What killed my peppermint shrimp?

[CoralBlue]

So I’ve had this peppermint shrimp for a few weeks now no problems at all. Until yesterday I look over and the pep shrimp is on its back arms all contorted and twitching. They kind of looks like dead bugs dying, yuck. Anyways no bite marks nothing. It looked like it was poisoned more than anything.

No changes in water quality, did a 25% water change like I do every week. 1.025 temp 76-78. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates all in check. At this point I’m not testing for anything else and hoping water changes keep everything level.

16 gallon tank with 2 small red hermit/1 emerald crab/2 clowns/1 court jester goby.
Zoa frag, kenya tree, and red monti cap.
None of the other inhabitants seemed to have any issues and call me crazy but I moved my monti cap earlier in the day and it started excreting mucus and the pep shrimp started eating this and the monti! Anyways that was the last event before he died hours later. Pretty much at a loss for what happened. Any ideas???

 

[AZMSGT]

Sounds like a newer tank. Could have had a molt go bad. Without know more about the tank, you may never know. Only thing I would do is get a copper test kit and see if any is present. As long as everything else is healthy I wouldn’t sweat it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im thinking struggling with molt.

 

[CoralBlue]

Sounds like a newer tank. Could have had a molt go bad. Without know more about the tank, you may never know. Only thing I would do is get a copper test kit and see if any is present. As long as everything else is healthy I wouldn’t sweat it.

6 months old so yeah. Now that you say it that has to be what it was. Sucks cause he had molted a couple times. Is this something dosing will correct?

 

[CoralBlue]

Im thinking struggling with molt.

I think you’re right

 

[Seaspirit]

6 months old so yeah. Now that you say it that has to be what it was. Sucks cause he had molted a couple times. Is this something dosing will correct?

I just lost a peppermint shrimp to molting (I think?!) - only thing I've read about it is that they need iodine to successfully molt, I was feeding them "shrimp food" which I believe was supplemented but not sure if it was enough. My tank is crazy young so could have been a dozen things, I'm sure.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I recently had my puppy dog fire shrimp die on me due to a bad molt. Saw him on his back twitching, that’s what I would guess is up with yours. Mine’s molt broke when he tried to get his head out and he never got his face out. He was real deep in the rocks so I could see him but I couldn’t get to him :( he started banging his head on the rocks to get out but the shell never broke and he died that night :( had that shrimp trained to eat out of my hand and would follow me around the tank, even ride around on my arm. To say I cried was an understatement. I’m so sorry for your peppermint :(

 

[Seaspirit]

I’m really sorry to hear that. We do get attached to the little critters! I’m going to keep a closer eye on iodine and nitrates (which can get up around 20 at the end of a week before water change in my tank), I know they don’t like higher nitrates either. When my tank is older and more stable I hope to get more peppermints and maybe they’ll do better.

 

[billwill]

Carol Baskin