What is going on with my shrimp??

cvrle1 · 08-01-2001, 03:08 AM

Please help me out here because I'm stumped. I got a problem with my shrimp and no clue what is going on.

On 2 separate ocasions I bought 1 or 2 cleaner shrimp. When I came home I was using the drip method to acclimate them to my water. Bag was floating constantly while I was adding bit by bit of my aquarium water in it. I did this for 3 hours and everything seemed fine. When I put my shrimp into the aquarium, problems started. It went strait to the bottom, and it was rapidly moving all of its claws and feet in the sand. Legs that it uses for swiming up or down in the back of the body were just standing still. Then after couple of minutes it started to spit it's own guts out bit by bit. Finally it would just flip up-side-down and die.

My water parameters are all fine and snails are alive.

Please help me out here because I do not want to waste money on something that dies 5 minutes after I get it.

Thanks a lot.

Sker · 08-01-2001, 07:26 AM

Wow, that's to bad! Well the first thing I would do would to double check my water paramaters. (i.e. new test kits or at local fish store)
Do you have any other inhabitants besides snails?? If so how are they doing??

Bughead · 08-01-2001, 11:20 AM

Bunner, man.

I've tried a cleaner shrimp at least 5 different times in the big tank. I'd drip acclimate, the last two times for 7 hours, and the shrimp would die two hours to 36 hours later. The only thing I can think of is the nitrates in that tank, which are high (FOWLR), at 35ppm.

If your 'trates are high, you need to forget about a shrimp. Sounds more like a salinity problem. Try drip acclimating for a long,long time.

mastaJ · 08-01-2001, 10:55 PM

I would check the salinity of your LFS to see how far away it is, I've just acclimated them fast (1 cup of tank water every 10 mins) and that worked, so I dunno

Wind · 08-01-2001, 11:05 PM

I'd catch glass shrimps and just dump it in my tank. (55). They'd be alright alive, and kicking. However, w/ cleaner shrimps, they die on me just like you said..

A lot is due to salinity difference. The LFS sometime B.S. on their salinity...

mastaJ · 08-01-2001, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wind
A lot is due to salinity difference. The LFS sometime B.S. on their salinity...

I'd just say "If you want my business, I'd suggest you show me your salinity" If a customer would ask me (i work at a fish store) I'd surely show them our salinity. Cleaner shrimp are fairly expensive and I guess I'd find out the slainity...

chromis · 08-02-2001, 08:41 AM

hey guys, I just got a pacific cleaner shrimp last weekend. I acclimated him like mastaJ, dumped a cup in every 10 minutes. He is alive and eating ferociously. This is about a 1 month old tank w/nitrates at or close to 0. Only other inhabitants are a pair of percs. Maybe you guys are leaving him in the bag to long? Nitrates are to high?

HTH
Andrew

thezookeeper · 08-02-2001, 01:54 PM

Oddly enough, I've known of people with very high nitrates and a cleaner shrimp that lived for a few years. So I don't know if that would be the problem. I guess there are exceptions. I would get new test kits, perhaps the Saliferts, and take new readings to determine if they are correct. Perhaps the drip method is not adding enough water to increase the salinity to the desired range.

Joanne

Penguin · 08-03-2001, 01:17 PM

I had a cleaner shrimp that I drip acclimated for 1 hr. Did great in my FOWLR for a couple weeks with nitrates in the 20's to 30's, but I ended up returning him to the LFS. I know my LFS keeps their salinity higher than some (about 1.023). I've asked them, and also tested the water myself. Try testing the bag water from your LFS and look for any significant differences from your tank. I would also suspect salinity rather than nitrates.

FishTechie · 08-03-2001, 08:35 PM

why dont you take YOUR hydrometer down to your lfs and see what it reads. Or pour some water from your lfs bag that the shrimp came in into the hydrometer before you start dripping. the further away the difference the longer you have to drip...hth

organicreefer · 08-03-2001, 09:52 PM

cvrle1,
i bet that both times you lost youre shrimp they came from the same store.the first 2 times i added shrimp to my tank they both died.i couldnt figure out why.the next 2 times i added shrimp,well i still have em

.they are doing great and getting bigger.the only difference?THE SOURCE.if you bought youre shrimp from the same place both times too,maybe you'd have better luck somewhere else .

cvrle1 · 08-04-2001, 05:58 AM

Hey thanks for all the help you guys gave me.

I guess I have some new ideas now to try and hopefully it works this time. Guess we will have to wait and see.

Thanks once again

08-01-2001, 03:08 AM	#1
cvrle1 Just Moved In Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 28	What is going on with my shrimp?? Please help me out here because I'm stumped. I got a problem with my shrimp and no clue what is going on. On 2 separate ocasions I bought 1 or 2 cleaner shrimp. When I came home I was using the drip method to acclimate them to my water. Bag was floating constantly while I was adding bit by bit of my aquarium water in it. I did this for 3 hours and everything seemed fine. When I put my shrimp into the aquarium, problems started. It went strait to the bottom, and it was rapidly moving all of its claws and feet in the sand. Legs that it uses for swiming up or down in the back of the body were just standing still. Then after couple of minutes it started to spit it's own guts out bit by bit. Finally it would just flip up-side-down and die. My water parameters are all fine and snails are alive. Please help me out here because I do not want to waste money on something that dies 5 minutes after I get it. Thanks a lot.

08-01-2001, 07:26 AM	#2
Sker Citizen Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Omaha, NE , USA Posts: 210	Wow, that's to bad! Well the first thing I would do would to double check my water paramaters. (i.e. new test kits or at local fish store) Do you have any other inhabitants besides snails?? If so how are they doing?? __________________ Sker

08-01-2001, 11:20 AM	#3
Bughead Governor Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA Posts: 1,152	Bunner, man. I've tried a cleaner shrimp at least 5 different times in the big tank. I'd drip acclimate, the last two times for 7 hours, and the shrimp would die two hours to 36 hours later. The only thing I can think of is the nitrates in that tank, which are high (FOWLR), at 35ppm. If your 'trates are high, you need to forget about a shrimp. Sounds more like a salinity problem. Try drip acclimating for a long,long time. __________________ The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but it's the thought that counts.

08-01-2001, 10:55 PM	#4
mastaJ Council Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lakeville, MN Posts: 294	I would check the salinity of your LFS to see how far away it is, I've just acclimated them fast (1 cup of tank water every 10 mins) and that worked, so I dunno __________________ -mastaJ

08-02-2001, 01:54 PM	#8
thezookeeper Mayor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Pittsburgh,PA, USA Posts: 992	Oddly enough, I've known of people with very high nitrates and a cleaner shrimp that lived for a few years. So I don't know if that would be the problem. I guess there are exceptions. I would get new test kits, perhaps the Saliferts, and take new readings to determine if they are correct. Perhaps the drip method is not adding enough water to increase the salinity to the desired range. Joanne __________________ "Life savings? Sure, it's that brightly lit object sitting in the livingroom."

08-01-2001, 11:05 PM	#5
Wind Council Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: 90 Gallon (setting up) Posts: 330	I'd catch glass shrimps and just dump it in my tank. (55). They'd be alright alive, and kicking. However, w/ cleaner shrimps, they die on me just like you said.. A lot is due to salinity difference. The LFS sometime B.S. on their salinity...

08-02-2001, 08:41 AM	#7
chromis Mayor Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Lynchburg, Virginia Posts: 518	hey guys, I just got a pacific cleaner shrimp last weekend. I acclimated him like mastaJ, dumped a cup in every 10 minutes. He is alive and eating ferociously. This is about a 1 month old tank w/nitrates at or close to 0. Only other inhabitants are a pair of percs. Maybe you guys are leaving him in the bag to long? Nitrates are to high? HTH Andrew

08-03-2001, 01:17 PM	#9
Penguin Polymath Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 526	I had a cleaner shrimp that I drip acclimated for 1 hr. Did great in my FOWLR for a couple weeks with nitrates in the 20's to 30's, but I ended up returning him to the LFS. I know my LFS keeps their salinity higher than some (about 1.023). I've asked them, and also tested the water myself. Try testing the bag water from your LFS and look for any significant differences from your tank. I would also suspect salinity rather than nitrates. __________________ As a nation, you're faced with the choice of taking over the world or offering good eats at reasonable prices.

08-03-2001, 08:35 PM	#10
FishTechie Governor Join Date: May 2000 Location: Brandon, FL Posts: 1,199	why dont you take YOUR hydrometer down to your lfs and see what it reads. Or pour some water from your lfs bag that the shrimp came in into the hydrometer before you start dripping. the further away the difference the longer you have to drip...hth __________________ I miss my tank

08-03-2001, 09:52 PM	#11
organicreefer Governor Join Date: May 2001 Location: Northern CA Posts: 2,171	cvrle1, i bet that both times you lost youre shrimp they came from the same store.the first 2 times i added shrimp to my tank they both died.i couldnt figure out why.the next 2 times i added shrimp,well i still have em .they are doing great and getting bigger.the only difference?THE SOURCE.if you bought youre shrimp from the same place both times too,maybe you'd have better luck somewhere else .

08-04-2001, 05:58 AM	#12
cvrle1 Just Moved In Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 28	Hey thanks for all the help you guys gave me. I guess I have some new ideas now to try and hopefully it works this time. Guess we will have to wait and see. Thanks once again

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode