25l Cherry Shrimp Update

Sooooo all the red cherrys and blue velvets are dead this morning, total of 4.. my last 4. What is wrong with my tank or what am I doing wrong. I thought cherry shrimp were easy to keep. After only keeping shrimp for about 3/4month now and having nothing but problem after problem, but its only the chrry shrimp and the blue velvet ( I think these class as both micro shrimp.. still learning), my bamboo and amano shrimp are A-ok, molting fine.. no problems happy little shrimp but not the poor cherry and velvets. Feeling very disheartened about getting anymore and trying again. After all is it truely fair to the shrimp for them to be in so to speak a test to see if they survive this time. I feel not. On my trip to the pet store yesterday to get a new tank vacuum I nearly brought all the cherry shrimp they had I'm glad I didnt now, they probly would of perished like the rest of them. So so so so disheartened.

25litre tank
Established tank of 4 years... previously had my 5 year old betta in it.
Currently has 2 bamboo shrimp, 1 amano , 2 corydoras and 3 rabbit snails.

Parameters
Nitrate (no3) - 0
Nitrite (no2) - 0
Ph - 7.5/7.0 (the colour is in the middle of both)
Kh - 40
Gh - 120
Temperature - 82'f
(I use the apI 5 in 1 test strips.. yes I have heard that they are highly unaccurate but only heard thos after I brought them.. at the moment I'm waiting for payday so I can go and get a master test kit)

 

The tank is too small for the corydoras and maybe even for those snails. It could have been tank overload and since the cherries were the smallest, they were the ones to go. They also could have starved. Or possibly, the Amano killed them. It's rare but can happen.

 

The tank is too small for the corydoras and maybe even for those snails. It could have been tank overload and since the cherries were the smallest, they were the ones to go. They also could have starved. Or possibly, the Amano killed them. It's rare but can happen.

Too small. Never heard that before. Ive had the corys for year and a half and iv had my 3 rabbit snails for the whole time of having this tank (3/4years), bamboo shrimp same time as corys. well I am very shocked to hear you feel my tank is too small. The amano hasnt ever bothered the cherries as I know of and I doubt ive starved anything I own, not going to lie I feel a little bit insulted. I think best thing is me to get rid of the tank. I'm Even more disheartened now. Thank you for your help though

 

Too small. Never heard that before. Ive had the corys for year and a half and iv had my 3 rabbit snails for the whole time of having this tank (3/4years), bamboo shrimp same time as corys. well I am very shocked to hear you feel my tank is too small. The amano hasnt ever bothered the cherries as I know of and I doubt ive starved anything I own, not going to lie I feel a little bit insulted. I think best thing is me to get rid of the tank. I'm Even more disheartened now. Thank you for your help though

Bare minimum for cories is an 80 litre tank. Most cories need a tank that is at least 90cm long so they have plenty of swimming room. Also they are schooling fish so need to be kept in groups of 6+.

Lets talk about the cherry shrimp though. What's the ammonia level?
82f is a bit high for cherry shrimp and does speed up their life significantly.

 

Bare minimum for cories is an 80 litre tank. Most cories need a tank that is at least 90cm long so they have plenty of swimming room. Also they are schooling fish so need to be kept in groups of 6+.

Lets talk about the cherry shrimp though. What's the ammonia level?
82f is a bit high for cherry shrimp and does speed up their life significantly.

Not sure on the ammonia level as I font have that test. But seem I am doing everything wrong and would be best to stop trying

 

Too small. Never heard that before. Ive had the corys for year and a half and iv had my 3 rabbit snails for the whole time of having this tank (3/4years), bamboo shrimp same time as corys. well I am very shocked to hear you feel my tank is too small. The amano hasnt ever bothered the cherries as I know of and I doubt ive starved anything I own, not going to lie I feel a little bit insulted. I think best thing is me to get rid of the tank. I'm Even more disheartened now. Thank you for your help though

Dch48 didn't say anything wrong that might be insulting or what so ever.
Fish tend to grow and with that their bioload grows. As said : that MIGHT be the cause. 25 litre simply is too small for a decent school of Corys.

No reason to quit with this great looking tank, but take care of decent stocking.

 

Dch48 didn't say anything wrong that might be insulting or what so ever.
Fish tend to grow and with that their bioload grows. As said : that MIGHT be the cause. 25 litre simply is too small for a decent school of Corys.

No reason to quit with this great looking tank, but take care of decent stocking.

No im.saying im.not willing to cause any harm to any of my animals. Never has ever crossed my mind that the tank is too small as ive never been told that. What seemed insulting was the starved comment, caught me off gaurd. I'm grateful for all advice given and am horrified to learn that I have been the problem with my tank as ive always just tried to do my best for anything in there. Very annoyed with myself, cabt believe I could of allowed this to happen let alone actually of added to the problem. Maybe its time for a break from fishkeeping and just focus of the rest of the "zoo" I have

 

I agree, no need to be disheartened but you do need to accept advice so that we can help you be more successful. A good idea could be to move your cories to a more suitable tank for themselves, and to be honest the rabbit snails too. Clean out the tank, cycle properly with a master test kit, and introduce a colony of red cherries at their preferred temperature and you will be able to establish a healthy colony of cherry shrimp in a tank that is good for them, where you can purchase shrimp foods and research how to feed them correctly.

Your cory may be 'fine' but they act very very differently when they have the space and schooling size they need (6-8+ IMO) and this lack of safety often increases stress and decreases lifespan.

Allowing us to help you do what's best for your fish will let you be happier and more satisfied in the long run because you will have a happy healthy tank

 

HI Rhia,
I'm sorry that you're having problems with your shrimp.
Please don't feel that people are being negative, honestly, it's not meant badly, I'm sure.

I thought I'd just offer a thought on why your shrimp are dying, since that's what you asked about, even if you don't get any more, it's always nice to find out why something has happened.
The fact that the deaths seemed quite sudden suggested maybe a problem with how you'd acclimatised them to me.
Whenever I introduce new shrimp, it really does take hours, slowly, slowly getting the temperature matched and adding their new tank water a very little at a time.
Could that be the issue?
I'm also going to tag Richie, who's in Bedford and is THE shrimp king on here-if anyone can help, he can!
HI richie.p Any thoughts to help Rhia?

 

No im.saying im.not willing to cause any harm to any of my animals. Never has ever crossed my mind that the tank is too small as ive never been told that. What seemed insulting was the starved comment, caught me off gaurd. I'm grateful for all advice given and am horrified to learn that I have been the problem with my tank as ive always just tried to do my best for anything in there. Very annoyed with myself, cabt believe I could of allowed this to happen let alone actually of added to the problem. Maybe its time for a break from fishkeeping and just focus of the rest of the "zoo" I have

Don't be so hard on yourself. I'd keep the "aquarium"section of your "zoo" up and running!

One thing that might have added to the problem : there is one plant (on the right) that isn't fully aquatic and will rot after some time. I'd remove that one.

 

HI Rhia,
I'm sorry that you're having problems with your shrimp.
Please don't feel that people are being negative, honestly, it's not meant badly, I'm sure.

I thought I'd just offer a thought on why your shrimp are dying, since that's what you asked about, even if you don't get any more, it's always nice to find out why something has happened.
The fact that the deaths seemed quite sudden suggested maybe a problem with how you'd acclimatised them to me.
Whenever I introduce new shrimp, it really does take hours, slowly, slowly getting the temperature matched and adding their new tank water a very little at a time.
Could that be the issue?
I'm also going to tag Richie, who's in Bedford and is THE shrimp king on here-if anyone can help, he can!
HI richie.p Any thoughts to help Rhia?

Oh no I don't see it negative I do see it positive. The starved thing shocked me but that's minor. The negative I feel is how I messed up so much I should know better. Very disapointed in myself. I drip acclimated the shrimp when I got them ( I got 12 rcs and 8 bvs.. all about 2 months ago. And its just been death daily) I spent probly 4 hours acclimating them to which my dad said wasn't long enough time. Urgh so stupid and unaware of things at times.

Don't be so hard on yourself. I'd keep the "aquarium"section of your "zoo" up and running!

One thing that might have added to the problem : there is one plant (on the right) that isn't fully aquatic and will rot after some time. I'd remove that one.

Ahhh thank you. I asked the fish store I got my plants from and they were very vague and didnt seem to know much tbh

 

Is there any copper in your water?? Did you ever add meds to the tank that could possibly contain copper??

 

Hi..... I am new to the ......Lore myself. Please don’t let any criticism or critique discourage you.

If you want a new tank go for it......if you want to keep your existing tank go for it......

I encourage you to research more about the cherry shrimp and crayfish and get back in the tank.

If you enjoy your hobby continue it and improve on it!!!


Just my .02cents.

 

Is there any copper in your water?? Did you ever add meds to the tank that could possibly contain copper??

That I know of no. I did wonder if there could be a copper problem within in tank. I think I'm going to move everything to my dad tank for now and docus on getting the tank cycled and parameters correct, cause something somewhere has happened. I don't know I feel focusing on the water the main priority now

 

No im.saying im.not willing to cause any harm to any of my animals. Never has ever crossed my mind that the tank is too small as ive never been told that. What seemed insulting was the starved comment, caught me off gaurd. I'm grateful for all advice given and am horrified to learn that I have been the problem with my tank as ive always just tried to do my best for anything in there. Very annoyed with myself, cabt believe I could of allowed this to happen let alone actually of added to the problem. Maybe its time for a break from fishkeeping and just focus of the rest of the "zoo" I have

When I said they MAY have starved I meant that there might have been too much competition for food and them being the smallest and weakest, they may have lost out. A Cherry Shrimp is not going to win a battle for food over a Corydoras or an Amano shrimp. 25 liters is about 6 gallons so is fine for something like a Betta and some shrimp (if he doesn't kill them). Betta and your snails would be fine too. Maybe even a few really small fish like Ember or Green Neon Tetras. Sparkling Gouramis and Celestial Pearl Danios would also be good. But Corydoras catfish really need more room. Maybe one Panda or Pygmy would work but people say they need to have more of their own kind with them.

Now I'm no advocate for large tanks. I have two 3.5 gallon tanks and that's it. One has my Betta, a growing Mystery Snail, and a Nerite snail in it. There were 2 Ghost shrimp that lasted a month but now it appears that the Betta killed and ate them right after they molted. The other tank has 12 mixed shrimp in it. 6 Cherries, and 6 Blue Velvets. So far , so good, but it's only been 8 days since I got the shrimp. I was told more than once here that my Betta tank was too small for him and the snails but it is working out fine. Your tank is fine for a lot of things but not Cories. I certainly didn't mean to insult or discourage you. Don't get discouraged. We've all been through similar things.

 

Good encouragement!

 

No corys in a 6 gallon tank

especially only 2, they are a schooling fish and need at least four in an at least 20 gallon tank

 

When I said they MAY have starved I meant that there might have been too much competition for food and them being the smallest and weakest, they may have lost out. A Cherry Shrimp is not going to win a battle for food over a Corydoras or an Amano shrimp. 25 liters is about 6 gallons so is fine for something like a Betta and some shrimp (if he doesn't kill them). Betta and your snails would be fine too. Maybe even a few really small fish like Ember or Green Neon Tetras. Sparkling Gouramis and Celestial Pearl Danios would also be good. But Corydoras catfish really need more room. Maybe one Panda or Pygmy would work but people say they need to have more of their own kind with them.

Now I'm no advocate for large tanks. I have two 3.5 gallon tanks and that's it. One has my Betta, a growing Mystery Snail, and a Nerite snail in it. There were 2 Ghost shrimp that lasted a month but now it appears that the Betta killed and ate them right after they molted. The other tank has 12 mixed shrimp in it. 6 Cherries, and 6 Blue Velvets. So far , so good, but it's only been 8 days since I got the shrimp. I was told more than once here that my Betta tank was too small for him and the snails but it is working out fine. Your tank is fine for a lot of things but not Cories. I certainly didn't mean to insult or discourage you. Don't get discouraged. We've all been through similar things.

I think the word starved shocked me. I totally understand what everyone is saying. The discourgement is the fact its been a problem for a couple months and these shrimp have made my fishkeepimg experience a nightmare. I'm just disheartened cause ive been lucky enough to not have any problems

 

No corys in a 6 gallon tank

Okay but many years ago, a friend of mine had one Green Aeneus Cory in a 5 gallon tank that had grown to full size in the 3 years he had it. It was fine. I'm not going to say it was happy but it did survive. It was the biggest Cory I have seen. even to this date. The water was so green , you couldn't see the fish clearly unless it was right against the glass. I certainly wouldn't recommend it but it shows there can be exceptions to the rule. My personal opinion is that 3 of any kind of fish is enough regardless of anybody's recommendations.

 

The cory will survive, but fishkeeping is all about keeping the fish happy and healthy

 

HI Rhia and welcome first of all as a shrimp keeper I understand what Dch48 was saying and was not to criticise you, by coming back to the post only proves he is not criticising but explaining it a little easier for you to understand, there are a lot of shrimp keepers on Fishlore with a wealth of knowledge to advise you so don't get put off. don't close the tank down it's mature if you do and the same happens again we're back to square one so we need to solve this problem, should you loose all your shrimp I am willing to restock for you free if your not to far away so don't worry, I give all my reds away, the way you dripped your shrimp is fine as far as I can see may be 5hrs with one drop per second but your doing ok with 4 hrs, with what you'v got in the tank we need to test for Ammonia and Nitrite best to use the liquid test rather than papers you'll get a better idea of levels, bio levels from shrimp are very small but with the fish and snails in a small tank you need to check which you should do weekly anyway, I would take DoubleDutch's advise and get rid of that plant , next your temperature is way to high and this in its self could account for deaths, you need 72f which is 22.2c or up to 74c=23.5 that will be ok for you corydoras if you decide to keep them in there,with the temperature you got at the moment if your shrimp are 8 months old when you put them in then another 3 months could see the end of them. ide like to know what you are feeding and the amount so lets go back to what Dch48 was trying to ex-plane, due to the size of Amano shrimp they use a bully tactic and take all the food off the little boys with the result the small shrimp could starve not because you haven't fed them but because its been stolen by the Amano, your bamboo is a filter feeder so no problems there, so when you feed put a little around the tank, do you feed the shrimp zucchini, spinach leaves or stingy nettles as these give the shrimp what's needed to moult successfully and are highly recommended amongst shrimp keepers,again if they can't moult they die, also water changes how much how often can you tell us as shrimp are easly shocked and don't like fast change this can kill them so we just need to get it right? shrimp do have trace elements of copper in them it helps carry oxygen in the blood stream but there is an undefined limit as to how much becomes deadly but again as above check you haven't treated the tank with copper in also copper is deadly to rabbit snails so if it was copper ide have thought they would be affected as well, as for amamo shrimp eating cherry this again is a myth the only time they will eat them is when they are dead or just about dead, I believe DoubleDutch as corydoras in his shrimp tank again I don't think they will harm the adults but will certainly eat babies DoubleDutch can advise on that one I hope, don't think this is all to much it will become easier and second nature but we need to get things right and ill help with others here to get you sorted, and what you'r going through will help others so don't worry.
Plan Of Attack (1) Test for Ammonia & Nitrite levels ASAP let us know if levels are showing do Nitrate as well (2) Reduce your temperature over the next few days (3)Take out the plant DoubleDutch advised on (4) Start feeding spinach and the best way get a bag of large leaf fresh from tesco put six leaves in boiling water for 40 seconds only, cool under cold water but be careful its now fragile and can break, next put 3 leaves on two wooden skewers like the ones in my photo on the left and push the wood into the substrate, why I say two portions is to give everyone a chance to get at it, take out any uneaten after two hrs if they are no longer feeding, the rest of the spinach can be layered in a tupper ware box and frozen, then use straight from frozen to boiling water twice a week to start, please come back with any questions and if I can't answer them i'am sure someone here will. I will explane about other veg on out next chat

 

I'm not sure that Amano's killing Cherries is a myth. I have read reports and seen videos of them doing just that. One video shows the Amano attacking the Cherry and trying to eat it while the poor Cherry is trying to escape. The Amano eventually leaves it for dead after eating some of it and then of course, the fish finish the job. It is a rare occurrence but it does happen.

 

I'm not sure that Amano's killing Cherries is a myth. I have read reports and seen videos of them doing just that. One video shows the Amano attacking the Cherry and trying to eat it while the poor Cherry is trying to escape. The Amano eventually leaves it for dead after eating some of it and then of course, the fish finish the job. It is a rare occurrence but it does happen.

Ive found my amano munching on the cherries but he doesn't seem to kill them, id say the amano seems very much an opportunist and goes for the ones that were seemingly struggling.

 

HI again,
Thought I'd add a quick note, I agree that the Amanos wouldn't attack healthy cherries, I watched that 'attacking' video and in the beginning you can see that the Sakura has the 'white line' of a failed molt so was probably vulnerable, that's the bit that the Amano is going for.
In your case, it's unlikely that every single shrimp was vulnerable/attacked. As Richie said, it is likely that they took the majority of the food. I have 8 Amanos in their own tank, once I accidentally transferred a baby Cherry into their tank (on the net) they totally ignored it until I managed to fish it out. BUT, feeding time! It really is 'every shrimp for itself' they go crazy, snatch food from each other, 'attack' each other to grab food, it's hysterical to watch.

Back to your shrimp deaths though, I hope that you're feeling a bit more confident now about some things to change/do differently before getting a few more and trying again.

 

HI Rhia and welcome first of all as a shrimp keeper I understand what Dch48 was saying and was not to criticise you, by coming back to the post only proves he is not criticising but explaining it a little easier for you to understand, there are a lot of shrimp keepers on Fishlore with a wealth of knowledge to advise you so don't get put off. don't close the tank down it's mature if you do and the same happens again we're back to square one so we need to solve this problem, should you loose all your shrimp I am willing to restock for you free if your not to far away so don't worry, I give all my reds away, the way you dripped your shrimp is fine as far as I can see may be 5hrs with one drop per second but your doing ok with 4 hrs, with what you'v got in the tank we need to test for Ammonia and Nitrite best to use the liquid test rather than papers you'll get a better idea of levels, bio levels from shrimp are very small but with the fish and snails in a small tank you need to check which you should do weekly anyway, I would take DoubleDutch's advise and get rid of that plant , next your temperature is way to high and this in its self could account for deaths, you need 72f which is 22.2c or up to 74c=23.5 that will be ok for you corydoras if you decide to keep them in there,with the temperature you got at the moment if your shrimp are 8 months old when you put them in then another 3 months could see the end of them. ide like to know what you are feeding and the amount so lets go back to what Dch48 was trying to ex-plane, due to the size of Amano shrimp they use a bully tactic and take all the food off the little boys with the result the small shrimp could starve not because you haven't fed them but because its been stolen by the Amano, your bamboo is a filter feeder so no problems there, so when you feed put a little around the tank, do you feed the shrimp zucchini, spinach leaves or stingy nettles as these give the shrimp what's needed to moult successfully and are highly recommended amongst shrimp keepers,again if they can't moult they die, also water changes how much how often can you tell us as shrimp are easly shocked and don't like fast change this can kill them so we just need to get it right? shrimp do have trace elements of copper in them it helps carry oxygen in the blood stream but there is an undefined limit as to how much becomes deadly but again as above check you haven't treated the tank with copper in also copper is deadly to rabbit snails so if it was copper ide have thought they would be affected as well, as for amamo shrimp eating cherry this again is a myth the only time they will eat them is when they are dead or just about dead, I believe DoubleDutch as corydoras in his shrimp tank again I don't think they will harm the adults but will certainly eat babies DoubleDutch can advise on that one I hope, don't think this is all to much it will become easier and second nature but we need to get things right and ill help with others here to get you sorted, and what you'r going through will help others so don't worry.
Plan Of Attack (1) Test for Ammonia & Nitrite levels ASAP let us know if levels are showing do Nitrate as well (2) Reduce your temperature over the next few days (3)Take out the plant DoubleDutch advised on (4) Start feeding spinach and the best way get a bag of large leaf fresh from tesco put six leaves in boiling water for 40 seconds only, cool under cold water but be careful its now fragile and can break, next put 3 leaves on two wooden skewers like the ones in my photo on the left and push the wood into the substrate, why I say two portions is to give everyone a chance to get at it, take out any uneaten after two hrs if they are no longer feeding, the rest of the spinach can be layered in a tupper ware box and frozen, then use straight from frozen to boiling water twice a week to start, please come back with any questions and if I can't answer them i'am sure someone here will. I will explane about other veg on out next chat

Richie p where do I start lol I had to write a reply out and now retype it cause there was so much covered which I thank you for.
Unfortunately all of the cherries and blue velvet are no more as of 7am I fished them out from the tank heart breaking to think I could of been the reason for there demise ( very sensitive to my tank and all marina life tbh, as I'm sure people noticed yesterday lol).
I'm going to do a 15-20% water change today just for good measure after all something died in there.

Also to the plant in question they are all next to my heater. I've removed the hard stemed one but I'm not sure ive removed the correct one.. ill include a picture. But like I said originally that pet shop don't seem to know what there on about when it comes to tank plants.. the moss balls are always disgustingly filthy (never get my moss ball from them, probably shouldn't of got the plants from them either thinking about it).

Ammonia - like I said unfortunately I can't get a master test kit till pay day but it is top of the list only a couple weeks,, may just lend the money to get one sooner tbh. Is there anyway in meantime to check ammonia. Until I get the master kit all I have to go by is the strips which I agree aren't accurate. I tested tap, tank, bottled and my dogs water bowl each with separate strips and the GH came out at 180 in each of the waters.. so yeah I'd say defo not accurate but they do give a good indication.

Temperature is down to 72f can't believe I had it 10 higher. The Moulting was a problem I think as I have had a few 'white bands of death' 2 of the last 3 had the white band.
I tried zucinnI (no ideas on spelling sorry) and the city's loved it shrimp weren't interested, I didn't try nettles or spinach though, wish I had tried them now tho maybe they did starve.. my Amano is very grabby for food.

It may also be something to mention that all the rocks in the tanks were brought back from Wales. I thoroughly scrubbed them all off and then proceeded to boiling them for about 4 days, 4/5 boils with freshwater a day, probably a little over cautious with the boiling. I also soaked each rock singly in malt, distilled and which wine vinegar to check for bubbles or foam or froth.. none appeared so I boiled them twice more to get any vinegar off.
Did I do this correct or could the rocks be adding to my problem..

I would like to keep my corys for now as o don't have any fish so they are fun to watch but it might be worth mentioning that I will be getting a 60l tank for my birthday,, I've been bugging my other half for a longer tank cause I've always felt this one was to tall and didn't have the length. Would a 60l be ok to home a colony of shrimp aswell as my original bamboo, Amano, snails, and corys or would bigger still be advised. Got till November anyway but the plan for the 25l will be turned into my ant paladarium as the colony getting big and need extra space so the tank will be reused.

I apologize for my sensitivity yesterday was quite distraught about them keep dying poor things and I apologise about the log reply so much to reply to lol

Thank you

 

No need to apologize ! 60L would be fine.
(And yes trying to break the record of shortest posts in this thread. This sentence doesn't belong to this post).

 

No need to apologize ! 60L would be fine.
(And yes trying to break the record of shortest posts in this thread. This sentence doesn't belong to this post).

Defiantly the shortest post here ahh that's good to know I've got one being made by my dad atm so I doubt he'd be happy if I told him I want bigger

 

If you get a 60 litre make sure it is at least 60 cm long. That will work for small types of cory.

What kind of cory are they? (Sorry if I missed it somewhere). Some larger types such as emerald cories need a much bigger tank.

 

HI Rhia Sorry youv'e lost them all it obvious there's something wrong hopefully it was the high heat that contributed to moulting and deaths nevertheless we now need to start again and hopefully get it right for you, I will restock from my tanks when we are ready, hopefully others will contribute information so nothing is missed.
Glad your still about DoubleDutch iam not familiar with that plant, anyway Rhia I do know some rocks can leach stuff back into the tank hopefully someone with more knolageae on this can advise on it, going back on what Smalltownfishfriend said about copper do any of them rocks show signs of green lines in them as that could be copper but as I said it should effect the rabbit snails. as you say do a 20% water change straight away taking out anything that looks dead or is rotting, also what do you use to treat the water before putting it in the tank? And we need to know if you've used any chemicals for any reason, your fish have weathered the storm ok so until we get ammonia and other readings we can only go through your tank and think of anything no matter how small that could help us, I noticed the tank is very clean what do you do in that department and what do you do with your filter,its all these little things that could help us on our way,

 

If you get a 60 litre make sure it is at least 60 cm long. That will work for small types of cory.

What kind of cory are they? (Sorry if I missed it somewhere). Some larger types such as emerald cories need a much bigger tank.

They are albino corys.. I'm not sure if they have another name.. their only little things at the moment. They are about 2.5 cm.

 

For albino cories (assuming they are aeneus cories) need an 80cm long tank minimum. The tank volume doesn't matter so much.

 

HI Rhia Sorry youv'e lost them all it obvious there's something wrong hopefully it was the high heat that contributed to moulting and deaths nevertheless we now need to start again and hopefully get it right for you, I will restock from my tanks when we are ready, hopefully others will contribute information so nothing is missed.
Glad your still about DoubleDutch iam not familiar with that plant, anyway Rhia I do know some rocks can leach stuff back into the tank hopefully someone with more knolageae on this can advise on it, going back on what Smalltownfishfriend said about copper do any of them rocks show signs of green lines in them as that could be copper but as I said it should effect the rabbit snails. as you say do a 20% water change straight away taking out anything that looks dead or is rotting, also what do you use to treat the water before putting it in the tank? And we need to know if you've used any chemicals for any reason, your fish have weathered the storm ok so until we get ammonia and other readings we can only go through your tank and think of anything no matter how small that could help us, I noticed the tank is very clean what do you do in that department and what do you do with your filter,its all these little things that could help us on our way,

I see no green lines on any of them. I've removed one that had a bluish green blob of colour on it, just to be safe. I treat with squad are,, I'll put a pic of it. I also have easy balance but have yet to use it cause I'm trying to read up as much as I can about it. Nothing else has been added just the squad are to any new water I add. To maintain I do a water change every Saturday of about 15% and add back in fresh treated water (aquasafe) I also scrap the glass clean with a glass scraper to get rid off any algae on the glass. About once a month I removed the squidward head and just give it a little scrub with a toothbrush(new and purposely for the tank) I haven't cleaned any of the rocks as of yet and I change the plants probity every 4/5 weeks. With my filter I don't do much I clear the tube from where the water come out and only slightly rinse the media when it's overly full. My filter is a ciano cf40. I used to use the clear blocks that can be added to the filter but quickly noticed they wasn't making much of a difference to how clear the water was so I stopped using them. I vacuum the gravel every 2 weeks,, I felt it was a bit over kill doing it every week... unless it's advised to do the gravel weekly aswell. I think the snails add the most to the bioload they seem to poop more than anything in there

For albino cories (assuming they are aeneus cories) need an 80cm long tank minimum. The tank volume doesn't matter so much.

80cm minimum got it. I'll let my dad know. I'm hoping for it to be at least a metre long because I have a nice cabinet it would fit and look nice on. I feel like the word aeneus rings a bell and could possibly be what it said underneath them when I brought.

 

Richie p where do I start lol I had to write a reply out and now retype it cause there was so much covered which I thank you for.
Unfortunately all of the cherries and blue velvet are no more as of 7am I fished them out from the tank heart breaking to think I could of been the reason for there demise ( very sensitive to my tank and all marina life tbh, as I'm sure people noticed yesterday lol).
I'm going to do a 15-20% water change today just for good measure after all something died in there.

Also to the plant in question they are all next to my heater. I've removed the hard stemed one but I'm not sure ive removed the correct one.. ill include a picture. But like I said originally that pet shop don't seem to know what there on about when it comes to tank plants.. the moss balls are always disgustingly filthy (never get my moss ball from them, probably shouldn't of got the plants from them either thinking about it).

Ammonia - like I said unfortunately I can't get a master test kit till pay day but it is top of the list only a couple weeks,, may just lend the money to get one sooner tbh. Is there anyway in meantime to check ammonia. Until I get the master kit all I have to go by is the strips which I agree aren't accurate. I tested tap, tank, bottled and my dogs water bowl each with separate strips and the GH came out at 180 in each of the waters.. so yeah I'd say defo not accurate but they do give a good indication.

Temperature is down to 72f can't believe I had it 10 higher. The Moulting was a problem I think as I have had a few 'white bands of death' 2 of the last 3 had the white band.
I tried zucinnI (no ideas on spelling sorry) and the city's loved it shrimp weren't interested, I didn't try nettles or spinach though, wish I had tried them now tho maybe they did starve.. my Amano is very grabby for food.

It may also be something to mention that all the rocks in the tanks were brought back from Wales. I thoroughly scrubbed them all off and then proceeded to boiling them for about 4 days, 4/5 boils with freshwater a day, probably a little over cautious with the boiling. I also soaked each rock singly in malt, distilled and which wine vinegar to check for bubbles or foam or froth.. none appeared so I boiled them twice more to get any vinegar off.
Did I do this correct or could the rocks be adding to my problem..

I would like to keep my corys for now as o don't have any fish so they are fun to watch but it might be worth mentioning that I will be getting a 60l tank for my birthday,, I've been bugging my other half for a longer tank cause I've always felt this one was to tall and didn't have the length. Would a 60l be ok to home a colony of shrimp aswell as my original bamboo, Amano, snails, and corys or would bigger still be advised. Got till November anyway but the plan for the 25l will be turned into my ant paladarium as the colony getting big and need extra space so the tank will be reused.

I apologize for my sensitivity yesterday was quite distraught about them keep dying poor things and I apologise about the log reply so much to reply to lol

Thank you View attachment 474740

Hi, you have taken out the correct plant! I've been sold these as 'fully aquatic' in the past and they do grow well for a while. Then, all of a sudden just start to rot really badly. It's a shame as they're nice plants, but, when they go...it's horrible!

I see no green lines on any of them. I've removed one that had a bluish green blob of colour on it, just to be safe. I treat with squad are,, I'll put a pic of it. I also have easy balance but have yet to use it cause I'm trying to read up as much as I can about it. Nothing else has been added just the squad are to any new water I add. To maintain I do a water change every Saturday of about 15% and add back in fresh treated water (aquasafe) I also scrap the glass clean with a glass scraper to get rid off any algae on the glass. About once a month I removed the squidward head and just give it a little scrub with a toothbrush(new and purposely for the tank) I haven't cleaned any of the rocks as of yet and I change the plants probity every 4/5 weeks. With my filter I don't do much I clear the tube from where the water come out and only slightly rinse the media when it's overly full. My filter is a ciano cf40. I used to use the clear blocks that can be added to the filter but quickly noticed they wasn't making much of a difference to how clear the water was so I stopped using them. I vacuum the gravel every 2 weeks,, I felt it was a bit over kill doing it every week... unless it's advised to do the gravel weekly aswell. I think the snails add the most to the bioload they seem to poop more than anything in thereView attachment 474759

Re the Easy Balance and Aqua safe, I used those in my shrimp tanks for years (just got a RO unit so have stopped now) but, I can say that they're both definitely shrimp safe.
When you do your water changes, do you let the water sit in a bucket for 24 hours to let the chlorine burn off? Also, do you use a spare heater to bring this water up to the same temp as the tank?
Sorry if I'm asking really obvious questions, but, although you've obviously got lots of experience with fish, shrimp really are a whole different ball game. I was in exactly the same place as you a couple of years ago when I first got shrimp, mine died off so regularly and I kept buying more and more, I'm sure I kept the pet shop in business single handed until I finally got everything right for them!

 

Re the Easy Balance and Aqua safe, I used those in my shrimp tanks for years (just got a RO unit so have stopped now) but, I can say that they're both definitely shrimp safe.
When you do your water changes, do you let the water sit in a bucket for 24 hours to let the chlorine burn off? Also, do you use a spare heater to bring this water up to the same temp as the tank?
Sorry if I'm asking really obvious questions, but, although you've obviously got lots of experience with fish, shrimp really are a whole different ball game. I was in exactly the same place as you a couple of years ago when I first got shrimp, mine died off so regularly and I kept buying more and more, I'm sure I kept the pet shop in business single handed until I finally got everything right for them!

I haven't been leaving it for 24 hours but I will make sure to do that from now on. I do have a spare heater and I do normally leave that in the new bucket of water but I've never left it 24hrs. I or only leave it's around 2/3 hours then start getting it into the tank. Haha agreed I think I've been keeping my pet store in business, they look worried when I come in nowadays probably due to me cleaning the shrimp out 3 times now.

 

Sorry for your losses Rhia. As usual here I am the oddball. I started a 5.5 shrimp tank about 6 months ago. It was a Cory fry tank first. I had moved the Cory’s to bigger tanks but 2 never grew over a 1/2”. So I put them back in the 5 and started the shrimp. My temp is at 78f 0amm o nitrites and around 20 nitrates. I think your problem may be your plant choice.
These hornwort and this plant seem to give the shrimp more places to hide and climb on. Your nitrates being zero is strange since the tank has been running for years. Probably the test strips.
Don’t give up you just have to tweak that tank a little more.
Oh and I was recently given s rock from Ireland for my tank. Cleaned it up nice but within a week I noticed problems in the tank. Removed rock all is well again

 

View attachment 474787 Sorry for your losses Rhia. As usual here I am the oddball. I started a 5.5 shrimp tank about 6 months ago. It was a Cory fry tank first. I had moved the Cory’s to bigger tanks but 2 never grew over a 1/2”. So I put them back in the 5 and started the shrimp. My temp is at 78f 0amm o nitrites and around 20 nitrates. I think your problem may be your plant choice.
These hornwort and this plant seem to give the shrimp more places to hide and climb on. Your nitrates being zero is strange since the tank has been running for years. Probably the test strips.View attachment 474788 Don’t give up you just have to tweak that tank a little more.
Oh and I was recently given s rock from Ireland for my tank. Cleaned it up nice but within a week I noticed problems in the tank. Removed rock all is well again

I may remove the rocks and pinch some out my dad's tank instead. Shame that collecting rocks for tanks can cause problems in them. I had hornwort originally and since then the pet shop has had none in since (they really are with plants). I'm taking a trip to a much larger purely aquatic store this weekend. Should be able to get some better stuff for the tank there,, I think my pet store just gets stuff in and sell it, they go through a lot of new staff and most of them don't know anything about the aquatic section only the sections with the cute bunnies and such

 

HI again,
You've got me thinking about the plants as a possible culprit, or at least not helping...I've just noticed that in your pic of the one that you removed , you still had the sponge and bit of metal on it.
I would always remove these before putting them anywhere near shrimps. I always soak any new plants in water (changed everyday) for a week in case there's any fertiliser/chemicals on them. Also, the ones that come in little baskets grown in rockwool, I pull all that off to expose the roots-you never know what chemicals are lurking in that stuff! (you can always 'replant' them back in the basket with a bit of filter floss if your gravel isn't very deep)
Is it a Maidenhead Aquatics that you're going to at the weekend? At least they know what they're talking about there. I could be wrong, but, I think that if you take a sample of your tank water along, they'll test it for you so that you've got a good idea of your parameters before getting your liquid test kits.
They do this for free at Pets at Home too.
Hope this helps!

 

Aquasafe&easybalance are fine so no change there 15% water change weekly is no problem eather and iam glad you bring your water up to temperature as again shock will kill shrimp but your fish would be ok with a slight discrepancy Your filter is also fine what I would do is slide a popsosk over the grill at the intake, it's ok for adult shrimp but young will get sucked into the filter and die,just remove both as required and a gentle swill in aquarium water when you do your water change. Don't clean one of the tank glass you need the biofilm to build up as this is what the shrimp need (very important) proberly the one at the back, you could put a picture on the outside just to make it look nice, I would also leave the biofilm build up on ornaments, I would strongly advise anyone making RO WATER to still treat with prime or any other chlorine remover although our units remove chlorine we can never be 100%positive that the filter is up to scratch especially with age,it's to late when your shrimp die, for a very long time my mix as been worked on every 10ltr of water I use 1ml of prime it's not a lot for piece of mind and that's a recommendation from prime themselves. There's no need to change your plants every 4/5 weeks just as they get established you take them out, leave them in if you get a leaf that's died or been eaten cut it out at the base and a new one will regrow ,leave the plant in the tank to do this you don't want to disturb the root system, taking the rocks out maybe a good idea and replace with ornament from a fish store that way you know there's no nasties going in, because you've got fish and shrimp living along side each other I'll try not put to much on the emphasis of shrimp yet there are things like the biofilm that are a must so it's try and build a happy medium.

 

HI again,
You've got me thinking about the plants as a possible culprit, or at least not helping...I've just noticed that in your pic of the one that you removed , you still had the sponge and bit of metal on it.
I would always remove these before putting them anywhere near shrimps. I always soak any new plants in water (changed everyday) for a week in case there's any fertiliser/chemicals on them. Also, the ones that come in little baskets grown in rockwool, I pull all that off to expose the roots-you never know what chemicals are lurking in that stuff! (you can always 'replant' them back in the basket with a bit of filter floss if your gravel isn't very deep)
Is it a Maidenhead Aquatics that you're going to at the weekend? At least they know what they're talking about there. I could be wrong, but, I think that if you take a sample of your tank water along, they'll test it for you so that you've got a good idea of your parameters before getting your liquid test kits.
They do this for free at Pets at Home too.
Hope this helps!

Omg I have never taken those off. I'm very new to buying plants to put in. I've never taken the sponge or metal off I thought you was ment to leave them on. Omg that is a rookie mistake what an idiot I am. If gone and taken them off the other plants. Erm no it's called prestwood near stourbridge (West midlands). Pets at home is where I normally get most my stuff for all my pets I really do hold them highly. Just for pets is where I've been getting my plants and my shrimp. The plant tank in there is just a mess at times. Oh I did not know they offer water tests at pets at home.. I really need to pay more attention when I'm there. Yes! Thank you for the help. I be only could of avoided a lot of deaths. I lost my 3 yr old betta at the start of the year and when I think back it's when I put my first plant in.

 

Your right emma I always take them off plants I did notice but completely slipped my mind that's why it's nice to have others watching,peel it off gently under running water watch the roots you can then put the led back around the plant gently just to help it stay in place, another good point from Emma is the water test, that will help a lot