Looking for some Insight

[Wasdal052]

I have a 36 gallon tank that's been up and running for about 6 months. I have a clownfish, a royal gramma, a peppermint shrimp and about 10 hermit crabs of varying species that have all been doing well since their staggered introductions (shrimp and crabs about 4 months, clownfish about 3 months, gramma about 2 months). Over the last couple of months I have been trying to add a cleaner shrimp to the tank. I've tried 3 separate times (1 cleaner shrimp each time). Each of the three times, I've drip acclimated the shrimp for a couple of hours before adding to the tank. In each separate attempt, the shrimp has gone into the tank and survived for 10-14 days. Each time he seems to be doing well...moving around a lot, clearly eating (swimming/climbing to the top of the tank at feeding time and also clearly eating particles off of his whiskers throughout the day).

But each of the three shrimp have suddenly died in that 10-14 day range. Literally, he seems to be doing fine and then in the span of a couple of hours, he become lethagic and then drops dead. I can't figure out what the problem is and I'm wondering if anyone here has any insights? I'd like to add some invertebrates to my tank besides just hermit crabs. I know it's too early on in the life of my tank to try some of the more sensitive inverts. And I really like cleaner shrimp! Should I try something else? Is there something I should tweak to better support a cleaner?

Tank parameters:
Nitrates consistently between 5-20ppm
Nitrites consistently 0ppm
Ammonia consistently between 0-0.2ppm
pH consistently around 8.1
Salinity consistently 1.024-1.025

Thanks!

 

[lmforbis]

I suspect the dominant shrimp is talking out the others when they molt. I have a similar issue in a much larger tank (120). 4 skunk cleaners in 3 months. Only one left and doing well.

 

[Wasdal052]

I suspect the dominant shrimp is talking out the others when they molt. I have a similar issue in a much larger tank (120). 4 skunk cleaners in 3 months. Only one left and doing well.

Just to clarify, I've never had more than 1 at the same time. Unless you mean the peppermint shrimp is taking them out?

 

[lmforbis]

That clarifies. Likely it was the pepperming. They will even take fish.

 

[Wasdal052]

Got it, thanks! Interesting, I didn't realize peppermint shrimp could be aggressive like that. I won't be adding any more cleaners while he's still around!