So...I'm an idiot:(

[sen5241b]

Originally Posted by michelle

I think the ammonia reading was a contributing factor, but probably not the main cause. I think (and what do I know-I killed all my livestock:P) that it was mainly stress. I never turned the lights off as I probably should have to give the fish a chance to ease into their new home. I think thats what cause 3 to die unexplained. Then my cleaner shrimp was crushed by an unsecure rock and my goby jumped out. My anemone started moving around because of the new water currents and everything else new I gues and stung my torch who stung back and they both died. So, I think although some of it was definately due to my incorrect procedure of switching tanks, some was just crappy luck too. a lot of factors caused my deaths I think. Bottom line-I dont think anyone else would have the same snerio hgappen at least I hope

You may have lost a lot of good livestock but you (and others) took away a good lesson.

[Piggy]

Sorry about your loss. The LFS should of known better.

[Altohombre]

you should throw your rotted shrimp at your LFS and then demand that he sells you new fish for half price.

[Bifferwine]

Or pin him down on the counter and force feed it to him. Then wash it down with a nice, warm cup of skimmate.

[fatman]

What you did is not uncommon. I have read many times, even on this site, to use a shrimp to kick start your cycling. I believe the best kick start is use a few small live rocks, or some live rock rubble, and all the sand you plan on using, after your cycle is complete, add the rest of your live rock and watch your readings, always do water changes if your ammonia goes above 1 ppm (through out the whole process). Exchange enough water to bring ammonia below 0.5 ppm. Saves a lot of life, and provides a good strong bacteriological filtration system.

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, using shrimp to cycle a new tank is not uncommon, and it works, but she was moving the contents of one established tank into another, and was using all the old sand, rock and water. In that case, there would be no need to cycle the new tank all over again.

[fatman]

Using shrimp to cycle a tank has never been a good idea, whether it became commonly recommended procedure or not. Extremes are seldom good methodology. A shrimp is extreme. A piece of shrimp the size of a small womans smallest finger nail is large. A whole shrimp,or a half, or a quarter or even a tenth is too much unless your talking a 500 gallon tank or something larger than most people visiting this site would normally ask advice about. Sticking to a pinch of flake food is at least some what reasonable. Just how big a mass weight of bacteria does one expect to establish in a simple reef tank. A hundredth of a thimble full is a huge, huge number of bacteria. What could even that huge amount of bacteria do with a shrimp. BAD, BAD advice. The fact that she was moving over an active biological system is even more a reason for the LFS or any other persons to not recommend any organics be added to the tank, either before the move was made or after the move was made. The LFS bears a huge fault in giving such dated, bad advice to a customer. It would be nice if some moderator changed the title of this thread. Being an idiot is when you do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I do not believe that is the case here.

[michelle]

thanks for everyones kind words. I guess I just wish I had checked with you all before the move. But, I am feeling better about my aquarium again now. Soon time to add a fish again. You guys have been great

[yote]

Hate to hear about the loss.

[fatman]

No body on this site should call them selves names, I degrade enough people already, they should not do it to themselves. I am the critical, judgemental one here, and I am handling the burden just fine by myself. Thank you!