I have a 10 gallon shrimp tank that I started back in the middle of April. It's heavily planted and sits in front of a window with morning sun. I don't have any other light on the tank. I have sponge filter running on the tank. I added the shrimp on 5/19. I purchased a bag of shrimp and plants at a local auction. I did fully cycle the tank with ammonia before adding the shrimp. I had a couple of snails to start but received a whole bunch more with the plants I added from the auction. I didn't mind them at first and my kids loved them. There were some of both pond and ramshorn snails in there. The shrimp have been doing great no losses until about a week ago. I was away for 9 days but my husband was here. I left him a couple of baggies with 1/2 an algae wafer and 3 sinking pellets to add every three days. Now my shrimp are dying off rapidly and I can't figure out what it going on. I tested my water when I returned because I had gone longer than my weekly water change schedule and I wanted to see where things were at. Because I was away the ferts did not get dosed as I normally would. When I returned, the temp was 74, TDS was 280, pH was 7.86, Nitrate 5.0, phosphate 0.25 GH 3 and KH 1.9. After water change before adding ferts, TDS 224, pH 7.64, Kh 3, GH 4, Nitrate 0 ppm, phosphate 0-0.25, ammonia 0, nitrite 0
So I have a couple of theories but these are my first shrimp so I don't have any experience to go with them. So if you have similar experiences with shrimp and could offer your opinions I would appreciate it. I read a bunch of articles but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there on plants, ferts, snail and food for shrimp. So I was hoping somebody has some real life experience to add.
First, the snail population in my tank was exploded! It is incredible. I understand why people consider these snails pests now. Everybody talks about overfeeding as the cause of exponential growth. But I'm actually wondering if maybe my shrimp are getting out competed for food. There is absolutely no visible algae in my tank. When I drop food in the snails cover it in minutes. I tried adding additonal food but the shrimp didn't seem interested and I didn't want to overfeed or pollute the tank. I'm really having a hard time believing I've overfed them when I never see them eat the food. Has anyone ever had snails out compete the shrimp for food?
Second, I use RO water because my well water is horrible. I add back in Equilibrium and Acid and Alkaline buffers. I had recently stopped adding the two buffers because their benefit to the pH didn't last so I thought I just go with whatever the RO water stabilized at. The KH started to drop lower than I wanted so the most recent WC after I returned I added some of the alkaline buffer back in to bring the KH back to about 3 from 1.9. Is this change what could be effecting my shrimp? Are they that sensitive to such small changes?
Third, about three weeks ago I notice a few hydras and with in a few days I had then all over the tank. So I treated the tank following this procedure
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/step-by-step-how-to-kill-planaria-and-hydra-231872.html but I only did 1/2 of the recommended dose to start and it was effective in removing all the hydra. I never had to dose more than that. I did a WC a couple of days after killing the hydra and then a couple of days later I away for the 9 days. Today I think I've lost 3 shrimp and may only have 1 or 2 alive. There are so many plants I can't ever see them all at once.
So any thoughts? Maybe a combination of things? I added a DIY snail trap today and I'm going to try to started eliminating most of the snails. I'd like to get more shrimp but need to figure out what is causing the deaths first.
Thanks for sharing any thoughts you might have.
So I have a couple of theories but these are my first shrimp so I don't have any experience to go with them. So if you have similar experiences with shrimp and could offer your opinions I would appreciate it. I read a bunch of articles but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there on plants, ferts, snail and food for shrimp. So I was hoping somebody has some real life experience to add.
First, the snail population in my tank was exploded! It is incredible. I understand why people consider these snails pests now. Everybody talks about overfeeding as the cause of exponential growth. But I'm actually wondering if maybe my shrimp are getting out competed for food. There is absolutely no visible algae in my tank. When I drop food in the snails cover it in minutes. I tried adding additonal food but the shrimp didn't seem interested and I didn't want to overfeed or pollute the tank. I'm really having a hard time believing I've overfed them when I never see them eat the food. Has anyone ever had snails out compete the shrimp for food?
Second, I use RO water because my well water is horrible. I add back in Equilibrium and Acid and Alkaline buffers. I had recently stopped adding the two buffers because their benefit to the pH didn't last so I thought I just go with whatever the RO water stabilized at. The KH started to drop lower than I wanted so the most recent WC after I returned I added some of the alkaline buffer back in to bring the KH back to about 3 from 1.9. Is this change what could be effecting my shrimp? Are they that sensitive to such small changes?
Third, about three weeks ago I notice a few hydras and with in a few days I had then all over the tank. So I treated the tank following this procedure
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/step-by-step-how-to-kill-planaria-and-hydra-231872.html but I only did 1/2 of the recommended dose to start and it was effective in removing all the hydra. I never had to dose more than that. I did a WC a couple of days after killing the hydra and then a couple of days later I away for the 9 days. Today I think I've lost 3 shrimp and may only have 1 or 2 alive. There are so many plants I can't ever see them all at once.
So any thoughts? Maybe a combination of things? I added a DIY snail trap today and I'm going to try to started eliminating most of the snails. I'd like to get more shrimp but need to figure out what is causing the deaths first.
Thanks for sharing any thoughts you might have.