish survived, acans, zoas, xenia, hammer, and even a red monti survived. I didn't even find the problem until I purchased a refractometer just because it was on sale for 20 bucks.

This fiasco went on for more than 2 years.

I would recheck salinity.