[JUBE-JUBE]

Ok I've finally done it...I just joined the Cleaner shrimp killer group. Tanks been up for almost three months now.
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
pH 8.3
ammonia 0
specific grav 1.023
temp 84 but last night was 88 F

I acclimated him slowly over a two hour period. He hid himself under a nice little overhang for the first few hours then must have ventured out during the night. When I woke up he was belly up on the sandbed.

My mind is immediately going to possible copper contamination from the one and only time I used tap water as my source water the first day I set the tank up or could it have been that the temp was just too high for him to adjust?? Also there are little bits of an old cocktail shrimp on my sandbed...can it be that he died from food poisoning???

FYI there are no other fish or inverts in this tank yet (SOOOO discurraging)

[weez1959]

Are you sure it's not just a shell? They shed quite often and when they do they leave behind a shell/carcase of an almost perfect shrimp. I remember the first time I saw one I thought one of them had died but he was just hiding while his new shell was hardening.

[leebca]

Invertebrates often don't acclimate very well. So, I wouldn't rule this out. Two hours sounds good, but you don't mention the size of the critter, nor the source (LFS or online or ?), nor the parameters of the water it came from. In some cases, 2 hours is short, in other scenarios, it is way too short.

You don't mention other marine inhabitants, but sometimes the shrimp finds itself 'at odds' with tank mates.

Lastly, as you point out, the water quality may be an issue. Marine invertebrates are usually more sensitive to water quality, copper just being one of the components.

However, I've moved your post into the Reef Aquariums Forum for others to comment upon. In the Saltwater (Fish-Only) Aquariums we focus on FOWLR systems.

[JUBE-JUBE]

No I'm absolutely sure it was not just a shell... I got it from my Live fish store ( pH 8.6, specific grav 1.024, Nitrates ~2 ) and had started floating the bag within the hour (equilivate the temp). There are no other inverts in my tank, not even a snail. there was some decaying cocktail shrimp pieces that I didn't completely pick out that I found him on top of is it possible that he could have eaten some and died from poisoning-like effect???

[FishTechie]

So you checked the shell for meat to make sure like weez said that its not shedding?, also you state that you acclimated the bag temp but did you perform a drip into the bag??

[Ninong]

Hey, Jaime, what's up? It's been almost four years!

[JUBE-JUBE]

yes... it was meaty not just the shell which would have been at least somewhat translucent. All legs and antenea were there as well and working in veterinary hospitals for over five years now I can tell when rigor mortis starts to set in. It was most definitely dead not even a twitch. Also yes I did the drip into the bag after the temp equalized.

[CSeaSee]

What else is in your tank? When you say no inverts, this includes corals, etc? I'm pursuing your copper theory, and want to know more about your tank. Also, what made your temp spike to 88? or is that normal?

[JUBE-JUBE]

When I say its the only thing in the tank I mean it...I have no live rock ( I know I cheated but I have only a six gallon and don't want to have to worry about hitchhikers ect...) I have a 4 inch aragonite sand bed. I used slate and coral replicas to build up caves and crevices. My temp is usually steady at 84 F but Ontario is experiencing a major heat wave this week so it went up to 88 F last night...its down to at 86 F right now.

[FishTechie]

HIYA NINONG!yeah its been a LONG while, and i miss my tank, and just started looking into planning another so thought id see how my fellow reefkeepers have been.. glad to see your still holding strong and scubadude, reefland and a few others and the new site looks awesome

[CSeaSee]

I think I'd be looking real close at that temp spike as a source of your shrimp's death. How do you mitigate your SG swings with only six gallons of water? Also, what about water movement/filtration/oxygenation? Where'd you get those slate rocks?

[JUBE-JUBE]

I do top-offs with RO/DI freshwater everyother day...really its not that bad in regards to SG swings even if I left it for a week it only drops 0.005. I have a 108 g/hr pump built in to the tank with spong/carbon bioballs and ceramic rings for filtration of ammonia to nitrates and I think the deep sand bed or within the slate I'm getting good denitrifying bacteria cause ntirates are steady at 0. I got the slate up north around perry sound (it in Canada not sure if your familiar with the town) .

[JUBE-JUBE]

Oh I forgot I had broken the slate up and rinsed them with vinegar and water before putting them in the tank

[CSeaSee]

I'd be looking at the temp. spike then as a primary cause... Copper seems unlikely unless you know there's a lot of it in your tap water. Also, if your sand bed has thriving bacterial colonies, like it sounds like it does, then copper's definately not a cause- the bacteria are susceptible to copper poisoning as well, I believe.

Or, it just didn't adapt well.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by JUBE-JUBE

I do top-offs with RO/DI freshwater everyother day...really its not that bad in regards to SG swings even if I left it for a week it only drops 0.005.

That must be a typo, right? A swing of 0.005 in specific gravity would be extreme. You probably meant 0.0005.

[JUBE-JUBE]

Yes Ninong sorry that was a typo I forgot a zero I posted that right before I left for work... Thanks for all your imput by the way...I'll be testing my water for copper this week just to make sure. Any comments on rather eating decayed matter would have cause that much harm??? I only ask cause I found him right over the piece of shrimp that hasn't disintigrated yet... Also If temp is my cause any good suggestions on how to cool tank water down (I'd get a chiller but my mother has put the lock down on that idea for now.)

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by JUBE-JUBE

I'll be testing my water for copper this week just to make sure.

It's not likely to be copper unless you know of some reason it could be???

Any comments on rather eating decayed matter...

That's nothing at all to be concerned about.

Also If temp is my cause any good suggestions on how to cool tank water down (I'd get a chiller but my mother has put the lock down on that idea for now.)

Get a small fan (something 4"-5" in diameter) and have it blow across the water's surface. The evaporation will cause the water to cool somewhat.

I'm not the one to ask about 6-gal nano tanks. I can't imagine trying to maintain anything with such a small volume of water. You could probably keep a 20-gal tank a lot easier and for just about the same amount of money.

What about the "decorations" in your tank? These "coral replicas" were brand new, right? I'm just trying to eliminate the possibility that you somehow got something used from someone else who used a copper-based medication???

I can tell you my own experience with cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis). I purchased a nice, large pair of them from an LFS. I did everything you're supposed to do as far as acclimation, etc., but both of them died within a few weeks. I have no idea why. A couple of months later, I purchased another pair but these were smaller (approx. 2") and came from a different LFS. These lived for more than two years.

I think the natural lifespan of this species is approximately three years.

[JUBE-JUBE]

The replicas are new And I made sure to buy ones that would not leach anything from the paints or bases...I think I going to chaulk it up to bad beginers luck combined with an unfortunate temp rise. (damn global warming and no air conditioner for me either ) Hmmm good opportunity for temp experiments... thanks also for all the support, the shear numbers of shrimp deaths caused by first timers and bad accidents have calmed me down abit (I admit it I have a little OCD...got to have everything perfect )

[wozza]

well i HAD two cleaner shrimp and one died a few weeks ago due to a temp spike i had in my tank, usual 27c went up to 29c lost one shrimp thats it. i have a 65gal tank and i whent and got one 6" clip on fan that fan give me about 2c of cooling so on ur tank that would be fine.

HTH james