Shrimp dying!!!

[Adam113]

Alright guys, I have a 29g biocube and all I want is a freaking shrimp to be a long term resident. Here is my set up that's been running for 6 months now.

29g cube:

35 pounds or so of live rock
2 percula clowns
1 firefish
1 diamond Goby
2 emerald crabs
7 assorted snails
4 hermits

Parameters:
80 degrees
Salinity - 1.025
Ammonia- 0
PH- 8.2-8.4
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 5
Calcium- 430
KH- 8.0

So here's my story. I first got a peppermint shrimp, he was actually my first inhabitant in my tank 5 months ago. He was in the tank doing great for a month. In that month I added the snails and the emerald crabs. One day he was gone. Thought he was hiding, and never found him. No molt, nothing.

Fast forward a month, I buy a single cleaner shrimp. Doing great. Would clean my arm, everyone seemed interested in him and everyone was getting along. Fish would swim up to him and he was always out and about. He molted on day 5, found him dead in one piece with no apparent damage on day 7.

Checked all parameters again, chalked it up to a sick or old shrimp (he was fairly large). Tried another cleaner. Picked a smaller cleaner shrimp out, did about a 30 minute float and then a 2 hour drip acclimation to be safe. Tossed him in, and he was never quite as open as the first cleaner. Kind of stayed on one rock and chilled most of the time. He molted on day 2, doing well the day after. Then I'd see him kind of hanging out at one corner not very active for the last day he was alive. He died on day 5. Found pieces of him. Not sure if attack or was dead and was just getting picked apart.

Each one of these deaths tore me apart. I hate it. I hate losing anything. I felt to blame, and I'm not sure what to do differently. My tank has plentyyyy of hiding spots, parameters all seem acceptable and very constant. There isn't much swinging of any levels. My one emerald is a big boy, so he was my first thought, but I know emeralds are usually pretty peaceful. I understand after a molt they are easy prey for a meal, but I usually catch myself overfeeding my guys, so I don't think anybody was starving for a shrimp.

What is going on!? These are literally the only losses I've ever had. Very confused and frustrated as they're my favorite little creatures.

Any info or tips are greatly appreciated.

 

[stevo01]

Sorry for your troubles.

Just my opinion but Peppermint and cleaner shrimp dont get along. My cleaner dislikes the peppermints very much, however my cleaner is probably twice the size of the peppermints. The peppermints need a territory of their own as does cleaner the shrimp. The need rocks they can hide under. The clowns might be the attacker, but I couldnt say one way or the other right now. Other known tank habitants shouldnt be a factor though.

A new shrimp to the system usually molts pretty soon after introduction. Like you said this is its weakest moment where a small attack could be deadly.

 

[Adam113]

Sorry for your troubles.

Just my opinion but Peppermint and cleaner shrimp dont get along. My cleaner dislikes the peppermints very much, however my cleaner is probably twice the size of the peppermints. The peppermints need a territory of their own as does cleaner the shrimp. The need rocks they can hide under. The clowns might be the attacker, but I couldnt say one way or the other right now. Other known tank habitants shouldnt be a factor though.

A new shrimp to the system usually molts pretty soon after introduction. Like you said this is its weakest moment where a small attack could be deadly.

Thank you, but the shrimps were all put in alone at separate times. One had died before the next was added.

 

[nitro]

I lost my first couple shrimps only to find I had some metals in my water and it was killing them. I purchased a couple poly filters to help clean out my water and that fixed it.

 

[Adam113]

I lost my first couple shrimps only to find I had some metals in my water and it was killing them. I purchased a couple poly filters to help clean out my water and that fixed it.

I got the water tested for copper and had zero. What else and how do I test for it? I'm still pretty new to this extremely in depth hobby!

 

[Adam113]

Anymore input? I'd love to get a fire shrimp or a couple peppermints soon

 

[Adam113]

Sorry for your troubles.

Just my opinion but Peppermint and cleaner shrimp dont get along. My cleaner dislikes the peppermints very much, however my cleaner is probably twice the size of the peppermints. The peppermints need a territory of their own as does cleaner the shrimp. The need rocks they can hide under. The clowns might be the attacker, but I couldnt say one way or the other right now. Other known tank habitants shouldnt be a factor though.

A new shrimp to the system usually molts pretty soon after introduction. Like you said this is its weakest moment where a small attack could be deadly.

I lost my first couple shrimps only to find I had some metals in my water and it was killing them. I purchased a couple poly filters to help clean out my water and that fixed it.

I have to resurrect an old thread. I think I have just realized a very stupid and beginner mistake I have made... This never crossed my mind.

So, I had been using a metal turkey baster to blow off my rock and stir up my sand every now and then in my 29g (where I kept losing shrimp) until I got my diamond Goby which keeps my sand nice and turned. I just went to clean it, assuming it was stainless steel or something and couldn't rust, and there was rust inside... Could this be the elusive killer of my shrimp!?!? It would make sense that ONLY shrimp were dying.

What really made this click in my head was the fact that I JUST used the baster to replenish water that I had lost while acclimating a new fish in my 10g, And I just found my peppermint shrimp dead about 8 hours later.

I feel so stupid and guilty. Are my two hermits in danger? Is my new Rainford Goby in danger? He's just been chilling next to one of the live rocks since I put him in, but I assumed that was just new tank shyness.

 

[Adam113]

Somebody please help me out. Bump
Bump

 

[stevo01]

I don't think it was the baster, but maybe. If your really curious send your water out for a triton test.

 

[stevo01]

Since my first post my cleaner shrimp killed one of the peppermint shrimp...

 

[scriptmonkey]

Sounds like the cleaner shrimp needs a time out.

 

[stevo01]

I'm kinda glad one is down and out. These peppermint shrimp ruined a several hundred dollar acan colony.

 

[Adam113]

Well, good news so far. My pistol shrimp, who is a tiny baby, has been in for 2 and a half weeks (don't see him much, but hear him snapping every now and then), and my fire shrimp has been in for a week and a half and they're doing great so far. The turkey baster is in the trash can.

 

[stevo01]

Good luck!

 

[MamaLovesHerReefTank]

I have 3 cleaner shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp and 2 blood shrimp in my tank and have never had any issues. Hopefully it was the baster causing the issues. I just use a cheap plastic one from the dollar store and change it out every couple months.

 

[scriptmonkey]

Well, good news so far. My pistol shrimp, who is a tiny baby, has been in for 2 and a half weeks (don't see him much, but hear him snapping every now and then), and my fire shrimp has been in for a week and a half and they're doing great so far. The turkey baster is in the trash can.

So thanks to this thread you had me crawling through my set up looking for anything that was stainless and I found a hose clamp that was starting to rust that tied my return pump to the hard line. I have since removed it and running without for the time being until I can get a plastic ratchet clamp or titanium.

Thanks
Tom