Cleaner Shrimp Behavior

[leakyfaucet]

Do cleaner shrimps play dead? I just bought one today, and he was active shortly after acllimation. However, I've noticed that he's been more lethargic lately. It stays at one spot out in the open without moving for a long time. At one point, i tried to get it to move, to see if it was ok by lightly touching it and it scutted away, but not as fast as it had scutted away from the net at the store. At another point, it sorta just froze and began to fall slowly on its side as if it was dead. Is it possible that he may be injured? Are they pretty hardy? My LFS has no guarantees on saltwater livestock... so if he bites the dust (or sand) i guess i'll just have to deal with it. I hope he makes it trhough, otherwise he'll make a very expensive snack for my freshwater crayfish.

 

[little urchin]

mine sometimes moves slowly....but he's never floated sideways, and mine climbs on my hand if i put it in

how did you acclimatise him?....maybe he's a bit shocked

another time mine acts odd is just before or after a moult...he hides and is less active....maybe he just had one at the store?

 

[skipm]

Hopefully its just some kind of stress from the move or maybe a mild shock like mentioned. Keep an eye on him and see if he eats later. I wish you good luck with him.

 

[sadielynn]

stress from the move how long did ou acclimate him . They should go "shooting" backwards if startled or scared ...... :mrgreen:

 

[leakyfaucet]

He's dead. I acclimated him over the period of an hour using the drip method.

 

[sadielynn]

sorry to hear of your loss I would sugesst talking to the store manager and see if you can get either a partial credit or a full credit ......usually by the fear of a customer going else where to do business they will do it at least one time ........some times they can be dificult to acclimate no matter how you do it :sad:

 

[little urchin]

sorry to hear the news....sometimes it just happens when you do your best for them.....one of mine died soon after getting her (full of eggs and going for a moult)....they dont live that long 18 months- a couple of years i think....if he was big already he may just have been old??!!

 

[EDGRAY]

:shock: :shock: sorry for your loss :cry: :sad: but you will get lucky next time my first attempt for a cleaner last 1 week ...then 2 weeks later other cleaner and has been with me 2 1/2 months with me.....

 

[leakyfaucet]

Yeah i think i'll try again. He looked real cool too! bummer..

 

[little urchin]

expensive bummer!!

 

[Anonymous]

i would wait awhile though - you may have to let your tank age a bit yet to make sure its stable.....

 

[leakyfaucet]

very expensive bummer... 30 bucks snack for a 3 dollar crayfish! I hope he feels important...

 

[little urchin]

ouch :splat:

 

[r00onmac]

i lost two like that... my problem was SG... at the time i didnt have a test and it was over 1.030... changes in salinity can kill them quick, so maybe you should ask the store what they keep theirs at because if you keep yours at say the low end of 1.023 and they keep theres at the high end say 1.026 for some inverts that is too big of a swing, even in an hour drip...