Could things get worse for my shrimp tank?

Hi guys,

I would like to vent a little bit and ask for some advice.

I started a shrimp tank a couple of months ago...like 1+ month, 2 months ago.

I cycled my tank for a month using the fish food method and thought it was cycled in a month. Readings at the end was Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5

Tested the water parameters daily to be sure of this.
When i thought my tank was cycled, I ordered some neocaridina online and it arrived in a week.
Checked my water parameter and then drip acclimated the shrimps and put them in the tank.

The first day, parameters was fine. Ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 5.
The second day, parameters was fine. Same reading as day 1.
The third day was the same.

On the fourth day, I had an ammonia spike. Tested the water and Ammonia 0.25, nitrites 0, nitrates 0.5
I did daily water changes for 2 days till my LFS was open.
In this time I lost approximately 2 shrimps. Just found them dead.

So I got Seachem Prime and Stability. I read and thought maybe in that week my cycle crashed.

I have been using both Prime and Stability for 3 days. Have been testing my water and it seems my ammonia is increasing steadily. Today's readings were Ammonia 2, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 10.

In total of the 14 shrimps I purchased. I am down to 5. I have deaths daily.
Today I found 2 shrimps dead. One molted and died, another died midway.
No I dont have KH and GH test kit yet. Got to wait a while to get this.

Then to make things worse, while sitting and watching my tank I saw hundreds of worm like things on my tank glass. Small.. about 1 mm long, some round things like the size of the tip of a pen, some even had like a split tail kinda thing.

The best part is, while having the shrimps whenever i placed food the shrimps never ate so i removed them. They always seem to be grazing on the driftwood and plants so I dont know why i have these worms. I thought these worms are due to over feeding.
So now on top op my tank recycling, I have daily deaths AND some sort of worm and insect like infestation. Just when i thought things couldn't get worse.

All my shrimps would most probably be dead in 5 to 6 days.
I am thinking of giving up. Like this is so hard and so expensive.
Its so demotivating.

 

What is your TDS, GH and KH? If any of this is screwy, it could be the cause for the deaths.

 

If the reading said ammonia was 2.0 (Was that a typo?) then I think that’s the problem. Shrimp are extremely sensitive to water parameters compared to fish and often die off when ammonia or nitrite spikes.

 

Nvm I see you don't have those tests and ammonia is an issue. Shrimp are generally a low bioload. They can't handle ammonia and nitrite at all.

 

I don't think you mentioned ph. What is it?

 

I am just confused how little shrimp could’ve created 2ppm of ammonia... shrimp have a very low bioload. Maybe there is some leftover fish food from your cycle rotting?

 

Hi guys thank you so much for the reply.

I don't think you mentioned ph. What is it?

My ph is 6.8.

Ammonia started with 0.25 at first and I quickly added prime and did water changes.. then it increased to 0.5. Then I assumed that my initial cycle crashed. So I am currently using Prime and Stability. After 3 days of Prime and Stability, my ammonia reading is at 2.

Nope, i do not have any fish inside. I have 1 snail that i watch like a hawk so i know its not dead. I put the shrimp food in a dish and remove them after 2 hours so there are no leftover food in the tank.

Whenever there is a dead shrimp I remove it. And i count them so ensure i dont miss anything.. my substrate it sand so it does not leech ammonia. My plants are not dying all seem okay... so i dont know why the sudden spike in ammonia.

At the moment I dont have the GH and KH test kit. I will try to get the test kit soon. Might take a week or so to get these.

Just feeling like its one problem after another. Quite frustrated.

I just testes my water again today.
Ammonia is at a standstill at 2, nitrite 0, Nitrate 20.

 

Have you checked your source water for ammonia and also check your filter. shrimp dont have a big enough to create that high an ammonia reading so something else is.

 

I'm wondering if you're getting false test results. Are you using strips, or the liquid test kit?

 

Hi

Nvm I see you don't have those tests and ammonia is an issue. Shrimp are generally a low bioload. They can't handle ammonia and nitrite at all.

Hi. I just got the gH and kH test kits.
Couldn't wait.
Results are gH 7, kH 1.

Have you checked your source water for ammonia and also check your filter. shrimp dont have a big enough to create that high an ammonia reading so something else is.

Tap has Ammonia 0.
I have a sponge filter.. so nothing can go in.

I'm wondering if you're getting false test results. Are you using strips, or the liquid test kit?

I use API master test kit for ammonia, ph, nitrate and nitrite. Its a liquid test kit.

The ammonia before i started the Seachem Stability was 0.5. After i used it, it went up to 2.
I was surprised as well since some said that shrimps did not need a cycled tank.
But i cycled mine anyways just in case.

I believe my tank is in the process of cycling at this point. I hope. So confused.

Which brings me back to the deaths...
Since I am using Seachem Prime, it should protect my shrimps from the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate right?
I believe my gH is okay but my kH seems a bit low right?
Is the kH the reason for the deaths while/after molting?

 

worms?

shrimp are very delicate


They won't do well in an uncycled tank. IMO you'll need to do daily water changes(WC) with Prime, just do 10% WC

I purposely used an old tank ( 8+ months old) when I started mine so that way I knew nothing suspect was going on.

I keep about 20 baby ramshorn snail in my tank now for bioload/food for plants. I move them out/control population so it doesn't overwhelm the tank. ( I have a 10 gallon Ramshorn tank, plus house a few in other tanks where bettas won't eat the snails)

what kind of shrimp are you keeping?

I had no luck with ghost shrimp. they all died with 5 weeks.

also, I'd suggest getting duckweek. Shrimp absolutely love it. They hide in the duckweed and find it comforting. They do leave the duckweed, so they won't be lost /out of site, but it really makes the tank super enjoyable for my blue dream velvet shrimp.

Good luck!