My shrimp Are Dying!

[jagdad]

Recently, to reduce costs, I began slowly (~1 degf/week) raising my tank's temp from 74 degf to 80 degf.

In the past week or so, my 3 scarlet cleaner shrimp became more active and were out a lot more than before when they would only show themselves during feeding and at night.

Suddenly over the last three days, they all died. No visible changes. The temp change being the only environmental variable. About 2 weeks ago, I did have a one day temperature spike to about 88 degf due to a popped circuit breaker. I got it back down to 78 within a day. Could this have contributed?

Any thoughts?

 

[coolsurf]

dawgdude;394093 wrote: What makes you say they died? Unless you dissect a molt, its often hard to tell the difference. It could be the temp change caused a molt. If not then I would do a params test and post it.

+1...many times a molt looks like the real thing. If they are feeding more, than they are probably growing more. My cleaner averages a molt about every month. Hope this is the case with yours.

 

[miami dolfan]

Pics??

 

[jeff_mcphail]

Check your salinity.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

a 10 degree swing quickly could do it.

 

[fish scales2]

Are you seeing seeing any other changes within your ecosystem?

NITRITES that were caused by the die off micro organisms and biological bacteria as well. 74 degrees is pretty low, a gradual increase should not be of issue but when you spike to 88 you likely had some significant die off.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

meh, I run my TANK at 73.

 

[jagdad]

Just checked my params. Everything fine with nitrates a bit high but I am due for a cleaning and water change so this is not unusual.

When they molt are they completely non-responsive, even to lifting them out of the tank? To me that's DEAD. I sure hope I am not wrong cuz he went down the garbage disposal.

 

[jagdad]

I have seen the molts plenty of times. This was not a molt. A molt leaves an empty shell. This was a complete animal.

 

[jagdad]

The temp spike was 2 weeks ago. Could this really be the trigger?
Exact params;
Ammonia - 0
Calcium - 420
PH - 8.0
Nitrates - 10

 

[jagdad]

Salinity, is that specific gravity? If so, it is 1.021
I don't do 'trites, should I? Remember I am a newbie.

 

[jagdad]

I don't do Alkalinity either.

 

[jonathan]

You should be testing at a minimum</em> the following:

ammonia
nitrites
nitrates
PH
specific gravity
alkalinity
calcium
temp
stray voltage (get a ground probe)

 

[jagdad]

When I inherited this setup, I was told to keep the specific gravity at 1.021. Why go to 1.026? That seems way out of the range.

The tank is 300 gal

 

[gametrackers]

Jonathan;394228 wrote: You should be testing at a minimum</em> the following:


temp
stray voltage (get a ground probe)

How do you test for stray voltage and what is it cause from and what does it cause?

 

[jmaneyapanda]

jagdad;394266 wrote: When I inherited this setup, I was told to keep the specific gravity at 1.021. Why go to 1.026? That seems way out of the range.

The tank is 300 gal

I didnt notice this. That is out of parameters to try to keep inverts, especially salinity sensitive ones like shrimp. Personally, I wouldnt even keep my fish at 1.021. You were given bad advice by the person you inherited the setup from.

 

[jagdad]

What is the procedure for checking stray voltage? IE, where do you place the probes? I have a voltmeter.

 

[jagdad]

OK, I checked the nitrites and they are 0. The alkilinity is something else again. General Hardness (GH) is off the charts. I put in 50 drops of solution and the color never changed. Carbonate Hardness (KH) reads 10, which is a touch high but I am due a water chage so that should drop.

STRAY VOLTAGE - I put one probe from my voltmeter in my sump and the other into the ground receptacle of an outlet and got a reading of about .5v in AC or DC mode. Is this significant? I put a copper wire into the sump and grounded it and it stayed the same.????

The guy at the shop where I picked up the test kits, Marine Fish in Marietta asked if I used Windex to clean the outside of my tank. I do. He said it is possible that the ammonia in the cleaner is somehow getting into the tank and sickening the fish. Easy to correct, but what do you think?

 

[james s_]

jagdad;394523 wrote: OK, I checked the nitrites and they are 0. The alkilinity is something else again. General Hardness (GH) is off the charts. I put in 50 drops of solution and the color never changed. Carbonate Hardness (KH) reads 10, which is a touch high but I am due a water chage so that should drop.

STRAY VOLTAGE - I put one probe from my voltmeter in my sump and the other into the ground receptacle of an outlet and got a reading of about .5v in AC or DC mode. Is this significant? I put a copper wire into the sump and grounded it and it stayed the same.????

The guy at the shop where I picked up the test kits, Marine Fish in Marietta asked if I used Windex to clean the outside of my tank. I do. He said it is possible that the ammonia in the cleaner is somehow getting into the tank and sickening the fish. Easy to correct, but what do you think?

I would not worry about the windex, unless you are literally dumping it into the tank....on the other hand why use windex? I have always just used a damp cloth. But an ammonia test wouldnt hurt.

General Hardness Test? You got me on that one...maybe someone else can chime in.

You dont seem to have a voltage issue so no worries there..I am almost positive that salinity was the culprit of your shrimps demise. They prefer 1.025

 

[jagdad]

I just had a thought. I use a length of galvanized electrical conduit as a brush handle when cleaning the tank. Could that be leaching something into the water?