Crs problem, Please chime in with your suggestions!

2149 Views 28 Replies 11 Participants Last post by dwaffer, Jul 30, 2007

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · May 31, 2007

Everyday for the past week or so I am having 1 CRS death a day. They don't show any symptoms other then being more still and then dying. 99.9% of them are adults and I thought maybe they were dying of old age but since then I have had 2 juvenile deaths.
My water parameters are
Temp 75
less then 5 Nitrate
0 nitrite
0 ammonia
6.6 PH
3 degrees gh
2 degrees kh
189 TDS
I have a copper test kit so I tested and it was 0
I use 2/3 RO water with 1/3 dechlorinated tap water ( Prime is my dechlorinator)

Where do you see a problem? What do you think it could be? Any other test kits out there that I should test for? Any suggestions on what I could try to solve this very problem? I am at a lost right now because everything comes out right as far as the tests. I have 2 different brands of test kits for everything so I used both brands and they are showing the same numbers.

I use Purigen in my canister filter. I do a 30% water change every week. They are housed in a 46 gallon tall tank. The deaths are 1 a day or every other day. Not right after a water change. Do you think I should move them to another tank?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This just really upsets me

and I am at a lost.
Thanks for your time.

1 - 20 of 29 Posts

ToYoTa

· #2 · May 31, 2007

When You Do Your Water Changes Do You Sqeeze Out Your Pre Filter Sponge? Are You Get Plenty Of Airation?

gabeszone247

· #3 · May 31, 2007

How much are you feeding them? What are you feeding them? How many times a day are feeding them? If you over feed them they can die from ammonia, and it wont even show up on your test kits. I don't care what any of the so called pros out there say! I use charcoal packs in my Eheim filter 2213& 2224 and charcoal bamboo in my tank and my water has never been better plus the charcoal clears up ammonia just in case you over feed them.

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 31, 2007

ToYoTa said:
When You Do Your Water Changes Do You Sqeeze Out Your Pre Filter Sponge? Are You Get Plenty Of Aeration?

I have a large sponge filter that I clean about once a month. It does not get very dirty. I also have a 350 GPH canister filter with a sponge filter covering the intake in this 46 Gal tank. I clean the sponge on the canister filter every 2 weeks. Plenty of aeration with the sponge filter giving off air bubbles and the canister filter is hooked to a spray bar.
Thanks

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 31, 2007

gabeszone247 said:
How much are you feeding them? What are you feeding them? How many times a day are feeding them? If you over feed them they can die from ammonia, and it wont even show up on your test kits. I dont care what any of the so called pros out there say! I use charcoal packs in my Eheim filter 2213& 2224 and charcoal bamboo in my tank and my water has never been better plus the charcoal clears up ammonia just incase you over feed them.

I feed them Shirakura and Mosura specialty food once a day, 3 bars of the food. I also add a pinch of the mico-organism powder everyday.
I also have charcoal in the canister filter. The ammonia from food won't show up in a test kit? I thought it would. The water does look nice and clear but that could be deceiving.
Thanks

ToYoTa

· #6 · May 31, 2007

Gabe says to add charcoal packs. and something about feeding

gabeszone247

· #7 · May 31, 2007

How many CRS do you have eating off 3 bars? I have about 100 CRS in my CRS tank and they only need 1 1/2 sticks of food. I think 3 is way too much unless you have lots of CRS and other shrimp. I hear so dont quote me, that
sometimes your ammonia from over feeding wont always show up on the test kits, and thats because its gone before you can catch it.

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 31, 2007

gabeszone247 said:
How many CRS do you have eating off 3 bars? I have about 100 CRS in my CRS tank and they only need 1 1/2 sticks of food. I think 3 is way too much unless you have lots of CRS and other shrimp. I hear so dont quote me, that
sometimes your ammonia from over feeding wont always show up on the test kits, and thats because its gone before you can catch it.

I have about 100 crs and ramshorn snails. The food is always gone within a hour or so. That's why I give 3. they seem to be hungry and the snails always are.

gabeszone247

· #9 · May 31, 2007

Yeah those Ramshorns are great to help get rid of extra food, so its not ammonia for sure. Any weird color of the shrimp? Try adding some bacteria to your tank. I always add some bacteria that they sell in a bottle for fish.

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #10 · May 31, 2007

I would say before they die of course they just hang in 1 place and they get pale.
The only bacteria thing I have is stability from Seachem. I have had it over a year. Never needed to use it. You think it is still good?
Thanks for the help

milalic

· #11 · May 31, 2007

Heather,

Your water parameters seem good. Although if ammonia is the killer, you will not be able to measure it.

Did you cleaned your filter before deaths started? I only clean my sponge filters when the filter clogs.

have you seen any recent discoloration in your CRS?
I do not believe in the microorganism thing. For me it did more harm than good. CRS died in the tank after using it per instructions. If you do not know what execatly are the ingredients, i am a little hesitant to use it.

Don't rule ammonia out...is the silent killer.
I am hoping is not a type of disease that is going among your CRS.

Charcoal is good, but in my experience most of it losses their cleaning powers after a two weeks.

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gabeszone247

· #12 · May 31, 2007

Heres what I think happen. An older shrimp died setting off a chain reaction, causing a short ammonia spike causing other shrimp to die. I think if you do a small water change, and if you don't have anymore CRS die in the next few days your fine. On how long the charcoal works its different over here I guess it last longer than 2 weeks, and I would say almost every breeder I meet, or magazine I read they all use charcoal.

Charcoal is also good for micro organism to thrive on.

MARIMOBALL

· #13 · May 31, 2007

I usually clean half of the filter media in my canister every month and a half leaving some of the benificial bacteria and I never wash the ceramic rings but I think you know not to wash it. What % of water do you change 20% 25% or 30% if all you have in there is CRS You may be washing out the benificial bacteria. I feed my CRS hikari algae wafers hikari crab cuisine and blanched organic spinach ,every other day b/c they scavenge around for food.so far no casualties. good luck.:icon_frow

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #14 · May 31, 2007

Thanks for the help guys.
No discoloration, maybe right before they die they get pale but that's about it.
I rarely clean my canister filter media because it never gets that bad. the sponge filter hooked to the intake is what I clean every 2 weeks or when I see the outtake water slowing down. The canister filter is a Rena xp3 so it has allot of compartments that i use for biological filtration.
I never clean all the compartments out. I also have a sponge filter in the tank hooked to an air pump. I cleaned this after I noticed a few shrimp die and it was not that dirty at all.
No the shrimp did not start dying after I cleaned the filter. It was in the middle of the week.

I will go ahead and continue to do daily water changes and see what happens. The shrimp do seem more quiet then they normally do. So I know there is something that is making them not happy. I did read about the disease going on with CRS but my crs are not showing any of the symptoms.
Thanks again for the help.
If you have any other suggestions please let me know.

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sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jun 1, 2007

Well another one died. This one I watched die which was really sad. It was a black diamond that started turning red and white from the head down. It looked as if it was bleeding internally. The weird thing is this tank has allot of very young shrimp. From a day old to a couple weeks old and they all seem to be fine ( knock on wood) The young shrimp would be the first to die if it was bad water quality since they are the most sensitive. Wouldn't you think? All the deaths except for 2- 1/2 inch juveniles are adult females. 90% of them had given birth before they died.
Anymore suggestions?
Thanks

gabeszone247

· #16 · Jun 1, 2007

Can you take a picture of your dead shrimp?

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jun 1, 2007

gabeszone247 said:
Can you take a picture of your dead shrimp?

No i didn't take a picture. I should have. If I have anymore deaths I will get a picture.

Mr.ThomasWalls

· #18 · Jun 1, 2007

Is this the tank with your crays?

mrbelvedere

· #19 · Jun 1, 2007

Maybe it's that new parasite/disease that seems to be generating a lot of buzz.

Do what I do: pack your tank full of fast growing/floating plants. No ammonia would even have time to affect anything. That, and use Purigen. Stuff is a godsend.

sunmiztres

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jun 2, 2007

Mr.ThomasWalls said:
Is this the tank with your crays?

No I do not keep crays in my CRS tanks.

1 - 20 of 29 Posts

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