Dying Shrimp... Help!!!

[Mandarabe]

hi... l’m new to this forum, and have just lost 11 RCS and 2 bamboo shrimp in the last 2 days!!!

What could be doing this? The Bamboo shrimp were new additions ( 5 arrived last week) so I could just about believe it is delayed shock or something, but the rcs have been in this tank since the end of December with no casualties to shrimp or fish!

I started keeping fish& shrimp in May (got a bowl with goldfish for my birthday), and to cut a long story short, I currently have a 123L planted tank with 60+ (now50+) mixed shrimp (mostly rcs that bred themselves!) a selection of tetras, minnows, and chillI rasboras. I have those stuck on indicators for ph and ammonia, with ph of about 6.8 and ammonia of 0.

Any ideas?

 

[Seasoldier]

HI & welcome, you haven't used anything in your tank which contains copper by any chance?

 

[Mandarabe]

Nope - it’s the first thing I check before anything goes in the tank - I even use water conditioner which removes copper just in case the tap water picks some up from the pipes!

 

[H Farnsworth]

how old is the tank? Did you QT the bamboo shrimp?

 

[Mandarabe]

The tank was set up at the end of December, with a good portion of the water coming from my old tank to transfer the bacteria n stuff - sad to say I didn’t quarantine anyone as one of the bamboos arrived with no legs I didn’t have anywhere to keep them for a long period of time! Ironically the legless one is still going strong!!!

I have been supplementing their food to make sure there is enough for everyone....

 

[Thunder_o_b]

Greetings and welcome to Fishlore

I only keep ghost and Amanos these days. Is your water soft or hard? What are your nitrates? My understanding is you need calcium (I use cuttle bone) and lower nitrates.

 

[Mandarabe]

I have about 3 cuttlebones broken in to small pieces in the tank, and my nitrates seem fine - the annoying thing is that i’ve had the rcs for over 6 months without a single casualty, using the same water, feed, fish, etc!

I’m pulling my hair out trying to figure out what’s gone wrong!

When I found the first batch of dead guys yesterday morning I panicked and did a water 1/4 change, thinking the indicator on my tank is wrong, but still had more bodies this morning/afternoon!

 

[adicted to fish]

did you use anything to keep your fish from getting sick some things like that say on them do not use on shrimp

 

[Mandarabe]

No medications at all in the tank - i’ve been lucky enough to have no problems that the occasional cooked pea won’t fix!

 

[adicted to fish]

ok

 

[H Farnsworth]

could be a parasite, or a random ammonia or nitrite spike.

 

[Mandarabe]

I did a water change yesterday and the body count is still rising, so I doubt if it is ammonia or nitrate- the funny thing is that most of the bodies seem to be on the left side of the tank!

I have been removing bodies up til now, but just found my tetras playing pass the parcel with another body, so i’m Pretty sure they will clear up any others!

This may be a silly question, but shrimp don’t kill each other right? I only ask because I added a couple of tigers a week ago and they don’t seem bothered at all....

Also, my fish seem fine!

Everyone has been playing happy families for at least 3 weeks, and nobody is supposed to be aggressive to anyone - unless my chilI rasboras have suddenly decided to form a gang to take over the aquarium, which would be interesting to watch as they are about the size of a medium rcs!

 

[danhutchins]

hi... l’m new to this forum, and have just lost 11 RCS and 2 bamboo shrimp in the last 2 days!!!

What could be doing this? The Bamboo shrimp were new additions ( 5 arrived last week) so I could just about believe it is delayed shock or something, but the rcs have been in this tank since the end of December with no casualties to shrimp or fish!

I started keeping fish& shrimp in May (got a bowl with goldfish for my birthday), and to cut a long story short, I currently have a 123L planted tank with 60+ (now50+) mixed shrimp (mostly rcs that bred themselves!) a selection of tetras, minnows, and chillI rasboras. I have those stuck on indicators for ph and ammonia, with ph of about 6.8 and ammonia of 0.

Any ideas?

Most shrimp only live to about a year old. The ones you got in December could have been at that age by now. As for the new ones I'm not sure, were they full grown when purchased? If so they may also had lived their lives. Not sure if this is the case but figured I would toss it out there.

 

[FreshwaterPhotog]

The first thing that comes to my mind is something toxic. Maybe something coated in rubber has deteriorated exposing metal? Something along those lines. Check everything that might be toxic to shrimp in your tank. If you haven't changed anything in the tank or added anything different, a toxin either in the tank or in the air around the tank is my suspicion. Plug-in air fresheners, oil warmers, furniture polish, glass cleaner, etc.

 

[Mandarabe]

I was wondering if it might be old age, but I bought the original 15 in 2 batches with a distinct colour difference, which has made for some funky coloured kids! Over half the bodies have been kids, with most of the originals still swimming around and breeding!

I only clean the tank with a microfiber cloth, and don’t use air fresheners or anything in the room - I don’t even smoke in the same room! The tank is less than 3 months old, and I only put natural decorations in...

 

[FreshwaterPhotog]

I was wondering if it might be old age, but I bought the original 15 in 2 batches with a distinct colour difference, which has made for some funky coloured kids! Over half the bodies have been kids, with most of the originals still swimming around and breeding!

I only clean the tank with a microfiber cloth, and don’t use air fresheners or anything in the room - I don’t even smoke in the same room! The tank is less than 3 months old, and I only put natural decorations in...

Did you add any new plants? The store might have treated the plants with snail killer. Do you perhaps have blue-green algae in your tank (cyanobacteria)? If it isn't either of these things, then I guess we'll have to wait to see if anyone else experienced in shrimp has any ideas.

 

[Mandarabe]

I hadn’t thought of that...

This tank hasn’t had any new plants in the last 2 weeks, and the water has been the clearest it’s ever been since it started in December, so I don’t think it’s algae either...

The plants I have in there are sprouting like weeds, and will soon need pruning back so I don’t think there is any chance of algae growing any time soon... which is why i’ve been supplementing the food for the bamboos!