losing the shrimpy love

[smicko]

Hi all, I've had a bad run with shrimp lately and I'm just not feeling it anymore.

My daughter decided to feed the fire red tank with 10 algae wafers after i had already put two in there.

Needless to say ammonia spike and so far I've found five dead berried girls :(.

Done the 50% waterchange and pulled two pairs out just in case.

This is after I lost most of my crs and found a tiger baby in with my Tb mish breeders.

At the moment I have the desire to give my fish a tasty treat, i think i just need to drop a mulberry leaf in each tank and leave all the shrimp to fend for themselves for a while.

On a good note I have 3 species of fish happily breeding which is keeping me a bit happier.

I'm sure some of you have had times like this, so what are the suggestions to get over it?

Sorry to be a downer, just venting.

Cheers mick

Edited August 8, 2014 by smicko

[fishmosy]

All good, had plenty of times like this. 1000s of $$ worth of fish die overnight, ect.

Thought many times about closing down my tanks. Its been either the challenge of completing the goal I set for myself (breed species X) or buying a new species that kept me going.

If it is easy, is it really worth doing?

Chin up, mate.

[jayc]

We have all been there Mick.

 

At least, your consolation is that you know what the cause is (overfeeding). Some of us loose dozens of shrimp, but can't pin point the cause. That's even more disheartening.

 

I would leave it for a while too, don't get caught up with being too preoccupied with it. Minimise the chores of tank maintenance and just enjoy watching them more.

 

If you have too many tanks -> downsize. Only maintain a few tanks so the whole maintenance routine isn't a chore. Give yourself more time to just sit and look at the tanks - like watching tv.

[AllyL]

I know how you feel smicko.

I joined the forum some time last year, gave up on shrimps cos they all went to shrimpy heaven, n now im back again.

 

Sometimes its just good to have a short break and get back all fired up for another go. 

 

All the best.

 

PS. I can offer your shrimps a "holiday home" in my tanks til you get your love back hahaha

[ineke]

Don't lose heart. Leave them be for a little while and then check to see what surprises there might be. As the others have said we have all been there but the little beggars get under your skin and you can't help but be enchanted with them all over again.

Chin up and if you do need new stock let us know , I for one will gladly send you some replacement shrimp - not reds but almost any other colour.i will be home in 2 weeks

[newbreed]

Sorry to hear your at this stage Mick. We all hit it at times, I almost chucked in the towel in December, and went off the radar for awhile after losing 50% of my shrimpies! I did as you suggested, stepped back and kept it to minimal attention for a month or so. Then once some berries turned up it got me invigorated again.

Sometimes you need to step back! Hope you don't give them up for good.

Great to hear your fish are doing well! May need to see some pics of them.

[smicko]

Thanks for the advice and offers, i don't need more stock i have managed to save some pairs from everything so it's all good.

Just needed to vent lol.

I won't be giving up all together, i done that with fish a few years ago and then the shrimp enticed me back.

I still regret getting rid of all my breeding racks.

I only have 20 tanks at the moment so it's not too much maintenance.

I will still hang around on the forum, just won't look at my tanks for a month or so except for fortnightly waterchanges.

Cheers mick

[BlueBolts]

Sorry to hear :-( We ALL need to take a breather, so no harm in detuning on shrimps for a while...as I'm sure it'll eventually draw you back.....I got myself a marine tank, kept me busy and interested, and after 6-8 weeks, my interest in shrimp breeding is kicking in again.....:-)

[Shrimp Aqua]

Yes Mick know the feeling, gives ya the s...s but hang in there mate. It would seem most times this happens it boils down to human error, if you have been in the hobby for some time you know you cant just walk away once you have been bitten by this wonderful hobby. Good luck as i am sure your desire will return in no time.

[OzShrimp]

What i find helpful in reinventing the passion is to rescape your tank and go buy a couple of things for the tank 

[Squiggle]

Bummer dude, sorry to hear it. As has been mentioned already, we've all lost bucket loads in the past, just recently I was testing a new product that had the potential to revolutionise shrimping but it killed everything in my cherry rack, nothing to do but say doh! I agreed to test the stuff so it was my own fault, lucky I didn't test it on the TB rack

[ineke]

Oh bummer Squiggs that must have hurt!

[smicko]

Wow @Squiggle, i wouldnt have expected that from you, but I know we all make mistakes. @BlueBolts, i am in the process of setting up a new marine for my wife and I must admit between that and rekindling my love of geophagus species it has kept me going.

Which reminds me, i will put some pics up of the new fish.

It just meant I could no longer keeping shrimp in 4ft tanks, they have been downgraded to smaller tanks.

@Shrimp Aqua I've been in the hobby for nearly twenty years breeding so I don't think the love will ever completely die, it just needs a jumpstart occasionally.

@ everyone else thanks for the comments, i will never give up completely I've tried and I just come back to my first love haha

Cheers mick

Edited August 8, 2014 by smicko

[poeticwinter]

ouch dunno how old and tall your daughter. may be put the tank higher so your daughter cant reach the tank or have locked shrimp room. hope it will back in track!!!

[smicko]

Thanks @poeticwinter the tank is in her room as she has been in charge of my fire red program for nearly a year.

She is doing a great job of culling the crap and keeping the best, she must have just had a brainfart lol.

She is only nine so I'm not too upset with her but it may delay the discus tank she wants me to setup for her.

Cheers mick

[poeticwinter]

ah not to worry then everyone make mistake and learn from it :) glad your daughter in to it so you can enjoy shrimp keeping with your family^^ not all hobbiest can share how fun the shrimp keeping... so yeah youre the lucky one :)

Thanks @poeticwinter the tank is in her room as she has been in charge of my fire red program for nearly a year.

She is doing a great job of culling the crap and keeping the best, she must have just had a brainfart lol.

She is only nine so I'm not too upset with her but it may delay the discus tank she wants me to setup for her.

Cheers mick

[smicko]

Definitely agree with you on that, I have two daughters, 9 and 15, my 15 year old breeds bristlenose, apistogramma cacatuodies and she is creating her own type of guppy, my wife only likes marine and hates everything else. But she is outnumbered lol.

Cheers mick

[OzShrimp]

Invest in an eheim gravel vac good for quickly sucking excess food out :)

 

Got one from when i was breeding bristlenose for their poop lol

[smicko]

@OzShrimp i have one of those, great little toy, i don't vacuum the shrimp tanks as they ate all planted.

I just stir up the water just before waterchanges and have good mechanical filtration.

Cheers mick

[CNgo2006]

Bummer dude, sorry to hear it. As has been mentioned already, we've all lost bucket loads in the past, just recently I was testing a new product that had the potential to revolutionise shrimping but it killed everything in my cherry rack, nothing to do but say doh! I agreed to test the stuff so it was my own fault, lucky I didn't test it on the TB rack

Guess this Boss aint as brave as the one before...LOL!

[smicko]

I'm feeling the bug biting again, i left all my tanks to fend for themselves and had many losses i still have pairs of most types so it won't take long.

I managed to break a couple of vertebrate in my back at work so their was no maintenance happening, end result was tds 430, Gh 12, Kh 40 and a lot of death.

After six months of waiting and pain I finally got approved for the operation i need which is happening next week and I feel like I have a new lease on life.

I have a red bolt program, a blue diamond cherry program and a fire red program happening at the moment.

I have decided I am only going to only keep sss grade cbs and crs, just need to get some.

I am inspired by reading a few threads on here and I am slowly preparing for taiwan bees, i have had a half hearted attempt at mishlings before but I lost them in the last few months.

THE PLAN

I have a 3x15x18 that is next to the lounge I'm going to be basically stuck on for the next six weeks whilst I recover so that will be the Tb tank, plenty of hours of shrimp staring lol.

As i am only on a part wage from workcover it will take around four weeks to get it full of shrimp.

The tank is already cycled with gravel and has some peacock moss, blyxa japonica and anubias.

I also have two Ottos in there.

I have added a 7cm layer of shrimp soil on top of the gravel and when I get out of hospital it will be ready for shrimp.

I am getting some cbs mishlings from gbang and hopefully at least one panda if the cash is available.

Over the following couple of weeks i will save to buy a bluebolt to go in with them.

I am thinking with cbs mish, bb and panda i should get a good mix of shrimplets.

I have a divided two foot downstairs that is the failed mish tank and I will use that to separate the different types of Tb i hopefully get from the first drops and the rest will make history.

I would like to thank the community here, although I haven't posted much I have been reading alot and that has inspired me to keep going and expand the collection.

Sorry about the long post, i just had to make my plan public so it will keep me on track.

To the future

Cheers mick

[jayc]

I'm feeling the bug biting again,.

Great to hear Mick.

Sounds like the shrimp bug bit hard, with those plans you have.

Hope your back gets better quickly after the operation.

JayC.

[ineke]

Great stuff Mick. Having similar health issues and a neck op in the near future I can sympathise with you. Pain issues never completely go away and it's wearying on life in general so it's good to ave an interest to turn to. Hang in there and things should look better once you get over your op. it is a great feeling when you get reienthused with these little creatures and as you say it doesn't take long to see results.

Good luck with the op and let us know how you are getting on.

[Shrimp Aqua]

Hi Mick, hope all goes well with the operation, I had a laminectomy done in 1984,so good to have no pain after years of putting up with it.   You will still have to be careful when lifting things but that wont be happening for quiet a while believe me.   Good to see you still have some shrimp and getting back into it, hope your new breeding program is successful as well as your operation.  All the best and good luck.

[smicko]

Thanks peeps, I'm looking forward to no more pain and no more pills.

Yes @jayc the bug bit really hard lol.

Cheers mick