Frustrated

[Something Fishy]

Here is the deal. The 55 gallon, been up since Dec 31. It has 2 false perculas, 2 yellow clown gobys, approx 10 small reef hermit crabs, two peppermint shrimp. 40 lbs of live rock and 35 lbs of dry reef rock. 3" sand and cc base.

Water test: 0 Nitrites, 0 nitrates, 8.2 PH, 0 ammonia, 1.025 salinty water temp stays around 80.

The clowns have been in 3.5 weeks, the gobys I think 2 weeks. There was a mishap with a 20 gallon tank they were in to save them we put them in the 55. The hermit crabs 2 weeks. The peppermint were bought Sat, to help Aiptasia.

The clowns are doing great, the gobys seem to be doing great don't see them real often. We had 15 hermits they are now climbing out fo thier shells and dieing. The peppermint are still hiding. They were out and about in the LFS tank. Will they come around? Or are they secretive?

The hermits that arent dead are crawling all around the rocks and seem very heathly. We have spare shells scatered around for them to change.

Other than the shear fact that we may have added too many fish too fast, but I couldnt help it. I didnt think they were gonna make it in the 20. Nobody seems streesed, no loss of color, VERY active clowns and gobys look very good. Better than they did in the store.

Is this all normal and I am just a worry wort? Do hermits just like to die? Life on the rock is thriving, the feather duster seem to be growing that came on the live rock.

Any help?

Thanks, Rusty

 

[ScottT1980]

The peppermint are still hiding. They were out and about in the LFS tank. Will they come around? Or are they secretive?

I have found that it depends on the personality of a given peppermint individual but most of mine remain hidden almost 100% of the time when my lights are out. In fact, I thought I had lost a couple almost three months ago, only to find them when I did a bit of LR readjustment. Also, tons of baby peppermints have made their way to my fuge and seem to be thriving as well.

Is this all normal and I am just a worry wort? Do hermits just like to die?

I have had a number of disappering hermits and anecdotally have found that the blue-legs disappear at a much higher rate than the scarlet. I wouldn't worry so much about their disappearance, especially since everything else in the tank seems to be doing well and your levels look fine. Perhaps it is a food issue, might not be enough scrap food around (seems like you don't have that many fish for a 55).

I wouldn't worry, but thats just my opinion...

Take er easy
Scott T.

 

[wooddood]

i agree with scott my pepperment shrimp hardly ever comes out in day so i rarely see him.your tank has'nt cycled yet so that could be some of the problem with the hermits.i would'nt add anything else to the tank for a few more months.your tank is too new and has'nt went thru the cycle yet.i did the same thing as you and got in a hurry but everything turned out ok.i lost a few things in the process but all in all it worked out ok.be patient hang in there and stick around here and read all you can.we'll help ya out.

 

[sambot]

you may want to check for copper in the water also. are u using ro or tap water? good luck. keep us posted

 

[Orvin Farmer]

Pepermints always seem to be out in the LFS due to the fact that they have to catch them, so they dont give them very many places to hide. In your own tank you give them places to hide and they will take you up on that. I have 7 or 8 or 9 or ...in my 240g and could be lucky to see more than two or three ar any one given time searching for um. But, I do know that they are there. Lights go out and so do they. Hermits are scavingers for food, I agree with ScottT1980 it might be a food issue but some do perish also. Not to worry or remove them from the tank, they become food and also will not do anything to your ammonia rise do to the fact of their chemistry makeup...calcium. Keep up with the tests and easy does it, the tank will mature soon enough, all good things come with time. Good luck!

 

[Gina]

Yes, check for copper to just be on the safe side. It wouldn't hurt. Our Peppermint always hung out in a hole during the day and would only come out if he sensed food in the tank. Other than that, he would venture out at night. For what it is worth, Our peppermint didn't touch our aptasia We finally got a copperband and now I feel bad because we don't have any aptasia left for him He loved it! With peppermint shrimp and or butterflies it's a hit or miss situation as far as aptasia goes.

 

[Something Fishy]

Originally posted by sambot
are u using ro or tap water?

We are using tap water that runs through a home filter & softner system. I have read, researched, and almost bought a RO/DI system. Right now the water is perfectly clear, still no massive algea growth, fish are healthy. I haven't tested for copper but when they tested our water (when they put the system in, we are on city water) they didn't find any copper. House is old enough it doesn't have copper lines.

It is difficult for me to spend another 100+ on a filter system, when we have already spent so much on a home system. And the fish are doing so well.

I have read something about iodine, do we need to supplement this. Some say inverts and crustations need it for molting.

 

[ScottT1980]

I don't worry about iodine because it is in our SW mixes. If you are doing a water change every week or so, then you should be fine as far as iodine is concerned. Plus, it really is not a good idea to dose iodine unless you have a test kit because it can get toxic at high levels.

The tap water could be the issue although I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet. Your tank is too young and to be honest, you are going through what I went through during those first couple of months.

As far as the RO/DI, you might be able to tie it into your homesystem and save quite a bit of money. I would think all you would need would be an RO membrane and canister and a DI cartridge and caister. This would really save you some money although I am not sure what all the components are on hte home system...

Take er easy
Scott T.

 

[sparkzippo]

As far as the effectiveness of Peppermint shrimp with Aiptasia, it may be due too a wrong name or overabundance in food.

Originally posted by Craig Manoukian

Peppermint Shrimp have two different species and one is a better aiptasiavore. You can hardly tell them apart even if you are a marine biologist with experience identifying them. Wholesalers are not the best IDers in some cases, so be careful. Make sure it's Lysmata wurdemanni, here's a great article:

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/hopkins_redfield.html
[/B]

Often we don't get L Wurdemanni, or we get L Wurdemanni but a less desired type. Aiptasia is not their only food source either, so they might not be predisposed to only consumming it.

Just a though to consider

 

[ScottT1980]

Good info sparkzippo, I had no idea...

Karma to you...

Take er easy
Scott T.

 

[Dingo]

Crabs often moult when put into a new system. That often looks like dead crabs. Also, hermits will fight and kill eachother for their shells if there are none available laying around.