Dead!!

[sunset pizza]

Just came back from a 2 days out of town and found my camelback shrimp and a farily large hermit crab (given by a friend - not sure what species - about 6 years old - I think) dead. 4 fish and a few snails and small crabs seem fine. Neither body had been mauled or eaten really. Do mantis shrimp eat their prey? I don't really think I have one, but thought I'd bring it up. When I bought the shrimp the LFS said I would need to add iodine, but I never have (I'm not one to add a TON of additives). However, perhaps this is the cause? Also the shrimp and crab had only molted once each in the 7 months or so that I've had them. Any thoughts? Should I be adding iodine? Anything else? Here's the tank:

30gal FOWLR (only 15lbs) set up last Nov.
CC substrate
Emporer400 with one biowheel
I use a carbon filter and poly filter in the back also.
2 powerheads
4 small fish
few snails and blue leg hermits
3-4 gal water changed every other week
sal: 1.0215
Nitrate 50 now (usually runs 30 or so)
Nitrite 0
Amm 0
Ca 520
Alk 3.5 Meg/L
Ph 8.1 - 8.3
temp 81

disclaimer: I know this is by FAR not an ideal setup. I have to move next spring and will be dismantling and setting up a 90 gal or so properly after the move. Therefore I've been trying to keep this tank under control, gain some knowledge and confidence without pouring money into it to upgrade.

thanks...hopefully this post wasn't too long.

 

[2poor2reef]

Increase your water changes if you're worried about maintaining iodine levels. Doesn't sound like that was the problem to me. Nor mantis shrimp. I don't know what the captive lifespan of your sp. hermit is but that one might be natural causes. I would look at the possibility of salinity or temp spike while you were gone. Or perhaps your feeding regimine.

 

[davelin315]

Those nitrates are pretty high, and can have bad long term effects.

 

[fishfarmer]

I'm betting old age as well, especially if you're not experiencing frequent molts. I wouldn't worry about adding iodine to a FOWLR setup and I don't add iodine to my reef which has a pair of peppermints and several hermits. The peppers molt/spawn about once a month. I do feed heavy and do frequent water changes so I believe iodine isn't needed in my tank.

 

[sunset pizza]

thanks guys.... i agree with the old age theory with the hermit. now if i only knew what happened to the shrimp....

i will resolve to do more water changes though.

 

[jamesw]

Most shrimp live a year or less. Especially cleaner shrimp.

HTH
James Wiseman