bosoxlobsterman
Aquarium Advice Activist
I'm having an issue with my red cherry shrimp dying recently, and I can't quite figuring out what I'm doing wrong. I'll start with purchasing them back in November; I originally purchased 30+ cherry shrimp on AquaBid.com for my established (but unoccupied) 10 gallon planted tank in my bedroom. When I finally got my package (along with some sponge filters so they could bred and not have the shrimpletts sucked into oblivion), I found there was only 10, very dull shrimp. I contacted the seller, who apologized and, after nearly a week, re-sent the correct order, no extra charge.
By that time, I had introduced the first shipment into my tank, and they had colored up. Turns out they sent me 10 yellow shrimp instead of 30 cherry shrimp (umm, score!). BUT, because I had intended them to bred, I didn't want them to cross-bred. So, grabbing the opportunity, I rushed out to set up another tank
I got a 6.6 gallon bookshelf tank, set it up, and used media from my other two tanks to avoid a long cycle, and soon the cherry shrimp arrived. I took plants from both of my other tanks, planted it, and got them comfortable (both groups were drip-acclimated). I had a couple initial deaths, which I expected as the tank got used to the shrimp.
During the first week, ammo never rose above 1.0 ppm before I got a water change in, and within a week and a half the tank was fully cycled. Since then, my population has (slowly) been losing one or two a week. Ammo and nitrites have been consistently 0, and nitrates are right around 20 ppm. Every now and then I add a bit of API CO2 Booster, and I'll occasionally toss in a algae wafer, but they don't seem to like them much, so I usually have to suck it back out after a day or two.
Over the past couple weeks, however, the deaths have accelerated. I lost 5 to 6 last week, and I've lost another 6 this week. The deaths generally go the same way each time. I'll notice one of the less active shrimp's tail is not translucent anymore, and begins to look dead (white). Sometime between then and the next day, they basically roll over from there and give in.
At first I thought it was water quality, so I checked that every day. No change, plus I have a healthy population of what I assume are freshwater copepods from my other tanks.
Then I assumed it was because the tank wasn't properly established, and perhaps they didn't have enough to graze on so I began dropping in different foods (algae wafers mostly, blackworms, some small shrimp pellets), but they show no interest in any food (except the occasional blackworm).
I then figured maybe it was something within my water, so I ordered a GH/KH kit (which should arrive today) and a TDS meter to test my tap water. My TDS in my tap was 100 ppm, which is pretty good, and in all three of my tanks was 400 ppm. I'm not entirely sure if this is a normal or big difference, but I should note that my 40B has pressurized CO2, and I have a bit of shell for calcium in my two shrimp tanks, so that could be rising the TDS.
Any help from more experienced shrimp keepers would be greatly appreciated; I'm at the point now were I think it could be the CO2 booster I've been adding (the deaths seem to occur after I clean out the bodies... and while I'm attending to the tank, I figure I usually add it then, leading to an increase in mortalities?)?
Water quality tests:
Ammo: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 20 ppm
TDS: 400 ppm
pH: 7.4
Temp: 72 F
By that time, I had introduced the first shipment into my tank, and they had colored up. Turns out they sent me 10 yellow shrimp instead of 30 cherry shrimp (umm, score!). BUT, because I had intended them to bred, I didn't want them to cross-bred. So, grabbing the opportunity, I rushed out to set up another tank
I got a 6.6 gallon bookshelf tank, set it up, and used media from my other two tanks to avoid a long cycle, and soon the cherry shrimp arrived. I took plants from both of my other tanks, planted it, and got them comfortable (both groups were drip-acclimated). I had a couple initial deaths, which I expected as the tank got used to the shrimp.
During the first week, ammo never rose above 1.0 ppm before I got a water change in, and within a week and a half the tank was fully cycled. Since then, my population has (slowly) been losing one or two a week. Ammo and nitrites have been consistently 0, and nitrates are right around 20 ppm. Every now and then I add a bit of API CO2 Booster, and I'll occasionally toss in a algae wafer, but they don't seem to like them much, so I usually have to suck it back out after a day or two.
Over the past couple weeks, however, the deaths have accelerated. I lost 5 to 6 last week, and I've lost another 6 this week. The deaths generally go the same way each time. I'll notice one of the less active shrimp's tail is not translucent anymore, and begins to look dead (white). Sometime between then and the next day, they basically roll over from there and give in.
At first I thought it was water quality, so I checked that every day. No change, plus I have a healthy population of what I assume are freshwater copepods from my other tanks.
Then I assumed it was because the tank wasn't properly established, and perhaps they didn't have enough to graze on so I began dropping in different foods (algae wafers mostly, blackworms, some small shrimp pellets), but they show no interest in any food (except the occasional blackworm).
I then figured maybe it was something within my water, so I ordered a GH/KH kit (which should arrive today) and a TDS meter to test my tap water. My TDS in my tap was 100 ppm, which is pretty good, and in all three of my tanks was 400 ppm. I'm not entirely sure if this is a normal or big difference, but I should note that my 40B has pressurized CO2, and I have a bit of shell for calcium in my two shrimp tanks, so that could be rising the TDS.
Any help from more experienced shrimp keepers would be greatly appreciated; I'm at the point now were I think it could be the CO2 booster I've been adding (the deaths seem to occur after I clean out the bodies... and while I'm attending to the tank, I figure I usually add it then, leading to an increase in mortalities?)?
Water quality tests:
Ammo: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 20 ppm
TDS: 400 ppm
pH: 7.4
Temp: 72 F
), none have died that I know of... although I can only consistently find 4 now, with no bodies that I can see.
). When I dose with the liquid carbon, I don't dose much, maybe 0.5-1 mls, but I think I'm gonna stop anyway. I get the feeling I'm a bit more wary than most in the hobby about the liquid carbon supplements, but that's just because the only thing I had used glutaraldehyde for before was fixing specimens in a microscopy class. Dunno if that's the "liquid carbon" bit in the Booster or not.
