Hey Everyone,
Every other day I find one or two more dead shrimp in my new tank. Should perform a large (50%?) water change to get rid of whatever toxins may be in the water?
My set-up: about 10 shrimp in a 2.5 G tank, bubble-powered foam filter that was bubbled in an established tank for a week, I'm adding Cycle every week, small heater for temp around 78F.
Feeding: once a week I'll put in 1 or 2 flakes or a lettuce leaf (removed after 1 hour), is this not enough for them?
Plants: java moss clump takes up about 75% of the tank... is this too much?? I assume they eat from this a lot.
Water parameters: checked by local pet store, all OK.
So should I do a large water change? Remove some plants? Feed more often
Thanks for the help!
Michael
Red Cherries slowly dying off...
Moderator: Mustafa
Re: Red Cherries slowly dying off...
how long has your tank been running for?
if the set-up is relatively new, then the tank is not yet mature enough for red cherries (or any shrimp). seeding a filter helps cycle a tank quicker, but the shrimp rely on biofilm for feeding that a muture tank provides. based on my own experience, i would feed them small amounts every day with a variety of food (fish flakes, algae wafers, vegetables, frozen bloodworms; for example). if you feed vegetables, make sure they are soft (blanch them first), and leave in the tank for a few hours. if the shrimp are not growing (if you've had them long enough to tell), then they are likely being starved.
i wouldn't suggest such a large water change in a 2.5 gallon tank if your water parameters are ok. is it possible that you gave them a water sample after you did a water change? do your own tests if possible - test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate - if these are out of whack, then there is your problem. if the tank is new, ammonia spikes could be killing them off, despite the large amount of moss you have which is a great source of filtration. in this case, frequent water changes will be necessary until the tank establishes itself.
also, stop adding the cycle, make sure you are using a good water conditioner to condition the water before you add it to the tank, and try and add new water (during changes) that is close in temperature to the tank water. lastly, what kind of heater are you using? make sure that you water temperature isn't fluctuating by more than 2-3 degrees over the course of a day. hopefully this helps a bit. good luck.
if the set-up is relatively new, then the tank is not yet mature enough for red cherries (or any shrimp). seeding a filter helps cycle a tank quicker, but the shrimp rely on biofilm for feeding that a muture tank provides. based on my own experience, i would feed them small amounts every day with a variety of food (fish flakes, algae wafers, vegetables, frozen bloodworms; for example). if you feed vegetables, make sure they are soft (blanch them first), and leave in the tank for a few hours. if the shrimp are not growing (if you've had them long enough to tell), then they are likely being starved.
i wouldn't suggest such a large water change in a 2.5 gallon tank if your water parameters are ok. is it possible that you gave them a water sample after you did a water change? do your own tests if possible - test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate - if these are out of whack, then there is your problem. if the tank is new, ammonia spikes could be killing them off, despite the large amount of moss you have which is a great source of filtration. in this case, frequent water changes will be necessary until the tank establishes itself.
also, stop adding the cycle, make sure you are using a good water conditioner to condition the water before you add it to the tank, and try and add new water (during changes) that is close in temperature to the tank water. lastly, what kind of heater are you using? make sure that you water temperature isn't fluctuating by more than 2-3 degrees over the course of a day. hopefully this helps a bit. good luck.
Re: Red Cherries slowly dying off...
...and, is there any natural algae growing in the tank for them to eat?
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MichaelAngelo
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Re: Red Cherries slowly dying off...
Thanks Crawford,
The tank in total is only 2 weeks old and I figured that just having a cycled filter foam in-tank would do the trick. Ouch!
The water was tested last week, so your right I might have a problem on my hands.
I'll feed them a little daily and I'll also do small daily water changes... how much water should I change?
The tank in total is only 2 weeks old and I figured that just having a cycled filter foam in-tank would do the trick. Ouch!
The water was tested last week, so your right I might have a problem on my hands.
I'll feed them a little daily and I'll also do small daily water changes... how much water should I change?
Re: Red Cherries slowly dying off...
if the tank is only 2 weeks new, i'd guess that you have measureable amounts of ammonia. try anywhere from 25- 40% water changes (or when you get a test kit, you can see for yourself how much water you need to change to bring the ammonia levels down to zero).
Prime water conditioner will help remove the ammonia as well as dechlorinate the water, if you have access to it. But if ammonia is in fact your problem, a seeded filter and all that moss should sort things out for you soon (took me ~3 weeks to cycle my 2.5 gallon with a seeded filter and few plants).
Prime water conditioner will help remove the ammonia as well as dechlorinate the water, if you have access to it. But if ammonia is in fact your problem, a seeded filter and all that moss should sort things out for you soon (took me ~3 weeks to cycle my 2.5 gallon with a seeded filter and few plants).