Ok so over the past few weeks I have been having real trouble keeping my pepperminnt shrimp alive. Ive been over and over the test and they always come out spot on. I thought at first that it was just a fluke but ive gone through 6 so far. I have hermit crabs and snails in the tank along with a clown and a bunch of corals that are all thriving. At first I thought it was my Royal gramma took him out and still 3 died. I got a Camal by mistake with my last purchase of a peppermint shrimp and hes doing really well. What is causing this? Please please help me.
Shrimp genocide
- Thread starter Colin
- Start date
dcantucson
Reef pro
Could be that your tank is still just too new. I had trouble for the first few months with keeping shrimp too. They are very sensitive.
yote
In Memoriam
It could also be how your LFS is acclimating them to their tanks.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
Nitrates will kill inverts fast. Inverts are not as resistant to nitrates as fish are
1+Yote Inverts must be slowly acclimated. Fast salinity changes can kill inverts --use drip method and test salinity of water in tank AND bag till they are the equal.
Dottybacks, Damsels and Wrasses will kill shrimps
1+Yote Inverts must be slowly acclimated. Fast salinity changes can kill inverts --use drip method and test salinity of water in tank AND bag till they are the equal.
Dottybacks, Damsels and Wrasses will kill shrimps
Cathic
Fish Wrangler
I would also remember that if they are molting and you are not replacing things like iodine and other elements they will not be able to properly harden their new shell. See if there are any molts in your tank, could be an issue as well.
A molt is just the clear shell right? The thing that I can not figure out is why my Camal shrimp is still alive. I accimate them over 2 hours and they are really good for a few days then bam I see them on their backs. I also have a large serpent starfish could it be causing them to die?
yote
In Memoriam
I doubt the serpent star is killing them.
But the Camal shrimp could be.
But the Camal shrimp could be.
VAreef
Reefing newb
You don't have any crab hitchhikers in there you haven't seen yet making shrimp kabobs do you?
tankedchemist
Reef enthusiast
It's probably an iodine problem. I had a similar issue in the beginning, and got a test kit... turned out the salt mix I was using had basically no iodine in it. The result is, the shrimp can't molt. They like to molt when you move them into a new tank for some reason, and when they can't, they die. Iodine test kits are kinda a pain, but make SURE you use one before, during, and after dosing for iodine. it's very easy to overdose and crash your tank if you don't test.
puttycat
Reefing newb
Do those need more iodine that blood shrimp or pistol shrimp? I have had these in the tank for over 1 year and not had a problem I have never been able to keep pepermint alive and use the same salt mix. I gave up Peppermint no sense to keep killing them for nothing.
puttycat
Reefing newb
I will stick with the Bloodshrimp and Pistol.
