Cleaner Shrimp dieing

[hatessushi]

My cleaner shrimp is laying on his back on the bottom of the tank this morning. He is still moving his legs and twitching some. Does anyone know how long the life span is of these shrimp? I have had him for about 3 months now with no problems. Yesterday I lost one of 4 emerald crabs and don't know why. It's a 90 gallon tank and performed the last water change at 10% on every Sunday.... :help:
Tank parameters;
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - <20
PH - 8.2
temp - 78
alk - 8
calcium - 450

 

[renogaw]

is it possible that your emerald molted, and your cleaner is molting? looks like your water parameters are good, do you hear rapid clicking similar to a mantis shrimp?

 

[hatessushi]

no clicking, but what would the clicking be from? When I took out the emerald it stunk and was not a molt, the face and weight was there and everything. Do you know how long the cleaner shimp life span is?

 

[renogaw]

no clue on life span. if you heard clicking, you could have had a possible mantis shrimp hitchiker and i would have suggested looking at that as a cause of death.

 

[hatessushi]

No mantis shrimp in my tank, but thanks for the input renogaw. I was going to go up to the LFS for a new cleaner but think I may wait to see if anyone knows what the life span is.

 

[hatessushi]

The shrimp may not be dieing but he is lieing on his back. When they molt do they do it laying on their backs? I was thinking maybe he decided to molt late and then daylight came and he got caught molting.

 

[hatessushi]

He dead, doh!

 

[nick76]

sorry to hear that man, I just bought a cleaner shrimp the other day. Im hoping he lasts for awhile.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by HatesSushi
He dead, doh!

Sorry for your frustrating loss.
I seem to remember life expectancy for shrimp was around 2 years. That needs to be verified... I could have dreamed it.
With a crab dying yesterday I'd suspect a common cause. Can you test for copper and iodine?

 

[socko6774]

MY CLENAERs going on 4 months, looks strong, always tries cleaning my fingers when i stick my hands in the tank, lol

 

[hatessushi]

I test 0 for copper .06 mg/L which is the NSW standard. I test Iodide and Strontium once a week. I can't remember what the Strontium results were but I do remember they wre good. I know that shrimp need the correct levels of Iodide.

 

[beadmaker]

what fish do you have. I just lost a cleaner also but the antennae were getting progressively shorter leading me to believe fish are attacking. The literature I read says 1-2 years.

 

[hatessushi]

I have a coral beauty, maroon clown (doesn't go near the shrimp), diamond goby, Kile tang (which was cleaned by the cleaner many a time). When I took the shrimp out the antenae seemed fully intact.

 

[fishy head]

so sorry to hear that. I have a cleaner shrimp and he just molted a couple of days ago

 

[hatessushi]

I'm gunna replace him tomorrow

 

[dogstar]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Sorry for your frustrating loss.
I seem to remember life expectancy for shrimp was around 2 years. That needs to be verified... I could have dreamed it.
With a crab dying yesterday I'd suspect a common cause. Can you test for copper and iodine?

Over the years, I have kept four and they all averaged 2 1/2 years.