Why why why!!!!!!!!!!

[skinz78]

So I just went to Petco and purchased a really nice looking Cleaner Shrimp and brought it home. I floated it for 20 min and then did a slow drip acclimation for about 2 hours. When I put it in the tank it went belly up dead...

Any suggestions?

 

[drainbamage]

whoa- that's pretty extreme! Might be worth checking salinity differences, PETCO might be running there's awfully low, and even a 2 hour drip may have been too fast for him. Otherwise-can't think of anything that'd cause a death after acclimation like that- how much water volume was added via the drip? (like 1 part to 1 part old to new after drip, or what was the aprox ratio?)

 

[aceklub11]

possibly temp change

 

[MoneyPit]

I agree it may have been a temp change. I have been told if you drip into a bucket (like I have done) the temp will heat/cool to the room temp not the tank temp. You almost have to drip into a container that is in the tank water to keep the temp stable while the other parameters balance out.

 

[skinz78]

I was thinking it might have been the SG because I have heard that Petco runs their water at a low SG to combat disease. The thought never crossed my mind to check it before I started dripping though.

The temp is a possibility but I did notice the shrimp acting weird in the container before adding it to the tank.

In the 2 hours I probably dripped approx 3 x the water volume of the Petco bag water.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

That's sucks Skinz. I have noticed when I drip acclimate inverts if I do it for a while my water tends to get cold too. I usully try to keep it to an hour or a little less.

Any kind of return policy for petco?

 

[sf_ramsden]

I use to work at Petco, many years ago. I can say that at the store I worked at we ran very low... If I remember correctly anywhere from 1.018 - 1.021

 

[skinz78]

I am not sure on the return policy, my buddy Billgax used to work there so maybe he will chime in.

 

[Reef UP]

Petco is also very know for using copper treatments and other non invertebrate safe medications ! If you watch a new shipment come in within a week majority of the inverts such as crabs, snail, shrimp will be dead not sold and least that's the way it is around here!

 

[skinz78]

Hmm good to know!

 

[akabryanhall]

Inverts can be extremely sensitive to changes in salinity and other parameter differences. Since you did a slow drip, maybe it was teh drip bucket being much colder than your tank water.

 

[jestr]

ok so i guess the new way of doing it is float.. drip... float????

 

[skinz78]

I think next time I will float drip slow and then fast drip for 5 min to bring the temp up?

 

[drainbamage]

I think next time I will float drip slow and then fast drip for 5 min to bring the temp up?

I've actually had too many problems with dripping-and I'm guessing maybe they're caused by the temp thing? Now, if I acclimate anything, I just float a specimen container in the tank, with just enough bag water to cover the coral/fish/invert, then start adding water from the tank with a turkey baster until the container is full. I'll take upwards of a few hours to do it, just whenever I walk by the tank, squirt some more in. If it's a coral, add some CoralRX or Revive right before I put in the tank, then discard all the mixed water. So far it's worked pretty good.

 

[Billgax]

I opened that particular store, actually... so here's my $0.02, for what it's worth.

At the time I left the company, there was no company "policy" in that district to run low salinity. That being said... the do little to educate the staff running that department, and they do categorically supply the aquatics Dept. with those $&#* crappy instant ocean paddle hydrometers... neither of whom would I trust very far... so it must be assumed that the water specs there are as far out from ideal as will still permit some life to continue.
As for return policies... there are no guarantees offered on saltwater livestock. BUT there is a customer loyalty index they must maintain for the sake of management's reviews and bonuses... so threaten to **** and moan loud enough and they'll replace it... unless you notoriously kill critters, then you're hosed.
As for what killed the shrimp? See the above assumption about parameters and your guess is as good ad mine.

 

[Bubbles_B]

I agree it may have been a temp change. I have been told if you drip into a bucket (like I have done) the temp will heat/cool to the room temp not the tank temp. You almost have to drip into a container that is in the tank water to keep the temp stable while the other parameters balance out.

So true. When I drip acclimate I love to place the bag that the fish or invert is in, in the sump so that temp is the same. That is my success story with them. :angel:

 

[patent]

I've actually had too many problems with dripping-and I'm guessing maybe they're caused by the temp thing? Now, if I acclimate anything, I just float a specimen container in the tank, with just enough bag water to cover the coral/fish/invert, then start adding water from the tank with a turkey baster until the container is full. I'll take upwards of a few hours to do it, just whenever I walk by the tank, squirt some more in. If it's a coral, add some CoralRX or Revive right before I put in the tank, then discard all the mixed water. So far it's worked pretty good.

This is what I do as well, though I just use an old syringe from a test kit. Sometimes I wind up acclimating over 3-4 hours just cause I'm busy and don't stop by very often to add another dose. I also check with the hydrometer to make sure the SG in the bag is up where I want it before adding.

One other thing could be a problem, if you have high nitrates/whatever the critters in the tank may be used to it but the newbie might not.

 

[SDguy]

How was the shrimp acting at the store? Was it moving around a lot, flicking and cleaning its antennae often? Jumping after food? IMO it's pretty tough to identify a sick shrimp just by looking at its physical appearence. I've lost many shrimp over the years, especially peppermints, during initial introduction. I frankly blame it on myself for not really taking the time to REALLY check out each single speciment the way I would with a fish. Not saying that's your situation here, just throwing out another perspective

 

[Reef Keeper 18]

I acclimated my cleaner the ghetto way... float 20min add half a cup every five minuites dump out most water do it again. Was fine. time costly but gets the job doen cheap

 

[Wy Renegade]

I would guess it was probably a combo of both temp. and salinity issues. I have in the past dripped into a plastic bowl floating in the sump to insure that temp. remains stable.