Aquamaxx 17.1 Gallon Caridina Tank Build

[Steensj2004]

So, good news. Marked, and I mean MARKED improvement on most of the crystals today. Only two have any real evidence of the disease. One of those two is the longest infected and furthest progression. However, they both show improvement as well. Multiple good molts, as well as one new berried female! I have just added another pellet dosed with the very diluted oregano oil before lights out. 
 

I can’t be sure, but I seem to be on the way out of this. Hopefully I see continued improvement, but I am optimistic as many of them are now, again, pearly white! Very excited. I’m not sure that I’m headed to victory, or of improvement will continue. However, they are molting well and breeding again. I hope that’s an indication of a win here 

Edited February 5, 2020 by Steensj2004

[Crabby]

That's great to hear! Hopefully the berried female makes it and you can re-establish your colony. Keep an eye on them just in case, as I'm sure you have been. Was this improvement only noticed since you tried the oil in bacter AE, or gradual?

[Steensj2004]

48 minutes ago, Crabby said:

That's great to hear! Hopefully the berried female makes it and you can re-establish your colony. Keep an eye on them just in case, as I'm sure you have been. Was this improvement only noticed since you tried the oil in bacter AE, or gradual?

I’ve suspected a gradual improvement, but I assumed I was just seeing what I wanted to see. Many have molted, and the color is back to normal with no hints of discoloration. The disease, as it started, looked like a reddish-pink overspray from a paint can. It gradually got darker, from tan, to brown, and then to a much darker brown.  Only a few progressed to black spots, but they passed. The worst one I have now was dark brown, but she has now moved back into the light tank/pinkish color. Several have moved to a barely  visible pink. Most are back to pure white.

[sdlTBfanUK]

Great to get some good news! I shall keep my fingers crossed it continues to improve and they breed to restock the tank!

Simon

[jayc]

18 hours ago, Steensj2004 said:

Many have molted, and the color is back to normal with no hints of discoloration

Glad to see the oregano oil bring improvement and even reversal of the effects of the disease for you. If we had done nothing, the fatality of Chitinolytic disease would have been a certainty.

[Steensj2004]

6 minutes ago, jayc said:

Glad to see the oregano oil bring improvement and even reversal of the effects of the disease for you. If we had done nothing, the fatality of Chitinolytic disease would have been a certainty.

I honestly cannot say that the oregano oil was the only factor. I’ve used oregano oil, salt dips, H2O2, Temp Drops, and oregano on food. It seems to be improving, but a few have some minor discoloration. However, my worst female seems to show absolute improvement, but I’m gunning for her to completely recover before I declare myself completely out of the woods. I wish she would molt, I feel if she would molt it would eliminate the remainder.

[Steensj2004]

I just got some foods in from Mark at Mark’s Shrimp Tanks. Nettle Blend is a busy, I swear these buttholes won’t touch prepared foods, ever.....?

[jayc]

2 hours ago, Steensj2004 said:

salt dips, H2O2, Temp Drops,

These have been shown to not work with curing Chitinolytic disease by several people by my experience.

 

[Steensj2004]

1 hour ago, jayc said:

These have been shown to not work with curing Chitinolytic disease by several people by my experience.

 

The very disease thread you referred me to said you were unsure if the H2O2 or the oil cured it. I’m confused.

[jayc]

25 minutes ago, Steensj2004 said:

The very disease thread you referred me to said you were unsure if the H2O2 or the oil cured it

That was an old statement, when I first wrote it. As it was a new treatment, we were still unsure.

But since then, more people have tried it and it has shown good results. 

I suppose I should update that thread. 

[Steensj2004]

The problem is I’ve had a horrible time getting my shrimp to eat prepared foods. Is it possible for something like BacterAE to soak in the diluted oil and deliver the dose?

Edited February 6, 2020 by Steensj2004

[jayc]

10 minutes ago, Steensj2004 said:

Is it possible for something like BacterAE to soak in the diluted oil and deliver the dose?

Any food that will soak it in can be used. As long as the shrimp eats it. Try different types of prepared foods if your shrimp doesn't like one type. I have some that are fussy eater too, until I started making my own foods.

[Steensj2004]

54 minutes ago, jayc said:

Any food that will soak it in can be used. As long as the shrimp eats it. Try different types of prepared foods if your shrimp doesn't like one type. I have some that are fussy eater too, until I started making my own foods.

And 4.5mL to on drop of oregano oil is the proper dilution? One drop to the food? Any dose to the water?

[jayc]

10 minutes ago, Steensj2004 said:

And 4.5mL to on drop of oregano oil is the proper dilution? One drop to the food?

one drop of oil to 90 drops of water, which is roughly 4.5ml. Use as many drops as you need to soak the food.

How many drops depends on the type of food. I use algae flakes, which can take 3-4 drops. But flakes or powdered foods might only need 1 drop. 

 

10 minutes ago, Steensj2004 said:

Any dose to the water?

No, don't add it to the water. I'm not making that mistake again ! ?

I can't believe you are brave enough to want to try again ?

Edited February 6, 2020 by jayc

[Steensj2004]

1 minute ago, jayc said:

one drop of oil to 90 drops of water, which is roughly 4.5ml. Use as many drops as you need to soak the food.

How many drops depends on the type of food. I use algae flakes, which can take 3-4 drops. But flakes or powdered foods might only need 1 drop. 

 

No, don't add it to the water. I'm not making that mistake again ! ?

I can't believe you are brave enough to want to try again ?

Just double checking to make sure I’m doing this right. 
 

Not brave, but I trust you guys as you’ve gotten me this far. All my shrimp would have perished without your help. I’m willing to try anything to help save my shrimp, I don’t think you should ever keep a pet you aren’t willing to do what’s needed to keep it healthy and happy.

Hey. Crazy thought. Would removing the shrimp from the water briefly, and adding a drop of the diluted water directly to the infected area work? Say, 30 seconds of saturation outside the tank?

[jayc]

1 minute ago, Steensj2004 said:

I don’t think you should ever keep a pet you aren’t willing to do what’s needed to keep it healthy and happy.

Good man. +1 rep.

[jayc]

48 minutes ago, Steensj2004 said:

Hey. Crazy thought. Would removing the shrimp from the water briefly, and adding a drop of the diluted water directly to the infected area work? Say, 30 seconds of saturation outside the tank?

You would be the first to have tried it. Doesn't sound too crazy, but holding such a small shrimp could be challenging.

The only caution, apart from squashing it, is you need to be careful not to get any of the diluted oregano oil into it's gills ... which is near the mouth parts of the shrimp. So if you can hold it still enough to splash the tail section only, then it might work to kill the surface bacteria. 

[Crabby]

That would be really tough on a creature that small. But if you think you can do it then it would be good to see if it’s effective. Could be a good alternative for the somewhat risky method you attempted (although this is certainly not without its risks either, it may be an improvement though).

[sdlTBfanUK]

I still think the easiest and safest way would be to get a clear plastic (ziplock or similar) container, scoop some tank water in it and float it in the tank - it is then the same as a hospital/quarantine tank! I would then put a drop of the oil onto a piece of food, give it a while to soak in, if it is too big a piece it doesn't matter as it won't be going in the tank anyway at this point. Put the shrimp and food/oil in the container and walk away for 30 minutes or so. Shrimp are scavengers so with no other food in the container I am sure it will find it after a while and start to eat some of the food/oil. Once the shrimp has (or even if it doesn't) eat some you can just tip everything back into the tank, except the treated bit of food maybe, although as long as it isn't too huge it wouldn't matter if that goes in the tank as well!

This is all based on logic/theory though as I haven't tried it, but would be what I would do as it is simple and safe, logically anyway??? Someone may have other thoughts about this though???

Simon

 

[Crabby]

3 minutes ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

I still think the easiest and safest way would be to get a clear plastic (ziplock or similar) container, scoop some tank water in it and float it in the tank - it is then the same as a hospital/quarantine tank! I would then put a drop of the oil onto a piece of food, give it a while to soak in, if it is too big a piece it doesn't matter as it won't be going in the tank anyway at this point. Put the shrimp and food/oil in the container and walk away for 30 minutes or so. Shrimp are scavengers so with no other food in the container I am sure it will find it after a while and start to eat some of the food/oil. Once the shrimp has (or even if it doesn't) eat some you can just tip everything back into the tank, except the treated bit of food maybe, although as long as it isn't too huge it wouldn't matter if that goes in the tank as well!

This is all based on logic/theory though as I haven't tried it, but would be what I would do as it is simple and safe, logically anyway??? Someone may have other thoughts about this though???

Simon

 

I think maybe @Steensj2004 should try both options suggested by our mods. Both sound like good ideas that revolve around isolation insuring that a maximum of 2 shrimp (if you do both ideas) could die, and no more. Neither option sounds harmful, and they're both untested theories, so maybe this could prove a good opportunity to do a little shrimpy science experiment. You could select 2 shrimp that are about equal way toward recovery, perform the separate treatments on them then either keep them in isolation together or back in the tank but be able to monitor them and their individual progress. Just an idea though.

[beanbag]

8 hours ago, Steensj2004 said:

Hey. Crazy thought. Would removing the shrimp from the water briefly, and adding a drop of the diluted water directly to the infected area work? Say, 30 seconds of saturation outside the tank?

Don't do it

[Crabby]

Beanbag why do you say that?

[Steensj2004]

Well.... before I saw the responses, I did it. ?
 

-Caught in net.

-Used dropper to drop Oul water directly into the shrimp’s body.

-Let sit for 30 seconds.

-Rinsed shrimp in container of tank water.

-Reintroduced Shrimp to tank.

 

Shrimp is  fine, eating and moving normally. I haven’t seen any change, so probably a waste of time, not worth the risk.

 

another dose of BacterAE, Shrimp Fit, and Bug Bites soaked in oil. Added to tank. Turned pumps off so all settles easily to the bottom. The seem to go after the bug bites. Getting exhausted

Edited February 6, 2020 by Steensj2004

[Steensj2004]

Welp, random shrimp death.odd, as it was one of the less affected shrimp? Shrimp treated outside the tank is showing improvement in the form of the darkened area lightning up. Others looking a bit better too. Just added more Bug Bites treated with diluted oil water. 

At this point it’s hard to tell anymore. I’m exhausted of this and considering giving up.

[sdlTBfanUK]

Hang in there! The occasional shrimp dying with all thats going on would be expected by me, some will be less healthy/stronger than others with everything that has happened?

Been there a few times myself in the past, and very close to that point now myself so I can sympathise? Keep at it though especially if you are getting babies!

Simon