Lost a cleaner shrimp, now a firefish goby...What should I do?

jcardona · 12/21/2006, 12:29 PM

I started stocking my 72 coner tank on Saturday with 2 true perculas, 2 cleaner shrimps a firefish goby and a Scott's Damsel.

On Sunday I found my larghe cleaner lying behind a rock. I though It might have been a molt but I have not seen it since (not a molt of the shrimp itself, it just dissapeared). Today I found half of my firefish goby. I think I may have a very nasty hitchhiker killing my fish. What do you think? What should I do? I only have left the 2 true perculas and one cleaner shrimp, since the damsel died to bacterial infection and I couldn't save him.

Please reply...

papagimp · 12/21/2006, 12:36 PM

What are your water parameters sitting at? How long has the tank been up and running for? What are you feeding? Need more information for a proper response.

The cleaners may have taken one another out, I've given up on them since they did this in my tank. The firefish may have been sickly to begin with and picked on by others, like the damsels, or cleaners. I had a pretty poor off clown way back when and the cleaner kept eating at him even though he was still alive and swimming. And I'm not talking eating parasites, he was going for fish flesh and eventaully ate most of the clown before I caught em.

Did you QT the fish?

jcardona · 12/21/2006, 12:52 PM

Here are the params:

PH: 8.2
Ammonia:0
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 5
Phosphates:0

Salinity: 1.022

Tank cycled for 2 months.
Stocked a week ago.

No QT tank.

jcardona · 12/21/2006, 01:36 PM

Any replies?..

papagimp · 12/21/2006, 01:47 PM

Well if you have 5ppm on Nitrites, that's why there dead, and the tank isn't cycled. Did you mean nitrates were 5? The salinity is also very low, I would not keep marine life under 1.023 as a minmum. Better yet, keep it closer to 1.025-1.026.

If you got all these "dead" livestock from the same source, I would question that as well. Clowns, just FYI, can handle hyposalintiy much better than other fish, so low SG won't phase em as badly. Also, there pretty hardy to begin with.

Ocicat · 12/21/2006, 02:22 PM

The salinity isn't the problem... Lower salinity (to a point) is actually easier on fish. Lots of hobbyists and LFS alike keep FO systems at 1.022 or even less.

popimp06 · 12/21/2006, 02:25 PM

i havent seen my shrimp in a week either but im sure he will pop out sometime. and my lfs keeps sg at 1.020

lvreefer · 12/21/2006, 04:10 PM

The lower salinity helps parasite control and allows for more disovled oxygen. Good for a store or a FO system as it allows one to stock a heavier fish load (1.019 - 1.020). Natural ocean water has a specific gravity of about 1.026. Why not keep your reef at that? The benefits outweigh the cons.
Anyways that seems like a lot of fish to add at once. Were there any damsels or other fish in there before?

lvreefer · 12/21/2006, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jcardona
Here are the params:
Salinity: 1.022

Please don't take this the worng way...

Please varify your salinity or SG. A salinity of 1.022 is almost freshwater. A Specific Gravity of 1.022 is very close to a salinity of 30ppt.

I'm sure you meant a sg of 1.022. I would slowly raise your salintiy closer to 1.025-1.026 over the coarse of several days.

jcardona · 12/22/2006, 09:43 AM

Thanks for the replies. "

I will start increasing the SG gradually.

The damsel that died yesterday afternoon dissapeared at night, I am pretty much sure I have a mantis, I also haven't seen the remaining Cleaner shrimp, so that means that one or more mantises are having a feast at my expense (~$60.00 woth of Live stock).

While curing my rock I found one that I'm still keeping on the curing container, so I possibly may have others.

I am concerned with the clowns so I currently moved them to a 10 gal tank with water from the tank and an airstone. I really don have filtration currently. I don want to move any LR from the tank to this one since I don't know if I have a mantis. I will check Ammonia daily and perform partial water changes until I can get the Mantis. I've place a trap on the main tank for this.

Am I risking the clowns in any way? Are they safe back in the main tank if I have a Mantis?

Ocicat · 12/22/2006, 10:15 AM

IMO they would be safer in the main tank than they will be in a 10-gallon tank without any filtration....

jcardona · 12/22/2006, 10:20 AM

Will they be safe even if I have mantis shrimps?

jcardona · 12/22/2006, 11:25 AM

...?

cristhiam · 12/22/2006, 11:51 AM

How do you know you have a mantis, have hear and clicking?

jcardona · 12/22/2006, 12:44 PM

The fact I removed one while aquascaping, The loss of 2 cleaner shrimps, one firefish goby and a Scott's Damsel and no corpses to be found.

I doubt my 2 clowns ate all of them, not likely and besides they were well fed.

Any ideas on other possibilities besides a Mantis?

12/21/2006, 12:29 PM	#1
jcardona Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miramar, Florida Posts: 243	Lost a cleaner shrimp, now a firefish goby...What should I do? I started stocking my 72 coner tank on Saturday with 2 true perculas, 2 cleaner shrimps a firefish goby and a Scott's Damsel. On Sunday I found my larghe cleaner lying behind a rock. I though It might have been a molt but I have not seen it since (not a molt of the shrimp itself, it just dissapeared). Today I found half of my firefish goby. I think I may have a very nasty hitchhiker killing my fish. What do you think? What should I do? I only have left the 2 true perculas and one cleaner shrimp, since the damsel died to bacterial infection and I couldn't save him. Please reply...

12/21/2006, 12:36 PM	#2
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	What are your water parameters sitting at? How long has the tank been up and running for? What are you feeding? Need more information for a proper response. The cleaners may have taken one another out, I've given up on them since they did this in my tank. The firefish may have been sickly to begin with and picked on by others, like the damsels, or cleaners. I had a pretty poor off clown way back when and the cleaner kept eating at him even though he was still alive and swimming. And I'm not talking eating parasites, he was going for fish flesh and eventaully ate most of the clown before I caught em. Did you QT the fish? __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

12/21/2006, 12:52 PM	#3
jcardona Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miramar, Florida Posts: 243	Here are the params: PH: 8.2 Ammonia:0 Nitrates: 0 Nitrites: 5 Phosphates:0 Salinity: 1.022 Tank cycled for 2 months. Stocked a week ago. No QT tank. __________________ IM Nuvo 8, 2 SKKYE Light (8w 14K) LED lamps, EIHEM 600 pump, Fiji Pink LS, LR Stock:Pink POM POM Xenia, Toch, Hammer, Green Zoa, Ricordeas, Clownfish, Fiji Blue Devil Damsel and Red Blood shrimp. Current Tank Info: Nuvo 8 Nano tank w/2 - 8W SKKYE Light LED lamps, stock 3 stage filter and EIHEM 600 pump + stock pump as powerhead.

12/21/2006, 01:36 PM	#4
jcardona Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miramar, Florida Posts: 243	Any replies?.. __________________ IM Nuvo 8, 2 SKKYE Light (8w 14K) LED lamps, EIHEM 600 pump, Fiji Pink LS, LR Stock:Pink POM POM Xenia, Toch, Hammer, Green Zoa, Ricordeas, Clownfish, Fiji Blue Devil Damsel and Red Blood shrimp. Current Tank Info: Nuvo 8 Nano tank w/2 - 8W SKKYE Light LED lamps, stock 3 stage filter and EIHEM 600 pump + stock pump as powerhead.

12/21/2006, 01:47 PM	#5
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	Well if you have 5ppm on Nitrites, that's why there dead, and the tank isn't cycled. Did you mean nitrates were 5? The salinity is also very low, I would not keep marine life under 1.023 as a minmum. Better yet, keep it closer to 1.025-1.026. If you got all these "dead" livestock from the same source, I would question that as well. Clowns, just FYI, can handle hyposalintiy much better than other fish, so low SG won't phase em as badly. Also, there pretty hardy to begin with. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

12/21/2006, 02:22 PM	#6
Ocicat Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: St. Louis, Mo Posts: 1,049	The salinity isn't the problem... Lower salinity (to a point) is actually easier on fish. Lots of hobbyists and LFS alike keep FO systems at 1.022 or even less. __________________ Everything floats down here. Current Tank Info: Entirely hypothetical

12/21/2006, 02:25 PM	#7
popimp06 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: the hood Posts: 386	i havent seen my shrimp in a week either but im sure he will pop out sometime. and my lfs keeps sg at 1.020 __________________ what it do Current Tank Info: 75 aga. 80lbs fiji live rock 45lbs live sand 3 t5s.

12/21/2006, 04:10 PM	#8
lvreefer Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sin City Posts: 1,163	The lower salinity helps parasite control and allows for more disovled oxygen. Good for a store or a FO system as it allows one to stock a heavier fish load (1.019 - 1.020). Natural ocean water has a specific gravity of about 1.026. Why not keep your reef at that? The benefits outweigh the cons. Anyways that seems like a lot of fish to add at once. Were there any damsels or other fish in there before?

12/22/2006, 09:43 AM	#10
jcardona Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miramar, Florida Posts: 243	Thanks for the replies. " I will start increasing the SG gradually. The damsel that died yesterday afternoon dissapeared at night, I am pretty much sure I have a mantis, I also haven't seen the remaining Cleaner shrimp, so that means that one or more mantises are having a feast at my expense (~$60.00 woth of Live stock). While curing my rock I found one that I'm still keeping on the curing container, so I possibly may have others. I am concerned with the clowns so I currently moved them to a 10 gal tank with water from the tank and an airstone. I really don have filtration currently. I don want to move any LR from the tank to this one since I don't know if I have a mantis. I will check Ammonia daily and perform partial water changes until I can get the Mantis. I've place a trap on the main tank for this. Am I risking the clowns in any way? Are they safe back in the main tank if I have a Mantis? __________________ IM Nuvo 8, 2 SKKYE Light (8w 14K) LED lamps, EIHEM 600 pump, Fiji Pink LS, LR Stock:Pink POM POM Xenia, Toch, Hammer, Green Zoa, Ricordeas, Clownfish, Fiji Blue Devil Damsel and Red Blood shrimp. Current Tank Info: Nuvo 8 Nano tank w/2 - 8W SKKYE Light LED lamps, stock 3 stage filter and EIHEM 600 pump + stock pump as powerhead. Last edited by jcardona; 12/22/2006 at 09:56 AM.

12/22/2006, 10:15 AM	#11
Ocicat Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: St. Louis, Mo Posts: 1,049	IMO they would be safer in the main tank than they will be in a 10-gallon tank without any filtration.... __________________ Everything floats down here. Current Tank Info: Entirely hypothetical

12/22/2006, 10:20 AM	#12
jcardona Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miramar, Florida Posts: 243	Will they be safe even if I have mantis shrimps? __________________ IM Nuvo 8, 2 SKKYE Light (8w 14K) LED lamps, EIHEM 600 pump, Fiji Pink LS, LR Stock:Pink POM POM Xenia, Toch, Hammer, Green Zoa, Ricordeas, Clownfish, Fiji Blue Devil Damsel and Red Blood shrimp. Current Tank Info: Nuvo 8 Nano tank w/2 - 8W SKKYE Light LED lamps, stock 3 stage filter and EIHEM 600 pump + stock pump as powerhead.

12/22/2006, 11:25 AM	#13
jcardona Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miramar, Florida Posts: 243	...? __________________ IM Nuvo 8, 2 SKKYE Light (8w 14K) LED lamps, EIHEM 600 pump, Fiji Pink LS, LR Stock:Pink POM POM Xenia, Toch, Hammer, Green Zoa, Ricordeas, Clownfish, Fiji Blue Devil Damsel and Red Blood shrimp. Current Tank Info: Nuvo 8 Nano tank w/2 - 8W SKKYE Light LED lamps, stock 3 stage filter and EIHEM 600 pump + stock pump as powerhead.

12/22/2006, 11:51 AM	#14
cristhiam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Groveland, FL Posts: 3,099	How do you know you have a mantis, have hear and clicking? __________________ 2 yellows tail damsels, yellow watchman goby, tail spot blennie, purple pseudocromis, starry blennie, 2 clowns, 1 black clown, mandarine & Yellow tang Current Tank Info: 125 AGA, 3 40W 6500K, 3 110W URI Actinics, running on 2 IceCaps 660, CSS125

12/22/2006, 12:44 PM	#15
jcardona Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miramar, Florida Posts: 243	The fact I removed one while aquascaping, The loss of 2 cleaner shrimps, one firefish goby and a Scott's Damsel and no corpses to be found. I doubt my 2 clowns ate all of them, not likely and besides they were well fed. Any ideas on other possibilities besides a Mantis? __________________ IM Nuvo 8, 2 SKKYE Light (8w 14K) LED lamps, EIHEM 600 pump, Fiji Pink LS, LR Stock:Pink POM POM Xenia, Toch, Hammer, Green Zoa, Ricordeas, Clownfish, Fiji Blue Devil Damsel and Red Blood shrimp. Current Tank Info: Nuvo 8 Nano tank w/2 - 8W SKKYE Light LED lamps, stock 3 stage filter and EIHEM 600 pump + stock pump as powerhead.