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Help I lost all my shrimp!

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:47 pm
by yeaulman
Ok so I had about 30 shrimp in a 10g fully cycled tank at about 76F. Its bare bottom with some floating and some potted plants. I recently just noticed each day that I lost about 3 or 4 shrimp till my entire stock was gone.

This is a new aquarium that has never been used for quarantine or a sick bay. Water parameters are: ph is 7.6, GH is 160mg/L, KH is 50mg/L.

Please help as I am baffled and no one in my city does shrimp other than me.

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:30 pm
by badflash
Check for amonia, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates and metals like copper and iron, etc. If you are using ferts that could be what killed them too.

How much were you feeding them?

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:48 pm
by yeaulman
Amonia, nitrates, nitrites, are all zero. I was feeding them every other day and made sure that no extra food was left over to contaminate the water.

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:01 pm
by Shrimp&Snails
How long was the tank set up before the deaths started?

Is the tank heavily planted?

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:31 pm
by Mustafa

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 10:20 am
by crazie.eddie
yeaulman wrote:Amonia, nitrates, nitrites, are all zero. I was feeding them every other day and made sure that no extra food was left over to contaminate the water.

Hmmm. New tank with levels at zero? Sounds like the tank hasn't been cycled yet. As the bioload (fish, shrimp, etc.) increases, they create waste, which then increases ammonia, nitrates/nitrites, etc. Eventually, the benificial bacteria will increase to match the bioload and feed on the waste, as long as there is enough surface area for them to grow on, which will then decrease the levels of ammonia, nitrates/nitrites, etc.

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:50 pm
by YuccaPatrol
I don't think that this has been mentioned before, but recent application of pesticides inside your home can kill your shrimp.

The lab next door to mine is used to raise crabs and other decapods and there is a large sign on the door stating that no pesticides be sprayed inside. They have had total losses of their specimins in the past when the exterminator has visited their lab.

At the very least, cover your aquariums before the exterminator comes and keep them covered for several days afterwards to help prevent such losses.

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 11:59 am
by yeaulman
The filter was set up in a different tank for about 6 months prior to me moving it to a newer tank. I had also put 50% of the water from the old tank in the new tank and moved the few shrimp I had in there to the new tank. Those originals are still alive and well.