Help with my CRS shrimp

[FishOwner]

I have a 10g with 7 Crystal Red Shrimp and 5 Blue Bolts. The CRS have been thriving for about 4 months now in the tank and even gave birth to some shrimplets. The BBs have also been doing ok, although no shrimplets yet.

However, recently (about a week ago) almost overnight I stopped finding the 3 week old shrimplets in the CRS tank. I haven't seen a single one ever since. I couldn't think of a cause for this, because my water params were pristine.

This morning, I woke up to two of the big high-color shrimp eating a smaller male. I don't know if the male died of his own accord or if they killed him, but I believe it's the latter. This might also explain where my shrimplets went off to. I immediately fed the shrimp some fish flakes (for protein). What else should I do now?

Params:
10g freshwater tank
72.5-73 deg F
6.4-6.5 pH
6 gH
0 kH (will fix soon, have gH/kH+ on the way)
0 ppm ammonia
0 ppm nitrIte
0-10 ppm nitrAte, reaches 15 ppm before bi-weekly wc
50% RO/DI water change remineralized to same hardness as in tank every 2 weeks, dripped in to minimize change in parameters

 

[Autumnsky]

Do you happen to know your TDS?

Sometimes it gets up there and doesn't sit well with the BB.

What do you normally feed them? Usually it can be a molting issue and the shrimp can die if he's half out of the shell.

It seems your water changing is good. Often though doing half as much every week is more agreeable to the shrimp.

When was the death, sooner after a water change (which is usually when you're more likely to see molting), or closer to before the pwc?

 

[FishOwner]

No, I do not know my TDS. I was planning on getting a TDS meter, but I can't find one with good reviews. Any recommendations?

I feed them Shrimp King Complete. The CRS and BBs feed on it avidly for 30 minutes to an hour and a half after its dropped in the tank, but lose interest and only come to snack every once in a while after. I'm sure that if the colony was bigger they'd be able to finish it but for now I take the uneaten food out after 12-24 hours

After the incident (the male was completely eaten, only shell left) I tried a few fish flakes and they tore them up instantly. Maybe they just need protein and the Complete wasn't doing it?

The shrimp died a week after a pwc took place. However, there was some evaporation so I added (very slowly) some RO/DI water to deal with that.

 

[Autumnsky]

Sent you a PM with link of the one I got, cheapish and works fine.

This is a little bit puzzling.

Hungry creatures can act in surprising ways. So maybe you need the protein versions of foods. Consider trying a variety pack of samples. I use a bunch of foods. Including these Shrimp King food sample pack. Fairly reasonably priced.

I also use GlasGarten ShrimpFit and ShrimpBaby regularly, and the shrimp really love it. Throw in some Mineral Junkie Pearls and a teensy amount of Bacter AE, in a bit of rotation.

In keeping BB I also had some losses in general keeping and the PRL/CRS are populating very nicely, in the same tank (and my other couple tanks through this past year. I guessed it was due to the TDS getting higher.

 

[FishOwner]

Ok, I'll order the meter and try the assorted food options as soon as possible. Maybe boiling some vegetables would help too?

I've heard that BBs and other Taiwan Bees tend to breed when atmospheric pressure is in their area of comfort. I live in an area of high barometric pressure variation, though. Should I worry about this at all?

 

[Autumnsky]

Ok, I'll order the meter and try the assorted food options as soon as possible. Maybe boiling some vegetables would help too?

I've heard that BBs and other Taiwan Bees tend to breed when atmospheric pressure is in their area of comfort. I live in an area of high barometric pressure variation, though. Should I worry about this at all?

I am in Northern Colorado, so maybe we have similar pressures. Females will frequently molt after a water change and then they would be saddled if they are the right breeding age. And then of course get berried and have babies as they get older and better at carrying the larger numbers of eggs to term.

At this point I haven't heard of anyone having issues regarding atmospheric pressures. (also I am not aware of it could be an issue or not though) There are many successful shrimp breeders all around the state.

 

[FishOwner]

Alright. Do you think anything could've happened to my CRS shrimplets or could they just be hiding? Still haven't been able to find one (I counted 15 last I saw them).

An out-of-context question: is it possible to get a good grade of Red Fancy Tiger shrimp just by hybridizing CRS and Fancy Tigers?

 

[FishOwner]

A few pics of my shrimp doing their thing: