My Shrimp are dying!!!

[MrDanger]

About two years ago I had about 50 shrimp in a glass bowl, I got them as a biosphere, but opened it up and started changing water and feeding them spirlina. I added some black aquarium gravel and a black lava rock.They were very happy and growing. About a month ago, I ran out of the normal salt I had bought and used for over two years. I went to the shop where I bought the salt and they were closed for business for good. So I searched all over town for the same salt... I could not locate any and I didn't remember what the brand was exactly, so I couldn't buy it online. I went to another local fish supply and got "Instant Ocean".

I mixed up a batch of fresh brackish water, using distilled water and the Instant Ocean, and proceeded with my 25% water change. I noticed right away that something was wrong... the shrimp were darting around the tank, like something was hurting them. I ran to the store to get more distilled water, and decided to add a bit without salt, because the salinity looked a bit high. I woke up the next day and all the shrimp were dead.

My thought was that the distilled water may be the culprit, so I looked online and saw that some distilled water companies use copper piping to do the distilling, which is toxic to fish.

I accepted my loss and decided to get a reverse osmosis water filter, specifically for the fish water. I made a gallon of water with the new filter, and mixed in the Instant Ocean to the correct salinity. I also took out all the rocks and the decorative coral, and boiled them to get any algae off of them, I then soaked the gravel and coral in brackish water before reintroducing them to the tank.

A few days later my new shrimp arrived. I measured the salinity of their water they came in, and matched the figure by adding a tiny bit more instant ocean. After a day, the water was a very milky cloudy color. I read that this is likely a microorganism bloom, and that if left alone, it will disperse in a few days.

I woke up today... and all the shrimp are near dead.... they are all laying on their backs with their legs twitching.... WHAT CAN I DO????

[Harry]

It's hard to diagnose over the Internet. I doubt that copper piping used in the distillation process caused this. The R/O water failure would confirm this. I can only assume that some contaminant got into your glass bowl and the objects therein and will not easily be removed. I would recommend starting fresh with a brand new bowl, brand new gravel, new decorations, new everything. Then cycle the tank in with some snails and maybe just a few shrimp.

[MrDanger]

I'm at my wits end.

I started a fresh tank, a 5 gallon octagon tank with new black aquarium sand, rocks and brackish aquarium plants. I added 3 nerite snails which seem to be doing fine. My remaining shrimp were introduced to the new tank after a week - I used a marine water conditioner and a PH enhancer to get a perfect water chemistry. I ran a carbon filter for a few days and the water was crystal clear and had the proper salinity for breeding.

All the shrimp died.

Should I do a complete water change and wait a month before introducing any new shrimp? I really liked raising my shrimp, but I am discouraged and don't wish to kill any more creatures.

Aponogeton, crispus
Crinum aquatica (Crinum natans)
Java Moss (Vesicularia Dubyana)
3 nerite snails
5 gallon Octogon tank
Salinity 1.015 specific gravity

[Harry]

Several possibilities here. Your shrimp may have had some illness, but I doubt it. You bought new shrimp and they died too. If your water chemistry is correct for salinity and pH, then I must question your water. Because you are using RO water, I assume that you start with your tap water. Perhaps there is something in your water that is killing the shrimp - something that the RO process does not remove.

I can't think of anything else. So I suggest that you buy distilled water from your local supermarket. I use Poland Spring distilled water in gallon containers. Mix the correct amount of Instant Ocean and perhaps forget about the conditioner (I don't use that and have no problems). Boil your sand (I always do). Use distilled water as your water appears to be suspect. I always bake my rocks at 350, rinse first with distilled water. I don't know about your plants and what they may carry. Don't use them, as we want to control our variables. Anyway, most plants die in brackish water, even thought hey are sold for brackish water (Java moss is an example). I just use Mustafa's macroalgae. Get some of that and rinse it well with distilled water. Then add your nerites and a bit of algae food or lettuce. That should start your tank cycling. If you use your filter, rinse with distilled water and get new media. Add ten shrimp and see what happens. I'm hoping that will solve your problem - worth a try.

[KenCotigirl]

MrDanger sorry to hear you lost so many shrimp. I will not try to figure out what went wrong just give you tips if you wish to start again. Make your brackish water. Rinse and add substrate rocks etc. wait a month. When you see algae/biofilm growing on wall objects add snails and macroalgae. If all looks good after a week or two order some shrimp. I have not experienced very cloudy water. Slightly cloudy but never milky. I do not recommend any of the plants you are using. You do not age your tank long enough. There is no need to do 25% water changes using the Mustafa Method (MM). pH enhancer and water conditioner not necessary. Filter not necessary with MM. Spend your money on an ammonia and a nitrite test kit. How are you measuring salinity?

[Harry]

I agree with Ken's comment on starting over. But I would recommend you do it with store bought distilled water. We need to rule out your tap water as the problem.

[MrDanger]

I am using an Extech RF20 Salinity Refractometer to measure salinity.

I have done as Harry suggested above. All except the store water. I contacted my reverse RO water filter manufacturer and the model of filter I got was made specifically for aquarium water creation: http://www.reverseosmosisrevolution.com ... 01-B2.html

I boiled the sand and gravel, I baked the rocks at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours. I added all back to the aquarium and am now waiting. My snails are doing fine in a glass jar with some of the old tank water for now. I will do as suggested and wait a month until I can see some algae growth, then I will get some macroalgae and reintroduce the snails.

Thank you for all your assistance.

[KenCotigirl]

Mr. danger. I wish you good luck. We made it sound more complicated than it is. I am sure you will succeed.

Ken

[Harry]

I understand that your RO unit is designed and intended for aquarium water. A long while back, I used an RO unit to make water for a fish aquarium. But shrimp are invertebrates and have different requirements than fish. There are many heavy metals and other elements that are harmful to invertebrates. And I'm wondering if your tap water has an excess of one of those. The distillation process will leave those heavy metals behind.

Keep doing what you are doing. But if you fail again, then it would be a good idea to rule out water as the problem.

[JasonG3333]

I came across this post and was going to suggest that you simply follow these steps: http://www.petshrimp.com/opaesetup.php, and do no more and no less than what it suggests is necessary for a healthy tank. But then I noticed that the last reply was a year old. So, what did you end up doing and did it work? Just curious. Hope you got it all worked out!

[Mustafa]

I came across this post and was going to suggest that you simply follow these steps: http://www.petshrimp.com/opaesetup.php, and do no more and no less than what it suggests is necessary for a healthy tank. But then I noticed that the last reply was a year old. So, what did you end up doing and did it work? Just curious. Hope you got it all worked out!

Thanks for pointing out the link again! I can't emphasize enough how simply following those instructions will give people the best chance of success with these animals! Just do it people! Trust me!