What could be wrong with my RCS

[Jonney_boy]

I have a Red cherry shrimp tank that has been running for almost a year now.About 4-5 months in I started seeing a reduction in babies and few weeks ago I got a huge die-off in shrimp...... i'm puzzled as to what it could be.

Setup,

10 gal
AC 50 filter set on lowest setting. Filter floss, ceramic media + bag of crushed coral
Temp at 78 deg
Fluval shrimp substrate
NO co2
Light EI dosing (about 50% of recomended)
18w of led lighting

Water is changed on the same schedual as my discus and rainbow tanks... about ever 3 days (40%)

Testing the water today after work (just before a water change)
Amonia = 0
nitril = 0
nitrate = 5ppm
ph between 7.2 and 7.6

Feeding is done once per day... either
shirakura
hikari micro wafers
hikari shrimp cuisine
or the odd day of tetra colour bits.


In the tank I only have Red cherry shrimps.. started with 70.... I'm estimating there was 200-300 at one point (since I remember not seeing many shrimps at all when I had 70 in the tank initially).

Other things that have found their way into the tank. Ram horn snails and these little white worms that swim around in a S shape. If you look VERY VERY closely at one point I also had these little white specs on the back glass that did move... not sure what they are.


Anybody have a clue what it could be?

[Diztrbd1]

I'm no expert but you should check the KH & Gh as well

[Morainy]

Hi Jonney Boy,
I'm far from a shrimp expert, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt... I looked after several shrimp tanks (at my house) for a year and have had red cherry shrimp, Sunkist shrimp and blue pearl in my own tanks for a couple of years, but that's my only experience.

It looks like your setup is scrupulously cared for. I would suggest reducing the number of water changes you are doing as I think red cherry shrimp quite enjoy aged water in a cycled tank and there's a very small bioload in your tank. Maybe you can try just topping the water up most of the time. I think the shrimp enjoy diatoms... and maybe you're siphoning out very small shrimplets.

The other thing is, I'd recommend adding some Fluval shrimp minerals to your water when you change it, or Seachem Equilibrium. I see that you have crushed coral in your filter but maybe it's not doing the trick.

It looks like you are doing everything right, though. This is a planted tank, right? If you don't need it, maybe stop the ferts for a month, see what happens.

I have a lot of water lettuce and you're welcome to some if you like. Shrimp like to hang in the floating fronds. But I'm in Vancouver.

Good luck. Please post back and let us know what happens.

[effox]

You'll want to post your KH and GH. Also have you tried stopping the ei dosing regime to see if it improved?

[Jonney_boy]

Quick update..

I just tested the water again and

KH = 4
GH.. kinda hard to read on the test kit.. i'm guessing 5 when the colour started to change.

And yes I frogot to mention I do put in a dash of prime and a pinch of equilibrium in the tank when I do the water change.


I am going try dropping water changes down to once a week, stop EI dosing and see what happens....

[effox]

Your KH and GH are good, I'd assume it could be the ferts, but I'm no expert, I've never dosed ferts or excel\metricide into my shrimp tanks.

[Tarobot]

lower the ph a bit and stop the dosing. probably to around 6.5

[Jonney_boy]

Quick update,

the 10 gal tank seems to have settled down. I have not seen any more dead shrimps in the last 2 days.

This tank was planted, but was never dosed with excel or co2.
I have stopped adding ferts, dropped water change to 25% once a week and cut back feedings to twice weekly.

I have also since started another 20 gal I had lying around and moved over 10-15 of the "better looking" shrimp to this tank.

20 Gal tall,
Ac70
Gravel with aragonite as a substrate (I had it on hand).
Cycled the tank with some media from my discus tank.
6w of CHEAP china led lighting.

For decoration, I just kept it super simple, plastic plants, drift wood and some flower pots.. ie.... nothing that needs ferts

We will see how this tank goes, hopefully if one tank "dies" I will have enough stock in the other tank to save the colony

[stonedaquarium]

jonney_boy... how is your tank...

im no shrimp expert but i do know one thing about keeping shrimp is keeping your water parameters constant... lower your ph to about 6.3 to 6.5 as i notice most neocardina tend to like a slightly acidic environment. I wont worry too much a bout KH but if you Kh is high it could also mean your Ph is also a bit on the high side...

its good to add a little bit of hardness (GH ) to your shrimp tanks. ideally a GH of 4 to 5 would be sufficient. I buffer my water with african cichlid conditioner or fluval shrimp supplement... if you want more shrimp specific mosura mineral plus is great... I know alot of people use equilibrium is which is fine but i prefer the liquid form much better ( JMHO, and preference).

for the temp... I would lower it down to 70 to 72F... this at this temp my Painted fire reds, blue pearls, Rilis all bred like crazy.

+1 to minimize the frequency of water changes... for some of my shrimps that i had problems with i tried minimizing the frequency and amount of water changes till the tank fully stabilizes... during that period i would do 10% WC every two weeks
and just do some tops ups...

good luck with your shrimp keeping and have fun and enjoy the hobby

[Jonney_boy]

Well, here is another update.

The 20 gal tank I setup is breeding like NUTS.. I have must have 50-80 babies in there...... .the tank is doing well.

The 10 gallon I ended up doing a full re-set on. Took out all the shrimp, removed the plants, washed the tank down and dumped about 2L of hydrogen peroxide into the substrate to "kill off" anything. Everything was washed and put back. No babies yet but I do have a couple of berried shrimps in there. More time will tell.


I have a feeling the problem was that the tank was "dirty". With the shrimp/plant substrate in the tank I was not doing any gravel vac's... thinking the plants would take care of it. a good clean of the substrate "seems" to have curbed the problem... along with reducing (hugely) the amount of worms I had in the tank.

As for water changes, I have been trying very hard to reduce it to 10% or so once a week.....