Dead fire shrimp?

[namlessdude]

I attached a pic of my dead fire shrimp.
I have no idea why he died so I'm hoping you guys can help me.
I bought a fire shrimp yesterday morning (its been about 30 hours). I drip acclimated and then drop him into my 37 gallon tank. He lived with bowtie damsel, 2 clown fish, 6 snails. I woke up this morning and he was alive but molted (I can see his skin).
I checked back on him 5 minutes ago to see that he is on his back. I tried to poke or move him but there's 0 sign of life...

Why did he die?
I have 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, 0 ammonia, 8.3 pH. I do seem to be having an algea outbreak but i assume thats cz its a month old tank.

Why would he die?

 

[namlessdude]

Attached pics.

 

[sturgesz]

Sometimes it just happens,
That being said 0 nitrates and 0 phosphate isn’t the most ideal, start working to bring those up. How is your alk and calcium?

 

[namlessdude]

Sometimes it just happens,
That being said 0 nitrates and 0 phosphate isn’t the most ideal, start working to bring those up. How is your alk and calcium?

Kh at 9, phosphate was actually 0.5, not 0. I don't know if the .5 makes a difference. Calcium at 400.

 

[AetherealKnight]

0.5 is pretty elevated phosphate, though I doubt that it was the main cause of the shrimp's death. Can you check for ammonia?

 

[namlessdude]

0.5 is pretty elevated phosphate, though I doubt that it was the main cause of the shrimp's death. Can you check for ammonia?

I did check for ammonia and it is at 0. Ran it twice. What can the high phosphate affect?

 

[sturgesz]

What kits are you using for testing?

Phosphates we shoot for .02-.07 above that or below we start to fight algea.
If the tank is only a month my guess is it’s still cycling, parameters still slightly fluctuating and the shrimp just didn’t adjust well.

 

[namlessdude]

What kits are you using for testing?

Phosphates we shoot for .02-.07 above that or below we start to fight algea.
If the tank is only a month my guess is it’s still cycling, parameters still slightly fluctuating and the shrimp just didn’t adjust well.

API for nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia. Salifert for the rest.

Also, i woke up today to find the second fire shrimp dead, 1 of 2 decorator crab dead, all of my bristleworms dead, and all of my snails in place or flipped over on the ground, seemingly dead. I feel so defeated and i dont even know why **** just hit the fan... my 2 clowns and 1 bowtie damsel are the only things alive.

 

[AetherealKnight]

API for nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia. Salifert for the rest.

Also, i woke up today to find the second fire shrimp dead, 1 of 2 decorator crab dead, all of my bristleworms dead, and all of my snails in place or flipped over on the ground, seemingly dead. I feel so defeated and i dont even know why **** just hit the fan... my 2 clowns and 1 bowtie damsel are the only things alive.

Don’t give up man, failing is the only way we can learn. During my early days of reefing I lost all my new fish within a week of adding them because I didn’t quarantine them for diseases (lost $300). I was pretty devastated.

 

[AetherealKnight]

I suggest you do water changes to stabilize the system and continue monitoring your parameters. You will pull through.

 

[sturgesz]

Agreed water changes should start now.
Don’t add anything new until everything has stabilized

Sounds like there is possibly something in your tank leaching, death happens and it totally sucks but you’re only a month in? take it slow and don’t give up.

 

[Dburr1014]

Sometimes shrimp have trouble molting. Just the thing that happens once in a while.

Sorry about your loss.

 

[WaterWerks]

I put a fire shrimp in my tank about 4 months ago.
Nitrates 80
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 2
1.026 SG
Med/high water flow

It molts every 2 weeks to the day.
Like for use humans. Stress is the number one killer. Making sure your additions have a place to hide and relax is key I have found. Yes healthy water is important but in my poor knowledge taking over a really bad off tank and adding who I have… rocks scape seems to have been the saving grace to let fish and inverts take a break when they need to.

My fire and cleaner shrimp clean any fish that wants to be. Pretty cool to watch a 20 year old rang get cleaned by a fire shrimp before bed.

 

[namlessdude]

I put a fire shrimp in my tank about 4 months ago.
Nitrates 80
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 2
1.026 SG
Med/high water flow

It molts every 2 weeks to the day.
Like for use humans. Stress is the number one killer. Making sure your additions have a place to hide and relax is key I have found. Yes healthy water is important but in my poor knowledge taking over a really bad off tank and adding who I have… rocks scape seems to have been the saving grace to let fish and inverts take a break when they need to.

My fire and cleaner shrimp clean any fish that wants to be. Pretty cool to watch a 20 year old rang get cleaned by a fire shrimp before bed.

That's really cool! I found that good hiding spots and peaceful tank mates is key. I put a pair of clarkii clowns in my tank and they instantly went to eat the shrimp.... now that they are gone the tank is very happy with a cleaning station from cleaners and a roaming fire shrimp

 

[WaterWerks]

That's really cool! I found that good hiding spots and peaceful tank mates is key. I put a pair of clarkii clowns in my tank and they instantly went to eat the shrimp.... now that they are gone the tank is very happy with a cleaning station from cleaners and a roaming fire shrimp

I have a relatively aggressive tank I feel.

Most everyone gets along but I have to very carefully about adding new fish. Adding new inverts is like dropping a rock in. They never got bothered, but any fish I have to add multiple and hope they don’t get bullied to much. I dose stress guard for this and add garlic to daily feedings and it’s has shown good success. I have had a hard time with Royal Grammas and gold heads. Love them both but to piece full for my tank.

 

[Macbalacano]

Any updates? Has your tank or anything in it ever had copper?

 

[namlessdude]

Any updates? Has your tank or anything in it ever had copper?

I have had a long journey since i made this post. I upgraded my tank to an 80 gallon since and have learned alot. At the time i thought i lost 100% of my inverts, but i moved them to a qt tank and all my snails and 1 of two decorator crabs survived. I learned that it was my alkalinity that i accidentally shot up way too quick and way too high when i was dosing a buffer to increase my pH.

I have now had my second tank running for two months or so, has very happy inverts including a decorator crab, 1 fire shrimp, 2 cleaners, a bunch if random snails, 4 anemones, a bunch of different zoas, GSP, an urchin, a few hermits, and a conch.

I am lucky that things are going well and positive, but a big part as to why i can successfully keep all these guys is because of 5 big rocks i got from a very old tank.

 

[Macbalacano]

So glad to hear that things are doing much better with your new tank and that you took the challenges you had previously in stride. Happy reefing!