Cherry shrimp acting odd after water change

[Razzy]

Added some new plants after I washed them and did a tiny water change so I could siphon debris/food from the disturbed substrate, most of my cherry shrimp are grouped up near the top corner of my tank, some are climbing out above the water line.

I've foudn one dead so far, did I do bad for messing with the substrate to plant my new plants?

What can i do about my grouped up shrimp?

[aotf]

Without knowing anything about your water, it kind of sounds like you disturbed some of the junk/sediment in the substrate.
You may have kicked up an ammonia spike or something similar, test for that if you can (it might have settled by now depending on your filter).

I've heard of shrimpers doing large water changes after adding plants/disturbing the substrate.
Unfortunately, if it's actually your water, you'll be doing more harm than good. Hard to say without any params!

[Razzy]

6 hours ago, aotf said:

Without knowing anything about your water, it kind of sounds like you disturbed some of the junk/sediment in the substrate.
You may have kicked up an ammonia spike or something similar, test for that if you can (it might have settled by now depending on your filter).

I've heard of shrimpers doing large water changes after adding plants/disturbing the substrate.
Unfortunately, if it's actually your water, you'll be doing more harm than good. Hard to say without any params!

 

 

PH: 7.2

Ammonia: 0-0.25

Nitrite:  0

Nitrate: 0

 

GH: 25

KH: 5

 

I've been dosing prime and stability to help my shrimp but I've lost a little more than half.

[aotf]

7 hours ago, Razzy said:

 

 

PH: 7.2

Ammonia: 0-0.25

Nitrite:  0

Nitrate: 0

 

GH: 25

KH: 5

 

I've been dosing prime and stability to help my shrimp but I've lost a little more than half.

Your gH strikes me as very high. How long have the shrimp been in this water? Is it an established colony or are you starting out? 

I still think the die-off was triggered by disturbing the substrate although they may already have been stressed by the really hard water if this is not an established tank.

 

[Razzy]

Just now, aotf said:

Your gH strikes me as very high. How long have the shrimp been in this water? Is it an established colony or are you starting out? 

I still think the die-off was triggered by disturbing the substrate although they may already have been stressed by the really hard water if this is not an established tank.

 

 

I've had the shrimp in it for 3 years. So it was an established tank at one point? I guess. Or it still is and this is a crash?

[aotf]

Just now, Razzy said:

 

I've had the shrimp in it for 3 years. So it was an established tank at one point? I guess. Or it still is and this is a crash?

 

Oh wow, not a new tank at all then. Have they been breeding? 

This might not be a tank-wide crash if you temporarily released ammonia or some type of bacteria from the substrate, which is why your params look good now. Are the shrimp still acting up? I would suggest water changes.
I imagine that there was/is a decent amount of sediment in your substrate that's accumulated over 3 years, depending on how porous/"aerated" your substrate it, there might be some nasty things in there (I've heard shrimpers talk about sand that way: it can host anaerobic bacterial colonies deep down that, when disturbed, are not great for the inhabitants of the tank).

Sorry I can't tell you exactly what's going on, it always feels sort of like a high-stakes guessing game.

[Razzy]

2 minutes ago, aotf said:

 

Oh wow, not a new tank at all then. Have they been breeding? 

This might not be a tank-wide crash if you temporarily released ammonia or some type of bacteria from the substrate, which is why your params look good now. Are the shrimp still acting up? I would suggest water changes.
I imagine that there was/is a decent amount of sediment in your substrate that's accumulated over 3 years, depending on how porous/"aerated" your substrate it, there might be some nasty things in there (I've heard shrimpers talk about sand that way: it can host anaerobic bacterial colonies deep down that, when disturbed, are not great for the inhabitants of the tank).

Sorry I can't tell you exactly what's going on, it always feels sort of like a high-stakes guessing game.

 

 

They have been breeding, but since this crash or whatever it is happened three days ago, I've lost basically all my berried females. My shrimp are still hanging up at the top of the tank/near the surface like they don't want to get into the water at all.

[nicpapa]

I breed them at 24gh and 22kh, they are doing fine?

Did u put any chemicals on your hand?

Try to think what you touch  before u add  your hands in the water.

Or maybe the plants have something ....

 

[Razzy]

My tank is super cloudy today, I did a waterchange since I had High ammonia readings and no nitrate/nitrite readings at all. After adding in the new water the tank had gotten super duper cloudy.

 

Weirdly though? My shrimp are going back to acting normal and swimming around ground level? I really don'ot get them.

 

I've dosed prime and Stability to help with the aquarium? It looks like a mini cycle to me at this point. Any advice is helpful.

[booty on the dance floor]

I agree, sounds like a mini cycle. Potentially a full cycle? What are your params looking like? The .25 ammonia and 0 nitrates is what's getting me.

[Razzy]

20 hours ago, booty on the dance floor said:

I agree, sounds like a mini cycle. Potentially a full cycle? What are your params looking like? The .25 ammonia and 0 nitrates is what's getting me.

 

Will check today again when I can, my shrimp are still not back to normal and it's been like two weeks since I posted this.

[Razzy]

I have like 3-4 shrimp now from initially having around 20. Found another dead shrimp today, mid molt. I think I'm done keeping shrimp if the remaining 3-4 die too.