Why are my new shrimp dying

[Esj]

Hi,
I’ve been setting up my first shrimp tank, I’ve been letting algae grow in it for quite a while so that when I add shrimp they’d have some food.
Yesterday I added my first shrimp (6x rcs) that arrived in the post. They all seemed healthy and happy enough when I added them into the tank.
this morning all of them are hiding in one bit of driftwood, very close together and one shrimp is dead underneath them. I’ve done a water test, I’m probably going to do a water change too, but does anyone have an idea as to what happened bc I don’t want any more shrimp to die.

 

[PeterFishKeepin]

I'm not sure I can help much. But what are your gh and kh

 

[Esj]

I don’t have a test kit for those readings, pH is about 7.5. Most of the water in the tank is sourced from rainwater which might make a difference

 

[Chiz]

How did you add the shrimp? Did you drip acclimate them? Your water might not be bad, but if it is significantly different than the water they are used to, they could be in a bit of shock. Hiding out on the driftwood is not unusual for new arrivals, and I would keep the lights low for a day or two as well.

 

[Esj]

I left their bag in the water for a whilst, then mixed some of the water and waited again, then released them. I'm not sure what the water they came from is like.
Your right it could be shock but I want to make sure that it couldn't be anything else if anyone thought it was so that no more shrimp die from something that I could prevent.
What doesn't help is that its quite heavily planted and full of algae which is making it difficult to find them all in the tank

 

[86 ssinit]

Yes shrimp are very sensitive to new water. They need to be drip acclimated for at least an hour. The tank should be at least 6 months running. With algae and bio-film present. Next even after all this a few May still die. Usually takes a few months before the tank and shrimp are ready to reproduce. Than it’s off and running. It’s good to add new shrimp every 6 months.

 

[Esj]

I didn't know they needed a different acclimatisation process. It's reassuring as I hope that is the only issue here. Is there anything I can do to help them if this is the case?

 

[ProudPapa]

I don’t have a test kit for those readings, pH is about 7.5. Most of the water in the tank is sourced from rainwater which might make a difference

I suspect that's the problem. Neocaridina especially need some KH and GH, and I'm pretty sure rainwater has zero of each. Unless there's a big problem with your tap water it would probably be a good idea to do a few relatively small water changes using that instead. It might still be too late to save this bunch, but you'll know for next time.

 

[Esj]

I suspect that's the problem. Neocaridina especially need some KH and GH, and I'm pretty sure rainwater has zero of each. Unless there's a big problem with your tap water it would probably be a good idea to do a few relatively small water changes using that instead. It might still be too late to save this bunch, but you'll know for next time.

Oh I see, I don't have any tap conditioner to hand but I will go to my local shop first thing tomorrow. A second shrimp has died. Is there anyway I could increase the KH/GH without any products as I don't have any. I will also have a look to see if my lfs has any kind of water buffer/solution meant for shrimp.

 

[ProudPapa]

Oh I see, I don't have any tap conditioner to hand but I will go to my local shop first thing tomorrow. A second shrimp has died. Is there anyway I could increase the KH/GH without any products as I don't have any. I will also have a look to see if my lfs has any kind of water buffer/solution meant for shrimp.

Not that I'm aware of, but I've also never investigated it. I have very hard water so I don't need to add anything.

 

[86 ssinit]

At a ph of 7.5 I’d think it hard water. More than likely it just they weren’t acclimated long enough. New shrimp do die. Took me in the beginning 21 shrimp till they started reproducing. 21 to start and maybe 10 left before shrimplets. And I acclimated mine and used a tank that was running for over a year.

 

[Esj]

Only the two shrimp so far died, this morning the others seemed to be behaving a little more normally, spreading out a bit and moving about the tank. I’ve still got some tap conditioner so water changes from now will be done with my tap water, which is pretty hard, but I’m hoping that the remaining guys will pull through

 

[ProudPapa]

Only the two shrimp so far died, this morning the others seemed to be behaving a little more normally, spreading out a bit and moving about the tank. I’ve still got some tap conditioner so water changes from now will be done with my tap water, which is pretty hard, but I’m hoping that the remaining guys will pull through

My GH and KH are both around 300 ppm, and neocaridina shrimp do just fine in it.

 

[SotaAquatics]

My GH and KH are both around 300 ppm, and neocaridina shrimp do just fine in it.

Yep, fully agree with ProudPapa, I also have very hard water, 350-400 ppm TDS out the tap which is usually at or above the top end you see people say for neos, don't have issues with the shrimp.