Shrimp are dying and tank has many pests

[Sophia24]

Hi everyone,

 

I really need some help with my tank, I left someone to take care of it while I was vacationing and it's been going downhill ever since. 

 

I have a relatively new planted fluval edge 12 gallon, shrimp only for now. My shrimp have been dying and now I have 1 berried female, 2-3 medium shrimplets, and 3 baby snails, unfortunately there are also: slithering white wormlike things (planaria?), 20 ish tiny (1-2 mm) hydras, tiny unknown nematodes, and numerous freshwater limpets.

 

I don't know what I've done wrong to mess it up this bad and currently I'm thinking to move the remaining shrimp and snails to a smaller temporary tank and completely redo the larger one.

 

Please help, any advice is welcome.

 

 

[OzShrimp]

If you can post your water paremeters of the tank and some photos of the pests and we can confirm for you and provide the appropriate advice.

The worm like things are either A planaria as you said or B nematodes which are harmless.

 

A great shrimp safe product for killing planaria is Internal parasite clear which you can buy here 

http://www.aquariumonlinestore.com.au/products-page/medications-additives/internal-parasite-clear-50g/

 

If you search the forum there is a big discussion and tests done on the product so no need to stress :) 

[Squiggle]

My guess would be over feeding for the pests but for they dying problem, as Oz has said, we would need your complete water parameters to be able to help with that (pH, GH, KH, TDS, temp, nitrate, nitrite & ammonia).

[steffiev]

If you can post your water paremeters of the tank and some photos of the pests and we can confirm for you and provide the appropriate advice.

The worm like things are either A planaria as you said or B nematodes which are harmless.

 

A great shrimp safe product for killing planaria is Internal parasite clear which you can buy here 

http://www.aquariumonlinestore.com.au/products-page/medications-additives/internal-parasite-clear-50g/

 

If you search the forum there is a big discussion and tests done on the product so no need to stress :) 

 

I'll add the link for the review of the product for you.

http://shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/index.php/topic/2638-hydra-planaria-shrimp-safe-removal/

 

Other than this product, there is also something else called No Planaria but I have never used both products.

 

And this link to identify the creatures:

http://shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/index.php/topic/1384-aquariumtank-creatures-101/

 

Slithering white thing does sound like planaria to me. If chemical warfare is not your thing (and the population is low), take a small dropper or turkey baster and remove the planaria and nematodes manually on sight by sucking them out. Don't squish planaria or more will grow!

The limpets are harmless but you can squish those if you dislike them! 

 

You can add micro fish if you fancy them to predate on the pests too. Though if they are not interested in the pests, tough luck. And there is always the potential that they will eat your baby shrimplets. If it fits (in their mouth), they eats.

 

Or if worst comes to worst, you can disinfect the whole tank. D: with H2O2 maybe? (or if unavailable, a stronger alternative would be a bleach solution) No experience regarding this so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Edited March 1, 2015 by steffiev

[OzShrimp]

There have been issues with no planaria however which in the rare  occassion your shrimp can die. 

[Ronskitz]

I can send you a small bag of internal parasite clear if you want. I dont have much to contribute to SKF with but iv got more than enough ipc to share lol

[Sophia24]

pH: 6.25

Nh3: 0

No2: 0.01 (almost undetectable)

NO3: 7

all in mg/L using a liquid test

 

I don't have tests for kh or gh but the surrounding temperature is kept consistently at 25º c, I've had a problem with the pH dropping but have alleviated that using a bag of crushed coral in the filter, the plants I have are also not thriving. I don't know if I want to use chemicals yet because there are not many planaria and the hydras are still tiny (photo attached). I do plan on adding some very small fish but not until the tank is stable and the plants and shrimps are thriving.  

[kizshrimp]

I agree with Squiggle, the hydra, limpets etc suggest an excess of available food. You will need to check your GH and KH because with crushed coral in the filter and acidic water, these will be climbing in an uncontrolled way. Coral is just calcium carbonate so as it dissolves your calcium:magnesium ratio is getting out of whack. You can read about Ca:Mg ratios under water parameters here on SKF. 

Trace nitrite is still nitrite so that could also be contributing to your issues. 

[Sophia24]

Ok that makes sense thank you, I will feed less but I don't know what to do about the GH/KH, I will purchase tests to start tracking them but without the coral I've had the pH go down to as low as 5 and I lost several shrimp because of it.