shrimp suicide help!

[MMantelli]

I don't know what the heck is going on but my shrimp population is diminishing. I started with almost 35 rcs and 5 tangerine caridinas. Well I keep finding shrimp on the floor around my tank and am down to about only a dozen total. It's been about 2 months since I've gotten them. They are showing nice color and looting regularly and don't ever seem agitated. There only tank mates are snails and 10 baby cichlids ( 1/2"-3/4") whom leave the shrimp alone. It is a dirted 10g with pfs sub. I dose pps-pro and diy co2. The filter is a bio-wheel 150 I took the wheel off and put ceramic rings in behind the filter pad. I really would like to start a colony but with this going on I don't see how its possible.

My paramaters are:
Temp 76F
PH. 7.4
Ammo 0
No2 0
No3 10-15

 

[jwh0818]

To be honest, ive never heard of them doing this. Is your tank rimless? Are they seeking better oxygen?

 

[MMantelli]

No its not rimless but they do hang out on top of the heater which is right next to my diffuser I have a diy glass lid but there's a 3/8" gap on one side for my heater cord and the tube for my co2. Mabey when the co2 comes on they freak out? My drop checker never reads yellow though it goes from bluish green alights on to greenish yellow at lights out.

 

[Hubert90]

No its not rimless but they do hang out on top of the heater which is right next to my diffuser I have a diy glass lid but there's a 3/8" gap on one side for my heater cord and the tube for my co2. Mabey when the co2 comes on they freak out? My drop checker never reads yellow though it goes from bluish green alights on to greenish yellow at lights out.

I've found a few shrimp dead around my tank before too.. I've noticed it only happens when the water level is too high. Hope that helps

 

[jwh0818]

Im thinking the co2 is making them search for new water and then they arent realizing its a tank and boom, they jump out. Thats my theory though. Try lowering it a bit

 

[MMantelli]

Im thinking the co2 is making them search for new water and then they arent realizing its a tank and boom, they jump out. Thats my theory though. Try lowering it a bit

Lowering the water level or the co2?

 

[jwh0818]

Maybe co2. Whats the tank size and how much diy co2 are you using. Ie- bottles

 

[MMantelli]

It's a 10g and I'm using 2 bottles but I have a control valve, bubble counter, ceramic diffuser and a drop checker in there. I can regulate how much co2 the tank gets.I also have 10 cichlid fry in there so I know the co2 is not too much. I turn it off at lights out and back on an hour before lights come on.

 

[aluka]

The turning it on and turning it off is probbaly the issue. Your ph changes when your co2 level changes, so everytime you turn your co2 on or off, there is a rapid change in ph for your shrimps. thats very stressful for them.

 

[Mogurako]

I'm willing to bet the cichlids are chasing them out/spooking them or there's ammonia/high nitrates.

 

[MMantelli]

Ok what do people with co2 and shrimp then? I don't wanna nuke them.

 

[MMantelli]

The cichlids are only 1/2in there is no ammonia and I keep my nitrates at 10-15ppm. Here's a pic of the tank and another of the tiny cichlids.

 

[Mogurako]

The cichlids are only 1/2in there is no ammonia and I keep my nitrates at 10-15ppm. Here's a pic of the tank and another of the tiny cichlids.

They can still chase and try to eat them even at 1/2"

 

[MMantelli]

The wiered thing is that its all the larger shrimp. They won't be in there much longer I'm gonna be putting them on aqua bid soon. I don't get it. But I did fix the gap on the lid and turn the co2 down some mabey that will help.

 

[Mogurako]

The wiered thing is that its all the larger shrimp. They won't be in there much longer I'm gonna be putting them on aqua bid soon. I don't get it. But I did fix the gap on the lid and turn the co2 down some mabey that will help.

Keep us posted...

 

[MMantelli]

The cichlis fry are what will be getting sold soon. LoL and I will do hopefully I don't loose any more.

 

[Fishfur]

What do you feed the shrimp and fish ? And how much. And what is the water like ? Hard or soft ?

 

[MMantelli]

I feed nls small fish formula once a day and the occasional algae or shrimp wafer.

 

[Fishfur]

Just to be sure, by rcs, do you mean red cherry shrimp ? They should be fine at the kind of hardness and alkalinity cichlids like and the food is ok. Is this a relatively new tank or has it been running for some months or more ? I ask because cherries and other shrimp rely on biofilm for food, and for other reasons that are not clearly understood. Tanks less than four to six months old don't have enough biofilm to keep them happy.

They have been known to climb out of tanks that they don't care for, for any reason. Lowering water levels enough to prevent climbing out will help stop them doing that.

 

[MMantelli]

Yes red cherry shrimp. The tanks been cycled for over 6 months now. Of the Ph is 7.4 and the dkh is 8