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It was going so well.... Cherry Shrimp die off

Very rarely is it anything in the tap water unless its from a bore hole or something.
That product provides trace elements (micro nutrients) to the plants. As long as its not overdosed itll be fine. It contains nutrients such as iron, manganese, zinc, boron, copper (very small amounts so dont worry). I wouldnt switch as theyre basically all the same product.
 
Thanks Fred, I'm really pleased with how the tank looks so will stick with it. I will try and step up the water changes - I've got a few big amano who have probably quadrupled in size in the 6 or 7 weeks I've had them - would genuinely be a bit upset if they went too!

Tom.
 
tomsouthall said:
You get paranoid though don't you... maybe it's something in the tap water!!!
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Hi @tomsouthall

That's not an unreasonable thought to have. Is it copper in the tap water, I wonder. But, then, I think - why should the die-off only occur at night? Please take a look at your water company's detailed water report and check the measured copper concentrations. Not all species of shrimp are equally susceptible to copper toxicity. You may find it interesting/useful to take a look at:

aquariumbreeder.com

How Copper Affects Dwarf Shrimp - Shrimp and Snail Breeder

Exposure to high copper disrupts respiration, inhibits reproduction, reduces fertilization success, decreases fecundity of the shrimp.
aquariumbreeder.com

I am mentioning copper just so that it is something to consider, not that it is necessarily the culprit in this case. BTW, there is a better test kit for testing copper than the API but we may not need to go down that route. What's more, Prime should deal with heavy metals of which copper is just one example (but probably the most important).

JPC
 
Thanks JPC - will read. Here are the copper stats from my Thames Water report, I notice the report is quite old... not sure how often they update these. Clearly there is a bit of copper in the water, but it seems well below the regulatory limit?

Tom.
1613471195566.png
 
Hi @tomsouthall

Those tap water copper figures look good. But, I've just spotted something in the Aquarium Breeder article that needs clarification - never noticed it before. I will contact the author of the article (Michael) about this. BTW, have you now measured KH and GH? If so, what were the figures? The API test kit is OK for these.

JPC
 
At the moment, I only have the Tetra strips for kH and gH.... they are a little hard to read but show 6 d for kH and 8 d for gH. The water here is pretty hard (water report says 290 mg/l). Not sure how exactly how this relates to the 'd' measurement Tetra use... I assume the Tropica AquaSoil has softened the water.

Maybe I should invest in the API test.

Tom.
 
I don't know that the cherry shrimp would be more sensitive to anything than the amanos would... maybe you just got a bad batch of shrimp from a dodgy ebay supplier? Before you tear your hair out messing with tank parameters you could try a fresh batch of cherry shrimp from a different supplier. I used to use Neutro T and the related liquid carbon from AE, but switched to EI and EasyCarbo. I'm quite convinced the AE liquid carbon (maybe liquid carbon in general?) loses potency with time in the bottle since an old bottle of AE LC failed to spot-treat algae on hardscape while a fresh bottle of EasyCarbo worked great.
 
tomsouthall said:
The water here is pretty hard (water report says 290 mg/l). Not sure how exactly how this relates to the 'd' measurement Tetra use...
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Hi @tomsouthall

1dH is approximately 18 ppm. To make things easier for you, try this:

Hardness convertor

Omrekenen van verschillende notaties voor hardheid.
www.lenntech.com www.lenntech.com

BTW, German Degrees is the one normally used in aquatics.

JPC
 
tomsouthall said:
Maybe I should invest in the API test.
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Yes, it's well worth the minimal outlay. Both KH and GH are important water parameters, not just for the reason we're discussing here. I use the API KH/GH Test Kit and I also have the Tetra strips but you'll get more reliable results from liquid tests than you will from strips.

JPC
 
Gabor Horvath has a article on shrimps in PFK February issue which has loads of information, alot of what is said on here covered but well worth aread if you can get a copy
 
tomsouthall said:
The kH test arrived and is measuring 7d, or 125.3ppm.
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Hi @tomsouthall

And what is GH measuring? KH is a measure of how well the water can keep pH stable. GH is primarily a measure of how much calcium and magnesium is in the water. As you will no doubt be aware, calcium is important for shrimp.

Here is a website that provides suggested KH and GH for shrimp:

Red Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) | Care & info

Learn how to care for red cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi), the beginner-proof, easy dwarf shrimp for your freshwater aquarium.
www.theshrimpfarm.com www.theshrimpfarm.com

Amano Shrimp Care & Info | Champion Algae Eater

Find out everything you need to know about Amano shrimp, the champion algae eating shrimp for your freshwater aquarium.
www.theshrimpfarm.com www.theshrimpfarm.com

JPC
 
tomsouthall said:
I have also noticed...and also the appearance of Freshwater Limpets and small white worms - not sure if these arrived with the Cherry's or not (no proof).
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Hi @tomsouthall

Looking back over your thread, I spotted the above. Could you please describe what the above critters look like or provide a photo? Please also take a look at:

fishlab.com

Planaria in Aquariums: How to Identify and Eliminate Them

Find out how to identify and eliminate planaria from your aquarium. Learn effective methods to keep your tank clean and pest-free!
fishlab.com fishlab.com

As you say above, perhaps what you are seeing arrived with the Cherry Shrimp?

JPC
 
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