Help, 2 cherry shrimp dead :(

[Luce]

Hi guys, in need of some advice.

I have a 40L heavily planted tank, with ADF's, cherry shrimps, and Amano shrimps. Recently, 17th November I found a small cherry shrimp had died and today 28th November another cherry shrimp has died. I'm not a shrimp expert but I got these guys in mid-October and they've been doing fine. I feed them crushed Novo Prawn food I got off amazon and other food they get from the frog's leftovers (Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, larvae, and pellets).

Prior to a couple of weeks ago I was doing 10-15 % small water changes twice a week to stop any ammonia spikes from the frog's food. I have been busy with work lately and have only done one or two 25% water changes a week or less (I read somewhere 50% changes can harm shrimps). My sponge media was falling apart so I had to replace that on the 24th of November I rinsed the new one in old tank water before placing it in and I didn't change the carbon filter.

Anyway, everything was fine till recently two shrimp have died. I always test my water and I've never had ammonia 0ppm or nitrates above say 0-5ppm. I have tested today as follows:
pH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0.25-0.50ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
Temp: frequently kept at 26-28 degrees celcius
I use Prime with every water change 15 drops and don't use fertilizer.

I would also like to add I purchased some Limnophila Sessiliflora on the 7th November from a buyer I've purchased from before, I rinsed these under the tap and inspected them thoroughly (honestly I've never trusted myself to try the diluted bleach bath things). The shrimp seemed to love them and I'm unsure they are the cause of the shrimp deaths unless they were fertilized with anything containing copper but surely they would have died pretty fast upon planting them.

At first, I wondered if my frogs got hungry and ate the cherry shrimp but frogs will leave shrimp half-eaten or swallow them whole, I have pretty lazy frogs who are well fed and who have only bothered one of my black cherry shrimp once and haven't touched them since. The shrimp's bodies are intact and just upside down when I find them. I'm at a loss I'm not a shrimp expert and I just feel terrible if I've been doing anything wrong for these little guys. The Amano shrimp are doing fine and it seems to me I'm only losing red cherry shrimp not the black ones. I also try to not spray anything in my room in general as I know shrimp are fragile, candles I stopped lighting without doors open as I learnt they're bad for shrimps too.

I have ordered the API gh/kh test kit on fastest delivery but that doesn't get here till Wednesday.

I have some indian almonds leaves should I do a water change and pop some in?

Is it possible this is an issue regarding ammonia and nitrate levels which I need to do more frequent water changes after a big feed of frozen food?

I was thinking of doing a 25% water change and testing the water after.

All of your help is appreciated and go easy on me please I'm new to shrimps ahah

[Autumnsky]

The ammonia will kill shrimp. Changing the media caused a loss of sufficient beneficial bacteria / BB. Check the link in my signature for the details and basics of doing a fish-in / shrimp and ADF in tank cycle. The article has links for fish in cycle information. Ideally shrimp are installed to the system after around 5-6 months. After any up and downs in parameters are stable and the tank has time to mature a good growth of biofilm and microscopic foods for them.

For now keep up with water changes smaller amounts but more of them tovget the ammonia and nitrIte to 0. Periodically check your tap water for ammonia as well since it pops up once in awhile.

Make sure you aren't topping off evaporation in the tank with tap water. That causes higher total dissolved solids / TDS, in the water. Water evaporates leaving minerals to compound over time. Which the shrump don't always prefer.

Check your water parameters asap.

But start doing pwc's 10% 2 times per day.

Immediately do 2 10% pwc's one after the other, and then another 2 10% 6-8 hours later. This may help to get the ammonia down. In case of an emergency, you can do this closer in time say after 2 hours, and again in 2 more hours.

The point is gradually change the water in the tank, it is more gentle to shrimp especially.

Make sure to use the declorinator and temperature close. Also if you have Prime water conditioner it can help bind the ammonia. It can be used as a tool to get through the fish-in cycle.

[Luce]

Thanks for the reply, I should have added the tank has been set up for over a year the shrimp were added a month ago. I think I've caused an ammonia spike from changing the media and not cleaning out enough uneaten food. I've tested today:

Ammonia: 0ppm - 0.25ppm?
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
ph: 7.4

The ammonia result looked pretty much yellow hence the question mark it could be very slightly showing ammonia still like 0.5ppm, still for safe measure I'll go ahead and do another 10% water change and prime.

[Autumnsky]

Oh, yes good to know it was established prior. Yes about 6-8 weeks should be the time to re-establish the BB colony.

Also check your pH and you if possible, can check KH/GH & TDS. It's nuce to know where you stand with calcium, and hardness butvwhen you get higher TDS, the shrimp don't usually like it.

They can scavenge along fir sime keft overs. Main thing is if they are getting good minerals, but not too many. Not enough and the shelk doesn't develop well. Too many and it can be too hard to slipbout of during a molt.

If it seems your levels are similar to the breeder you git them from then great.

If you are wondering about needing minerals for your shrimp, I like Glasgarten Mineral Junkie Pearls. It's not something that would foul the water like food and they can graze on them over days. Snails eat them up too, so add a little more ifvyou have snails.. They take over a whole ball.

[Luce]

Yes, the pH was still 7.4 I'll keep an eye on that that's fine for cherries?
I have ordered a KH/GH kit which comes to Weds I'll check that straight away, I did worry the shrimp's deaths may have been related to calcium deficiency as I struggle to get them to eat the pellets I feed JBL Novo Prawn pellets. I have tried soaking them and letting them sit on the gravel but they never seem interested and I got acrylic dishes stuck to the side of the glass I pop food in and only a few of them have learned there's food there so far. Apart from the crystals, you recommended if you have any suggestions for mid-range but good shrimp food that would be helpful seeing as mine are picky.

I did the 10% WC, for now I'll allow the tank to re-establish itself and do those small WCs after feeding and their usual one at the end of the week. Thank you for the help fingers crossed no more shrimp fatalities

[Autumnsky]

I have had very good feeding from Glassgarten I use Shrimp Baby and Shrimp Fit +, but I went to look at it on their website and it is now missing.

They have the Betaglucan +Immunoglobin (I haven't ever used this one by that name) maybe that replaced Shrimp Fit. The shrimp go straight for/ immediately to these foods. Especially all even adults to the Shrimp Baby which are small granules, and oddly, the ShrimpFit is more like a powder. And every week or 2 will add the Mineral Junkie Pearls. I started out using their BacterAE, which if you ever decide to try it, I would recommend just the very tinyist amount and only 1 time every week, maybe 5 days. I would frequently see a dead shrimp after adding like they suggest in the directions. But no issues using just a tiny amount. My tanks for shrimp are usually 5G, 6.6G or 12G sizes.

Another option if it is available to you and I use lots of foods for the shrimp, but mostly lately the above and Shrimp King 5 in 1 Sample pack. They all like these foods as well and will go straight to them. I rotate a little bit of the extras with a small amount of the complete. Feed it every other day, and they come in an extruded pellet form and you can just break off a little piece whatever size you need for them.

There isn't a huge amount of food but for a small colony may last 6 -8 months.

You really don't need to buy a large quantity either because unless you have hundreds of shrimp I have foods which have lasted years now. Just keep their lids on tight and in the more dry area out of sunlight.

You might also find someone on Amazon offering a food sample pack where they repackage the foods in little bags and JungleFowl member here has a business and offers some packs https://www.jungleaquashrimp.com/ may also have something on Amazon, Oh, Benbachi foods, he has a sample pack for I used those prior to these, and really liked them as well. Bought many times from him over the years sample packs and dried leaves, highly recommend his products.

But also mention over feeding. The shrimp have a tiny stomach but graze all day long, so feeding a tiny amount for them is fine. I often have micro fish with my shrimp (only a couple kinds due to predation) and they get fed 5 or 6 days out of 7. So shrimp get plenty of food all the time. Plus established tanks biofilm and Aufwuchs.

Any how, I would also recommend feeding much less amounts of food but a little more often for the ADF benefit. Because of the BB.

and as for the shrimp finding the glass dishes... Fast the tank for a day or more and then add the glass holder in an area you usually see the shrimp eating in and they will likely find it since they are more hungry.

But maybe consider letting the ADF have their own tank with a few fish. That way they get more possible chances of food. They usually have trouble finding their food!