Something is killing my shrimp :(

[wcwright]

Something is killing my shrimp L . Hello my name is Casey I just got a 55 gal reef tank from some friend that moved out of town. I use the word reef tank lightly it has 35-40 lbs of live rock and some fish. Plus some almost dead coral. It took almost 2 mouths to get the tank in the good range. The coral came back and the salinity is normal. Sooo I started getting some snails and crabs. All is good then I get a cleaner shrimp. He’s in the tank for 5 hours and drops dead. Hmm I think maybe it was the shrimp just incase I check the water and did a water change. Some more time goes by and the water and the tank and coral are all happy …I think. So I go get a banded coral shrimp. In the tank he goes, looks like he’s having fun. I get up today and he’s deadL . I check the water all is good and the fish ,snails, crabs and coral all seem fine. I am new to this so don’t hate me for killing some shrimp. Any help would be grate I don’t want to kill shrimp.

 

[lilyicu]

Are you acclimating your shrimp before you add them to the water?

 

[daugherty]

how old is the tank and how are you aclimating them? are you just dumping the shrimp in when you get home?

 

[wcwright]

The tank is 3-4 year old but I move it to my house 3 months ago. As for the shrimp I let them sit in the bag in the water for 1 hr then slowly mix my tank water with the water in the bag

 

[daugherty]

have you ever used any copper in the tank?
you can try drip acclumating the shrimp.
that is just dripping water from your tank into the bag about one drop a second using airline tubing and a little valve. give that a try.

 

[wcwright]

no copper in the tank that i know of i did get the tank from a friend and it took 3 months to get it into the green. can i test for copper? and i will try the drip next time i just feel bad killing shimp and dont want to kill again>

 

[daugherty]

tank could be just to young and yes you can test for copper but everything else is fine so that should not be a problem i just read that you have coral in there to. shrimop are very sensitive to changes in the water.

 

[wcwright]

so the coral could be bad for them?

 

[daugherty]

no i was talking about the copper it will kill inverts and coral in no time. i dont think that the coral is killing the shrimp. i just think that either the tank is still to young since the move or they are just not getting acclimated good enough.

 

[wcwright]

ok thanks i will hold off a bit before getting more will test for copper and acclimate with the drip. thanks a bunch.

 

[Bifferwine]

Are you sure they aren't just molting? Shrimp will shed their exoskeleton frequently and the "shell" they leave behind looks just like the real thing.

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

if you have copper in the tank, everything is ruined. the rock, sand everything.

 

[dcantucson]

Sometimes those coral banded shrimp can be extra sensitive. May not have been any one thing you did, but a combination of things effecting it. Sorry about your shrimp.

 

[yote]

What exactly is your salinity and what are you using to test it (hydrometer or refractometer) ?
BTW
Welcome to Living Reefs and the hobby.

 

[wcwright]

sorry had to go to work for a bit the salinity is 1.025 and i test with a refractometer. and yes its dead :(

 

[yote]

Its got me stumped. :dunno:

 

[wcwright]

what about temp? whats a good water temp and what is 2 hot?

 

[yote]

Anything between 78 and 82.But stability is more important.You can be in either the high range or low,as long as its not swinging anymore than 1 or 2 degrees either way.

 

[lilyicu]

It is so warm outside right now that mine is staying around 82.

 

[lilyicu]

Since you as just as far south as I am if your tank is getting too hot you probably don't need to be running a heater right now.