# Shrimp disaster



## Frederick (3 Oct 2012)

Hi all......Firstly, let me give you some statistics.... Tank..Wave 15 (ltrs)...temp.. 22.5C..Aeriated 24/7.. Filtered 24/7.. black gravel, lights 9hrs per day. Well planted with various Amazon swords and Cryptocorenes (which I  read somewhere are r
eputed to have poisonas roots?) ph-7.3=7.4..Ammonia..0-0.25...Nitrite..2.0ppm.. Nitrate..0-2.0ppm.
Hardness not measued but led to believe medium hard.The tank was set up some month ago and initaly with some  neons and cherry barbs to stabilize the tank. After 3 weeks the fish were removed to my other tank and 2 RCS and 3 Cherry shrimps added. These gradually died over a period of a week and since then replaced with Bumble bees,further RCS but all slowly died now the tank is a grave yard.
The losses themselves are bad enough but not knowing why the deaths is worse.
To my mind the reason can only be due to one of the following... the gravel (black so must be coloured some how)..one or more of the plants..water (changed twice a week)..the small tank or "act of God"
I realise that with a small tank such as this it will be difficult to stabilize the conditions. The maximum number of shrimps at any time was 5/6 and the shrimps were all obtained from four sources. Now what the blazes is going on.. is it that difficult to keep shrimps and just what are ther required parameters to I do not wish to kill any further shrimps so any help and advice will very  gratefully received.

Frederick


----------



## Nathaniel Whiteside (3 Oct 2012)

Water change shock I bet


----------



## geoffbark (3 Oct 2012)

My experience is to have good flow through filter and to only add shrimp to a mature tank that has been setup for some months 

Some shrimp are easier than others to keep. One of the easiest is the cherry shrimp.


----------



## billy boy (3 Oct 2012)

I think the answer is your nitrite levels, By the time you have 2ppm nitrite i don't think you tank has fully cycled yet, From what i understand that most shrimp cannot take any levels of nitrite :idea:


----------



## darren636 (3 Oct 2012)

YOU HAVE AMMONIA AND NITRITE?   re-check these levels.


----------



## Lindy (3 Oct 2012)

Crystal Red shrimp are sensitive to changes in TDS. Did you drip acclimatise them over a period of hours? These shrimp also like soft acidic water. I lost shrimp until I got a TDS meter from ebay and found my tds were too low@45 so I added Genchem Salty shrimp. I believe my water is also low in calcium(they died after moulting) so they are fed a calcium suppliment and I add gh boost to the water. The speed at which your shrimp have died suggests your water conditions need to be addressed before buying anymore.

Cheers


----------



## Kristoph91 (3 Oct 2012)

Mate, sorry to hear about that. 

You should only add livestock to a well cycled tank though.  Learning curve.


----------



## Frederick (4 Oct 2012)

Hi all... many thanks for the help...I must confess I tought it was the acrylic tank or the gravel but it very much looks like the ammonia and nitrate levels.
I will now do a daily small water change untill the levels are down... many thanks...Freerick


----------



## nry (4 Oct 2012)

Bumble bee shrimp appear to be very sensitive - even being really careful with water changes, I've struggled with them.  Plain old amano shrimp seem fine, cherries aren't too bad either, but any of the 'posher' species need more care.


----------

