Fire shrimp

[moorish]

I have noticed my fire shrimp to be EXTREMELY intolerant of water changes. The first one I had started jumping and going nuts after the water change, and then suddenly stopped and died.

I have had a couple of fire shrimp in GREAT shape for over a month now, and I performed a water change (33% of tank). The shrimp again started jumping around but then I felt better because they were in a corner of the tank and looked relaxed. I just came back to the house and found the two shrimp dead. I also have a coral banded shrimp and he is OK.
What can I do to prevent this from happening to the fire shrimp? Are they extremely delicate? Or are they just intolerant of cloudy (during the water change, the water turns cloudy).
Thanks,
Moorish

 

[beth]

How do you mix your water?

 

[howieumd]

I think you might be lowering the specific gravity too much with your water change. I've noticed the same thing with both fire shrimp and with cleaner shrimp. They need to be acclimated longer than anything prior to going in, or they usually die within the first 15 minutes. I also lost one a while back with a water change. They usually will last a very long time, but a huge swing in salinity, even if you bring it back to the same, will usually make them die right away. This is just what I've noticed.

 

[moorish]

I mix the water in a water cooler on my patio. The thing I check the most is salinity. Now, I just add the water to the tank with all the fish and inverts in there, I have never taken them out during the water change. Should I do that? What is the best method for a water change?
I was a little afraid that the cloudiness in the water after the water change might also be perturbing the shrimp. How true mught this be?
Moorish

 

[beth]

Describe in detail your mixing procedure.

 

[kdfrosty]

To be honest (and in bad practice) I mix new batches of saltwater by hand for 5 minutes before adding to my tank. I also use the same amount of salt per gallon of water each and every time. I have a cleaner shrimp, and he is doing great...have had him for at least 4 months, and he is molting about 1-2 times per month. He's almost doubled in size as well. I do, however, closely manage salinity and SG by checking it daily, and using an auto top off system which reduces SG/salinity swings.
I have never kept a fire shrimp, though.
One thing that did catch me off guard about your original post is the 33% wter changes that you have been doing. Why so much water at one time? I usually do about 10% every week or so. I have heard of people doing monthly water changes of 20-25% at a time, but never as much as 33%, not even on a newly cycled tank.

 

[airframer]

Im no expert at all and am pretty new at this but I do love shrimp and have a few so I figured my 2 cents may be helpful. I do my water changes about once a month and I do about 20 percent... I have never had a problem with shirimp but have been told that they are very delicate when it comes to changes in the perimeters.. My water changes go as follows... I have a water purifier so I take a 55 gal drum and just fill it with hot water then add salt until I get to my .023 level. Then ( Ive heard that this isnt very good practice but seems to work for me ) I do my monthly vacuum.. And take out exactley what I have to put in.. And I shut all my pumps down for this. then I put a powerhead in the drum and pump it all back into the tank and have never had any problems with water clouding or shrimp acting strange.. I dont know if that helps at all but thats about all I know right haha sooo.... Good luck, Im sure you will get more help from others

 

[ophiura]

It definitely sounds like some sort of shock, and that is not difficult with crustaceans...specific gravity, pH, temperature or similar.