# What Kills Amano Shrimp?



## ghostsword

@ghostsword - what is deadly for amano shrimp? 

I have a high tech tank, lots of co2, few fish, planted and ferts.

50% water changes a week with half RO. 

Dropped 10 amano on the tank, 15 minute acclimatization, all dead or dying within 2 hours. 

Stopped CO2 and raised spray-bar, see two or three moving but not much hope.

I do not do water tests, so don't know about nitrites, etc.

What should I do to turn this around? 


___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


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## Ian Holdich

large water change to remove saturated water.


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## Ady34

ghostsword said:
			
		

> lots of co2,
> Dropped 10 amano on the tank, 15 minute acclimatization, all dead or dying within 2 hours.


Id say that was their downfall, i dont think 15 min acclimatisation is long enough for anything, let alone with c02 running. Shrimp are also more sensitive to water chemistry changes and need ideally drip acclimating for several hours. Personally i also either only add new inhabitants pre c02, or leave the c02 off until they are settled.
I dont hold out much hope for them even with huge water changes, but its your best option.
Ady.


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## ghostsword

Thanks guys.. Hours drip acclimatizing? Damm.. No wonder they go belly up.

Ok, so to get some amanos into a established scape is no co2 for a day or two then drip aclimatising. How do I do the drip? 

On a bucket and then a drip feed of the tank water?

Sorry for so many questions, but I am bad with this. Plants and fish I am ok, but shrimp is another story.

The two shrimp left are still moving, but like stunned. Will leave the co2 off and the spray bar up to get more o2 into the water.

All help is welcomed. 


___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


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## BigTom

Are there any other shrimp in the tank? How were they acting before they died? If they were thrashing about in obvious distress then it may be a pesticide problem, worth just ruling that out.


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## ghostsword

No other shrimp on the tank. 

Never had use for shrimp, but now with moss ...

They were still, like drunk. Then they turn white, and stay put.

I see they are dead after touching with the tweezers and see that they do not move.

Very sad. 

Got fish and some snails, no issue with those.


___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


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## Ady34

Def sounds like c02 poisoning, the other inhabitants become slowly used to the c02 levels throughout the injection period, but its too much too quickly when going from low levels to high in 15 mins.
C02 only needs to be off the day of purchase, until the shrimp are in and settled, then it can go back on and as the gas level rises the shrimp will become acclimated to this slowly too...ideally you would leave lights and c02 off for the whole day of introduction, this way the shrimp settle and the plants arnt trying to grow with no fuel.
Drip acclimatising is just as you guessed, into a container with airline feed with ideally an airline valve to adjust flow down to just a drip so that the water chemistry equalises.
It doesnt have to be anything fancy, this is what i cobbled together to get the job done: http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... &start=150
I know this doesnt ease the pain, but may help for future purchases.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## ghostsword

Ady34 said:
			
		

> It doesnt have to be anything fancy, this is what i cobbled together to get the job done: http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... &start=150
> I know this doesnt ease the pain, but may help for future purchases.
> Cheerio,
> Ady.



Thanks mate.. this just shows that I still have lots to learn..  

For the next purchases I will do the drip method, will buy two or three this week and try again. Just need to get a big bucket for them. 

So after a couple of hours dripping just drop them on the tank, right?

With fish usually I keep them 15 to 20 minutes acclimatizing, after coming from quarantine, and just stopping the CO2 and raising the spray bar was enough. Once was on a rush and 10 red phantoms went belly up in 10 minutes, managed to save them, but was odd. 

Often I forget the effect that CO2 has on a fish that is not used to it.


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## Piece-of-fish

Sad story Luis. Usually amanos almost bulletproof except co2   
I tend to add new livestock whether in the morning before co2 goes on or after large waterchange.


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## ghostsword

Piece-of-fish said:
			
		

> Sad story Luis. Usually amanos almost bulletproof except co2
> I tend to add new livestock whether in the morning before co2 goes on or after large waterchange.



Yeah, I now know.. 

I added them when I got home, at 1900, a full 7 hours since CO2 first got into the tank.  

I am buying 5 more today, and add them using the drip method. With a carpet of moss I need shrimps to keep it tidy and clean, so I have to keep on. 

Also, would Easy Carbo kill them as well? I do not dose, but better to have all the bases covered, just in case.


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## mlgt

That is quite sad Luis. I bought 40 amanos for my 350 and did what you did and not 1 death. 
Having said that it is a low tech tank with plenty of hiding places and food. You will notice a dead shrimp as the tank doesnt have a colour backing so I can see all around it.

Maybe just bad luck pal?


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## ghostsword

Yep, also 350L on a low tech is slightly different on a 100L high tech..  

CO2 was the killer, coupled with my ignorance, so today I will try again, with fewer shrimp and proper drip acclimatization. Maybe even decrease the CO2 on the tanks..


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## ghostsword

Ok, got another ten amanos, got two containers and did the drip acclimatization. Did it for 4 hours. 

CO2 has been switched off for the whole day. 

Also used a tds meter to measure the tds on the tanks and containers. Once it matched I moved the shrimps.

Let's see if they survive now. 


___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


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## Alastair

Fingers crossed luis 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ghostsword

Well, they survived the night..  So no funny chemicals on the tanks that would kill them,. 

I am leaving the CO2 off the tanks for the next couple of days, will just turn the lights off for this period, to give them a chance to acclimatise further, just in case. 

Actually the drip method was not that hard, should have done it before.


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## BigTom

Sounds promising - at least you know it's something you can control.


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## darren636

i use the drip method for fish and shrimp . Two hours usually. Hope all goes well but i am sure they will be fine


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## ghostsword

And to make my life much easier my jbl profi 1500 stopped working.  

At close inspection the impeler had a piece broken. Bought a new impeler today online, so two or three days no filtration, no CO2 and no light. 

Will do some small water changes during the week using a mix of RO water and tap water to keep the water fresh until the new impeler arrives.

The filter pads are now on the garden, and the filter empty.


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## darren636

keep the pads in the tank. Floating is possible


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## ghostsword

They are too big... and dirty..  I can restart the filter using pads from the other tanks. 

This tank will just have to have a blackout, and I will need to do small water changes. Should be ok. No feeding, no co2 and no light.


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## ghostsword

And because this is my lucky month..  

The pipes from the filter leaked water into the cabinet, was not closed properly. So cabinet is now water damaged.

I emptied the tank, gave some fish to my brother and will distribute the other fish in between my other tanks. 

The shrimp were caught and will go into a 35l cube. 

Not sure what to do now with the tank. Maybe bin the cabinet and put the tank on the garden, or do a emersed scape on its currently location.

The cabinet being water damaged was not safe for a tank full of water, but for a emersed scape would work just fine.




___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


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## sr20det

ghostsword said:
			
		

> And because this is my lucky month..
> 
> The pipes from the filter leaked water into the cabinet, was not closed properly. So cabinet is now water damaged.
> 
> I emptied the tank, gave some fish to my brother and will distribute the other fish in between my other tanks.
> 
> The shrimp were caught and will go into a 35l cube.
> 
> Not sure what to do now with the tank. Maybe bin the cabinet and put the tank on the garden, or do a emersed scape on its currently location.
> 
> The cabinet being water damaged was not safe for a tank full of water, but for a emersed scape would work just fine.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ___________________________
> Luis
> @ghostsword



Sad news  

Is it possible to replace the cabinet?

such a nice set up to give up on bud?


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## ghostsword

Yes, I can replace the cabinet, but it is a old tank nonetheless. My first tank, it is about 5 years old and I bought it second hand. 

Still don't know what I may do with it, feel tempted by a paludarium, but need to first see the state of the cabinet, would not like to have the sitting room full of water if it collapses.


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## sr20det

ghostsword said:
			
		

> Yes, I can replace the cabinet, but it is a old tank nonetheless. My first tank, it is about 5 years old and I bought it second hand.
> 
> Still don't know what I may do with it, feel tempted by a paludarium, but need to first see the state of the cabinet, would not like to have the sitting room full of water if it collapses.


I have a pair of clear 25l containers if you need bud. I remember you mentioning SA, if so understand gearing tank towards that? Otherwise it looked like a great tank to me, I say hang onto it.


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## Emyr

A friend of mine dropped 20 Amano shrimp straight into his tank at night and they all settled in perfectly. No trip acclimation or anything. He EI doses and had loads of co2. The fish shop uses the same water as in his tank, They are normally very hardy shrimp so I'm surprised you have had such trouble. You may have even got a rubbish batch from the shop you bought them in. Probably worth checking your nitrated but as everyone has said its definitely co2. Amano shrimp shouldn't need as much drip as other more sensitive shrimp.


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## ghostsword

I will put the tank on the garden today, got space for it, grow a emersed jungle..  

Cover with clingfilm and let it adapt to open air slowly. Add some rocks and maybe let the bugs take over. In winter I will just bring it in or give it away before going to South Africa.


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## sr20det

ghostsword said:
			
		

> I will put the tank on the garden today, got space for it, grow a emersed jungle..
> 
> Cover with clingfilm and let it adapt to open air slowly. Add some rocks and maybe let the bugs take over. In winter I will just bring it in or give it away before going to South Africa.



well, bud, if you need rid of any amanos, or plants, or fish, holla, I am only round the corner and always fancy some bargains


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## ghostsword

Thanks.. All bagged already to take back to adc..  

The rest of the plants were placed on the outside tanks.. 


___________________________
Luis 
@ghostsword


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