Dead shrimp

[murph]

Got some new plants today, couple of tropica plants and some leaded java fern. All from local fish shop. Went home quick rinse and popped then in the tank for later. Came home a few hrs later and 7 dead amanos and 4 dead rummys. Whipped the plants out and did a 50% change.

All levels seem normal. I've recently treated the tank for White spot but that was last week.

Could it have been the plants? The lead weights?

 

[chrisfraser05]

my first thought would be that they've treated the tank the plants were in for snails.

Might not explain the fish though?!?!

 

[NeilW]

Could have been a combination of both, the plants may have been treated for snails in combination with any trace of the whitespot medication which would have put copper into toxic levels. Or it could have just been the whitespot treatment by itself. Did you run carbon after the medication? Cant explain the fish though.

The fix to this would be to run carbon in your filter or zeolite and plenty of water changes for a while.

 

[murph]

I didn't run carbon. I'll try and get some tomorrow and keep up the water changes. I'm a bit gutted at such a school boy error!

 

[Mortis]

Had something similar happen a few days ago. I picked up some plants, washed once with tap water, did a KMnO4 soak, washed twice with tap water, kept it with dechlorinator overnight. Next day after I finished planting in a tank that has been running 2.5 months and saw all my shrimps zooming all over the place. Did a 50 % WC immediately and added activated carbon to the filter follwed by another 25% WC 2-3 hours later but still ended up losing 90% of my RCS and Amanos. Thats a good 50-60 shrimp of all sizes with some really nicely coloured ones
The dying ones started jerking and swimming backwards for a while and swimming to the surface and falling backwards just before they died. Any idea what it could be ?

Survivors are still bunched in a corner. I have been doing 25% WCs everyday.

 

[murph]

3 have survived, and have survived a rescape to boot. Hopefully a lesson learnt!

 

[murph]

I got 5 more amanos.

Some of the corys started showing a bit of whitespot so I dosed the meds again. Two shrimp are now on their backs and kick like mad. The rest seem fine.

They didn't do that the first time I put the treatment in. I guess that it must have copper or something in it!

 

[PM]

Good luck with it, you'll get past this!

 

[murph]

Cheers PM.

Didnt lose any shrimp yesterday, whipped the two struggeling ones out and put them in the nano, which has yet to be stocked. recovered in a few hours.

I think it is my white spot treatment and coupled with the unwashed plants as suggested Neil it pused it over the edge.

Need to find a shrimp safe white spot medication now!

 

[andyh]

Hey guys

sorry bit late on this thread, there is no shrimp safe whitespot treatment. It will kill you shrimps or cause massive stress on them, and probably end up killing them eventually.
Also once dosed you tank, hardscape plants etc absorb the treatment and therefore your tank becomes dangerous for shrimps going forward. Its a difficult one.

There are some theories about increasing the temp of your tank to speed up the whitespot cycle combined with lots of water changes. (plus you could remove the serioulsy infected fish and treat them elsewhere) But will take longer to shift it.

Andyh

 

[murph]

Cheers andy, not really what I wanted to hear though!

Think I'll quarintine fish in future! There's not a massive whitespot problem just a few bits in one or two fish.

 

[giwight]

Hi All,

Sorry to hear of your losses. I keep an old UV sterilizer for use when 'Problems' occur and as a precaution, I just run it for a week on my filter return hose, it will deal with anything white spot medication does and a lot more besides and no nasty chemicals. 'Shrimp Friendly'

Regards
George