Peppermint Shrimp Died

[jdhettema]

Hey all,

Pardon my newness and lack of knowledge here, but I promise you I have been researching like crazy to get up to speed on things.

A friend had been "pestering" me to get started on an aquarium and I finally gave in. He sold me a 12g JBJ Nano with a 5 lb live rock from his tank for $100. He taught me how to cycle the tank and I filled it and started the process 5 weeks ago.

After about two weeks I noticed aptasia on the rock he gave me. After going to my LFS, I learned I had two options: 1. Dump Aptasia-X into my tank (Chemicals = bad to me), or 2. Get a peppermint shrimp. I decided on #2.

My LFS clerk told me that I could put the shrimp in my tank and not feed him! He said that the shrimp could find enough food off of the rock to be fine. He told me, "We don't even feed our shrimp in the store."

Because I am dumb and new, I took his advice. Well..... today I found my little shrimp (Which my wife named "Atticus") lying lifeless on the sand. I just had my water tested and Im sorry I don't have the numbers, but Ammonia and Nitrites were 0 and Nitrates were low. I had put a purple star polyp (1st coral) in there the day before and the I thought the shrimp was eating it (which he probably was based upon the fact that he was STARVING). The next day, he was dead. I hate that I killed one of God's creatures by starving him. I definitely don't want to repeat that.

Am I off here? Has anyone else had another experience like this with a LFS? Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks,

JD

 

[NanoReefer]

are you sure it isnt a shell malt? they typically dont need to bed fed, they are carnivores but they usually eat uneaten food. but in your case you have no other fish that there would be excess food.

 

[wontonflip]

+1 nano -- besides...there's no guarantee he'll eat the aiptasia. Aiptasia X is actually a great aiptasia killer. As is Joe's Juice (I've used Joe's Juice). It's not really bad chemicals. It's placed directly on the aiptasia itself (just make sure to turn on all powerheads/flow). I used it on my one aiptasia, and I've never seen it again. Make sure to follow the directions.

 

[NanoReefer]

+1 wonton dont just pour the stuff into the tank, you have to syringe it into the aiptasia it thinks its food eats it and dies.

 

[jdhettema]

He munched the aptasia right away. He was a voracious little guy and he served the tank well. sigh....

Nope, not a shell molt. We had one of those already which freaked my wife out. This was his actual body, red coloring and all.

 

[wontonflip]

Sucks, but honestly, sometimes, they die for unknown reasons. Or maybe he really did just starve, since you didn't really put in food for him to eat. Normally they'd eat the leftovers of the fish. Mine used to swim up to the surface so that he would get first dibs of the food I put in. Smart li'l guy.

 

[NanoReefer]

oh an welcome to the site!

 

[Smitty]

Sorry to hear about your shrimp...my question is, how did/long did you acclimate him? And it may not have been anything you did wrong, but how he was handled while at the lfs. It's pretty hard to starve a shrimp, especially after he's had aptasia and possibly corals to eat just a few days prior.

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome!

Everyone has you covered!

 

[JustinsReefTank]

Hello and Welcome!!