new pistol shrimp is dying within 1hour of being in the tank.

[this1fish]

i just bought a pistol shrimp and acclimated it properly into my tank. I float the bag for 10-15mins til the water was temp match, then i dumped half and slowly began to fill it up. did a 30min acclimation and now i have a dying shrimp. which sucks because i really liked it. it was shipped to the LFS on friday and i had them hold it for me for 3 days. today, i bought it and took it home. Now it's dying, it's basically lifeless yet still moving and breathing. is my shrimp as good as dead or does it still stand a chance. I am here with a pen beating on my cleaner shrimp because it seems to be taking advantage of my weaken pistol. Also the pistol had just molted too at the lfs. could just very well be stress.

 

edit: shrimp died

 

I think my water test kit is BSing me.

 

I tested my tank's parameter against the water that came with the shrimp.

 

both PH were at 7.9 which i doubt a reputable petstore will keep theirs at.

 

i didnt bother doing a nitrate/nitrate/ammo because it's probably spiked by now with the dead shrimp in it.

 

my tank parameters are:

 

temp: 79.7

salinity: 1.026

ph: 7.9( i always get this no matter what water i test)

ammonia: .20ppm

nitrate: same as everytime i test it .10

nitrite: undetectable, color didnt change...maybe it's 0

alky: 200ppm

 

whats funny is that i always get these results and i've been doing water changes every day for the past week trying to lower the ammonia. I think my test kit is BULL!!!! it always gives me the same results. I'm using the ocean master kit by marine land.

 

I have a cleaner shrimp and 2 peppermints(in the sump) that has never had any issues. With ammonia at .20, i would think that should be enough to kill them If it has been at that level for the past weeks that i have had my shrimps. I always get the same results regardless. My pom pom xenia is doing fine and pulsing like usual, my other xenia is fully inflated like usual. the Shrooms that i have are nicely opened as well. All my corals and invertabrates are doing fine.

 

I really think my water test kit isn't doing it's job. so I'm thinking that it was stress that killed my pistol. any ideas?

[Rift-Reef]

Have you taken a sample of your water to your lfs to have them verify your home test results? How long has your tank been set-up?

[this1fish]

I will do that tomorrow when i bring the shrimp back to see if i can get store credit.

 

Also, i couldn't stay still so i tested the water that came from the LFS.

 

results were as expected, it went bad with the shrimp being in it.

 

the ammonia sky rocket for the shrimp being dead in it at .60ppm

nitrite: 40

nitrite: .4

 

well, atleast i know now that my kit doesnt give the same results every time.