Fertilizer & shrimps.

[Matuva]

Since the beginning, I'm using a well cycled tank for my red cherries. It has been a bit difficult to settle them, as they did travel 12 days from New York to my location, but finally, I had success keeping 1 male and 5 females in pretty good health.

 

They breed successfuly and give birth to around 80 shrimplets.

 

The male died late january.

 

Since 2 weeks now, I start using Seachem Flourish in my tank to help the plants I put in. 4  days ago, I found and adult female dead. At lunch time I came back home to check, and found another female dying. She was still alive so I pulled her out the tank and put her in an hospital tank. I will see this evening if she recovered or passed away.

 

Since 2 months now, we have high temperatures during the day, over 30°C. Today, the thermometer says my tank is at 33°C 

 

Any of you is using Seachem Flourish too? Any problem with that fertilizer, even though it is marked as safe for invertebraters like shrimps? Would you rather say the temperature is killing the cherries or something else?

 

All the juveniles seem OK, I didn't fine any dead, just the adult seem to pass away...

[jayc]

My guess would be Temps.

Consistent temps over 30 for 2 months isn't good. Especially if they are used to NY temps.

 

How's your water change routine? If you dose ferts, and are lazy with water changes, the TDS could rise to dangerously high levels.

Is your tank heavily planted?

I don't use ferts for my shrimp tanks, with the exception of Calcium, magnesium and potassium in doses enough for remineralising RO or rain water. I only keep low light plants in the tank, with the reasoning that my tanks are Shrimp tanks, not a Plant tank. So shrimps get the priority.

[Matuva]

mmm, I confess I'm a bit lazy with water changes. Usuually I change about 10~15% each week, but this time I put fertilizer without water change 

[jayc]

Do you have a TDS pen to test your water parameter?

 

In any case, I think heat or the reduction of it, is your main priority.

If you live in a hot country, chillers or cooling fans at a minimum is a must for shrimp.