Lost my cleaner shrimp

I had the same thing happen yesterday. LFS stated to acclimate the shrimp for 30 minutes. The cleaner shrimp was pregnant as well so I did what they requested and acc'd for 30 minutes. A hour after insertion into the tank I found her on her side in the back. I think it was a combination of her being pregnant, stress and not enough acclimation. Everything else that I put in there is fine, my water parameters are fine as well.

A half hour is probably too short an acclimation period. The lore is that shrimp are particularly susceptible to shock from sudden changes in water conditions. Drip acclimation over the course of a few hours, or just adding small amounts of tank water over the same time, is preferable.

Ask the shop what their specific gravity is. It might be significantly different.

The SG in both were within .001 of eachother in my case. I have found acclimation times on shrimp and everywhere states 2+ hrs. Darn LFS. :thud: :rant:

I used to be very impatient about quarentine and acclimation. I have learned the hard way! I spend at least 4 hours acclimating my new species, with a dripper from a dosser bottle and found I had a whole lot less problems!

I would think acclimation too. I acclimate at least 4 to 5 hours.
I am not trying to underestimate your guys intellegence, but most off the time they will molt when first acclimated due to stress. So did you pull it out and make sure?
When I get a shipment in half my bags will have two shrimp, of course one being a molt.

Just like a Locus. Pretty easy to tell if it is a molt or not! If the stomach is black it is not a molt.

Hehehe, as stupid a question as "did it molt" is.....it is a good question to ask....when Speed Racer (my cleaner) was put in, he molted the first night.....I woke up to a body in the corner - i pulled it out, and set it aside, and went out to have a moorning smoke - when i came back in - speed racer was back in the tank!!! I thought i was crazy!! then i looked at the molt and realized.....i had a bout 10 seconds of complete confusion!


j

Me too!