cleaner shrimp, impossible to keep alive!

[yellow tang]

the first time i got a cleaner shrimp i acclimated it for 2 hours, and it later died. today i got another one along with a chocklate chip starfish and i planned to acclimate them super slowly. i added half of a tablespoon to the shrimps bag and 1 tablespoon to the starfishes bag now the shrimp is dead not moven even when i touch it and i barly acclimated it while the starfish is slowly moving around the bag!

are cleaner shrimp imppossible to keep alive?



ammonia 0 ph 8.2

nitrite o salinty 1.026

nitrate 25 temp 76

[Matt D.]

Did you float the bag before acclimating?

[yellow tang]

yes for 30 min, and also the shrimp is really small about half a inch.

[1Tlew0]

When I acclimate something, I let it float to get use to the temp. Sometimes with the lights off to reduce stress. After sitting for about 20-25min, ill add a 1cup of the tank water to the bag. Repeat this process every 15min for an hour. Some people may disagree but I havent had any problems.

[Fragtastic Reef]

How long did you take acclimating them? Inverts are best to drip acclimate...

[yellow tang]

How long did you take acclimating them? Inverts are best to drip acclimate...

1st shrimp 2 hour. 2nd shrimp I floated it for 30 min then added half a tablspoon of water then it died.

[mpedersen]

Cleaner shrimp are pretty resilient animals. Try another source perhaps. Of course, have you checked your water quality? If it died in acclimation as your post seems to suggest, maybe your tank water isn't that great?

[Fragtastic Reef]

How long you had your tank up and going? Didn't you setup not that long ago?

Nitrates seem high inverts are sensitive to nitrate.. I would check your test kits possibly take to LFS have them test for you also.

[yellow tang]

Cleaner shrimp are pretty resilient animals. Try another source perhaps. Of course, have you checked your water quality? If it died in acclimation as your post seems to suggest, maybe your tank water isn't that great?


ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 25
ph 8.2
temp 76
salinty 1.026

i use a sailfert test kit.

[Fragtastic Reef]

Hmm is the starfish still alive?

[yellow tang]

How long you had your tank up and going? Didn't you setup not that long ago?

Nitrates seem high inverts are sensitive to nitrate.. I would check your test kits possibly take to LFS have them test for you also.


my tank has been up for almost 4 months. I use a sailfert test kit. and I have seen these shrimp in tanks with higher nitrates.

[yellow tang]

Hmm is the starfish still alive?

yes its moving all around the bag and I can see its tube feet moving also.

[fivesmallworlds]

any chance of copper being present?

[Stony2977]

any chance of copper being present?

+1 Sounds like copper to me as well. I don't even aclimate my inverts. Never had a problem. I have a skunk and a coral shrimp that are over 2 years old.

[mpedersen]

good call on the copper, although I think the starfish wouldn't be tolerating it either?

[yellow tang]

i have never used copper in my tank and never will, i have a hopsital tank for that. I also have a emerld crab and a hermit crab which have been in the tank for a month.

[BenJer]

Where these guys picked up local or shipped?

[Fragtastic Reef]

I was thinking copper from possibly LR or LS, but if the starfish is still alive and he has another shrimp for 2 weeks its unlikely.... but possible.

[Merkurfan]

I think it has to do with size. I have never had any luck with the small .5 to 1.5" ones. I always order large ones.

[reef.saltwater]

sometime size does matter...:biggthumpup:

so far in the past i have lost only one cleaner and many peppermint. clown ate my cleaner.:mad_3: $30 dinner :mad_3:

[David Grigor]

You sure all your plumbing is PVC, not using any other type piping correct ?

[yellow tang]

You sure all your plumbing is PVC, not using any other type piping correct ?

I dont have a sump - to expansive and tricky. I just have a large hang on back OCTOPUS protien skimmer which works great.

[RyanTurner]

I'd drip acclimate it next time to be safe.

here's a link on how to do it.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=157

[guy9smiley2]

I'd drip acclimate it next time to be safe.

here's a link on how to do it.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=157

+1 to this

[yellow tang]

If its outside the tank for the drip method will the temp in the fish bag go down becuse the bag is not in the tank?

[Got2luv3mReeferZ]

I have had the same problem, went through cleaners like nothing. What I have found and learned from my mishap is that cleaners are very sensitive to ph and temp. any stress will add to it and traumatize them therefore death occurs... my suggestion is drip acc very very slow. 3hrs may seem extreme but I have not had any problems since. make sure your lights are out too. I have two that are happy and roaming free after spending a fortune on the ones that died.

[guy9smiley2]

best bet is to try and find one 1" and do a long drip acclimation. ive had good luck with my mine and they seem happy as can be

[oyam123]

I just got one on sat, the water in the tank and the water in the bag were close, so I pulled it out of the bag with my hand and let it go in the tank. I see it today nice and happy under a rock. Acclamate Shmacclamate JMO.

[Koletang]

sometime size does matter...:biggthumpup:

so far in the past i have lost only one cleaner and many peppermint. clown ate my cleaner.:mad_3: $30 dinner :mad_3:

Same thing happened to me, but then the brain coral ate the exoskeloton! lol

[johnny]

Maybe try a different shrimp? I have a fire shrimp in mine, and he went through a rough transfer from his previous owner to mine, try a peppermint shrimp they are pretty resilient.

[agears]

I thought the two I bought online with my cleanup crew died, but after 3-4 weeks, I finally saw one of them! Bigger and redder than when I put it in the tank. They sure can hide I guess.

[jim9]

Odd.... same way I accli* my livestocks. Try different shrimp i suppose..

[doggiez]

man i hate cleaner shrimp. it was hell taking them out of my tank. They keep on taking food from the corals. I got them both in my 10 gal/w air stone and they are making babies like crazy.

i got mine when they are both 1" from petco. They are so hardy. I never do drip methods if bought from lfs. Just pour it in.