Shrimp Dying

[Don 78]

MY adult shrimp have been dying after giving birth.

 

I only have many baby shrimp.

 

Water Parameters:

 

GH  120 ppm  (well water)

KH  120 ppm   (well water)

Ph 7.5

NO 2  0.5

NO 3  2.0

 

Temperature 73 degrees F.

Standard black and white gravel

Snails-   adults the size of a fingertip

Miniature white spiral snails

 

Red Sakura

Tangerine Tiger

Gold Yellow

Blue Dream

 

To my knowledge most babies survive:

Some red

Some red with a prominent red stripe on back similar to Gold Yellow

Some red and clear stripped

Some clear

I had two blue babies that have disappeared.

 

Planted tank:

Hornwort

Guppie grass

Cryptocoroyne wenditi

Dwarf Onion

Aponogeton Ulvaceus

 

 

Sponge filter

 

Warm white and daylight lighting

 

No Tropical Fish

 

Light feeding every other day.  ( I keep the snail population down to the point that they do not compete with shrimp for food.)

 

 

 

 

 

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[sdlTBfanUK]

Sorry you are losing the adult shrimps.

How long have you had the adults, if they are newish they may not have adapted to the new water if it is quite different from the previous water and the stress of birthing just been too much. Of coarse the shrimp born in the tank shouldn't be affected as they have always been in the water? If this is the problem it will just resolve itself as long as the water parameters are good and steady!

Are those water parameters correct as the KH seems very high at around 6? You shouldn't have nitrite either, though low nitrates isn't a problem.

Mixing different neocaridina will produce low quality offspring so you will get clear and poor colours and you would be best removing any lower grade before they are big enough to breed! The tangerine tigers should be ok as  they are caridina. Young shrimp are difficult to judge what they will look like when they grow, and molt more often than adults, so you don't want to cull them too young!

[Don 78]

The adults were in a cycled tank 3 to 5 weeks depending on when they were bought.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by jayc

[jayc]

Simon has highlighted something that is not right with your water parameters.

You should not be getting detectable nitrites.

The more important parameter to address as a priority is to reduce nitrite, the tank just needs to be cycled properly. You can try supplementing with beneficial bacteria. How big is the tank and the filter? A small tank and filter with lots of shrimp/fish can mean that there is not enough surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow and thus show signs of nitrite build up.

The KH of your water is too high, likely due to the water being well water, which is usually filtered through sand, stone and material that release carbonates. As for reducing KH, you will have to change water sources, to something like rainwater or Reverse Osmosis. Don't use KH down chemicals, which will just introduce a whole different problem.

[Don 78]

Simon,

Thanks for your input. I will recheck my water parameters.

Don