Snails eating cleaner shrimp? Help...

boysx3

boysx3

New Member
I just added (2) cleaner shrimp. Within 30 min. my snails approached them and devoured them, with no resistance from the shrimp. What's going on???

Just so you know...
270 gal., all levels normal,
(2) clowns
(2) blue hippos
(1) yellow tang (which was sad during the whole episode...he kept going over trying to get cleaned from a dead shrimp
(20) snails...mix turbo and (small sand burying kind...these are the one's that committed the homicide).
(1) sea cucumber (wasn't him, because I witnessed the murder.)
 
miaheatlvr

miaheatlvr

Active Member
Originally Posted by boysx3
I just added (2) cleaner shrimp. Within 30 min. my snails approached them and devoured them, with no resistance from the shrimp. What's going on???

Probably died from some kind of shock, probably SALINITY shock, did you acclimate them properly?
 
boysx3

boysx3

New Member
definately not a molt...I witnessed it. After release, they scoured the walls for about 10 min. then settled down on the sand. Then a snail approached the first one...shrimp jumped a little... snail approached again and shrimp let him cover him and...you know the rest. Same story with the other shrimp 10 min. later. Did something derange the shrimp in my water to cause them to not fight back???
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
As asked above how did you acclimate the shrimp to your tank? And what are your currnet perameters. These could all be indicators that your shrimp could of been in some sort of osmotic shock.
 
boysx3

boysx3

New Member
acclimation: floated for about 1.5 hr, fresh water dip. Did not drip acclimate, which is prefered but doubtful that this caused this reaction this quick.
As to allowing the 2nd one...I intervened twice, a snail had already made contact with him while I was separating the first one. I intervened but with LFS not close by, and no QT, I couldn't bag & float him all night.
 
emm0909

emm0909

Member
Well there's your answer. I would dip zoas or something imobile but as acclimation
Fish - Drip acclimate
Inverts - Drip
Corals - Just drop them in.
Drip acclimation is by far the easiest way to do it and by far the BEST way to do it. Just get a piece of airline and keep a small styrofoam cooler from a SWF order laying around. It's a set it and forget it process. To everyone who doesn't drip - start to!
 
boysx3

boysx3

New Member
Thanks everyone. I'm new here, but glad to have some help. I thought my LFS had instructed to float/dip everything except coral. I guess this is what did it because all parameters are good and shrimp was fine while floating. Lesson learned.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Even if you don't buy something from this site it's in your best interest to use the acclimation proceedures recommended here. Click on the blue button over on the left labeled "Acclimation".
Sorry for your loss.
Also the response time here on the board isn't immediate but there are hundreds of people that are happy to help you out as quick as they can if you have emergency questions.
 
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