Well, even though the "new" shrimp tank has been up & running since August, I have noticed a slow decline in population. I have lost at least 4 juvi cherries in the last 3 days. I never have more than 4 babies at a time, & none of them seem to be around long, unless they just grow so fast I don't realize they're not missing. All my parameters still seem OK. The Crystals I got all seem fine so far. The 2 "brown" shrimp i took out of my 58 have been in there for over a year. Maybe my parameters are better for the Crystals. Who knows. I'm kinda bummed.
Can we review your maintenance on this tank, just to cover all the bases?
Do you change 50% of the water weekly?
Do you use Prime or another equivalent product to treat new water?
Do you make sure new water is the same or close temp?
What temperature do you keep this tank at?
Are your readings, done with test tubes and reagents for Ammonia and NitrIte 0? Is your reading for NitrAte less than 20?
Do you use any chemicals to adjust your PH (Don't!)?
Do you use any chemicals besides ferts?
Have you ever used a copper based product in this tank or in any tank that the substrate or other material now in this tank came from?
How about your water, have you ever gotten a report from your city that details what's in the water?
How about your house / pipes, any chance there is heavy metals in the pipes and ending up in the water?
What is the PH of your water vs the tank water. Can you measure the PH just after filling a bucket and then 12 hours later?
Sorry for the annoying questions but sometimes they catch something. The lack of 50% water changes shouldn't hurt but you might try increasing them to 50 just to see the results.
50% weekly? Isnt that excessive? I maybe, MAYBE get around to a 30% change every other month in my 5 gal and my RCS population is in the hundreds now from just 5.
Can you verify your Nitrates. I typically try and keep my below 3ppm and never more than 5ppm. Shrimp are sensitive to high nitrates that's why I have plants that consume a lot of nitrates in the tank. Do you dose with any ferts or c02? What plants are in the tank? What type of food do you feed them and how much? I found a lot of people tend to over feed their shrimp.
Nitrates are 10 ppm. That 's as low as they get for me. My H2O is 10 ppm out of the tap. No CO2, no ferts, not over fed. The filter is a Penguin 10. Java fern, African fern, Corkscrew Vals, Hygro, Taiwian moss, 2 Crypts, & a few of a stem/grass that I forget the name of. I've had the same 2 female "Natty Browns" (I think) for over 2 years, and they've been in the shrimp tank since day 1. Nothing else seems to make it
I have the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Filter. I used to use it years ago for my old Discus tank. The ad says it "removes all heavy metals including copper, zinc, lead, iron, cadmium, and aluminum. It also filters organic pollutants including insecticides, herbicides, PCBs, and pesticides as well as other undesirable contaminants such as phosphate, nitrate, ammonia, silicate, and nitrite." So I'm going to give it a try. I sure as heck don't have anything to lose at this point.
I haven't started using the filter for WC's yet, but will use it for the next WC this weekend. The H2O comes from the tap & is conditioned. Sponge on the filter intake. No predators. The problem isn't with the babies disappearing, it's with ALL the shrimp slowly dying off.
I'll quit trying to keep shrimp before I spend the $$ for an RO system. I can't justify it. I don't need it for the 58 and it's just too large of an initial investment for 3 gallons a week. I'm also not about to start driving to an LFS to get 3 gallons of RO or DI H2O every week.
Depending on where you live, having those barrels of distilled water delivered for drinking systems may not be that pricey, just one last option to consider?
you can go to your local home depot for RO water. They sell the jugs for 15 to start but when you bring back the container they deduct 10 so you pay 5$
Well, the nitrates have been at 0 since last weekend's WC with the Tap Water Filter, but I'm still losing shrimp. I'm down to 1 RCS & about 10 Cherries. The 2 unidentified brown shrimp that look just like Cherries are still going strong. I'm begining to wonder if there's any substance to the "some plants are poisonous to shrimp" rumor. Just as a precaution I took the Anubias out months ago when I heard they were suspect, now I hear that some Crypts are, too. Supposedly some Anubias & Crypts contain Oxalic acid & that it can poison shrimp if the plant is damaged or if the shrimp eat the decaying leaves or roots. It's the only other possibility I can think of. Any comments?
I really want to keep trying shrimp (& I might even lower myself to begging & pleading for another RAOK shrimp donation like CampCreekTexas made for me last summer :icon_lol: ), but I really want to be sure the tank isn't just going to be a death sentence for any new colonies I try to start in it.
Well, the nitrates have been at 0 since last weekend's WC with the Tap Water Filter, but I'm still losing shrimp. I'm down to 1 RCS & about 10 Cherries. The 2 unidentified brown shrimp that look just like Cherries are still going strong. I'm begining to wonder if there's any substance to the "some plants are poisonous to shrimp" rumor. Just as a precaution I took the Anubias out months ago when I heard they were suspect, now I hear that some Crypts are, too. Supposedly some Anubias & Crypts contain Oxalic acid & that it can poison shrimp if the plant is damaged or if the shrimp eat the decaying leaves or roots. It's the only other possibility I can think of. Any comments
Tommy
Excellent Job on the nitrates lowering them, seems like your plants for nutrient export are not in balanced with the system yet and water changes will need to be done to keep them in check until your plants can catch up.
OA is always a possibility friend; however, unless you saw leaves recently falling off or shrimp deaths near the areas of recently fallen off leaves it might not be a problem.
Don't give up, you can't learn anything from giving up. :eek5:
Carbon is inexpensive and you could always try some to help remove the substance if you think it's that.
The AP Tap water filter is as good as rated, but if it's years old like you stated then the activated carbon is used up. If it was used then set for storage (wet in the filter) there can be bacterial fouling in the carbon.
Remember, what ever you do to go slow with the system, don't panic and rush. It will work out, make sure you take out the dead shrimp.
We are all pulling for you.
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