I just cannot get shrimp to live...

[scottadams]

OK... I have 2 electric flame scallops that have lived for 6 - 7 months... thriving polyps and featherdusters... and some very healthy and long-lived fish (some are over 5 years old).

But for the life of me, I cannot get a shrimp to live more than 6 - 8 weeks in this tank. I have had this happen to a set of peppermint shrimp, so after they dies, I got 2 skunkbacks. They died and I got a fire schimp. Today, he has gone to the great beyond.

My fish seem very peaceful and I have never caught them bothering anything in the tank, in fact, let alone the shrimp.

Fish-wise, I have the following (since I am not sure my signature is up to date):

1 Hawaiian Sailfin
1 Hippo Tang (old and docile)
1 Psuedochromis (which is so skittish it basely come out, so it is not an isse)
1 blue damsel
1 true percula clown

Water quality is always excellent and the talk is over 90 gallons with very thorough filtering.

Any thoughts?

Scott

[gman0526]

Have you ever treated the tank with ick medicine? Was this a new tank or did you buy it used?

[scottadams]

I bought it used from a guy who replaced this tank with a 125 gallon... I inherited the whole set up and the fish, but it has been over a year and a half since It was set-up here and the only thing that dies or is seemingly sick is the darm shrimp.

There don't seem to be any of the signs of ich... no spots, no gill problems... no fast breathing or gulping the surface for air...

[gman0526]

Copper, that is the prefered medication for ick will embbed itself on anything in a tank, including the seams. Copper traces are enough to kill many motile inverts. I wouldn't discard the fact that the tank was treated with Copper medicine in the past.

[Doctor_Reef]

My thoughts also..... Sounds like it could be copper....Was the tank a fish only tank before you got it???? If so many times they do treat with copper!!!

[DKWICK]

I would think copper also. You don't have any large bristle worms do you?

[scottadams]

I did have a major bristle worm outbreak about 2 months back... my average size was probably 2 to 3 inches long and I was forced to go trapping for them. Caught over 50 in 5 evenings...

I assume there is no way to eliminate the copper residue if it exists... is there some way to test for copper levels in the water?

And thanks for the help!

[DKWICK]

You can test for copper and you could try boiling your LR but that may be going too far. Try doing some traps again and see what you come up with.

[pilotrob]

before you tear your tank apart and boil stuff, check your iodine levels. In small trace doses, iodine promotes proper molting of shrimp - if shrimp cant molt they die. what other inverts do you have living in here at present? snails? hermits? etc...

[Doctor_Reef]

I don't think boiling the rock will remove copper????? I would still like to know if this tank was a fish olny tank??? Or did the Live rock come with the tank???? May be I just missed this.....

[FishinInTheDark]

The bristle worm outbreak, in and of itself, would not be the cause of the demise of your shrimp. But, bristleworm populations directly relate to nutrient availability. What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels, exactly?

[Sugar Magnolia]

I'm surprised no one picked up on the psuedochromis. They will kill and eat ornamental shrimp.

[FishinInTheDark]

Good catch, SM!

[gman0526]

That they will, totally missed that :roll: Me -->> :beatdown: <<-- SM

What would I ever do w/o you. :D

[Doctor_Reef]

They certainly will :oops: .... I have a purple in my tank with several ornamentals....but not a wise choice in smaller tanks.... :thumbsup:

[Sugar Magnolia]

That they will, totally missed that :roll: Me -->> :beatdown: <<-- SM
:lmao:

[TranZ]

i agree with psedochromis being the killer....i have a puple pseudo and it took out one of my skunk shrimp....but it leaves one alone. i have my shrimp for 4 months now with no problem. you could do is quarantine your pseudo and let your shrimp acclimate in your tank for a few weeks before putting the psedo back....hopefully that will help.