Hello all, before I describe the issue, here are my parameters:
1. 60ish litre tank
2. Setup is nearly 7 months old
3. Two sponges (30 ppi & 20ppi) attached to powerheads at opposite corners of tank, one with venturi and duckbill pointed towards surface.
4. 8hrs light via Ciano LEzdCLA60 (8W – 18VDC);
5. Fine Unipac silver sand substrate
6. Low tech
7. Temp 25c
8. Per week: 6ml TNC Complete, 0.8ml TNC iron, 1.6g Epsom Salts
9. 10% WC per week with light vacuuming of accumulated waste on substrate.
10. Anubias, Java Fern, Water Sprite, and Salvinia planted at initial setup
11. Cherry shrimp, no other livestock
About 4 months ago (so when the tank was 3 months old) I purchased 8 Cherry Shrimp. After a month they started breeding, and this has continued to the point where I could count at least 50 or so shrimplets/juveniles. However, over the past 9-10 days I have had 4 adult shrimp die (none on the same day). There is not sign of fungus or failed molting.
One of these shrimp was barely alive when I found it. It was still for a while, then it would try and move but had trouble keeping upright. It looked like it had some kind of small injury (almost like a small squarish piece of its shell was missing from its side with the white tissue showing through) and other shrimp were trying to eat it. None of the other dead shrimp have shown this injury, but at this point I thought food might be the issue due to the other shrimps trying to eat this dying one.
Before the first babies arrived I had tried feeding Glasgarten Shrimp Dinner 2 in a feeding dish, but only a couple of the adult shrimps seemed only vaguely interested, so I took that as a sign there was enough biofilm etc, especially once the breeding started, so I stopped feeding. Once the babies started arriving I was feeding Glasgarten Shrimp Baby once every few days. About a week ago, after the second Shrimp death (this being the one described above) I decided to start feeding more. I've been rotating between Shrimp Dinner 2 (in a dish) and Shrimp Baby on alternate days. The shrimps seem very interested in the Shrimp Dinner, and there is usually a collection of adults and juveniles and smaller shrimplets in the dish and squabbling over it. I remove the dish after 3 hours.
I have also added two aldar cones and a Catappa leaf a few days ago. However, I was disheartened to find a fourth dead shrimp today. I have not tested my water parameters due to the advice that test kits are unreliable. My plants all seem fine; my Salvinia is growing voraciously and is very green. My Java Fern is showing new growth at the tips. I have not changed anything about my routine (water changes etc) in the past few weeks.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm happy to provide any more info I may have missed.
E2A: Sorry I posted before finishing my post
1. 60ish litre tank
2. Setup is nearly 7 months old
3. Two sponges (30 ppi & 20ppi) attached to powerheads at opposite corners of tank, one with venturi and duckbill pointed towards surface.
4. 8hrs light via Ciano LEzdCLA60 (8W – 18VDC);
5. Fine Unipac silver sand substrate
6. Low tech
7. Temp 25c
8. Per week: 6ml TNC Complete, 0.8ml TNC iron, 1.6g Epsom Salts
9. 10% WC per week with light vacuuming of accumulated waste on substrate.
10. Anubias, Java Fern, Water Sprite, and Salvinia planted at initial setup
11. Cherry shrimp, no other livestock
About 4 months ago (so when the tank was 3 months old) I purchased 8 Cherry Shrimp. After a month they started breeding, and this has continued to the point where I could count at least 50 or so shrimplets/juveniles. However, over the past 9-10 days I have had 4 adult shrimp die (none on the same day). There is not sign of fungus or failed molting.
One of these shrimp was barely alive when I found it. It was still for a while, then it would try and move but had trouble keeping upright. It looked like it had some kind of small injury (almost like a small squarish piece of its shell was missing from its side with the white tissue showing through) and other shrimp were trying to eat it. None of the other dead shrimp have shown this injury, but at this point I thought food might be the issue due to the other shrimps trying to eat this dying one.
Before the first babies arrived I had tried feeding Glasgarten Shrimp Dinner 2 in a feeding dish, but only a couple of the adult shrimps seemed only vaguely interested, so I took that as a sign there was enough biofilm etc, especially once the breeding started, so I stopped feeding. Once the babies started arriving I was feeding Glasgarten Shrimp Baby once every few days. About a week ago, after the second Shrimp death (this being the one described above) I decided to start feeding more. I've been rotating between Shrimp Dinner 2 (in a dish) and Shrimp Baby on alternate days. The shrimps seem very interested in the Shrimp Dinner, and there is usually a collection of adults and juveniles and smaller shrimplets in the dish and squabbling over it. I remove the dish after 3 hours.
I have also added two aldar cones and a Catappa leaf a few days ago. However, I was disheartened to find a fourth dead shrimp today. I have not tested my water parameters due to the advice that test kits are unreliable. My plants all seem fine; my Salvinia is growing voraciously and is very green. My Java Fern is showing new growth at the tips. I have not changed anything about my routine (water changes etc) in the past few weeks.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm happy to provide any more info I may have missed.
E2A: Sorry I posted before finishing my post
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