Inverts dying...

[Jeremiah]

Is it common for inverts to die periodically? I've lost (2) small emerald crabs in back to back weeks + I just noticed the largest one way bigger than the 2 that died is missing an arm. I've heard they can lose an arm in a bad molt, but i've not noticed that he molted.

The larger one alive still but w/o 1 arm is my newest crab (1 week in tank). The one that just died was my oldest emerald at 2 months and the one that died before that I had about 1 Month.

The others that I found dead didn't look like they had any injuries.

Don't think it is a food issue, I see a a bit of algea, they never completely clear it off so don't think they starved.

Don't think that my fish go after them, never have seen any agressiveness.

My 3 sexy shrimp, 2 pom pom crabs, and 1 anenome crab are all fine. So didn't think it was a water quaility issue...

Ideas?

 

[Munch]

I've had similar issues with Turbos. Everything else in my tank was fine. Someone told me it mighta been my water temps. Apparently they like it a bit cooler. So maybe something similar to your situation. I couldn't keep em more than a week or two...

 

[ReefCheif]

YOu sure what your finding are not molts?

 

[Jeremiah]

No molts, not unless they are droping them behind the rocks and i just don't see them. Only 16 gallon tank...I try to keep 2 emeralds at a time 1 male 1 female. I also can't keep Cerith snails...they kept dying after a week or 2 also. So I stopped trying.

 

[jda123]

Do they have enough to eat? I have just 2 emeralds in my 240 and they have to eat flake from time to time. If they already cleaned your tank of algae, they could be starving.

Cerith are really sensitive to nitrate, but the also need a bunch of food too.

My guess is that they are starving.

 

[Jeremiah]

I think cerith are probably starving...but the emeralds are not keeping up with the algea. And always have backup bubble algea they don't even touch.

 

[mathewkofalk]

I really think most emeralds won't touch the stuff lol. But il keep buying them till one does.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jda123]

That is weird about the emeralds. What is your nitrate level?

 

[Jeremiah]

Nitrates under 5, however never mind...it was a bad molt. I am stupid....amazing how much larger they are after a molt. I coulda sworn it was my smaller one that died. It was my larger one that molted and lost a claw. He is much much larger...