What's wrong with my shrimp?

I posted this once about 3 hours ago, but no answers yet and I am very concerned. So I'll try again.

Hey there guys, got another question. My skunk cleaner shrimp just molted and now all his antenna are curley & wavy instead of straight. Does this mean I need to add calcium to the water? The only thing I did different is I added some strontium for the first time two days ago, and I put a phosphate sponge in the filter system. He looked totally normal before he shed. Guess I picked the right one to name Forrest, LOL. Al the wierd stuff happens to that one. The other is Bubba hee hee. Thanks in advance guys.

I really need to know if I should be worried or not. I saw a shrimp at the LFS with curley antennae and when I went back 2 days later it was dead. Is there too much or not enough of something in my water? There are no fish in my system right now, waiting for ich to die off before adding any new. Amonia-0; Nitrite-0; Nitrate-0. The system only has 2 shrimp, 1 emerald crab, about 12 dwarf blue legs and various corals. I regularly add Trace elements (Kent) Coral-Vite (Kent) &Calcium (Kent) as directed on the bottles. I add only about 2 ML per month of Tech-I Iodide supplement, which is way way less than directed. Recently began adding Koral Color by Brightwell aquatics (4 drops per day for 20-25 gal of water) started that about 2 weeks ago, and added my first dose of Strontium & Molybdenum (Kent) on Sunday. Thank you in advance ofr you help.

 

I have added all the products listed in your post and never saw a negative nor positive result so I stopped doing so about 4 years ago.

Honestly I have never had an shrimp with a curly antenna, but I have to assume it's because of the molt, and not an indication the shrimp is going to die and it might very well completely resolve next molt.


This is the way I feel about it, if you are doing routine water changes monthly with a decent salt mix you really should not have to administer those additives. Perhaps if you have large populations of mushrooms perhaps some Iodine as per the instructions. I am of the mind that if you can not test for it do not add it.

Curious to see what others say but I would be surprised if someone can put together a direct correlation between the supplements you have used and the molt of your shrimp besides the prospect that shrimp some times to molt in relation to changes in water chemistry.

 

You did read on the iodine that it can have ill effects on inverts right? and at signs of problems ie with molting and such you should stop dosing immediately and do water change. I have iodine tests and use them every once in a while. I have heavy stocking and never add iodine and just from water changes it stays at the borderline max threshold, I believe you are adding too much and the iodine is affgecting your shrimps.

Curly antenna i have no idea what it means but if your adding iodine and you notice your shrimps are getting affected, i would stop and go test for it.

 

Agree with both answers here so far. If you can't test for it don't dose it. Especially products like the trace elements. You have no idea in what proportion everything is being used by your aquarium inhabitants and no way to tell what quantities are being replaced using products like this. Just keep up with your WC to replace trace elements and only dose what you can test for. Good luck.
P.S. I wouldn't worry about the shrimp for now, the antenna should repair themselves after the next molt.

 

I agree with all answers above.

 

Thanks guys for all the help. I do know that iodine can have a neg effect, which is why I used WAY WAY less than The bottle says to. So you guys are all pretty much saying that with regular water changes, none of you add ANY suplements for corals? Not even calcium? and your corals all stayed healthy and colorful? And they continued to grow? From what I've read there are all kinds of things that need to be added to a reef system that you don't need in FOWLR systems. Is this something that is just said to try and sell you more stuff?

 

I use Kent Parts A/B. So basically I am adding Ca, a buffer and some magnesium.

Some people I know that have tanks dominated by soft corals, and mushrooms do add a tad of Iodine, but they test for it. I do not see an issue with using it if you need it, are using a quality product, and are testing for it.

A decent salt is going to provide all the Strontium you need IMO.

So short answer no I maintain Ca/alk/Mg levels with supplements and let water changes do the rest, but that is just me.

 

+18)8)

 

I actually don't have many softies, just 4 mushrooms and 2 ricordia.The others are 1 fox coral, 1 open brain, 1 Hammer coral, a purple frilly gorgonian, and about 9 white feather dusters that just kinda "showed up" one day, but i like 'em I use Oceanic Reef Crystals and do a 5 gal water change every other week. I have a Buffer that stabilizes & raises PH (Kent) but I rarely use it since my Alk & PH usualy test perfectly. I have trouble reading my calcium test, but it seems to test high, so I usually don't use that either, but I have it. I started using strontium because I read that the fox coral needs to be suplemented with it. The iodide I don't have a test for, which is why I only add a very small amnt (2ml) once a month. it says to add that much weekly, but I don't.

I keep finding conflicting info, it gets confusing. But I find that you guys on here tend to give the best advice. I've never gone wrong by listening to you guys, so seriously,,, THANK YOU

 

As I'm sure others have mentioned, it's all about the quality of the salt mix.

When we say that regular water changes are good enough for trace elements, we are saying that we use a high quality reef salt mix that contains all of these trace elements.

So in a sense we do dose, just in a different way...

Also, as I'm sure others have mentioned, most of us do add supplements. But we only add them after we have tested the water and come to the conclusion that the content of that element is low. You cannot easily test for something like iodine, so most of us never know if the level is low, and so therefore we usually don't dose it.

I use the word "we" very loosely... What I really mean is myself and at least a few others.

Good luck!