Have had multiple inverts die

[ctylermast]

Have a 50 gal system. I have had a couple inverts I believe died. Skunk shrimp, died like a week ago. I saw what I thought was a molt of a gorilla crab that I been after. And now I just found I believe my emerald crab to be dead. I do not believe it was a molt. Today was test day anyways. When I went to go move the meals crab, his top just peeled off. The skunk shrimp got a very yellow hue before he died.
All tests are Hanna besides ammonia.
Alk 8.5
Nitrate 9.3
Phos 0.0 ( working in that)
Cal (399) also working on that
Ammonia 0 (if not then negligible)

I don’t run my skimmer anymore at all and maybe that’s the cause, just low o2 exchange.
50 g total system 40g breeder with a 10 gal sump. Anyone have and input. Sending out an icp test , should I just run carbon.
Could a ticked off dying toadstool do that?
Haven’t seen any of them after body was found, so I can’t 100% without a doubt rule out a molt. But it’d be very coincidental .
Pic for attention.
Tank is about 6mo old

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Its hard to see the true color of the rocks in this lighting, in this pic the rocks looks bone white, so does the sand. They might have not had enough food.
It might also be low oxygen, the water surface looks very flat, although inverts take less oxygen than fish so thats a stretch IMO.
Again, looking at your tank, I think they might have starved. Just a guess and my 2 cents only, good luck

 

[ctylermast]

Its hard to see the true color of the rocks in this lighting, in this pic the rocks looks bone white, so does the sand. They might have not had enough food.
It might also be low oxygen, the water surface looks very flat, although inverts take less oxygen than fish so thats a stretch IMO.
Again, looking at your tank, I think they might have starved. Just a guess and my 2 cents only, good luck

No that’s an older pic, just for attention, rocks are far from white. They’ve got plenty to graze on. Pic was for attention. I’m worried my skimmer being off led to low oxygen but I’m not sure. Surface has plenty of agitation

 

[Science/G]

Heavy metals are a problem for inverts, so your ICP test should inform you there. Low numbers of calcium and iodine can also be an issue. The tank is very new, so they might not have had enough to eat. Lastly any major changes in salinity could have also been a problem for them and their osmotic balance.

 

[ctylermast]

Heavy metals are a problem for inverts, so your ICP test should inform you there. Low numbers of calcium and iodine can also be an issue. The tank is very new, so they might not have had enough to eat. Lastly any major changes in salinity could have also been a problem for them and their osmotic balance.

I shouldn’t have used that picture, tink is about 6-7months there is plenty to eat and he gets fed all the time with the fish. I check salinity weekly and it’s been pretty on point almost anytime I test. I calibrate refractometer every time I use it to 1.026. The iodine is what I’m scared of. Hopefully I’ll have icp back in a few weeks. Also I’m worried maybe me not running my skimmer causing issues at night.
This is a more current pic…..minus the skunk

 

[BeanAnimal]

Iodine is not the issue.
Low O2 could be.

It could also be coincidences of predation, molts gone wrong, disease, etc.

Why are you not running the skimmer?

 

[ctylermast]

Iodine is not the issue.
Low O2 could be.

It could also be coincidences of predation, molts gone wrong, disease, etc.

Why are you not running the skimmer?

I need to keep my phosphates up, tank is consuming it at a decent rate

 

[BeanAnimal]

I need to keep my phosphates up, tank is consuming it at a decent rate

Feed the fish more!

But overall I doubt that it is actually 0.0

 

[MegabiteOG]

The skimmer doesn’t do a whole lot for phosphate, but adds a ton of oxygen. I’d run it.

 

[slingfox]

I need to keep my phosphates up, tank is consuming it at a decent rate

You can run the skimmer at a lower setting so that it produces bubbles but does not skim. Or you can run the skimmer with the top off

 

[BeanAnimal]

You can run the skimmer at a lower setting so that it produces bubbles but does not skim. Or you can run the skimmer with the top off

Good observation.

 

[Cramtechnician]

No skimmer could also be skewing your ph quite a bit. Skimmers are great at oxygenating the water along with removing organics. Keep the skimmer on and open up the valve if this is how you want to raise phosphate. I personally prefer dosing phosphate like this article.

DIY Phosphate Dosing Recipe

Sometimes phosphate can be so stubbornly low that the only way to meaningfully raise it is by directly dosing phosphate. When you feed foods, you’re adding nitrogen, carbon, and loads of organics. This effect is compounded if you’re trying to offset rocks that initially work against you by...

www.reef2reef.com

This raises phosphate without adding a bunch of “dirty” waste.

Obviously could be heavy metals which you icp test will reveal but I would try this method for raising phosphate instead of what your doing.

 

[Science/G]

skimmers are great, but it is highly unlikely you have low 02 levels. A built-in overflow draining to a sump is one of the most effective ways to oxygenate an aquarium. As water cascades down the overflow and crashes into the sump, it undergoes massive surface agitation, facilitating gas exchange that naturally expels C02 and absorbs 02

 

[slingfox]

If parameters aren’t fluctuating wildly and the other livestock and coral look okay I wouldn’t take any drastic measures. Sometimes shrimp and crab die due to old age or some other unexplained issue. Work on getting the phosphates up a bit and continue to monitor.