Acclimating Blood Shrimp

[ags]

This is the second time I have tried to put a red blood shrimp in my tank and again it died with in three hours. What gives? Any of you have one in your tank and how did you acclimate it. I know they shrimp was okay because it had been at LFS for over a week and I watched it molt while there.

 

[wrassecal]

Well assuming the obvious - water good etc. I don't know what could be wrong. I've had one in my tank for several months, it's growing like crazy ( click on house above to see pics). What size are you buying? Are they very small? Could there be a predator? I acclimated just like my fish. floated for 15 minutes for temp, then added tank water every ten minutes for 40 mins. When was it you saw it molt? If it was very recently, it might have been stressed by the move. They like to hide for a few days and rebuild their strength and exoskeleton after molting. Did the first one die quickly also?

 

[angief]

I lost the 2 I was bought for a present also. The water was great and they appeared to be OK for about a day then it was all over. I could have cried because I did everything by the book and they are so expensive here, it wasn't easy telling my friend that they had died.. In the end I replaced them with cleaner shrimps and they are really doing well, they have malted twice already and I have only had them for about 5 weeks.

 

[richard rendos]

If water quality is good in your tank, then maybe you aren't acclimating it properly. I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket with the water from the bag. I use a piece of air line hose. Start a siphon from your tank to the 5 gallon bucket. Tie a knot in the air line and tighten it until it is just a slow drip coming out. When the bucket is about half to three quarters full (about an hour or so), I catch the shrimp and put him in the tank.
Then pour the water from the bucket back in the tank. I have several different kinds of shrimp and it works for all of them. If that doesn't help, I would check water parameters.

 

[maury]

I like Richards method, but wouldn't pour the water back in the tank. The acclimation bucket contains the water the critter was brought home with, and I'll be damned if I pour that stuff in my tank.

 

[jester]

Check your ph. They are REAL sensitive to it. Read the acclimation proceedure from here and you will not have a problem. Also, keep the salt level at .025 for it. anything below .023 and it will die. I learned the hard way.

 

[wrassecal]

Originally posted by Richard Rendos:
[QB] put mine in a 5 gallon bucket with the water from the bag. I use a piece of air line hose. Start a siphon from your tank to the 5 gallon bucket. Tie a knot in the air line and tighten it until it is just a slow drip coming out. When the bucket is about half to three quarters full (about an hour or so), I catch the shrimp and put him in the tank.
Then pour the water from the bucket back in the tank. QB]<hr></blockquote>
Richard are you sure you pour the bucket water in your tank? That has store water in it? I wouldn't put store water in my tank.
I have had great luck with cleaner shrimp (2) and fire shrimp (1) but you guys might be on to something about the sg. I know my lfs keeps their sg a lot lower than mine, they keep 1.020 and I have keep 1.025 Maybe you are not getting it acclimated properly to your sg or your sg is to low for it.

 

[ags]

my parameters are perfect and my salinity is .023-.24. My tank has been up and running since Jan. and other than a ich outbreak back in March (which has since been eradicated) I have neither lost anything or had any adverse troubles. Although the first one I introduced was when my tank was relatively young so I chalked it up to that. Here is what I did: I floated the bag for 30 min for temp, then added tank water (roughly 25% of bag vol.) every 10-15 mintues for appx. 45 minutes. I did not add bag water into my tank and gently placed shrimp in my tank. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong but maybe that is the luck of the draw. Damn shame because I love the deep red of these shrimp. Expensive mistake, I paid $25 a pop for the two I lost. Lesson learned, no more blood shrimp. Thanks

 

[wrassecal]

I'm sorry, they are sooo cool! sounds like you acclimated correctly. Have you talked to your lfs about this? Will they give you credit? I know they are expensive we paid $35.00 for ours. The only thing I can think of is it was in a weakened condition because of the recent molt and didn't make it through the stress of the change.