What water impurity kills shrimp?

[Hexabonal]

For some reason, shrimp always die in both my marine and freshwater tanks - cherry shrimp, cleaner shrimp and peppermint shrimp - all except the infamously hardy amano shrimp. Sometimes instantly, sometimes over a few days. They are slowly drip acclimated. Despite this, my water quality is high enough to breed finnicky freshwater fish and for my SPS, pods, urchins snails and slugs to thrive. I did a home test on my tapwater for about ten different qualities. It was all good (no copper, tds of 80, no ammonia) apart from one section which said 'lead / fertiliser'. I suspect this is the cause and I am setting up an RODI, but is there anything else I should be looking out for?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Chlorine and chloramine's.

 

[Maritimer]

Copper and hydrogen peroxide would be another couple of things shrimp don't seem to tolerate very well.

Iodine is an important element for moulting - but it doesn't seem that yours are even lasting that long.

~Bruce

 

[User]

Copper and hydrogen peroxide would be another couple of things shrimp don't seem to tolerate very well.

Iodine is an important element for moulting - but it doesn't seem that yours are even lasting that long.

~Bruce

Do you need to supplement iodine if you’re using brand new mixed salt-water? Say instant ocean at 1.025?

 

[Maritimer]

Shouldn't have to, but ... <shrugs>

Just how new is the mix?

~Bruce

 

[User]

Fresh made for water change, only thing in the QT is a cleaner shrimp

 

[Hexabonal]

Chlorine and chloramine's.

I am treating all tapwater with prime which I thought removed this. I also think the test did not read any chlorine.

 

[Ariel V Rosa]

Hiw are you acclimating these shrimps to your enviroment? Instant death is shock from proper acclimation. Other than that your watter has copper or some form of chlorine in it. Copper is absolutely deadly to invertebrates. Some people unintentionally poison thier tanjs by using things made with copper in thier tanks like fittings, tubes, screws. Brass is copper. A wire ehis insulatiin has work out and is leeching exposed copper into the aquarium you have to check, no shrimp should insta go poof. The other thing ti check for is fish.... Some fish like killing things, a few years back I had sime plowns that got along with everything..... except cleaner shrimps.... you put a cleaner shrimp in they would dismember it on sight. Sometimes they woukd wait till the lights were in sunset mode. Also... LARGE bristle worms will kill anything it can get its hands on.

 

[Hexabonal]

All the equipment is pretty new and if it were an equipment issue then it wouldnt be in both tanks. I drip acclimate for two hours. Temperature isn't an issue here as it's naturally 28 degrees. A friend reckons it's heavy metals in the water supply!

 

[Ariel V Rosa]

All the equipment is pretty new and if it were an equipment issue then it wouldnt be in both tanks. I drip acclimate for two hours. Temperature isn't an issue here as it's naturally 28 degrees. A friend reckons it's heavy metals in the water supply!

I tend to agree with your freind that somehow you are getting copper in your water supply. Most RO systems are pretty good at filtering that stuff out. Are you filling your tank with water stright from the tap? Have you tried running a large canister of proper carbon in a reactor? Like the one I have in the pic, it only runs when par drops or I have more yellowing of the water than I would like, and runs for 24 hours after any hands have been in the tank.