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NEED SOME HELP

Lee iley

Member
Joined
19 Aug 2018
Messages
383
Location
Preston
Hi guys,

Could do with a little help please. I keep loosing cherry shrimp and not sure why.
I have had them since early July started with 10 and now have over 100. But these last 2 weeks I have lost about 15 I got a pair of rams last week and they gobbled a few so took them bk. And swapped them for 20 black neons. But I am still find 1 or 2 dead a day still. The last 2 i have lost had a white band on their back. I also wake upto to some that are already half eaten so not sure what the cause of death was to them ones. 3 days ago I did a 80% water change and after that I added 20 ember tetras and 4 orange ottos since then I have lost about 6 shrimp. I also have 2 pieces of cuttle bone in there for months now for calcium could these need changing?

Temp I have just increased to 26c
GH 6.5
PH 7.2
TDS 102.4

Cheers lee
 
Your TDS is quite low... makes me wonder what your GH is? Do you water change regularly? If you usually do smaller amounts the hardness may have built up overtime and the big water changes lowered it.
 
Hi
The cuttle bone will just dissolve if it is still there don't need changing.26°C is a tad warm for shrimp any reason why U increased the temperature ?Are U positive that your fish are not hunting the shrimp?
Regards Konsa
 
I havnt seen any of my fish hunt them. I have black tetras ember tetras and neon tetras. I do a 50% water change every week on the tank. The reason for increasing the temp was because it was at 24c so I just moved it up a notch and today it's reading 26c. Should I drop it down to 24c again. They are breeding like crazy still I have baby shrimp every were. What should my tds be at? When I do my tds the water report says my conductivity is 160 so I multiply that by 0.64 and gives me 102.4 is this correct and for my gh my hardness Clark is 8.14 so I divide that by 1.64 and get 6.5 is this also correct? If so how do I increase my TDS?

Cheers lee
 
Hi
Your fish should be ok in 24°C.I keep all my tanks 22-23°C .
I will drop it back to 24.If it has worked so far why change it?I personally dont like tampering with water parameters.I just keep my water clean and thats about it.
Have U done any other changes apart from introduction of more fish?
Your tank TDS is influenced by everything you add to the tank(ferts ,food,not inert rock,fish waste....) u cant get that from your water report as it is not constant.U need to get a TDS pen to get accurate readings.
Regards Konsa
 
Hi
Your fish should be ok in 24°C.I keep all my tanks 22-23°C .
I will drop it back to 24.If it has worked so far why change it?I personally dont like tampering with water parameters.I just keep my water clean and thats about it.
Have U done any other changes apart from introduction of more fish?
Your tank TDS is influenced by everything you add to the tank(ferts ,food,not inert rock,fish waste....) u cant get that from your water report as it is not constant.U need to get a TDS pen to get accurate readings.
Regards Konsa
I have just ordered a tds pen from Amazon. I never mess with my water parameters. I haven't done anything different apart from add the new fish. I did an 80% water change rather than a 50% change, due to me loosing shrimp. Ferts all's I add is tnc complete the daily recommended dose. I don't use co2. I have dropped my temp bk down to 24 for some reason I thought 24 was to low. Does tds matter for cherry shrimp?

Cheers lee
 
Hi
Also before rushing to change things have in mind that U lost few while the RAMs were in and there were some probably injured or stressed that didn't die instantly and are going now.It is possible that the big 80% waterchange have forced few to molt out of timing and that dint go very well........If U have breeding and lots of babies all is good.Just keep an eye on the tank and keep us posted.
Loads of people keep their tanks at lower temp(20-22°C) for better gas exchange.
The cherries are hardy U dont need ideal TDS for them but they are thought to prefer harder water(more minerals and TDS 250+)
If U keep losing shrimp instead of one massive WC do few smaller 25% or so.
Regards Konsa
 
Last edited:
Hi
Also before rushing to change things have in mind that U lost few while the RAMs were in and there were some probably injured or stressed that didn't die instantly and are going now.It is possible that the big 80% waterchange have forced few to molt out of timing and that dint go very well........If U have breeding and lots of babies all is good.Just keep an eye on the tank and keep us posted.
They cherries are hardy U dont need ideal TDS for them but they are thought to prefer harder water(more minerals and TDS 250+)
Regards Konsa
Thank you for the reply. I though a 80% change would benefit. How could I raise my tds? Is my gh ok the way I is or do I need to raise this also? I thought by having cuttle bones in my tank that would help the gh or am I wrong?

Cheers Lee.
 
Hi
Its not about how to increase it but to add the correct minerals to do so.U can increase it with higher fert dosing too.Anyway lots of shrimp mineral products out there.Maybe someone will advice but on 400l tank may break the bank a little.The cuttle bone is more for calcium suplement the shrimp to pick from ,it wont affect your water mineral content much.
I had cherries breeding like wild fire in soft water with CO2 and low PH,Kh and GH some years ago.Now I have moderately hard water low tech tanks and am yet to see rapid breeding going on.I had them in tanks with TDS from 250 to 450 wich didn't make any difference.Ottos beed in the tank but shrimps keept throwing the eggs and only babies I was getting was the ones I hatched myself from the collection of the eggs after they throw them.Now I am getting some breeding going on after I stopped adding ferts at all to my shrimp tank.
My point is it is normal to lose few shrimp now and then.U are having good colony going on.Don't panic yet and enjoy your tank
Regards Konsa
 
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Hi
Its not about how to increase it but to add the correct minerals to do so.U can increase it with higher fert dosing too.Anyway lots of shrimp mineral products out there.Maybe someone will advice but on 400l tank may break the bank a little.The cuttle bone is more for calcium suplement the shrimp to pick from ,it wont affect your water mineral content much.
Regards Konsa
Calcium is for the moulting isn't it? TDS is all the solids in the water what does this do to help shrimp? And GH higher the GH harder the water does the TDS and GH do the same thing for the water the higher the TDS is the harder the water also? What is more important TDS or GH for the shrimp.
 
Hi guys a little update I have lost another shrimp this morning. My TDS PEN came today and tested water straight from the tap it is reading 155ppm not done tank yet. But I have a load of new plants to go in tomorrow so will test then.
 
Hi
U can take reading now anyway and one tomorrow too does not hurt to know.I will advice to take readings before and after U change water too.Dont forget If U disturb substrate to do decent waterchange too.
Regards Konsa
 
Hi
U can take reading now anyway and one tomorrow too does not hurt to know.I will advice to take readings before and after U change water too.Dont forget If U disturb substrate to do decent waterchange too.
Regards Konsa
Thanks konsa what could be the cause of me loosing my shrimp all of a sudden?
 
Hi
Im not quite sure.I had a period of that too.
But it all sorted itself with time.
Regards Konsa
 
Check your nitrate levels at the end f a week before the next water change to, it is very easy to overdose complete liquid ferts...
 
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