Dying shrimp & amphipods

[rcpiv93]

I have a 6-month old reef. Corals are flourishing and so are the fish. However, over the past week I have lost two of my three cleaner shrimp and I have noticed many, many dead amphipods floating around the aquascape. That said, my hermits, snails, and clams seem totally unbothered. In fact, trochus snails continue to spawn on an almost weekly basis.

My recent ICP test (from about two weeks ago) showed all of my major elements where they should be. However, I had high sulfur (1000 mg/l) and high zinc (6.7 ug/l). Finally, my aluminum was high (39.98 ug/l). But the ICP test still showed this to be within acceptable limits.

I have no idea what the cause could be, and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts. Do you know of anything that would affect shrimp and amphipods, while not bothering my other inverts or coral?

Thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have a 6-month old reef. Corals are flourishing and so are the fish. However, over the past week I have lost two of my three cleaner shrimp and I have noticed many, many dead amphipods floating around the aquascape. That said, my hermits, snails, and clams seem totally unbothered. In fact, trochus snails continue to spawn on an almost weekly basis.

My recent ICP test (from about two weeks ago) showed all of my major elements where they should be. However, I had high sulfur (1000 mg/l) and high zinc (6.7 ug/l). Finally, my aluminum was high (39.98 ug/l). But the ICP test still showed this to be within acceptable limits.

I have no idea what the cause could be, and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts. Do you know of anything that would affect shrimp and amphipods, while not bothering my other inverts or coral?

Thanks!

Just checking - you aren’t dosing any oxidant like peroxide are you?

 

[rcpiv93]

Just checking - you aren’t dosing any oxidant like peroxide are you?

Thanks for checking. I am not. I am only dosing All for Reef, Acropower, iron and magnesium.

 

[rcpiv93]

Bump

 

[mcarroll]

I have a 6-month old reef. Corals are flourishing and so are the fish. However, over the past week I have lost two of my three cleaner shrimp and I have noticed many, many dead amphipods floating around the aquascape. That said, my hermits, snails, and clams seem totally unbothered. In fact, trochus snails continue to spawn on an almost weekly basis.

My recent ICP test (from about two weeks ago) showed all of my major elements where they should be. However, I had high sulfur (1000 mg/l) and high zinc (6.7 ug/l). Finally, my aluminum was high (39.98 ug/l). But the ICP test still showed this to be within acceptable limits.

I have no idea what the cause could be, and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts. Do you know of anything that would affect shrimp and amphipods, while not bothering my other inverts or coral?

Thanks!

I've read a few papers where they've experimented with zinc for parasite control, but I don't recall what their dosages were like. IMO this is worth buying a Poly-FIlter™ to see if you get anything interesting out of the water....at least you'd pull that aluminum out.

Do you know why zinc or aluminum is high? If you're using artificial bio-media other than your rock, it might be leaching aluminum. If so, I'd remove that media vs trying to combat it with Poly-Filters. Not sure what to suggest about the zinc – galvanized fittings, screws, clamps, etc are the only thing that comes to mind....so if those are anywhere in your system, consider removing them asap.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I've read a few papers where they've experimented with zinc for parasite control, but I don't recall what their dosages were like. IMO this is worth buying a Poly-FIlter™ to see if you get anything interesting out of the water....at least you'd pull that aluminum out.

Do you know why zinc or aluminum is high? If you're using artificial bio-media other than your rock, it might be leaching aluminum. If so, I'd remove that media vs trying to combat it with Poly-Filters. Not sure what to suggest about the zinc – galvanized fittings, screws, clamps, etc are the only thing that comes to mind....so if those are anywhere in your system, consider removing them asap.

If the zinc was an issue, it would have killed the corals before any crustaceans.

We see high aluminum in our public aquarium systems, we just sorta ignore it.

 

[dwest]

I am not a amphipod expert but I believe that they shed their exoskeleton as they grow. At least that what it appears like in my tank. I frequently see pod skeleton floating around in my tank. They look very much like a dead pod. Shrimp are the same. I am wondering if it is possible that you are seeing exoskeletons.

 

[rcpiv93]

I am not a amphipod expert but I believe that they shed their exoskeleton as they grow. At least that what it appears like in my tank. I frequently see pod skeleton floating around in my tank. They look very much like a dead pod. Shrimp are the same. I am wondering if it is possible that you are seeing exoskeletons.

I was hoping that was the case for the amphipods. However, I am 100% sure that the two cleaner shrimp have passed away. At this point, I’m in a holding pattern. I’ll do an extra water change, keep everything else the same, and then send out a new ICP.

 

[dwest]

I was hoping that was the case for the amphipods. However, I am 100% sure that the two cleaner shrimp have passed away. At this point, I’m in a holding pattern. I’ll do an extra water change, keep everything else the same, and then send out a new ICP.

Shrimp have a relatively short life (a few years). I wouldn’t expect two of them to die within 6 months though. ICP seems like a good idea.

 

[Dom]

I've read a few papers where they've experimented with zinc for parasite control, but I don't recall what their dosages were like. IMO this is worth buying a Poly-FIlter™ to see if you get anything interesting out of the water....at least you'd pull that aluminum out.

Does Poly-Fill remove aluminum?

Disregard. "Poly-Fill" is filter floss. "Poly-Filter" is a different product entirely. I did not know this.

 

[mcarroll]

Does Poly-Fill remove aluminum?

Disregard. "Poly-Fill" is filter floss. "Poly-Filter" is a different product entirely. I did not know this.

Yep! I look at it as a harmless test most of the time, but useful if there's anything like this you want to remove but activated carbon may or may not do it. The fact that it's also an indicator, not just an adsorptive media is cool and helpful.

 

[Dom]

Yep! I look at it as a harmless test most of the time, but useful if there's anything like this you want to remove but activated carbon may or may not do it. The fact that it's also an indicator, not just an adsorptive media is cool and helpful.

Sounds like cool stuff. I run Phosguard, so...

 

[mcarroll]

Sounds like cool stuff. I run Phosguard, so...

Similar, but Poly-Filter grabs a lot more suff. You could run both if you thought you had a reason.

 

[Dom]

Similar, but Poly-Filter grabs a lot more suff. You could run both if you thought you had a reason.

Well, I was thinking since I run Phosguard, this would be useful. @VintageReefer also recommended an aluminum-removing filter pad, but I don't think it was this. But lets not hijack the thread.

 

[Louis Z]

So now 2months out , any further results from icp . Any new inverts tried . Any new shrimps ?