Help! Shrimp dying

[Razzy]

I don'tknow what happened but my shrimp have been fine for the longest couple of months.

I just did a water change just now about 20% and they went crazy and swam everywhere.

I turned on the light to see all the shrimp huddled together in a corner of my tank and i see some lifeless bodies lying around.

 

I don't know whats happened! This suddenly happened after a water change that I conditioned with prime.

I did nothing new. help!

 

Water specs are
Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

NItrate: 5.0

[Crazyfishlady]

Are you sure you put the prime in the water? Not being rude because I actually did that once myself. I was setting up a temp tank to put a handful of shrimp in. I did everything and when I put the shrimp in they went bat-crazy swimming like mad. I then notice the bottle of prime on the counter and realized I hadn't actually added it and they were in straight tap water. With no other recourse, I put a drop right into the small container with them and they settled down within a few minutes.

 

I kept them in there for a few days, just to watch them and they were fine and happy so I moved them back to the main tank.

 

That might not be your situation, but that came to my mind when I read your post.

[Razzy]

I'm very sure I put prime in the water. I always use a pipette to squirt some into a container and let it lay for a couple hours and vacuum out water from the tank and refill with new water. I even added some prime into the tank itself after i noticed the shrimps huddling together.

 

I'm very scared I'm gonna lose my whole colony. I didn't do anything new and this is really scaring me.

[Crazyfishlady]

Yikes - I am so sorry. I hope someone with more knowledge can help you, I am new to this myself. 

 

I have read that some people have found out that their water source had changed (like the public water) and they were not notified. Do you have anyway to test your TDS or test for copper?

[Razzy]

I don't have a TDS test and don't know if i should put them in a bucket with conditioned water or let them stay in what they are now.

 

All of my biggest shrimps are start to swim around but occasionally fall on their side and get back up.

[Lyana]

Could be ph shock. I just did that to a few of my rili culls today because I was being lazy while moving them to my planted tank. They started swimming around like they were drunk. They all survived though... now they just have to keep from being eaten 

Have any of your shrimp actually died? Do you have a ph test kit so you can test you tap and tank? The only thing I can think of right now.

 

If you want to take a couple out in a bucket and see if they calm down I say go ahead, but I wouldn't do them all... at least not at first. It might just stress them out more.

[Fábio Silva]

Hello Razzy.

 

See if you pH, gH and kH of your tap water is too much diferent of your tank. 

 

If they went crazy and swam everywhere you have anything wrong with your tap water.

 

good luck and don't lost your motivation.

 

Cheers 

Fábio

[DETAquarium]

I am assuming that if your using Prime, your probably using tap water and not RO, or RODI water correct? You need to compare your water parameters from your tank to the parameters of your tap water. Alot of times people will just add water without considering the shock that a PH, Temperature, GH/KH, etc swing could have on shrimp. This is why acclimation process is so imperative when introducing shrimp to your aquariums.

 

I would suggest testing your tap water versus your tank water, Temperature, PH, GH/KH, TDS. If you notice a difference even if you don't think its drastic you may of found your culprit.

 

I used Prime before my RODI unit, but I have always wondered what Prime uses to help improve slime coats.

[RyeGuy411]

Your problem is most likely the tap water. Tap water from municipal systems and well water will change composition depending on the time of year.  I live in the northeast and we are experiencing large amounts of snow melt that is effecting the water chemisty. That is the major problem with tap water, no matter what you think is in it, it can change and you wont know until there is a problem.

[Razzy]

Problem was a contaminated container/bucket I used to store the new water to be replaced

I was told it was used to hold chemicals.

 

I've since used a different cleaner bucket to replace the water and the shrimp are no longer huddled or dying.

I had a few deaths tho before I did a new water change.

Makes me quite sad but I hope my colony can bounce back. Lost one of my biggest/reddest shrimps to this.

[Soothing Shrimp]

Glad you found your answer.