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6+ dead shrimp at once....

jack-rythm

Member
Joined
21 Jul 2012
Messages
1,551
Location
Ashburton, Devon
I bought some cherries and they arrived last tuesday.. I go to london on saturday and get back last night and I find 6 dead shrimp just bobbing around in my tank.. I have no idea why this is.. The tank has been cycling for 6+ week with no fish or shrimp in. I have EBI shrimp substrate, I ADA amazonia substrate.. I bet there are more dead too. I can see others that are alive but on their last legs, not moving etc.. Anyone got any ideas??? What the hell has gone wrong?
 
Sorry to hear that Jack, too much CO2 would be my first guess...
 
I have no heater in any of the tanks.. you saying maybe at night it drops too low? I assumed shrimp were quite fine in lower temps? I have not noticed it drop below 17 at night? this could be it..? I have just done months and months of planning getting substrates, rock etc bang on for shrimp. I was going to get my black bees but thought I would buy some cherries for a start point..
 
I'm certainly no shrimp expert but 17 sounds low to me, I wouldn't/couldn't keep fish that cold, they are tropical creatures after all.

You've done your research, got the right substrate, the right rocks etc which is commendable, more than a lot of people do. Have you tested the water for Ammonia etc? Most test kits are pretty inaccurate but if something is way wrong then they'll give you an idea of what going on in there.
 
I dont have fish in my tanks, just shrimp so thats why I have not bothered with temps, as for ammonia kits, no I have never bought them as I never trust them.. I bought my plants from the far east.. I ran a carbon pad in my filter for 48 hours to clear off pesticides.. maybe this wasn't long enough? Ill see if I can borrow a ammonia kit maybe?
 
How did you cycle the tank? I would deffo do a test on the water and I would guess that you have had a sudden spike of ammonia or nitrites :(
Failing that did you acclimatise them slow? Shrimp can tolerate a cooler temperature, but it really should be dropped very gradual... From 24-17 in a week or so.
 
Ive never had a heater so temps have always hovered between 17-21 and ver dropped suddenly.. but its winter now so maybe. I acclimatised over a 3-4 hour period of dripping as suggested by ady. I have had the tank cycling with no fauna just plants for 5-6 weeks and got others opinions and we agreed it was ready.. Im starting to think although I used carbon pads for 2-3 days, the plants I bought from the far east may of bought pesticides with them.. or its the fluval shrimp safe im using.. I heard it may contain copper.. Bu this is a rumour.
 
Dah, real shame sorry to hear this. Read on another thread somewhere in this forum recently about small tanks without heaters. Always best to have a heater IMO, even if it's set to come on at 20 degrees. Especially with small tanks, it just stops that big temp swing if we have a cold snap. Stability is king with shrimp.
 
NatureBoy said:
There's been plenty reported about the pesticides used on Asian plant imports, I reckon that would be your culprit for such an extensive and sudden demise. Check out this link...http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=4831

I doubt they would have lasted from Tuesday if that stuff was the culprit. I've seen it in action and you're talking minutes or hours til death, not days. Doesn't exclude some other toxins on the plants of course, but it could be something less obvious.
 
yes thanks, I was singing toward the pesticides, but I have at least 10 that seem fine.. and it was been a week now.. I have been using fluval shrimp safe and I know its a shot in the dark but its either pesticides, temp or fluval shrimp safe. Ill throw a heater in it, throw a carbon pad in it and not use the shrimp safe for a couple weeks. see if that does anything... if it is the heater ill be annoyed.. as I have 3 nanos and the whole thing will be ruined if I then have to put small ugly internal heaters inside... such a shame.. such disappointment. Only time will tell. Thanks for the link NatureBoy.

Jack
 
Tanks without heaters are fine for Caridinas, CRS, Tigers etc can go low as 16 shorterm, they do well 18.
For neocaridinas this range is way too low, Lowest would be 19-20 better higher 22.

When this happens all at once the only reason is water quality or parameters went too off scale. So either too much temperature drop or some poisoning. Let's say we can rule out bacterial infection if bodies were pink and not white and dissolving, also with bacterial disease you have dead one by one not so many at once.
 
Also with poisoning or pesticides you will see shrimp on their back and kicking if still alive
 
reading your link suggests its not that, as they are not pink but just dead. and has not happened instantly.. although I assume there are many different types of death caused by this..
 
sorry misread - hadn't understood there was a longer time period between introduction and death...
 
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