Cleaner Shrimp Died & Feather Duster Worm - Hermits, Brittle Star, snails OK?

goldfishbowl · 03/30/2006, 05:46 AM

Hi all,

I have a 60 gal tank with 40kg of quality cured LR. The tank has cycled and has a covering of alge here and there. I use a MCE600 skimmer, a EHIEM PRo wet dry thermo, Rofoss cannister in a fluidised filter and a UV filter.

The tank water is fine, have checked it and checked it again before adding live stock. There are what look like anenomies pink/purple ones appearing here and there - am concerned that these are not good ones. As the tank isn't geared up to keep the good guys? But that's for another time, I will get some pictures for you to look at.

Yesterday I ordered some critters. Feather Duster Worm, Cleaner Shrimp, Snails, Hermits and a brittle star to help keep the tank in shape. They were shipped over night, although arrivved incredibly cold - they had put a heater pack in the box, but had placed the bags at the bottom of the box with the bubble wrap and then the heater pack on top - now that doesn't seem right? As the livestock would get and did get incredibly cold.

I took the bags out and placed them in the tank to warm for an hour. Then removed them one by one, emptied the water and then placed them gently in the tank. Within an hour the shrimp had keeled over and died, one did within about 5 minutes. They seemed ok when I took them out of the bag. The worm lived for about 2 hours, litterally lost its duster head and died. The hermits are fine climbing over the rock and snails are wandering around too. The brittle star seems ok, but hasn't moved much.

I feel terrible as I think that perhaps it is my fault? But I don't know what is wrong, I have both reef and marine test kits and everything is where it should be. Alge isn't too much of a problem, but is a daily job of getting rid of the front of the glass. The live rock is blooming with amazing colours. Perhaps the anenomies that are in the tank are to blame? Or, perhaps it was shock and they hadn't warmed up enough, but an hour should have been fine in the bags in the tank?

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could offer me some help.

Cheers

Stu

a4twenty · 03/30/2006, 06:14 AM

i always acclimate using the drip method. the problem is the water chemistry in the bag may be completely different than your tank. you can do the same thing by floating the bag and slowly adding little bits of tank water. when the bag gets full dump half the water and repeat. this gets the contents used to your water parameters slowly. usually it take me 3 - 4 hours before i place the animal in the tank.

Cavufarm · 03/30/2006, 06:37 AM

Theres temperature acclimation and chemical acclimation...as in slowly introducing your tanks water chemistry to your animals.

that may or may not have been a factor in this.

schiejr · 03/30/2006, 08:34 AM

I suspect the lack of a drip/slow acclimation to your water conditions also. I knew a guy that killed a coral banded shrimp the same way.

rodgod20 · 03/30/2006, 08:47 AM

Inverts are very sensitive to sudden water chemistry changes, so proper acclimation is very crucitial for the health of them.

03/30/2006, 05:46 AM	#1
goldfishbowl Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: UK Posts: 61	Cleaner Shrimp Died & Feather Duster Worm - Hermits, Brittle Star, snails OK? Hi all, I have a 60 gal tank with 40kg of quality cured LR. The tank has cycled and has a covering of alge here and there. I use a MCE600 skimmer, a EHIEM PRo wet dry thermo, Rofoss cannister in a fluidised filter and a UV filter. The tank water is fine, have checked it and checked it again before adding live stock. There are what look like anenomies pink/purple ones appearing here and there - am concerned that these are not good ones. As the tank isn't geared up to keep the good guys? But that's for another time, I will get some pictures for you to look at. Yesterday I ordered some critters. Feather Duster Worm, Cleaner Shrimp, Snails, Hermits and a brittle star to help keep the tank in shape. They were shipped over night, although arrivved incredibly cold - they had put a heater pack in the box, but had placed the bags at the bottom of the box with the bubble wrap and then the heater pack on top - now that doesn't seem right? As the livestock would get and did get incredibly cold. I took the bags out and placed them in the tank to warm for an hour. Then removed them one by one, emptied the water and then placed them gently in the tank. Within an hour the shrimp had keeled over and died, one did within about 5 minutes. They seemed ok when I took them out of the bag. The worm lived for about 2 hours, litterally lost its duster head and died. The hermits are fine climbing over the rock and snails are wandering around too. The brittle star seems ok, but hasn't moved much. I feel terrible as I think that perhaps it is my fault? But I don't know what is wrong, I have both reef and marine test kits and everything is where it should be. Alge isn't too much of a problem, but is a daily job of getting rid of the front of the glass. The live rock is blooming with amazing colours. Perhaps the anenomies that are in the tank are to blame? Or, perhaps it was shock and they hadn't warmed up enough, but an hour should have been fine in the bags in the tank? I'd really appreciate it if anyone could offer me some help. Cheers Stu

03/30/2006, 08:47 AM	#5
rodgod20 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 459	Inverts are very sensitive to sudden water chemistry changes, so proper acclimation is very crucitial for the health of them. __________________ "If your going through hell, Keep going" -Winston ChurchHill- Current Tank Info: 65G (90lbs of LR, CSS125, ATO,Oceans Motions, 33x turnover) LPS tank

03/30/2006, 06:14 AM	#2
a4twenty Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,603	i always acclimate using the drip method. the problem is the water chemistry in the bag may be completely different than your tank. you can do the same thing by floating the bag and slowly adding little bits of tank water. when the bag gets full dump half the water and repeat. this gets the contents used to your water parameters slowly. usually it take me 3 - 4 hours before i place the animal in the tank.

03/30/2006, 06:37 AM	#3
Cavufarm Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 43	Theres temperature acclimation and chemical acclimation...as in slowly introducing your tanks water chemistry to your animals. that may or may not have been a factor in this.

03/30/2006, 08:34 AM	#4
schiejr Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 121	I suspect the lack of a drip/slow acclimation to your water conditions also. I knew a guy that killed a coral banded shrimp the same way.