thoughts please

[fishgeek]

i was just doing a tank check and noticed that a couple of the shrimp werent as active as they should be

checked the water 6.5pH on test strip 7.0 on pH meter no ammonia/nitrates but 50 mgs/l nitrite's

changed about 25% water with what i usually use a mix of tap (using stress coat dechlorinator/heavy meal remove and claims to have aloe vera in to help with slime coat of fish)
lost one of the adult shrimp

was wondering whether a quick water change, i always change water realitively quick , just pour it in, as long as it feels similar temperature
and i am assuming it is similar parameters to tank as far as hardness and pH as i use the same mix of change water each time
may have pushed the shrimp over the edge?
can turbulence? dissolved oxygen? any things like this have an effect?

good news was that i decided to remove the moss covered in hair algae that i had placed from another tank in for the shrimp to feed on months ago and noticed 3 small baby shrimp

makes it all the more confusing, i am assuming the nitrite was too high for the shrimp and the water change maybe just finished a stressed shrimp off
now wondering why some shrimp feel happy enough to breed and the other was feeling poorl enough to pop his clogs

andrew

[Shrimp&Snails]

I can't understand where the nitrite came from but a zero nitrate reading suggests your tank is cycling.

Have you washed any filter media in tap water? Or replaced all the sponges at once?

[YuccaPatrol]

I have never seen nitrites without some level of measurable ammonia in my tanks.

Of all the listed water quality information, I would be very worried about the level of nitrites. They are incredibly toxic if not being converted into nitrate.

Although I know it is best to do smaller water changes with sensitive animals like shrimp, I would probably do a large water change to get the nitrite levels down to a safer level. But truth be told, zero nitrites is the only safe leve.

[fishgeek]

sorry , my mistake nitrate at 50 and nitite at zero
apologies for the confusion

[YuccaPatrol]

Ok, much better that it is nitrate instead of nitrite.

But your nitrates are still very high, much higher than i would be comfortable keeping shrimp. If I were you, I would back off on the feeding completely and continue with daily or every-other-day water changes until the nitrate level comes down to a safe level.

Different people have different ideas about what a "safe" level of nitrate is, but I do not like to have it over 20ppm, although I know planted tank people purposefully dose higher than that.

By not feeding, you will eliminate one source of nitrates and your shrimp will still find stuff to eat in the tank for a while until you get the water conditons back under control.

[Shrimp&Snails]

I would do some water changes to bring the nitrate down. Do you know the level of nitrate in your tap water? If not I would test a sample after it's sat for an hour and then test the same water 24 hours after.

I use Aqua Plus to treat my tap water.......we have a bottle of stress coat but just use it to treat new fish. With four tanks it works out more cost effective for us to use aqua plus.

[Mustafa]

Try to get the nitrate down to under 5 if possible. Best is if you cannot measure any nitrate at all. Shrimp are much more sensitive to nitrate and organic waste than fish. Do 50 percent water changes every day until your nitrate is gone.

[fishgeek]

so you guys think is nitrates , and not fast water changes or anything silly

i think the algal coverd moss was too dense for good water flow and was holding onto material/detritis and causing a bit of a dead spot in circulation
i thik with that now gone i should be ok

and the good thing is that i now know the little red and milky shrimp is a male , hopely mustafa is wrong on him being ill , or if your right then maybe i can keep some alive that may be male

they certainly arent in many tanks around here

andrew