Cherry Shrimp won't breed

I just lost a tank full of blue shrimp moving them from their 5.5 gallon tank to a new 10 gallon tank. Below is the process I used:

• I caught them.
• Put them in a container with water I had removed from the tank
• Moved their old tank and replaced it with the new one
• Moved most of the old substrate to the new tank
• Moved the sponge filter, plants, leaves, and light from the old tank to the new one.
• Added more of the old tank water to the new tank and filled it with new water
• Added the shrimp to the new tank. This whole process took less than a couple hours, so there should have been minimal temperature change.

They've been slowly dying after the first few days. Early on I checked my parameters, and while it's difficult for me to see the subtle differences in the colors, it looked like maybe there was a little bit of ammonia and nitrites. I did 50% water changes on two consecutive days, refilling slowly and temperature matching the water. It didn't seem to make a difference. What's so puzzling is that they didn't all die at once, but it's been one or two or ten every day.

I have previously set up brand new tanks with shrimp, adding plants from established tanks so there's be something for the shrimp to graze on. I lost a few, but nothing like this.

The point of all this is that if you have the room and time, I would strongly suggest setting up the new tank and letting it run for a minimum of 2 months before moving the shrimp over to it.

I've been toying with going to a 10 gallon Aqeuon ascent due to shrimp population currently

I'm so sad you went through this!

My current shrimp tank was a betta tank for many months before it was used for shrimp. i will definitely let a new tank age for several months before moving anyone.

I easily have 40 adults+, and 20+ juveniles. 2 pregnant females at the moment. I love watching their little feet keep the babies in place!

OP - I purchased my shrimp on ebay, 2 different sellers, so 2 different sets of genetics.

I get new babies every 4-6 weeks

I think 'Grandpa' shrimp died. He was an original ( so just nearly a year old)

dude was 2x larger than any other shrimp. Good luck.

don't clean tank every week - as soon as I stopped that, I started seeing more & more babies! I will use a turkey baster though to spot clean it.

 

I have setup up 5+tanks using this method with 100% success but what I dont do is move the substrait I always put new in

This might be strange to ask but I have seen it on a forum once, is it true that moving around too much substrate can release unwanted gasses in the tank and kill it’s inhabitants??

also, my oldest shrimp’s (one of the biggest) shell seems to be a darker colour starting at her abdomen and I am scared that this could lead a moulting issue! Should I be worried? She’s the shrimp in focus on the edge of the feeding dish in the back!

 

I have setup up 5+tanks using this method with 100% success but what I dont do is move the substrait I always put new in

You can be sure I'll remember this, and always use fresh substrate in the future.

 

You can be sure I'll remember this, and always use fresh substrate in the future.

You know I'm following this, have been privately asking you questions, and have been thinking of setting up a shrimp-only tank. I've been waiting for my weather to get better so I could get some of your blues, darn I wish I'd done it sooner! I'm not worried about ME, I'm so sad for your losses, I can't imagine how frustrated and upset you've been. I have no doubt they'll soon start to flourish again.

I have different kinds of shrimp in 3 of my tanks with fish, etc., but they can't produce many young because they get eaten. And one tank just has 4 blues and they're all male. My local fish store that I visited yesterday wants $10 each and they're really little, so I can't even pick out a female - I passed and bought 5 ghosts - found one body a couple hours later, don't know if any survived - thought they were large enough but maybe not - I've seen my blackskirts in action before. I've only seen 1 actual red cherry survive to adulthood, but have removed at least 10 culls and put them into another tank. This is over a year. I'd just love to have a small tank of shrimp to grow their numbers.

Now I'm very nervous about starting a tank! It will be spring anyway before I order anything so I have time to think about it.

 

This might be strange to ask but I have seen it on a forum once, is it true that moving around too much substrate can release unwanted gasses in the tank and kill it’s inhabitants??

also, my oldest shrimp’s (one of the biggest) shell seems to be a darker colour starting at her abdomen and I am scared that this could lead a moulting issue! Should I be worried? She’s the shrimp in focus on the edge of the feeding dish in the back!

Moving any substrate without a good wash as the potential to release gassess or course an ammonia spike,
The dark on the body is something that develops on older shrimp, mine have it.

 

Moving any substrate without a good wash as the potential to release gassess or course an ammonia spike,
The dark on the body is something that develops on older shrimp, mine have it.

This is the second time in the last few days a bad molt has happened. I know this one will die soon. why is this happening??

i did my weekly 20% water change on Monday using the drip method to refill and making sure the temperature stayed stable.

parameters:

Ph: 7.6
ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate <5ppm
TDS: around between 150-200ppm
Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius

 

I have added Hikari Crab Cuisine to my shrimps weekly diet. I feed it 2x a week as it is development for shell development.

I also break up 1/2 tums tablet about 1x a week as calcium source + ornamental shells in tank.

My tank is small , heavily planted & I have 2 different places they hide after molts. I rarely see the molt until I see the left behind shell.

I get a few deaths ( that I actually see) but my population is booming. it took maybe 6 months to get new shrimp and now at a year I worry the young die for not enough food.

imo - it's a thing you gotta go through, trial & error to figure it out.

when I clean my tank, i rarely clean the whole thing. I clean 80% and let shrimp retreat to other side which is untouched to chill. The next cleaning cycle I flip sides. just less stress imo for them. I also use my turkey baster to target any gravel that looks weird. My shrimp tank sits on my kitchen counter by sink, so I look at it closely several times a day.

WC - I take out 3 of 6 gallons of water (there's a ton of waste), use prime dose in tank and just pour water in (tepid) using a bridge as the target to not disturb gravel.

food - almost daily shrimp bites
algae tablet
some fresh food source - cucumber ( skinned, cut thin and freeze, take out as needed, defrost with tap water)
broccoli
Italian green bean

if I have made snail jello, I will slice some off for them to enjoy - very small portion

I have given them watermelon(cut from near green rind area) and fresh cherry - again very small thin portion as it's a sugar based food

the shrimp are okay until molting - I'd say diet if no damage to actual shrimp body.

I'm in the south, so water is very soft & I know from my snails the damage that has on them - it erodes the shell, so it's my constant battle.

 

9

This is the second time in the last few days a bad molt has happened. I know this one will die soon. why is this happening??

i did my weekly 20% water change on Monday using the drip method to refill and making sure the temperature stayed stable.

parameters:

Ph: 7.6
ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate <5ppm
TDS: around between 150-200ppm
Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius

If that is a moult issue it would probably be connected to a water change but tbh it dosnt look like it to me, I think there may be something else going on

 

Now I'm very nervous about starting a tank! It will be spring anyway before I order anything so I have time to think about it.

when I started out with shrimp a year ago, reading here & watching you tube videos really helped me.

my favorite series is not shrimp-centric, but it's everything I'd love to achieve & he has amano & other kinds shrimp

Foo The Flowerhorn channel - the guy is a master class aqua pet caregiver. Very relaxing yet educational videos. check them out.

my tank is no where near his level, I don't have a strong enough light for that kind of growth. But one day I may branch out to it. Don't be too nervous. As long as you cycle the tank , age it for bio-film and avoid environment swings ( way too hot or cold) , the shrimp will be fine.

 

when I started out with shrimp a year ago, reading here & watching you tube videos really helped me.

my favorite series is not shrimp-centric, but it's everything I'd love to achieve & he has amano & other kinds shrimp

Foo The Flowerhorn channel - the guy is a master class aqua pet caregiver. Very relaxing yet educational videos. check them out.

my tank is no where near his level, I don't have a strong enough light for that kind of growth. But one day I may branch out to it. Don't be too nervous. As long as you cycle the tank , age it for bio-film and avoid environment swings ( way too hot or cold) , the shrimp will be fine.

That's amazing!!!! So, plants are a huge part of shrimp-keeping then? I have more plants in my 40 than anywhere but my culls are in a 10 gallon with only some java moss - that's not so creative! I sure don't have a light strong enough for so much greenery but this was fun to watch and I thank you for sharing!

 

9

If that is a moult issue it would probably be connected to a water change but tbh it dosnt look like it to me, I think there may be something else going on

i might have found the culprit! Two more dead shrimp this morning, meaning three in less than 24 hours and probably more I can’t see. This is tiring

did a water test the second I saw the dead ones and this is what I got.

Ph: 7.4-8
ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: Did not test
Nitrate: <5ppm
kh: still high at around 11-12
Gh: 8-9

ammonia spike probably, I have been feeding every two days so perhaps that’s too much.

what do I do?

50% water change?

Thank you

 

It looks like .25
What is your tap water reading on ammonia test

 

It looks like .25
What is your tap water reading on ammonia test

Tap water is also .25ppm

Should I do a water change?

 

No if your tap water as ammonia thats the problem and I'd say that's between .25 & .5

 

No if your tap water as ammonia thats the problem and I'd say that's between .25 & .5

Ahhh okay! i use seachem prime during water changes as it detoxifies ammonia and nitrates. Usually my shrimp tank is at 0ppm for ammonia. What do I do in these situations? Should I do a water change or will that be risky. My cherries arent moving much right now

 

Thing is prime detoxifies but the process continues so you get high nitrits which are as deadly to shrimp.
I dont get this problem as I use ro water,
Hold off on everything for a minute let's call mattgirl for some expert advice
You could do a water change with still water from a shop that will thin it out but it must be added slowly through the drip method

 

Before we do anything else. If at all possible run your ammonia test on some distilled water or if you don't have it on some kind of bottled drinking water. Neither should have any ammonia at all in it. If you are still seeing a low reading for ammonia then I would have to think you really don't have ammonia in either tap or tank water.

 

Before we do anything else. If at all possible run your ammonia test on some distilled water or if you don't have it on some kind of bottled drinking water. Neither should have any ammonia at all in it. If you are still seeing a low reading for ammonia then I would have to think you really don't have ammonia in either tap or tank water.

good idea! I sadly don’t have bottled drinking water since we all drink filtered tap water! However, I can go to the store and get some real quick

 

Before we do anything else. If at all possible run your ammonia test on some distilled water or if you don't have it on some kind of bottled drinking water. Neither should have any ammonia at all in it. If you are still seeing a low reading for ammonia then I would have to think you really don't have ammonia in either tap or tank water.

interesting turn of events!!!

woke up this morning and saw at least 10 baby cherry shrimp picking on the tank glass picking at some algae! It’s the first time I see actual babies. This is surprising because I didn’t even know i had a berried female.

How do I feed the babies?
I’ve heard many positive reviews of GlasGarten products like Bacter AE and Shrimp Baby, should I get these?

thanks!

 

interesting turn of events!!!

woke up this morning and saw at least 10 baby cherry shrimp picking on the tank glass picking at some algae! It’s the first time I see actual babies. This is surprising because I didn’t even know i had a berried female.

How do I feed the babies?
I’ve heard many positive reviews of GlasGarten products like Bacter AE and Shrimp Baby, should I get these?

thanks!

Congratulations, I just feed the babies the same thing I feed the adults. I do add BacterAE to the bowl once a week. Like you I didn't see a berried female before I saw my first babies.

 

Congratulations, I just feed the babies the same thing I feed the adults. I do add BacterAE to the bowl once a week. Like you I didn't see a berried female before I saw my first babies.

Therefore, would it be better for me to invest in Bacter AE or shrimp baby (glasgarten)? I keep seeing positive reviews on both but don’t know which one would be the best choice!

 

It's weird how fragile shrimp have been in your experiences, because I just had a mini cycle happen in my 29 gallon a week or two back (due to h202 treating for BBA, didn't know h202 killed off good bacteria) and nitrites shot up to 1ppm. Bought another nitrite kit and got same results. Did daily 50% waterchanges and didn't lose a single cherry shrimp or fish. I thought the shrimp would have at least act stressed but they weren't. Even the fish were acting more stressed than the shrimp. Either I'm lucky or I had 2 faulty test kits.

 

Therefore, would it be better for me to invest in Bacter AE or shrimp baby (glasgarten)? I keep seeing positive reviews on both but don’t know which one would be the best choice!

I really don't know if one is better than the other. I'd not read up on the shrimp baby but had the bacterAE so that is the one I went with.

 

I really don't know if one is better than the other. I'd not read up on the shrimp baby but had the bacterAE so that is the one I went with.

sadly another cherry shrimp died today, with the famous white line of death like every deceased shrimp before. My water is pretty hard with a gH of 8-9 and a kH of 11. My pH is 7.4-8. Could this be the problem? Is my water TOO hard? All my other parameters are fine! I do 15-20% drip-method water changes using tap water with prime.

how do I know if I have to add calcium in the tank or not? I keep losing these little guys

 

good idea! I sadly don’t have bottled drinking water since we all drink filtered tap water! However, I can go to the store and get some real quick

I have been using spring water for my crystals and am thinking of starting it with my cherries- all the talk of heat is ironic since my berried and starting to have shrimplets tank of yellows had the cheap heater heartbreakingly cook them nearly all to 95' one night, and I haven't kept a heater in a shrimp tank since (other than one near a drafty window). I have three left, and no one seems to have recovered enough to want to breed again, but the rest of my unheated shrimp are thriving (if not yet breeding, some are very new). The day my crystals get visibly berried I'm breaking out cigars, I have been fretting over my hard water and getting some for a year, lol. I'm grateful they're doing so well, kudos to Aquatic Arts.

 

I've just gone back through your thread and picked up on a few things 1st these shrimp wnt in on or around the 4th Feb so they've been in about 2weeks, if something went wrong with a few at that time it can still show up now, so that could be one issue 2nd looking at your shrimp pictures some of those guys are getting on and it's possible their time is up, you will always see the odd dead, any with failing in health which we can't diagnosis can have a bad moult and kill them, its when they start to drop in numbers would make for concern, your perameters are not bad enough to to kill it maybe they just haven't taken to your water, on the good side you have young and these have instantly become adjusted to your water so it's these you want to be looking after they are your future breeders even if some more of the old stock don't make it, you now need to be careful with that back section they will go in there,
As things stand I'd keep doing things as normal don't mess with anything, get some Bactor ae and some Glasgarten baby food
Please don't go by the instructions on Bactor ae but come back here for help.
Have you bought a new tank yet?

 

I've just gone back through your thread and picked up on a few things 1st these shrimp wnt in on or around the 4th Feb so they've been in about 2weeks, if something went wrong with a few at that time it can still show up now, so that could be one issue 2nd looking at your shrimp pictures some of those guys are getting on and it's possible their time is up, you will always see the odd dead, any with failing in health which we can't diagnosis can have a bad moult and kill them, its when they start to drop in numbers would make for concern, your perameters are not bad enough to to kill it maybe they just haven't taken to your water, on the good side you have young and these have instantly become adjusted to your water so it's these you want to be looking after they are your future breeders even if some more of the old stock don't make it, you now need to be careful with that back section they will go in there,
As things stand I'd keep doing things as normal don't mess with anything, get some Bactor ae and some Glasgarten baby food
Please don't go by the instructions on Bactor ae but come back here for help.
Have you bought a new tank yet?

hi! That makes sense! I do have a couple old ones in there so that could be the reason! As for the tank, I found one but I’ll wait till my babies are fully grown in order to not lose many of them! As for now, I have sown an extremely thin cotton mesh (the kind used to hold small filter media) on my wire mesh so no one will be able to squeeze through hopefully! I’ll link a picture (it’s very blurry I apologize)

bacter ae is a great idea! I’ve found a few sellers in Canada like Angelfins and Shrimpfever but they’re all out of stock so I’m waiting for a restock! Guess people are all jumping on the Glasgarten train! I ordered some baby food from another brand and should receive it in the next few days! Not sure how much to give however, my tank is pretty small. I’ll continue doing regular water changes and feedings.

thank you for the help like always, I love these little guys so I get anxious about them easily when things go wrong

 

I've just gone back through your thread and picked up on a few things 1st these shrimp wnt in on or around the 4th Feb so they've been in about 2weeks, if something went wrong with a few at that time it can still show up now, so that could be one issue 2nd looking at your shrimp pictures some of those guys are getting on and it's possible their time is up, you will always see the odd dead, any with failing in health which we can't diagnosis can have a bad moult and kill them, its when they start to drop in numbers would make for concern, your perameters are not bad enough to to kill it maybe they just haven't taken to your water, on the good side you have young and these have instantly become adjusted to your water so it's these you want to be looking after they are your future breeders even if some more of the old stock don't make it, you now need to be careful with that back section they will go in there,
As things stand I'd keep doing things as normal don't mess with anything, get some Bactor ae and some Glasgarten baby food
Please don't go by the instructions on Bactor ae but come back here for help.
Have you bought a new tank yet?

i got some baby shrimp food! I bought it off a shrimp breeder based in Toronto and it apparently contains Mulberry Leaves, Spirulina and Moringa! For a 7 gallon tank, how much should I add and how? Sprinkle on top or mix it with tank water and put it back in?

i got some other shrimp food in pellet form such as Hokkaido, dandelion and walnut (and more), so hopefully that works well!

 

The only time I had several shrimp die at once was when I fed them and then couldn't get the left overs out of the plants, causing an ammonia spike.

My tank is heavily planted and they are doing fine without being fed. I'd be cautious about feeding when starting out.

 

A small bit on the top of the spoon will be enough no more just twice a week most baby shrimp deaths are causes by wrong or over feeding and wrong food, bactor ae is one of the best foods for any shrimp its known to promote good health a greater survival rate, do the same with bactor ae but only once a week, you can mix in tank water then pour all around

 

A small bit on the top of the spoon will be enough no more just twice a week most baby shrimp deaths are causes by wrong or over feeding and wrong food, bactor ae is one of the best foods for any shrimp its known to promote good health a greater survival rate, do the same with bactor ae but only once a week, you can mix in tank water then pour all around

the babies are thriving! I keep losing adults however...it was going well for a while but now I lost another one today

i have found a place near my house that sells RO water!!! I’ve seen many forums talking positively about using reverse osmosis water for their shrimp tank! If I use it, can I mix it with my tank water or would I have to buy a separate product to remineralize it? Would using RO water suddenly create a shock for the little ones?

 

You can mix ro and tap for desired water parameters
Csn you yive us what readings you have at present, this is ph/kh gh
Don't worry if the adults die from past problems as long as the babies are ok that's what you want

 

You can mix ro and tap for desired water parameters
Csn you yive us what readings you have at present, this is ph/kh gh
Don't worry if the adults die from past problems as long as the babies are ok that's what you want

just did a water test!

Kh:11-12
Gh: 8
Ph: pretty high at 8-8.2

 

You could thin out your tap water with ro just a little if you want or try it there its up to you
You must be carefull now as your gh will drop and you don't want it to drop below 6