Even at low readings, ammonia and nitrites can be deadly. Can you clearly post your parameters? Do you acclimate your shrimp before you introduce them to your tank?
SIDS(sudden invertebrate death syndrome); How often with RCS?
So, I've been having this problem with the last 3 dozen I've bought (1 dozen per purchase, every month or so).
But before I posted for advice, I thought I'd perhaps get my CO2 in order (DIY would occasionally gas the inhabitants when I was over zealous with the yeast).
So now that I have a pressurized, steady, measured (in tank drop checker and ph indicator, bubble counter, etc) flow of CO2, I am still having about a quarter of my stock of RCS die.
I just checked (with a fresh API kit), nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia; they are all at the lowest readings...
What's happening? Water is at about 75F, and at a ph of about 7.5. The only thing I can think of, and it doesn't make too much sense, is my algae problem. I've slowly been battling BBA and Staghorn for a few months, but I'm slowly winning..
Could it be the stock I buy (each time its been from the same Big Chain LFS)?
Any input is greatly appreciated...
But before I posted for advice, I thought I'd perhaps get my CO2 in order (DIY would occasionally gas the inhabitants when I was over zealous with the yeast).
So now that I have a pressurized, steady, measured (in tank drop checker and ph indicator, bubble counter, etc) flow of CO2, I am still having about a quarter of my stock of RCS die.
I just checked (with a fresh API kit), nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia; they are all at the lowest readings...
What's happening? Water is at about 75F, and at a ph of about 7.5. The only thing I can think of, and it doesn't make too much sense, is my algae problem. I've slowly been battling BBA and Staghorn for a few months, but I'm slowly winning..
Could it be the stock I buy (each time its been from the same Big Chain LFS)?
Any input is greatly appreciated...
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
yes, i do slowly acclimatize them over 2 hours, by adding 5ml of my tank water to the bag every half hour or so. Then i net them out of the bag and into the tank.
The test kits I have use colour charts, so I can only say that it is the colour that is the lowest on the charts (bright yellow & bright blue, respectively).
Is there a more accurate way of measuring/testing?
The test kits I have use colour charts, so I can only say that it is the colour that is the lowest on the charts (bright yellow & bright blue, respectively).
Is there a more accurate way of measuring/testing?
Is it an old tank or does it contain old substrate? If so, there could be some type of insidious bacteria that's living in your tank and infecting the shrimp.
Did you buy all the shrimp from the same seller?
Did you buy all the shrimp from the same seller?
Is it an old tank or does it contain old substrate? If so, there could be some type of insidious bacteria that's living in your tank and infecting the shrimp.
Did you buy all the shrimp from the same seller?
No, it (the tank and substrate) is about a year old. Yes, as I mentioned, it is from the same seller. However, 3 amanos have suffered the same fate, and many of them (8 in total originally) where from different sources. But i chalked that up to escapes (dried up amanos somewhere in my apartment, hiding from plane sight).
5 ml of water every half hour? You call that acclimating? Its not enough if you're only adding 20 ml of water to a bag that has at least 300ml of water in it.
When you acclimate, you should be adding about 4-8 times the amount of water thats in the bag. Find out the parameters in the LFS store water.
IME
Dump the shrimp and store water into a bucket.
I would slowly add one cup of water to the container over 30 minutes.
I would continue adding one cup of water to the container every half hour for the next hour and a half.
After letting them acclimate to the tank's temperature, I remove 90% of the water in the bucket and dump the shrimp into their new home.
If the PH in the lfs is 6.5 and yours is 7.5 that is the reason why they all die.
When you acclimate, you should be adding about 4-8 times the amount of water thats in the bag. Find out the parameters in the LFS store water.
IME
Dump the shrimp and store water into a bucket.
I would slowly add one cup of water to the container over 30 minutes.
I would continue adding one cup of water to the container every half hour for the next hour and a half.
After letting them acclimate to the tank's temperature, I remove 90% of the water in the bucket and dump the shrimp into their new home.
If the PH in the lfs is 6.5 and yours is 7.5 that is the reason why they all die.
Well im prob a horrible example with acclimating. I add a little bit of water over a half an hour to an hour then just dump them in the tank and they do great. Ive done this with about 3 different sellers and havent had any issues with it. I think it is more of something in the water that is causing it. Cause to kill a group of RCS something really bad has to be going on cause they can live in a puddle.
have you used any medication in the past year?
sounds like a toxicity issue to me
sounds like a toxicity issue to me
I forgot to mention that I dump a considerable amount of water out of the bag so that its quite near the surface, but yes that how I've been doing it. The water at the LFS is very similar to mine; as far as pH, its the same. I was under the impression that RCS were tougher then most creatures though...:confused1:5 ml of water every half hour? You call that acclimating? Its not enough if you're only adding 20 ml of water to a bag that has at least 300ml of water in it.....If the PH in the lfs is 6.5 and yours is 7.5 that is the reason why they all die.
mordalphus, no medications have ever been used in this tank...
This brings me back to one of my questions; over the course of my long battle, I've been pruning leaves with the BBA, pulling staghorn off of plants and rocks, and changing the prefilter on my intake, and I'll have to say the stuff has quite an odour. Can excess algae, its blooms and its spores (at one point, the infinitely tiny cylindrical spores were visible with a macrolense), damage water quality some how?
Cherries are incredibly hardy, which is what made me think there was a toxicity issue.
Cherries will live and thrive in almost any conditions. But the things that will kill them are long term ammonia/nitrite poisoning, medication, equipment (filters/powerheads chopping them up, or heaters malfunctioning and shocking them) or physical abuse from crayfish/dragonfly nymphs/fish.
Cherries will live and thrive in almost any conditions. But the things that will kill them are long term ammonia/nitrite poisoning, medication, equipment (filters/powerheads chopping them up, or heaters malfunctioning and shocking them) or physical abuse from crayfish/dragonfly nymphs/fish.
+1 to what mor said didnt see anywhere what other fauna u have in this tank if any? try a different person to get them from maybe just bad stock/ or health and see what happends
I think you probably have some type of pathogen in the tank. I would definitely recommend buying a cheap UV sterilizer. Or you could try pulling everything out of the tank, sterilizing the tank itself, tossing the substrate and replacing it with new stuff fresh out of the bag.
How many bps of co2 are you injecting? Do the shrimp scurry around the surface like they're trying to get out?
How many bps of co2 are you injecting? Do the shrimp scurry around the surface like they're trying to get out?
1. If you have a reading for "nitrite and ammonia" your tank is not cycled even if it is a small amount. The color chart has a number besides it! that is the number that you need to post.
2. If your ph from tap water doesn't change when you inject co2 your API kit must be expired or your drop checker is not reading correctly.
3. You said that you are battling algae what are you using for this.
4. Check your water report. You can ask the water company for it. There must be something in your water that is causing this.
-Brian
2. If your ph from tap water doesn't change when you inject co2 your API kit must be expired or your drop checker is not reading correctly.
3. You said that you are battling algae what are you using for this.
4. Check your water report. You can ask the water company for it. There must be something in your water that is causing this.
-Brian
Brian, according to the chart, the number of ppm is zero for all tests. The water comes out of the tap at about 7.7-7.8 and my water hovers at about 7.4-7.5.1. If you have a reading for "nitrite and ammonia" your tank is not cycled even if it is a small amount. The color chart has a number besides it! that is the number that you need to post.
2. If your ph from tap water doesn't change when you inject co2 your API kit must be expired or your drop checker is not reading correctly.
3. You said that you are battling algae what are you using for this.
4. Check your water report. You can ask the water company for it. There must be something in your water that is causing this.
-Brian
I am battling algae with a more "regular" supply of co2 (0.5bps) and nutrients.
My other inhabitants are 2 ottos and one panda cory cat.
I am leaning towards the suggestion that it is something in the tank. When I was trying to take some pictures of a baby shrimp I found in my HC, I saw, teeny, tiny, microscopic little "things" scurrying about. They moved so quickly and erratically, I couldn't get a good shot. Any they are SOOO small, I couldn't even "see" what I was looking at (eight legs?? six legs?? flea??, etc).
The tank wasn't "swarming" with these critters. I just noticed one. And when I took my eyes off of him to get the camera, it took a while to find it again. Could such creatures affect the CRS?
Hi Ceto!
Your nitrate shouldn't be at zero if it is cycled unless you have a jungle that eats up nitrate quickly. What color is your drop checker? Snausage gave a good advise about the UV in case you have pathogen in your tank. Also a good idea to get your water report to know what they are adding in to your water system. AFAIK we have members that have reported about the sudden death of their shrimps and found out about the water treatment that their water company is using. As for the creature/bug theres a sticky in the shrimps and inverts thread but heres the link:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/shrimp-other-invertebrates/40061-whats-bug-how-recognize-them.html
-Brian
Your nitrate shouldn't be at zero if it is cycled unless you have a jungle that eats up nitrate quickly. What color is your drop checker? Snausage gave a good advise about the UV in case you have pathogen in your tank. Also a good idea to get your water report to know what they are adding in to your water system. AFAIK we have members that have reported about the sudden death of their shrimps and found out about the water treatment that their water company is using. As for the creature/bug theres a sticky in the shrimps and inverts thread but heres the link:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/shrimp-other-invertebrates/40061-whats-bug-how-recognize-them.html
-Brian
Those are probably just cyclops, little bug like things, IDK what they're really called. They're completely harmless my planted tank is filled with them. I like them.
Not to over simplify the issue, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are really weak and stressed and about to die when you buy them, then it is just a waiting game until they're all gone.
Why not buy a group from one of the many great hobbyists that sell them, here or elsewhere online?
-Andrew
Why not buy a group from one of the many great hobbyists that sell them, here or elsewhere online?
-Andrew
+1 A Hill- you should definately look at picking some up from the SNS there are some great sellers. I have bought all of my cherries there and total i think i had 1 or 2 die which was covered in extras and now i have a huge colony of them.
Actually Brian, it is quite a jungle in there... :smile:
I thought about the UV sterilizer, but I don't wanna add any more equipment into the tank. Is there any way to put one inline of my Fluval 105 and its ribbed hosing? I've turned down the flow considerably, so I think it'll be slow enough to kill any pathogens or bacteria.
Andrew, you make a good point about the source. Someone else mentioned that also. I think that may also be an issue, since I always get them from the same seller and he gets it from the same breeder. Up here in Toronto, there is quite a large "shrimp enthusiast" community, so I may have to try that.
I thought about the UV sterilizer, but I don't wanna add any more equipment into the tank. Is there any way to put one inline of my Fluval 105 and its ribbed hosing? I've turned down the flow considerably, so I think it'll be slow enough to kill any pathogens or bacteria.
Andrew, you make a good point about the source. Someone else mentioned that also. I think that may also be an issue, since I always get them from the same seller and he gets it from the same breeder. Up here in Toronto, there is quite a large "shrimp enthusiast" community, so I may have to try that.
Didn't look to see you are in Canada, but you're right, there is a large community there too. There used to be a bunch of them on shrimpnow.com but I'm not sure if this is still a fact, but I'm sure you can find them.
Sometimes, the real reason is simple.
-Andrew
Sometimes, the real reason is simple.
-Andrew
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
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