mjschomer Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 I purchased 3 peppermint shrimp 3 weeks ago. After about a week and a half one went missing. I found it's carcass a couple days later. Now a couple days ago the same thing happened to another one. In each case the shrimp stops eating that day before it goes missing; prior to that they appear fine. Water quality appears fine... ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates all test 0. PH varies from 8.0 (night) to 8.4 (day). I haven't had it tested by my LFS yet. All the other critters in my tank seem fine and unaffected by whatever is killing the shrimp. I've got 1 clownfish, 2 turbo snails, 12 blue legged hermits, and lots of pods. The only thing that I can possibly think of is that up until a week or two ago I was dosing iodine at recommended quantities. Then I read that dosing iodine in nanos is dangerous so I stopped. I would think if this were the problem all the shrimp would be affected at more or less the same time. Link to comment
Angel Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 What size tank is this? Seems like a lot of hermits. I do not dose my tank (regular water changes work fine) so I cannot answer that. The only time mine do not eat, is the day they have molted. I am wondering if there is adequate hiding spaces or maybe the fish/crabs get them when they are soft. Good Luck! Angel Link to comment
Simbo18 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Are you possitive that they are dieing?? Could it bet that they are molting and just hideing out until their "new" shell hardens?? Luke Link to comment
mjschomer Posted June 28, 2003 Author Share Posted June 28, 2003 Sorry, forgot to mention it’s a 20H. Approximately 30lbs of live rock, so there should be enough hiding spots. I am positive they are dying. I saw one carcass decompose in a crevice, and I removed another one before it decomposed. These are definitely carcasses and not molts. I have seen molts, and they are white vs. pinkish. I guess it is possible that they are attempting to molt and something is interfering with the process. I'm just not sure what it would be. Link to comment
Angel Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 I was curious as to what may have caused the deaths, since most know that shrimp are a favorite of mine, so after a little research, I found this: A word of caution is appropriate about the Clarkii Clownfish (A. clarkii). Despite its universal acceptance as reef-safe, I personally have seen large members of this species eat cleaner shrimp and peppermint shrimp and terrorize other inverts. If captive raised clownfish are available, and they often are, they are a great choice. Captive-raised fish tend to be more sturdy than wild caught and less likely to import disease. However, be sure to buy them from a breeder with a good reputation (ask us if unsure), as captive raised fish that are not exposed to sea water or wild caught fish can develop immunity deficiencies and become very susceptible to disease upon exposure to wild caught fish. Found at this site: http://www.thereefweb.com/fish_selection_t..._well______.htm Found this also: Other points to note. Shrimps need iodine to properly molt, as well as calcium . If you do not change water regularly (which you should), or if you do not feed live or frozen food frequently, then you may need to supplement your water with iodine. Without proper levels of iodine, shrimps will not molt properly and will most likely die. Also, copper kills invertebrates at much lower concentrations than fish. If you have ever used copper in your tank, DO NOT put invertebrates into the tank. You will never be able to adequately remove all the copper such that you can keep invertebrates alive and happy. Found it here: http://faq.thekrib.com/sbegin-fish.html HTH Angel Link to comment
mjschomer Posted June 29, 2003 Author Share Posted June 29, 2003 My clownfish is a captive bred ocellaris clown; currently about 2 inches. At times he seems interested in the peps, but I have never seen him harass one. I find the shrimp carcasses in spots where it would be unlikely that the clown would have attacked them. As far as the iodine issue. If that were the problem, it would be that there was too much iodine in the tank. I do regular water changes of 2 gallons per week, and up to a couple weeks ago, I was dosing iodine. That was an interesting note about the frozen food. I did not realize it contained more iodine than normal food. I have not been feeding frozen food because my clown is a picky eater. He prefers pellets, but will occasionally take small flake food. The peps usually eat the leftovers. Could it be that their diet is not nutritionally satisfactory? Link to comment
EdgeKrusher Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 Do you hear poping sounds at night? Maybe you have a mantis shrimp. Just a thought. Link to comment
mjschomer Posted June 30, 2003 Author Share Posted June 30, 2003 A mantis would have brought the dead carcass back to it's lair to eat. Besides, I think I got all the mantis out of there (2 of them in 30lbs or rock.) I'm not hearing any clicking sounds from the tank anymore. Link to comment
mjschomer Posted June 30, 2003 Author Share Posted June 30, 2003 I think I will just wait a month. If the last one lives that long, I will get him some more friends. If not, I will wait a couple months more before trying. Maybe I will get a mated pair of Coral Bandeds instead. Link to comment
mjschomer Posted July 4, 2003 Author Share Posted July 4, 2003 I noticed my remaining pep is carrying eggs. I wonder if they are fertilized? Link to comment
mjschomer Posted July 8, 2003 Author Share Posted July 8, 2003 Well, I found the last one dead tonight. This morning I noticed a molt, so I suspect something is happening to them when they molt. I'm just not sure what. I don't know what to think. Maybe I will wait a while and try something different. Link to comment
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