@Anomander If you can post up a full tank photo, it could help folks get an idea of general tank health.
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Cherry shrimp dying off gradually
- Thread starter Anomander
- Start date
I know that shrimp can survive in the worst places as long as there is enough biofilm for them. Granted that they may require adequate filtration/water movement etc. But as said they can adapt and if they are dying off especially the older ones, then its just natural. How are they when you feed them? Are there anything like planaria in the tank?
They get quite boisterous when they feed; shoving each other off the food and running away with small bits. I have looked up images of planaria but I haven't been able to see anything like that in the tank (although I've also read that they are largely nocturnal?)
When doing my WC, I use a mix of hot and cold taps to get the replacement water to temperature (25c) before adding Prime to the bucket and then slowly feed the water into the tank via an airline tube. Even though I have a combi boiler, would it be worth using only cold water and adding my backup heater to bring the bucket of water to temperature? Just thinking of eliminating the possibility that, even though I've been using the hot/cold taps for the 4 months I've had the shrimps, there might have been something that changed with the water coming from the boiler?
I mean the tank looks good. Plenty of places to hide and no predators. What was the reasoning behind having a sponge filter? I think having some flow helps imo. You seem to be doing everything right. Have you added any new blood into the shrimp line? Its worth mixing and matching sometimes. Although having said that I gave my neice 5 cherry shrimps 5 years ago and her population went bonkers and she went to breed oranges, deep reds to natural colour shrimps. She is very bad with water changes and seems to do well. Granted its not London tap water. Have a little less hot water and if you really wanted. you can let the water gas out naturally. What about the prime? How much are you putting in? I cant remember the last time I added prime into my tanks. Maybe when I rescape! if its topping up its generally ok. Maybe leave the tank for a few weeks and let things play out naturally. I suspect its the weekly water changes that may disturbing something and its only shrimp you are keeping. There is very little waste being produced.
Do you use hot water from the tap? I wouldn't do that under any circumstances. It can always contain copper in quite high concentrations. If you had ramshorn snails, they would tell you if there is copper in the water. They will immediately retreat into their shell and won't come out again. If there is copper in your water, the only thing that will help is to change the water as quickly as possible.
How high is the temperature without a heater? Neocaridina also tolerate temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees very well.
I wanted internal filters as I didn't want to risk leaks with a canister (live in the top floor flat of a converted house) and decided to go for sponges attached to powerheads so I could still provide some flow/aeration (the flow rate is turned down quite low on both) and also some feeding area for the shrimps.
No, not since the original eight. Maybe I should look at introducing some genetic variety.
I'm putting in the recommended amount with pipette, maybe erring on a bit too much rather than too little. It could be a case of being overly-generous with Prime but it's something I've been doing the whole four months I've had the shrimp (unless something has built up over time?)
Now I'm unsure whether to increase or decrease the water change amount(!)
Also feed less. so little shrimp and you give them such high quality food 😀
Shrimps are forrage and not fussy what they eat. In my kids tank I dont feed them anything in particular. They basically eat whatever is left from fish flake. Once a week I put like a quarter algae wafer which the fish also pick at. Water changes in this tank is once every two weeks. filter clean once a month (60l)
Just leave it alone for a while and let it balance. No water changes. pick out dead shrimps if there are any.
Shrimps are forrage and not fussy what they eat. In my kids tank I dont feed them anything in particular. They basically eat whatever is left from fish flake. Once a week I put like a quarter algae wafer which the fish also pick at. Water changes in this tank is once every two weeks. filter clean once a month (60l)
Just leave it alone for a while and let it balance. No water changes. pick out dead shrimps if there are any.
It's quite a new combi-boiler (i.e. installed a couple of years ago) but it can't hurt to try the other heating method
Glass Box Diaries
New Member
Have you added any new plants to the tank recently?
Two of my shrimp tanks have over 80 shrimp in them and I expect a couple of deaths per week due to natural causes. Every now and then it all lands on the same 1, 2 or 3 days and I freak out checking everything thinking there's a problem but the rest of the colony is fine.
It could just be natural causes. Some neocaridina only live around a year and unless they were small juveniles when you got them, its difficult to guess their age.
Two of my shrimp tanks have over 80 shrimp in them and I expect a couple of deaths per week due to natural causes. Every now and then it all lands on the same 1, 2 or 3 days and I freak out checking everything thinking there's a problem but the rest of the colony is fine.
Have you noticed any small worms in the tank? I haven't had Planaria in my tanks but I've seen other shrimp keepers have issues with the little worms feeding on their shrimp.
Maybe there was a contaminant on them?
If you have a test kit its still probably a good idea to check in this situation. If you have the paper dip tests use 3 to 5 of them at the same time to try and get an average reading.
I added the Water Sprite back in mid-October (not long after I got the shrimps) to deal with a small BGA outbreak. The plant was from Tropica (via Pro Shrimp).
I haven't, and I do fairly close inspections. However, this is only when the light is on and I can't see behind the hardscape and plants
I added the cones and Catappa very recently, after the first couple of deaths>
Thank you for all the info
It won't be the boiler - modern combi-boilers use stainless steel heat exchangers not copper in any case. Regardless the copper leached into household water supplies from tanks and pipes is going to be negligible.
Quick update. I found another dead shrimp today, so the death rate of one every 3-4 days has been maintained. It was a young shrimp, with no visible signs of disease, injury, or the white ring of death.
Today I've put 60g of filter carbon in a mesh bag and hung it in the area of the tank with the most flow (I can't put it on a filter). I haven't had a chance this week to do more than my one weekly water change, but I will do that this weekend and increase the amount changed from 10% to 25-30%.
I've also been feeding the shrimp a variety of food every other day, and they same very eager and boisterous at feeding time. I haven't seen any abnormal behavior, such as lethargy or erratic swimming.
Would it be worth getting a TDS meter? And if so, what kind of reading am I looking for?
Thanks again everyone for all your input so far, I really appreciate it👍
Today I've put 60g of filter carbon in a mesh bag and hung it in the area of the tank with the most flow (I can't put it on a filter). I haven't had a chance this week to do more than my one weekly water change, but I will do that this weekend and increase the amount changed from 10% to 25-30%.
I've also been feeding the shrimp a variety of food every other day, and they same very eager and boisterous at feeding time. I haven't seen any abnormal behavior, such as lethargy or erratic swimming.
Would it be worth getting a TDS meter? And if so, what kind of reading am I looking for?
Thanks again everyone for all your input so far, I really appreciate it👍
Maf 2500
Member
They are handy to have around for tracking the TDS of the tank over time, and even the ultra cheap ones seem reasonably accurate. In your case I would compare the TDS of the tank water against a sample of your tap water with added ferts in your normal ratio. If the tank water has significantly higher TDS than the tap + ferts then you will know something has been building up in the tank water.
I guess something is triggering this and this time a young shrimp. Are the shrimp finishing all their food when you put in there too? Only as comparison mine is 60l. guppies and red/orange/amano shrimp and very little deaths.
Filtration is interpet filter, heater set at 22 and water changes once every 2 weeks. Daily fed fish with some fish flakes and thats it. I dont even feed the shrimps as there is enough biofilm etc.
How many shrimps do you have left now? Perhaps you can set up a video recording the shrimps and timelapse to see if there is any agression amongst a particular shrimp? Just clutching at straws haha 😀
Filtration is interpet filter, heater set at 22 and water changes once every 2 weeks. Daily fed fish with some fish flakes and thats it. I dont even feed the shrimps as there is enough biofilm etc.
How many shrimps do you have left now? Perhaps you can set up a video recording the shrimps and timelapse to see if there is any agression amongst a particular shrimp? Just clutching at straws haha 😀
Thank you for your suggestions.
I've lowered my temp from 25 to 24 and increased surface agitation slightly, just in case it's an oxygen issue (directly or indirectly). How much do you usually water change?
I'm still gauging the right amount of food, so I remove the dish after 3-4 hours even if there'sfood still there. There's always shrimp in the dish still eating by that time. Maybe I should leave the food in until it's finished but I'm afraid of affecting the water quality, and I've heard that shrimps are like Labradors - they'll continue eating even when full!
It's hard to sat as there's different 'generations' and lots of them are hidden in the floaters/hardscape. There's still at least 30, with some very young babies visible. I would perhaps venture to say there's fewer of the original 8 adults left, but again difficult to be certain.
Are you saying there's a murderer?!
Defo lower the temp. Shrimps dont need such a high temp. Ive even kept them without heaters in various set ups and they have been fine and bred.
I mean your tank looks it has decent biofilm. The fact that there is food left over after 3-4hrs is a concern as shrimps are scavengers and if you have 30 shrimp and food is still there then its too much food imo. Reduce the food amount by half already.
I know that shrimps release pheromone in the water, do you notice much moulting in the sense do you see cascaded shells in the tank?
Water change is usually a 15l bucket only. I just take out and refresh. I dont condition the water and its just a touch warm, but as said my temp in the tank is around 22c. There is always flow in my tank from the filter as it is 300lph filter and cleaned once a month lightly. I guess what Im saying is that disturbance could be a factor, overfeeding which in turn is causing some sensitivity. Old age or lineage of the shrimps might mean that over time there is weakness in the genetics. but going back to my neice in belgium who I gave 5 cherry shrimp to is now on her 5th year and her population colours go from wild to orange to bloody mary. But she prob does a water change once every few months!
I mean your tank looks it has decent biofilm. The fact that there is food left over after 3-4hrs is a concern as shrimps are scavengers and if you have 30 shrimp and food is still there then its too much food imo. Reduce the food amount by half already.
I know that shrimps release pheromone in the water, do you notice much moulting in the sense do you see cascaded shells in the tank?
Water change is usually a 15l bucket only. I just take out and refresh. I dont condition the water and its just a touch warm, but as said my temp in the tank is around 22c. There is always flow in my tank from the filter as it is 300lph filter and cleaned once a month lightly. I guess what Im saying is that disturbance could be a factor, overfeeding which in turn is causing some sensitivity. Old age or lineage of the shrimps might mean that over time there is weakness in the genetics. but going back to my neice in belgium who I gave 5 cherry shrimp to is now on her 5th year and her population colours go from wild to orange to bloody mary. But she prob does a water change once every few months!
I still see the occasional mounted shell, no more or no less than before the deaths started.
I started the dish feeding after the 3rd death, before that I had only been adding a bit of Shrimp Baby every few days. Would overfeeding have a negative impact because of uneaten food polluting the water or because the shrimps have overfed, or both?
Thanks for all your help
