Urgent help!!.

[ackropj]

I have just put some plants bought from pets at home into my tank and now all the shrimp are either dead or dying, trying to climb out of the tank.

There was nothing showing saying the plants were treated with copper and there was snails in the tanks with the plants.

I have just done a 75% water change but I must have 100+ dead. I fear the rest won't survive the night.

What can I do !!.

 

[ackropj]

Somenof them are not dead, stunned with the occasional twitch.

 

[ScotJudd]

I suppose the plants might have been washed in a copper based product to remove unwanted beasties but my bet would have been too much substrate disturbance following your planting. Trapped ammonia can be released when the substrate is disturbed. I don't believe careful substrate cleaning has the same effect because you are simultaneously removing the disturbed water from the tank. I always substrate clean the site for a new plant to avoid a sudden rise in ammonia which will kill shrimp pretty quickly.
All sorts of things can kill shrimp but you seem convinced the new plants/planting is responsible. Did you check ammonia levels after planting? I don't believe huge water changes are the answer now unless ammonia is too high as I recall that shrimp are not to happy with them. I would personally do about 20% a day until all your water checks are under control.
Hope you have some shrimp survive and get back into breeding and then your sign will be quite appropriate.
Good luck.
Steve.

 

[ackropj]

Thanks Steve.

I have moved the tank a few times and dig plants out etc lots of times. I've had a few due in the past but this time is a total wipe out, I therefore put it down to something to do with plants.

 

[Fibsog]

Aw man this is very sad

 

[ackropj]

Not a single survivor. ?

 

[ScotJudd]

You have my sympathy. Non fish keepers would not understand but we keepers feel for you.
Your next priority is to try and narrow down the cause, copper or ammonia. Unfortunately you added new plants and disturbed the substrate so it won't be easy. I don't suppose you checked ammonia levels before your first major water change.
I have shrimp and have been moving around some plants this weekend and have now been over cautious so hopefully sharing your experience will help us other shrimp keepers.
Little consolation I know. Hope you rebuild your colony. Steve.

 

[Kittykat364]

I'm sorry for your loss

 

[Brookster123]

That is truly sad, sorry

 

[SgtMjr]

Bacteria? Try some H2O2, in a light tank treatment... And pull those bodies ASAP! I had a similar occurrence, and I removed everything from the aquarium, vacuumed out most of the gravel i could , along with hundreds of cherry and blue berry bodies "sucked" and added some 1/2" PVC elbow and Y fittings for cover. Added 2ml for each gallon of Peroxide and let it sit for hours... Changed the filter over to full power with NITRA-Zorb "fluval 206 have variable output" and the deaths subsided.
I dont know what set it off... But i add nothing new, NOTHING!, until its quarantined... Not until its clean... The whole ordeal sucked big time. The system was perfectly tuned and running sweet! Anyway, I think anytime we keep high population of any one species... Sickness is inevitable...

 

[Fibsog]

Oh man thats really sad! Im sorry :,(

 

[ackropj]

Hi guys, still looking for help. It's a week now since all my deaths, I have now added cuprisorb to the filter and done 25 % water change every day for the last week. I have added some more shrimps from my other tank and I am still getting some deaths. Also some are aril trying to climb put of the tank. I have a 0 ammonia reading and really don't know what else to do.

 

[Kittykat364]

I'd move them back to the other tank to let them have a chance to live

 

[SgtMjr]

I am with kitty on this one!

 

[AliGee]

OP,

The shrimp substrate you used is, in my opinion, a major hazard. I tried it for several months while checking my parameters in my heavily planted tank. It is not meant to be cleaned, therefor it CANNOT be disturbed. My guess is you released a large amount of ammonia while moving/planting the tank. Checking water parameters with a freshwater test kit is extremely important when you have sensitive invertebrates. Had the plants been washed in Copper, that would have instantly killed the snails. Copper would make the shrimp disorientated and seem poisoned, while ammonia would make them rise to the top to seek "oxygen" and cleaner water. I have switched back to normal small rock substrate and have much better results overall in my shrimp tank. Really sorry to hear this happened. =[

 

[AliGee]

I just read your most recent post, I would call or go visit the pet shop and ask about the care of their plants. You can also boy copper test kits. Go get a small sample from the stores plant tank and also test your own tank.

 

[AliGee]

Lastly, are you using test strips or a test kit? Test strips are notoriously HORRIBLE for readings, especially of ammonia. If the test strips are of a certain age, their accuracy is close to null.

 

[Fibsog]

Any updates :/

 

[RookieFishOwner]

Speaking of shrimp deaths, my ghost shrimp that I just got today have turned cloudy. I'm not sure what to do and what caused this, please help!!

 

[SgtMjr]

Some Garlic and Butter... Eat em before they die.
Hopefully they are getting ready to shed the exoskeleton... If not, Cloudy is bad.