# Cleaner Shrimp Died



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

I got 2 cleaner shrimps 3 days ago. They were doing fine and were very active. In fact, the shrimps were both fine last night. Less than 8 hours later, I woke up to find one shrimp dead. 

The tank has been running for a year now, it houses 2 ocellaris clownfishes and 1 azure damsel. All 3 fishes are around 2-3 inches. The last time I checked water param was a week ago,and nitrates was 0.

The salinity is 34 ppt. I've added a single drop of Seachem Iodide this morning, after taking out the dead shrimp.

What could have caused this death? It must have been recent because the body was still translucent. I found the body on a rock where the clowns hang out, could the clowns have killed it? They seemed territorial when I first introduced the shrimps, but I haven't seen them act that way since the next day.

There was no sign of molting.

I should also mention that I kept a peppermint shrimp about a year ago that also died under mysterious circumstances. Could I be missing something in the water for shrimps?


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Mysterious...

I have never seen damselfish or clownfish go after shrimp. Copper would affect your shrimp, but probably kill any snails first. 

However, I have heard that in smaller tanks, cleaner shimp will kill each other as they feel the need to control the population density so to speak. 

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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

50seven said:


> Mysterious...
> 
> I have never seen damselfish or clownfish go after shrimp. Copper would affect your shrimp, but probably kill any snails first.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I will see if the remaining cleaner survives. I don't know how shrimps usually kill each other, but I did not see any obvious signs of injury on the dead shrimp.


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## Syed (Oct 20, 2010)

Similar thing has happened to me in the past. Bought one Cleaner shrimp and 2 weeks later another. Another week later one died and then another one a few days later. After some months I bought a peppermint shrimp which has been alive for 2 months now. The conclusion I came up with was that either my tank was still unstable (shrimps died when tank was around 3 months old) or cleaner shrimps are just a more sensitive type of shrimp. 

Either way sorry for your loss.


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Btw I never drip acclimate my crustaceans. Shrimp, hermits, crabs, all go straight in my tank from the fish store bag. I just scoop them out with my fingers and "plop" in they go! 

Ironically the only shrimp I lost was at the beginning of my first tank when I tried to drip him.

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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

I lost my 4 shrimps when tank was 7 months old and they gone almost in one day.

I am not trying to be sarcastic, but besides Salinity, there are many chemical elements in the water and I know (did reading) that low KH can affect snails and shrimps. The fishes will survive, but ...

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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

sig said:


> I lost my 4 shrimps when tank was 7 months old and they gone almost in one day.
> 
> I am not trying to be sarcastic, but besides Salinity, there are many chemical elements in the water and I know (did reading) that low KH can affect snails and shrimps. The fishes will survive, but ...


So did you change anything to your setup in order to keep shrimps alive?


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

No. I am not buying any shrimps for now, because there are nice, but in the big picture they are really useless for the tank.

I just met WTAC/Wilson in the store and asked him this question. He said that the low calcium could be the reason, since they need to build new body cover (do not know this world) and also calcium somehow helps them to take it out. That what I was told

I do have low calcium in my tank

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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

50seven said:


> Btw I never drip acclimate my crustaceans. Shrimp, hermits, crabs, all go straight in my tank from the fish store bag. I just scoop them out with my fingers and "plop" in they go!


Not molluscs though, right? =D


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I wouldn't be at too much a loss when something dies, especially if it's been less than a few days since it's arrived at the store. Sometimes things that seem fine take a few days to die - and they were probably going to die whether you took them home or not.

Sucks. but that's the way it is. 

It's when they are doing great and then die after 2 - 3 weeks for no reason that you might be scratching your head.


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Chris S said:


> Not molluscs though, right? =D


Correct. I find mollusks are sometimes more sensitive than fish


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## freddymp (Jan 15, 2010)

Do you see any other changes in the behavior of the other tank mates. Does the body show any sign of trauma?


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

freddymp said:


> Do you see any other changes in the behavior of the other tank mates. Does the body show any sign of trauma?


Nope and nope...


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

I would not worry either if its just one shrimp it could have been old.


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## mrobson (Mar 5, 2011)

my pair of clowns chase my peppermints and try to stop them from getting food, even my coral banded stays away from them.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

I just woke up this morning to see my cleaner shrimp standing still on the sand. I poked him with a stick and got no reaction. Looks like he's dead as well. 

How long do cleaner shrimps live? This one has been in my tank for one year and 3 months. There has been no change to the tank recently.


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