Unsuccessful with Shrimp

[TheAvidShrimper]

Brand new to this site and I'm sure you guys get questions similar to this all the time.  I recently purchased cherry shrimp from 3 different sources over the course of 2 weeks and unfortunately all of them died within 48-72 hours.  The bodies were fully in-tact so I don't suspect any of the fish had at them (just neon tetras, harlequin rasboras, and otocinclus).

 

I'm able to keep snails (nerites and a mystery snail) just fine.

 

Here's the water chemistry (measured with API test kits):

Phosphate: 2-4ppm

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrate: 5ppm

KH: 2 dKH

GH: 90 ppm

pH: 7.2

Copper: 0ppm

 

Here's my tap water's chemistry:

Phosphate: 0ppm

KH: 2 dKH

pH: 7.6

 

I treat my tap water with Tetra Aqua Safe.  It's a 29 Gallon aquarium with an Eheim Classic 250 external filter.

 

Any advice?

[OMG Aquatics]

Are you just tossing your new shrimp in there or are you slowing acclimating them?

 

Your GH is on the low side.

 

People usually use SS GH/KH + to 8 GH

 

Your fish could be stressing them out as well.

[Lyana]

I don't think your shrimp would die that quickly from low gh, in fact they shouldn't die from gh 90 ppm which is like gh 5.

I would more suspect you didn't acclimate them well or something is built up in the water they don't like. Is it a planted tank? Why are the phosphates so high?

[OMG Aquatics]

I don't think your shrimp would die that quickly from low gh, in fact they shouldn't die from gh 90 ppm which is like gh 5.

I would more suspect you didn't acclimate them well or something is built up in the water they don't like. Is it a planted tank? Why are the phosphates so high?

Usually when you buy shrimp and put them in your tank, your shrimp will tend to molt very soon due to change in water parameters.

[Lyana]

Usually when you buy shrimp and put them in your tank, your shrimp will tend to molt very soon due to change in water parameters.

True, but my neos are fine in gh of 5, so unless they all came from a tank with really high gh I wouldn't think that to be a problem.

[TheAvidShrimper]

It is a low-tech planted tank yep.  The high phosphates are not intentional.  I did add some Flourish tabs a couple of weeks ago though.

 

I did acclimate them, but not for long - between 10 and 15 minutes.  I was worried about the water temperature in the acclimation container.

 

I'm not sure what this statement means: use SS GH/KH + to 8 GH

Are you recommending that the sum of KH and GH combined should be 8?

[TheAvidShrimper]

I'm fairly confident that these are not the molts, I removed the bodies and they looked like the actual shrimp.  Also, I haven't seen them since - I would have seen at least one (out of 15), I think.

[OMG Aquatics]

It is a low-tech planted tank yep.  The high phosphates are not intentional.  I did add some Flourish tabs a couple of weeks ago though.

 

I did acclimate them, but not for long - between 10 and 15 minutes.  I was worried about the water temperature in the acclimation container.

 

I'm not sure what this statement means: use SS GH/KH + to 8 GH

Are you recommending that the sum of KH and GH combined should be 8?

SS GH/KH + should get u 8 GH 4 KH

[OMG Aquatics]

I'm fairly confident that these are not the molts, I removed the bodies and they looked like the actual shrimp.  Also, I haven't seen them since - I would have seen at least one (out of 15), I think.

 

How did u acclimate them?

Drip or pour?

 

Like Lyana said, could be a build up of something as well.

[TheAvidShrimper]

Pour, not drip.

 

Is there anything in particular I should look out for in terms of build up?

 

Is my pH too high?  Unfortunately the products that I've seen to lower pH also lower KH and vice-versa.

[OMG Aquatics]

Pour, not drip.

 

Is there anything in particular I should look out for in terms of build up?

 

Is my pH too high?  Unfortunately the products that I've seen to lower pH also lower KH and vice-versa.

Try drip acclimation next time.

 

Your pH is fine.

[Lloydwang]

I have had cherries before, I don't even do anything. I just pour the shrimp into the tank. but, I ask the seller ahead though about what his parameters are. and I try to match this parameter. (with MK blue dimond GH+) 

cherry are quite hardy. yes, I have around 2-3 die in first week. but, they are doing and breeding well. I don't even do water change. just do around 10% change every month. 

so, as someone mentioned above it could be that the seller breed his shrimps in high GH and your GH is low.

other thing do u use tap water? if you do, you have to use product such as seachem prime to remove chlorine. worst mistake some people make is using tap water without declorine it. chlorine kills shrimps. that's the only reason i can think of. even huge water parameter change won't kill (all) shrimps.

[jledermann]

I would drip acclimate for an hour to hour and a half. Also what kinda of things are in the tank? Any metal besides stainless steel? What kind of food are you feeding?

[shrimpybuisness]

Yes everyone here is correct! Ik you get excited when you receive new shrimp! (Trust me I get excited to and sure many people on here too). But take your time with DRIP acclimation with a standard airline tube for at least 45min to an hour or longer. Trust me it will help them in the long run!!! If you wanna try again I have some Red Rilis for sale

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[TheAvidShrimper]

Thanks for your help everyone.  I'll do some more water changes for a couple of weeks and then try drip acclimation.

 

I do use tap water, but I treat it with Tetra Aqua Safe.

 

I'm feeding API tropical pellets (daily) and API algae eater wafers (weekly, for the otos/snails).  I've started on some APBreed small pellets occasionally, but the fish don't really seem to take to it (maybe they just have to get used to it).

 

I don't have anything special in the tank, just some heaters and a small surface filter.  The temperature is 77F, btw.

[Cappie49]

Are you sure none have gone in the ehiem?

[TheAvidShrimper]

I'm pretty sure none of them got into the eheim, I have a fine mesh on the inlet.  Also, I'm pretty sure that what I removed were the actual shrimps and not their molts.

[Vpier]

I use a Marina Breeding box for acclimating shrimp. I put shrimp with the water they are shipped in the breeder box and I adjust the Marina to 1-2 drips a sec. I will do this for 2-3 hours.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QRDF4K/ref=twister_B00Q4PKI7A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[Lyana]

Sometimes tap water kills shrimp even when everything tests fine, happened to me. But I think that it's fairly uncommon for that to happen so I would try everything else first.

[NightOwl]

Hmm,temp shock,maybe you have copper pluming in your home.Also ferts and shrimp dont mix well.Also sounds like you didn get the temp for the new shrimp.Good luck dude

[Citycode01]

Tap water is not good even for neos. I learned it hard way. If you planing to breed the shrimps you have to switch to ro water and buy ss gh/kh+ Or just gh+ and within few months you end up with tons of cherry shrimps.

[sarah]

All of your foods seem to contain copper sulfate (and preservatives). This may be part of your issue too.

[TheAvidShrimper]

@sarah, are API tropical pellets and APBreed pellets generally avoided in shrimp tanks?

 

@citycode01, what if I'm not planning to breed them?  If tap water generally not suitable for keeping shrimp?  Even if treated?

[OMG Aquatics]

@sarah, are API tropical pellets and APBreed pellets generally avoided in shrimp tanks?

 

@citycode01, what if I'm not planning to breed them?  If tap water generally not suitable for keeping shrimp?  Even if treated?

Copper is usually avoided unless it's trace amounts as such in Seachem Flourish/Trace.

 

Tap water depends on location and pipes.

 

Most new shrimpers start out with tap water but when it becomes a serious hobby, most end up switching to RO water.

[kevyn]

I had a bad experience with flourish tabs, a few of my shrimps died hours within adding in the tabs.