Cherries and Bushy Nose pleco for algea?

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:33 pm

Hi All,

I finally found some cherries!!!

at $3 Canadian no less.

I will be getting a few of them.

I was wondering to keep the algae on the side of the tank down should I transfer a bushy nose to that tank too or just rely on the shrimp.

(I was going to move the bush, then found out about the shrimp)

This is for my 15 Gl

Thanks,

TKD

Post by **Mustafa** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:52 pm

Hi TKD,

Congrats on finding the shrimp!

You can move the bushy nose in there without a problem. They don't bother the shrimp. They are especially useful if you have brown algae or other surface covering slimy types of algae, since the shrimp have a harder time picking at that stuff (plus you need *tons* of shrimp to control any kind of significant algae growth).

Mustafa

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 8:25 pm

Hi Mustafa,

I was only worried about algae control, but thanks again confirming that Cherries and Bushy Nose plecos are compatible.

Now I hope that the Cherries will still be there in a day and a half....

They were maybe 1 inch long so almost adult size.
The females were pink rather then red and the males were the usual clear with small red dots.

I cant wait!!!!

One thing that really get's me is the price... $15

in Victoria and $3

were I will be getting them from. Unreal the price difference. (In Canadian $$$)

TKD

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:25 pm

I FINALLY HAVE CHERRIES

It's only been about a year that I have been looking.

I got all 11 that were in the tank at the store.

I definitely have 1 female and 2 males.... the other are to determined.

I was wondering, do cherries swim around much?
They have only in the tank for about 4 hours.

Thanks,

TKD

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 6:28 pm

OH Crap!

I have 4 dead now!!!

I had done a water change on tuesday so the water should be good

HELP!!!!

TKD

Pi · Post by Pi » Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:29 pm

TKD wrote: I had done a water change on tuesday so the water should be good

Well, what are the water parameters (now)? Sometimes should be good and actually good, are two different things...

Pi

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:52 pm

Hi Pi,

I don’t have a water parameter kit. (Never had one either)

The fish had not been fed for 2 days as I had been away so the parameter should have been fine.

The tank is full of Java moss and fern (So ammonia and co should be good)

I do have the pH and it is 7.2

TKD

Post by **Mustafa** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:38 pm

Do you have Chloramine in your water supply? If so, you need to use a chloramine neutralizer. I use Seachem Prime and can certify that it's shrimp safe. Shrimp are extremely sensitive to chloramine..more so than most fish. If you do have chloramine in the water then the water change only made things worse.

Did the shrimp look healthy in the store? I.e. were they picking at things and weren't milky colored?

Either way, I'd go buy some Seachem Prime immediately to save the rest of your shrimp from possible chloramine poisoning.

Mustafa

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Sun May 01, 2005 8:19 am

Hi Mustafa,

I think all the others are dead now.
Yes, I do use Seachem Prime.

Here are the series of events...
They were in transport for 3 hours. They were double bagged to they would not get squished and they had a lot of oxygen.

When they were brought here I put some water from the main tank in to the bag and let them site for about 25 min. I then put water from the main tank into a bucked and VERY carefully released into it.

From there I scoped them out and put them into the tank. They were swimming around quite a bit as I mentioned and then after about 5 hours or so some did seem to turn milky and the death parade stated.

I'm really upset by this and as pretty much turned me off keeping shrimp.

11 for 11 deaths I have never had before!!!

TKD

amber2461 · Post by **amber2461** » Sun May 01, 2005 8:26 am

Hey TKD

I am sorry for your loss. Are you planning to bring back the shrimps to the store and ask for a store credit then? You should be able to because it has only been overnight.

Post by **Mustafa** » Sun May 01, 2005 8:26 am

Hi TKD,

Sorry about your bad experience. Shrimp can be sensitive and things have to be done differently from what you do for fish, but stick around...we'll solve this problem.

Do you usually use the hot water faucet to adjust your water temperature during water changes? If so then that might be a reason for the deaths, too. There is copper (and maybe other metals?) in the hot water pipes and heater that dissolves more readily into the hot water. So the concentration of metals in there is much higher and deadly for the shrimp. Fish don't care that much but invertebrates such as (most) snails and shrimp die. In a shrimp tank you should only do water changes from the cold water tap.

Just another thought...hope this helps.

Mustafa

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Sun May 01, 2005 9:10 am

Hi All,

Hmmmm.

You might be on to something with the dissolved metals...
The Building I'm in is 30+ years old, so it probably does have copper pipes.

I had Japanese trap door snails a few moths ago and they did something very similar... I put them in and they also died... right away.

I thought It may have been a temp thing but I'm now starting to wonder...

I don’t know if I will be able to get my money back as the store is in Parksville (I’m in Victoria).
(Best Friend Pets, GREAT store and very nice people)

On thing about this is at least It was not 15$ per shrimp…..

TKD

Side note about this entire thing....

OMG I Had brought down a 4 Gl bucket of water sprite from my parents place (then got the shrimp on the way down)

I was just sorting it to sell and I find 2 baby guppies from my main tank... How they survived I don’t know they had little water, massive temp change, 3 hour car ride, then sat here and they sat in bran new water over night with no acclimatization... man I breed tuff guppies...

Nothing like shrimp...

GunmetalBlue · Post by **GunmetalBlue** » Sun May 01, 2005 11:55 am

Hey TKD, I'm very sorry about your loss, but please don't give up! We all go through disheartening experiences every now and then. Kudos to you for making every effort to try and figure out what happened - it's a learning experience we might all be helped by. In this instance, it does drive home the idea that shrimp are much more sensitive than what one might think.

Are you able to call the store and explain what happened? You might ask them when they might get another shipment and if they could reserve some for you with store credit, as Marge also suggests. You might also ask them how long they had them in the store - and I don't know if they would be willing to divulge this info, but ask them if they experienced a lot of die-offs too. There *might be a chance they were at the brink to begin with. But if that's not so, was wondering if next time around, it might make a difference bringing home and using as much of the water from the store as possible (bring a jug)... and slowly acclimating over days or weeks to your water? At the least it could give a hint as to if it's a water problem. Just throwing out some (*possibly dumb) thoughts.

It's too bad the store is so far away from you.

Anyway, Hang In There, GunmetalBlue

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Sun May 01, 2005 12:00 pm

Hi GunmetalBlue,

They had received the shrimp earlier that week and I got them on Saturday so say 4 or 5 days.

They only had 12 and we were able to find 11 so I think that the shrimp were ok there.

I will try to call the store tomorrow and we will see what will happen.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone,

TKD

amber2461 · Post by **amber2461** » Sun May 01, 2005 10:07 pm

Good luck!