Lots Of Dead Ghost (?) Shrimp At Lfs

[Autonerd]

Was at my LFS (Aquarium City in Canoga Park, for any of you Los Angelenos) and noticed that the ghost shrimp tank, which was carpeted with live ghost shrimp, also had a bunch of pink, dead ones -- maybe a couple dozen.

Not being the sharpest tool in the shed, I assumed that was food. Wife said "No, ghost shrimp turn pink when they die, just like the ones we eat."

Assuming she's right -- is that a bad sign that they have so many dead ghost shrimp? Or do they have a high death rate?

I've been there a few times and don't ever recall seeing a dead fish in their tanks, and they have a lot of tanks. A couple of ragged-looking fish, but nothing dead.

Can't figure out why there would be so many dead ghost shrimp... unless they're just impossible to get out of the tank.

Any ideas?

TIA
Aaron

 

[Baccus]

They may have had an ammonia spike and nobody noticed, or some other shift in the water paramaters. Once a couple of shrimp die they tend to quickly pollute the water, creating a vicious cycle and before you know it the whole lot are kicking the bucket. I was recently at my favourite Pet shop the other day and glanced in the large vase thing (filtered and close to an overhead light so no heater) that had a heap of m cherry shrimp I had sold them months ago, the colony was growing nicely but when I looked not a single shrimp was left in the vase. Even the two staff that run the fish section wheren't sure where all the shrimp had gone. I know there was at least one half blue/ red female so maybe somebody who knows shrimp got the lot just to try and breed blues.

 

[Autonerd]

Odd. I went back yesterday and the colony of dead shrimp were gone... wonder if they cleaned them out or if they got eaten.

 

[MBOU]

I wonder if they were feeder shrimp?

The feeder shrimp we get in the UK are different to like the amanos or algae shrimp, unsure what ghost shrimp are meant to be...

But i came back off 2 days off to find loads of dead shrimp.. honestly, i told them how to look after them and noone belives me... there goes a lot of moneys worth of shrimp!

The feeder shrimp *have* to be kept cold (though not like ice lollies i found yesterday!) and brackish, freshwater kills them within a few hours, full marine you lose about 2/3 in 24 hours... a few might last 2-3 days..

But otherwise looks like a sea of dead pink shrimp otherwise.

I have our remaining 50 odd shrimp with a filter in a plastic tank with 50/50 water off the freshwater system and the marine system (1.010 Sg and full marine is about 1.020+)

Might be they were feeder shrimp put into freshwater?