Losing Hermits / questionable test kit

[MrJoel]

So since setting up my tank we have lost 3-4 hermits.   Of the original 3 I had in the tank  2 died while molting and one moved to his new upgraded shell without incident. With only 1 of 3 remaining and all usual tank parameters were good I added 4 new ones. Within a day I have found at least on more dead out of it shell at the base of my frogspawn. Could be I Just have one particularly murderous hermit in the tank that believe "there can be only one".

Since most posts about inverts ask about Iodine levels I ordered the Red Sea Reef Colors Pro Test kit So I could start monitoring this directly instead of using the alternate method of adding trace elements with Calcium based on the overall rate of Calcium consumption.

When I received my kit yesterday I noticed the rubber bands that hold the spoons to the vials of powder had liquefied and were a mess inside the box having dripped liquid rubber all over items. The rubber was easily removed but one of the potassium liquid reagent vials also had a label not sticking. My concern is that reagent may have leaked causing the rubber to liquefy and also causing the label to lose adhesion. Most likely also coating many things in the kit through vapor deposition when boxes were warm in shipping boxes. I have reached out to Red Sea but they are apparently all out of these kits and will have to send me a replacement when they get more. Looking online I see reports on other forums going back a few years of the same issue and many reports in the amazon product reviews.

Has anyone else here had this issue? Should I worry about the kit now being good if there was leakage and possible evaporation of one or more of the reagents?

 

[MrJoel]

Red Sea followed up stating that they do not sell to or through Amazon and it could be the product being sold by amazon are not being properly stored. Based on this I will be ordering no more Red Sea products through them regardless of price and free shipping.

Based on this information, I recommend others avoid ordering their test kits through Amazon as well.

[BulkRate]

Ran into the same thing a year or so ago... frankly it's just better to buy at an LFS if at all possible.  Eat the extra $ - lets you check expiration dates BEFORE you buy and you can open the kit there to verify that everything is in order & replace it if need be with minimal hassle.

 

<queue the Most Interesting Man in the World theme music>

I don't always test...but when I do I buy the kits locally.

 

Also... something has to be waaaaay wrong for hermits to kick the bucket in the manner you;re describing provided you give them even minimally OK acclimation.  Maybe a Triton-style workup would be in order in this situation if only to save you money in the long run?

[Clown79]

I don't test iodine. Most of the kits are inaccurate and dosing it is very dicey.

 

Your waterchanges are sufficient to replenish it.

 

I'd be concerned with alk&ca

Salinity changes

Acclimation process

 

Is there anything in the tank that could be killing them besides another hermit?

 

It's normal for molting but not constantly and not immediately either.

 

That may be a sign that something is off and i don't think its iodine

[MrJoel]

The only thing in the tank with them at the time was the clowns. 

 

Salinity: 1.024 with refractometer calibrated using 35ppt calibration solution.

PH: 8.2 when tested in evening

Alk:10.1 dkH

Cal: 435 ppl

Mag: 1280

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 6ppm

Phosphate:0.0122

[Clown79]

Is there extra shells for them to molt to?

 

If they are fighting(i haven't exoerienced this much) if they are out of the shell they are vulnerable.

 

When the molt, they are very vulnerable as well.

[MrJoel]

Yep. They have a variety of types and sizes available. I have seem a few looking like they are fighting recently. I think one may have killed the others.

No more have died in the last week or so. Maybe they are done for a while. Or maybe the killer is just laying low waiting to strike again.  Sorry been up for too long, a not filtering out silly things.

[Clown79]

No worries 

 

Sometimes what i type doesn't even look like a word.lol

 

Is the "killer" a different type of hermit than the others?

 

What does it look like?

[MrJoel]

The first 3 were Blue legs. Only one made it. He is still in the tank.  We added 4 reds and lost at least one of those.  They get floated for temp for 20min and drip acclimated 45-60min.

[Clown79]

I don't drip acclimate hermits, fish, or snails. Float bag for 20-30mins then in they go.

 

The only time i would drip acclimate is for shrimp and crabs like emeralds/pom pom or if shipped to my home.

 

Red legs are aggressive, not scarlets. There is a difference.

[yungKitten]

On 4/28/2017 at 11:59 AM, MrJoel said:

 Could be I Just have one particularly murderous hermit in the tank that believe "there can be only one".

 

 

[MrJoel]

I used to just float for temp for 10-20min, poke a few holes with a tooth pick to let the water mix for an additional 10-20min and them let them go. But I saw things about hermits dying if not acclimated  over a longer period, so I switched. 

I am not 100% which crabs the last batch was. I just know the legs were red. I know I should be better about knowing exactly what is going into the tank. 

 

[Clown79]

I've never lost anything by floating.

[Thunder Goose]

What size in your tank? How established? Are you feeding enough to support that many?

 

I have one "murderous" hermit who is territorial and has fought with/ possibly killed others of it's own species. It was sold as a "Hawaiian Dwarf" and has black and white striped legs. My red leg hermits have been just fine and very peaceful.

[Clown79]

^ Are they red legged or scarlets? There is  difference as scarlets are peaceful hermits.

[MrJoel]

1 hour ago, Thunder Goose said:

What size in your tank? How established? Are you feeding enough to support that many?

 It is an Evo 13.5 approaching 60 days. It was set up with live sand and pre-seeded Marine pure balls. In addition to that I followed the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro kit. My Amonia and Nitrite have always tested 0 and the Nitrate is usually hovering around 5-6. I recently upped the NO₃: PO₄-X to the recommended level in order to lower that nitrate.   When feeding my clowns some food fall to the bottom and they eat it. When I feed my acans mysis a few times a week they also eat pieces of that.

 

While inspecting them better yesterday to see what I actually have, I saw the only one with red legs is actually from the first batch. His Legs are full red and not just red tipped so I think that would be a scarlet. I could not get a good view of his eyes to see if they are yellow. The other three left in the tank have blue legs.

[Clown79]

Your nitrates aren't high at 5-6.

Corals need nutrients just not high levels

[MrJoel]

Well 2 blues were fighting over one shell. One emerged victorious. The other was left with his tail ripper off in the sand. I guess that one shell is the best shell.  If I add more empties to pick from the tank will just be a dumping ground of empty shells

[Clown79]

When a hermit gets removed from  shell, its very vulnerable. Put a shell directly next to it, it will go in.