Phyto from LFS deadly to shrimp.

[BleuDude]

I bought phyto from my lfs that the owners grandson is culturing. At first I had no problems but two weeks ago I added some to my reef and overnight a cleaner shrimp a scarlet shrimp and a blue coral banded suddenly disappeared. Today I replace the cleaner shrimp and added a Zanzibar coral banded shrimp around noon. Everything was fine, around 7pm I added more of the phyto and within minutes both new shrimp died. I think my pistol shrimp is toast too.
Parameters 78°pH8.2, Ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate .23ppm, phosphate .6ppm, dkh 12. Everything else looks just fine. Fish are active and normal, corals all bright with extended polyps, snails cruising around doing their thing. All the shrimp just suddenly dead two times, correlation says its the phyto.

 

[JGT]

That looks like a molt. You sure it’s the actual shrimp?

 

[BleuDude]

That looks like a molt. You sure it’s the actual shrimp?

That's the Zanzibar shrimp in a very much alive state.

 

[AKL1950]

Interesting. I added phyto to my tank on Saturday evening and now three days later today all my shrimp are dead. Stuff I used was commercial product. Don’t know if there is a correlation here, but I don’t know what killed all my shrimp Yet.

 

[BleuDude]

Interesting. I added phyto to my tank on Saturday evening and now three days later today all my shrimp are dead. Stuff I used was commercial product. Don’t know if there is a correlation here, but I don’t know what killed all my shrimp Yet.

This has happened to me twice, there is definitely a correlation but is it the cause or just really bad luck and coincidence. With your input I'm really leaning towards causation.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

If it's a batch the grandson mixed up maybe the fertilizer he used was contaminated with something? Just a thought... phytoplankton itself definitely isn't toxic to shrimp

 

[AKL1950]

Mine maybe something different. I actually found my fourth shrimp alive and well last night scurrying around eating detritus in the back of the tank. She’s carrying a lot of eggs. My problem may be low iodine. The other three may have died because they couldn’t molt. She won’t try to molt until after she releases her eggs. I dosed some iodine yesterday and will do an ICP test to see where I stand with the iodine. Hopefully I can save her.

 

[BleuDude]

If it's a batch the grandson mixed up maybe the fertilizer he used was contaminated with something? Just a thought... phytoplankton itself definitely isn't toxic to shrimp

The correct species of phyto wouldn't be this true. There are unicellular algae that is unfortunately and without expert knowledge of species under a microscope I have no way of knowing. Good ca on potential fertilizer those. The LFS replaced the shrimp happily and I'll go back to using Algae Barn.

 

[Jeeperz]

Reef nutrition is cheaper and better than algae barn. Or hit up @Eldredge for his phyto, I've used it many times.

I used to never be able to keep emerald crabs more than a few weeks, now that I dose seachem iodine I've had one over a year and haven't lost any snails besides what my striped leg wants for a shell

 

[BuddyBonButt]

I culture and sell phytoplankton. It's very common for fish shop cultures to use low quality fertilizers like Miracle Grow and sell it as Reef safe because its much cheaper than F/2 fertilizers. I grow mine with F/2 and no one I've sold to has had an issue. That's my guess. Shrimp are super sensitive so i recommend going back and asking what they use to culture it...