Polymate3D
Active Member
Hello everyone
So my little Fluval Evo has now been going for 10 months, and this is a ongoing issue, so throwing the information out there I have to try and find the best plan of action long term.
Whenever I place a new invert into the aquarium, they eventually are found dead or empty shells. This started with a small red leg hermit crab early on. Decided I could of missed something, sudden spike from something dying in the rock, etc.
I then 3 months in got a cleaner shrimp and a big white claw crab. It was at this stage I would hear a occasional 'click' noise. Over a few weeks, I detected the click to be different to the heaters one, and sometimes this would happen in quick repetition. It was at this stage I saw very briefly, a very small shrimp / lobster, no bigger then 0.5 inches attacking the white claw crab. The crab didn't seem too bothered.
The cleaner shrimp survived 2 months before going suddenly. Ate fine that night. Next morning, dead.
The white claw crab lasted 3 months, and then found out of his shell dead on the floor. Around the time he would be shedding.
I decided from reading that it is likely a pistol shrimp, and that they don't harm things, that maybe it was lack of iodine, shedding issues etc.
Since this I waited another couple of months (70 days) and bought 3 red legs again. 2 50% water changes where done 2 weeks apart to get as much fresh saltwater as possible. Within 2 weeks, all 3 are found dead out of there shells.
Further to add to all this, my Firefish on random occasions wakes up with a bit of fin damage. Nothing drastic. At one stage himself. a clownfish and a damsel was left for 70 days with no new introductions. They all get along happily. No signs of aggression, and all got there own little home / safe place at night.
To make this even more confusing, I have 1 Nassarius snail which 8 weeks in was put in and still to this day goes about just fine.
The aquarium contains some live rock I sourced locally, and from old experience, this was my preferred way to go. Very much the culprit causing me the problems.
Water Parameters:
Temperature = 26c
Salinity = 1.027 (Will reduce slightly over next week)
PH = 8.1
Nitrate = 0 (Ongoing issue. Reducing fuge lighting cycle)
Phosphate = 0.08 < 0.1
Alkalinity = 11.2
There are some soft corals in the aquarium which are doing very well (Kenya Tree, Pulsing Xenia, Waving Xenia, Star Polyps, Zoas). A single montipora plate with what looks to be dinos taking over it (covers areas but polyps extended out and colour is good), hence working on that nitrate side of things. The live rocks are covered in literally 10s of baby feather dusters, along with some mini brittle stars and amphipods.
I'm kind of at a confused stage with it. Anything else goes well in this aquarium. Bigger inverts live longer, but each time clicking is heard, and deaths follow somewhere down the line.
Any ideas, please reply and let me know!
- Paul
So my little Fluval Evo has now been going for 10 months, and this is a ongoing issue, so throwing the information out there I have to try and find the best plan of action long term.
Whenever I place a new invert into the aquarium, they eventually are found dead or empty shells. This started with a small red leg hermit crab early on. Decided I could of missed something, sudden spike from something dying in the rock, etc.
I then 3 months in got a cleaner shrimp and a big white claw crab. It was at this stage I would hear a occasional 'click' noise. Over a few weeks, I detected the click to be different to the heaters one, and sometimes this would happen in quick repetition. It was at this stage I saw very briefly, a very small shrimp / lobster, no bigger then 0.5 inches attacking the white claw crab. The crab didn't seem too bothered.
The cleaner shrimp survived 2 months before going suddenly. Ate fine that night. Next morning, dead.
The white claw crab lasted 3 months, and then found out of his shell dead on the floor. Around the time he would be shedding.
I decided from reading that it is likely a pistol shrimp, and that they don't harm things, that maybe it was lack of iodine, shedding issues etc.
Since this I waited another couple of months (70 days) and bought 3 red legs again. 2 50% water changes where done 2 weeks apart to get as much fresh saltwater as possible. Within 2 weeks, all 3 are found dead out of there shells.
Further to add to all this, my Firefish on random occasions wakes up with a bit of fin damage. Nothing drastic. At one stage himself. a clownfish and a damsel was left for 70 days with no new introductions. They all get along happily. No signs of aggression, and all got there own little home / safe place at night.
To make this even more confusing, I have 1 Nassarius snail which 8 weeks in was put in and still to this day goes about just fine.
The aquarium contains some live rock I sourced locally, and from old experience, this was my preferred way to go. Very much the culprit causing me the problems.
Water Parameters:
Temperature = 26c
Salinity = 1.027 (Will reduce slightly over next week)
PH = 8.1
Nitrate = 0 (Ongoing issue. Reducing fuge lighting cycle)
Phosphate = 0.08 < 0.1
Alkalinity = 11.2
There are some soft corals in the aquarium which are doing very well (Kenya Tree, Pulsing Xenia, Waving Xenia, Star Polyps, Zoas). A single montipora plate with what looks to be dinos taking over it (covers areas but polyps extended out and colour is good), hence working on that nitrate side of things. The live rocks are covered in literally 10s of baby feather dusters, along with some mini brittle stars and amphipods.
I'm kind of at a confused stage with it. Anything else goes well in this aquarium. Bigger inverts live longer, but each time clicking is heard, and deaths follow somewhere down the line.
Any ideas, please reply and let me know!
- Paul
