I need a shoulder...sniff sniff...

Rytek · 10/10/2010, 12:08 PM

Last night before bed I noticed 'Simon' my cleaner shrimp (everyones fav) was sitting on the sand and just looked kinda....funny.

This morning he was laying on his side in the same spot, my heart dropped. Its not a molt its Simon and he passed last night and was pronounced dead this morning at 10:23 AM on 10/10/10.

I am a 26 year old body builder not a 12 year old dealing with death his first time but I so love animals and this is hard because in my first tank he was my first thing I bought after my tank cycle about 8 months ago.

Now its time to investigate! Here is the truth, at my LFS they have my exact same Red Sea Max 130D there on the floor and it is stocked with corals and fish and they said they do water changes like once every 3 months! This made me think I was excessive with doing it once a week so I backed off and did it every other week. I went to Vegas last week and got off pace with the tank (had someone feed them of course) but I have not done a water change in a bit over a month!

Everyone else in the tank looks great and I have not got to test my levels but will when I get home. I dont supplement the tank with any Iodine. Do you think the lack of water changes in a 34 gallon tank caused some of those levels like magnesium, stronium and Iodine to deplete to far?

If I have been a poor reef keeper for not doing water changes I need to hear that! I need a good kick in the teeth if I killed my little guy through neglect.

Thanks for listing to me....

snorkeler · 10/10/2010, 12:22 PM

I don't think you pushed it too far in the water changes, but I'd test NO3 to see if that took him down.

Anyway, remember that fish and invertebrates have livespans, they die of age too, and much quicker than larger pets...

Snorkeler

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk

Ritten · 10/10/2010, 12:56 PM

Water changes are important, expecially in a smaller tank. Having said that, I believe, don't hold me to it, that a cleaner shrimp's life span is about seven years. No telling how old the little guy was when you got him.

Rytek · 10/10/2010, 01:05 PM

The age of death makes since because he was just sitting on the bottom and this did not invlove a molt or anything. however I am going back to weekly water changes! and yea I will test my N03

fishysteve · 10/10/2010, 09:01 PM

I doubt if it was anything you did. Are there any fish in your tank that harassed it occasionally?

10/10/2010, 12:08 PM	#1
Rytek Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 142	I need a shoulder...sniff sniff... Last night before bed I noticed 'Simon' my cleaner shrimp (everyones fav) was sitting on the sand and just looked kinda....funny. This morning he was laying on his side in the same spot, my heart dropped. Its not a molt its Simon and he passed last night and was pronounced dead this morning at 10:23 AM on 10/10/10. I am a 26 year old body builder not a 12 year old dealing with death his first time but I so love animals and this is hard because in my first tank he was my first thing I bought after my tank cycle about 8 months ago. Now its time to investigate! Here is the truth, at my LFS they have my exact same Red Sea Max 130D there on the floor and it is stocked with corals and fish and they said they do water changes like once every 3 months! This made me think I was excessive with doing it once a week so I backed off and did it every other week. I went to Vegas last week and got off pace with the tank (had someone feed them of course) but I have not done a water change in a bit over a month! Everyone else in the tank looks great and I have not got to test my levels but will when I get home. I dont supplement the tank with any Iodine. Do you think the lack of water changes in a 34 gallon tank caused some of those levels like magnesium, stronium and Iodine to deplete to far? If I have been a poor reef keeper for not doing water changes I need to hear that! I need a good kick in the teeth if I killed my little guy through neglect. Thanks for listing to me....

10/10/2010, 12:22 PM	#2
snorkeler Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Brazil Posts: 250	I don't think you pushed it too far in the water changes, but I'd test NO3 to see if that took him down. Anyway, remember that fish and invertebrates have livespans, they die of age too, and much quicker than larger pets... Snorkeler Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk __________________ Tank: 180L (46gal) 60cm cube DT visible from all sides with central overflow column, 10cm crushed coral base, LR, 79L (20gal) sump with skimmer, ATS and refugium. External jerrican DIY ATO. Livestoc

10/10/2010, 09:01 PM	#5
fishysteve Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 1,804	I doubt if it was anything you did. Are there any fish in your tank that harassed it occasionally? __________________ On a break

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10/10/2010, 12:56 PM	#3
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	Water changes are important, expecially in a smaller tank. Having said that, I believe, don't hold me to it, that a cleaner shrimp's life span is about seven years. No telling how old the little guy was when you got him.

10/10/2010, 01:05 PM	#4
Rytek Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 142	The age of death makes since because he was just sitting on the bottom and this did not invlove a molt or anything. however I am going back to weekly water changes! and yea I will test my N03