Cannot keep cleaner shrimps alive!!

[spacemonkey]

Anyone else seem to have problems keeping cleaner shrimp? The longest i've kept any over the last 2 years is maybe a month max. I decided to buy a few more recently and the last one disapeared the other night.
Now before the water levels people hop all over this I have been able to keep a pistol shrimp and snails and cucumbers for years without losing any of them. (maybe a few snails here and there from falling on there backs and not getting noticed) my water levels are consistant.
I'm thinking something is eating them. here is my stock list.
maroon clown
yellow tang
coral beauty
6 line wrasse
blue spotted yellow watchman goby
pistol shrimp
cucumber
snails
crabs (which go missing faster then the shrimp do normally)
Any thoughts?? on who the culprit may be??
Thanks

 

[bang guy]

What are your water parameters? Especially Salinity and temperature.
What species of Shrimp?
What do you dose regularly, if anything.
Do you find a body or do they just disappear?

 

[jesses89]

what kind of hermits are they?
Ive been having the same problem with hermits.. every single scarlet red hermit id put in there would go missing few days after...
Ive had this one blueleg hermit for as long as ive had my tank.. he never went missing... so i was suspicious of him.. that he was killing my scarlet reds.....
Then last week i bought this way bigger scarlet red hermit than the blueleg was... the next day.... the blueleg was in the shell that THAT scarlet red hermit was in....
scarlet reds are wimps compared to other hermits.... well anyways... that blueleg killed its last hermit.

 

[spacemonkey]

Hey sorry for the delay on the response, night shifts...
I've lost both blood red cleaners and skunk cleaners, I never find a body, there just gone.
temp is 76-78 degrees
salinity is 1.026
Ca 400mg/l
PH 8.3
No2 0.1mg/l
No3 5mg/l
my theory is they go down below the rocks to molt and either my pistol shrimp, goby or wrasse has a midnight snack

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by spacemonkey
http:///forum/post/2614029
Hey sorry for the delay on the response, night shifts...
I've lost both blood red cleaners and skunk cleaners, I never find a body, there just gone.
temp is 76-78 degrees
salinity is 1.026
Ca 400mg/l
PH 8.3
No2 0.1mg/l
No3 5mg/l
my theory is they go down below the rocks to molt and either my pistol shrimp, goby or wrasse has a midnight snack
78F is on the cold side for Skunk Cleaners but not enough to kill them. Six-Lines aren't known to be Shrimp predators but it's not out of question. Some Pistol Shrimp will hunt Cleaner Shrimp so that could be possible as well but not likely. A common reason for Cleaner Shrimp deaths is an excess of Iodine, a buildup of copper from tap water, or fluctuating salinity. You seem to have those covered though.
Can you rule out the chance that you have a Mantis Shrimp in the tank?

 

[spacemonkey]

I'm pretty sure it's not a mantis shrimp, I got it from my supplier and he's always been very reliable. Plus i've not lost any fish which i think i might with the goby dwelling in the same caves and the six line sleeping down below as well.
I do add a cap full (8 oz bottle of kent marine iodine) of iodine every sunday, I do so because I read that this will help shrimp molt.
I'm at a loss, I'm just going to have to give up on housing shrimp i guess... or start taking inhabitants out one by one to see if it helps
My water levels look OK to you folks?

 

[mx#28]

Originally Posted by spacemonkey
http:///forum/post/2614143
I do add a cap full (8 oz bottle of kent marine iodine) of iodine every sunday, I do so because I read that this will help shrimp molt.
This might very well be the problem. Do you test for Iodine? If so, post that info.
Iodine does assist in molting, but excess iodine will cause PREMATURE molting and lead to the early demise of the shrimp.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by spacemonkey
http:///forum/post/2614143
I do add a cap full (8 oz bottle of kent marine iodine) of iodine every sunday, I do so because I read that this will help shrimp molt.
Bingo!
Iodine does not help Shrimp molt. In fact, it is a deadly poison to Shrimp. This is just a long standing Myth. It does force them to molt, they must molt prematurely to remove the toxin. This is how Shrimp remove excess Iodine from their bodies, they store it in their exoskeleton until they molt.
A healthy Shrimp will molt just fine and live a long life with 0.000ppm Iodine.
Algae sequesters Iodine quickly so your Iodine levels should be back to normal fairly quickly.

 

[spiderwoman]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2614294
Bingo!
Iodine does not help Shrimp molt. In fact, it is a deadly poison to Shrimp. This is just a long standing Myth. It does force them to molt, they must molt prematurely to remove the toxin. This is how Shrimp remove excess Iodine from their bodies, they store it in their exoskeleton until they molt.
A healthy Shrimp will molt just fine and live a long life with 0.000ppm Iodine.
+1
Why are you dosing with iodine?

 

[mx#28]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2614294
Iodine does not help Shrimp molt. In fact, it is a deadly poison to Shrimp. This is just a long standing Myth.
A healthy Shrimp will molt just fine and live a long life with 0.000ppm Iodine.
Bang Guy, would you pass along your source for this. I've read a number of things that question the how important iodine is or isn't for molting, but I've not seen anyone refute it's importance completely. I'm up for some good reading.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by MX#28
http:///forum/post/2614441
Bang Guy, would you pass along your source for this. I've read a number of things that question the how important iodine is or isn't for molting, but I've not seen anyone refute it's importance completely. I'm up for some good reading.
2 sources but neither are available online.
My own tank in which I have successfully bred & raised Peppermint Cleaner Shrimp larvae. Iodine in that specific tank has always tested 0.00 for Iodine. I use an algae scrubber to remove the Iodine (and other elements) before using the water in the larval rearing tank.
More credible would be an exaustive study with Dr. Ron Shimek. His website doesn't seem to be available anymore but I believe he is still available to answer direct questions.

 

[nycbob]

with regular weeky water change, iodide should be easily replenished. u hv a pistol shrimp, so keeping a skunk shouldnt be a problem. i am thinking maybe somehthing went wrong during the acclimation.

 

[mx#28]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2614507
2 sources but neither are available online.
My own tank in which I have successfully bred & raised Peppermint Cleaner Shrimp larvae. Iodine in that specific tank has always tested 0.00 for Iodine. I use an algae scrubber to remove the Iodine (and other elements) before using the water in the larval rearing tank.
More credible would be an exaustive study with Dr. Ron Shimek. His website doesn't seem to be available anymore but I believe he is still available to answer direct questions.
Many thanks, BG. Much appreciated.

I've been following Dr. Shimek's work with gorgonians on another site so I'm sure he's still available to contact.

 

[handtlkr]

I'd love to know how to keep shrimp alive also! I've tried 2 times, each with great water params and acclimating for over 2-3 hours. The little guy is great for 2-4 days and then I never see him again...no body either. My tank is too small not to notice the long tenticles..sooooooo....and I get them from a great store....sigh...