trippclark
Member
Okay, in previous threads over the past few days, y'all have helped me determine that my Ca is extraordinarily low (180 at last test; probably just over 200 now) and Alk is high (17 at last test). I have been doing 4-5 gal water changes every 1 - 3 days to try to get these back in line. Ph, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate are all good. SG is about 1.023.
I have also pointed out what I feel are excessive deaths among my cleanup crew (1 sally lightfoot crab and 3 emerald crabs are certainly gone and I appear to have lost a few scarlet hermits, although an accurate count is not possible). The blue leg hermits are doing well.
Two days ago, my Coral Banded Shrimp (CBS), which I have had for 3 weeks began acting wierd. He seemed overly active . . . moving around the tank alot and sometimes moving in a jerky, erratic manner. Just hours later, I found him in the arms of a brittle star with both pinchers missing. I "rescued" him from the star and put him in the sump. Last night he was still alive, but very, very weak.
I know that the low Ca is an issue for crabs and shrimp, but it does not seem logical that this would be the cause of such a rapid decline. Is the high Alk the problem, or is there something else I am missing.
I do not plan on introducing any other critters until the Ca and Alk are where they need to be, but do I have some other problem that needs to be addressed so that crustaceans will be more successful in my tank? Is there any hope for the CBS?
I have also pointed out what I feel are excessive deaths among my cleanup crew (1 sally lightfoot crab and 3 emerald crabs are certainly gone and I appear to have lost a few scarlet hermits, although an accurate count is not possible). The blue leg hermits are doing well.
Two days ago, my Coral Banded Shrimp (CBS), which I have had for 3 weeks began acting wierd. He seemed overly active . . . moving around the tank alot and sometimes moving in a jerky, erratic manner. Just hours later, I found him in the arms of a brittle star with both pinchers missing. I "rescued" him from the star and put him in the sump. Last night he was still alive, but very, very weak.
I know that the low Ca is an issue for crabs and shrimp, but it does not seem logical that this would be the cause of such a rapid decline. Is the high Alk the problem, or is there something else I am missing.
I do not plan on introducing any other critters until the Ca and Alk are where they need to be, but do I have some other problem that needs to be addressed so that crustaceans will be more successful in my tank? Is there any hope for the CBS?
