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It would be better to have two slightly different parameters for neos and caridina...Very Experienced Shrimpkeepers have told me that neos don't do well long term in caridina parameters. They like a little KH. So I suggest two systems. The easiest way to share water is just to set up the tanks at the same level and have a U-shaped piece of pipe connecting the tanks. Of course, this U shaped tube can't leak or it won't work. It's called a "bridge" - now use teh GOOG for implementation ideas.

umm, Jayc, did you take into account that in the other thread with oregano oil, the original poster first cut the oil down by approx 90 x with water? Just for vague reference, API Melafix (melaleuca oil) has a dose of 1% x 5ml per 10 gal. Here the dose was 90% x 2mL per 12 gal, so...

I would leave restocking as the babies may restock anyway if the survive. I would just carry on as you are for a few weeks and see that everything settles down, you can't rush nature and just adding more may upset everything again. Personally, the approach I am taking at the moment is to almost ignore the tank for 2-3 weeks (I only have a couple of shrimp left anyway) to let nature sort itself out and settle down - also gives me more time to take a break from everything going tits up? You have more shrimp left than me so you will need to do the regular routine stuff like weekly water change (if you do that) and feeding, less though as you have less shrimps etc. A lot of things I have learnt is that being human and wanting everything sorted quickly just ends up upsetting everything, we need to be more patient and stop messing with things, especially if it isn't broken (I know yours was broken most likely as the shells were discolored). I should have left my tank alone and not tried to get the Ph up just because it would be better in theory (assuming of coarse that was what went wrong with mine)? At the stage you are at I would leave well alone unless they continue to die, in which case another slow water change might be a good idea, but that's just the view of someone who has killed more shrimps than I want to admit too, on more than the one occasion over the years, there are lots of people on here with more experience than I. The thing I (as a novice, especially with cycling) would be a little worried about is if you used this oil that kills bacteria, is the tank/filter cycled still, especially if there is still some oil in the tank or is it going to need time to 'cycle' again? Again, I would just give it time as it is and not think about restocking at this point? Simon

Thanks everyone! The idea of a water bridge is very cool. But as a former middle school science teacher, I know something will need to be in place to circulate the flow. I appreciate the tip on keeping two separate parameters. While I can keep distinct neo varieties in each tank, I can count on the favorite types breeding reliably in just two of the tanks. Here’s what I think I’ll do: -Find a cheap water bridge solution and place a screen on one end (to keep shrimpers from passing) to cross between the two setups. -Get an intake/two-way pump for each setup and submerge in a bucket of exchange water. This will hopefully get things flowing around and get make the bridges work and thanks for the advice.

I removed the rock this morning so plan to leave it a few weeks (mid february) to run as is before getting some shrimps. At least then we are near breeding time so that gives them an extra (last) chance? Of coarse that involves a lot of self control to NOT order more shrimp immediately................... Simon

Firstly, I would buy 2 heaters and you are finished and sorted instantly and probably it would be the cheapest/easiest route anyway. One thing I have learned (not for financial reasons in my case) is that short cuts rarely work and usually cost waaaay more than you may have saved and cause havoc with the shrimps etc! That out of the way lets proceed: I like the idea of the bridge as others have mentioned, it looks fun, but there are a number of problems here I THINK??? 1) The bridge may hold water but water (warmth) won't travel along it between the tanks as the water isn't circulating between the tanks just because they are connected, there has to be something driving the flow through the bridge for it to work as you want it to. The shrimps may travel along it between tanks so they will all mix, but if that is what you want you may as well have 1 LARGE tank then you are sorted and you must have enough heaters/filters etc. That's a lot of work though to set up a new large tank, but will be a lot easier long term!? This will also be more difficult to keep the various tanks exactly the same parameters as well! For the purposes of the video it is only meant as a way for fish to go between tanks and would work for that purpose! 2) Connecting the tanks with some sort of canister filter system is the normal way to go (and shops usually have this) but will be expensive/complicated to set up, and if you get a problem with sickness in one tank it will very likely affect the other tanks as well. All the tanks will have the same parameters though! These systems are usually fairly big so you need somewhere to keep it as well. 3) By having the 4 separate tanks as you have now (with individual heaters) you can have different parameters for the different types of shrimps easily. Any tanks that you want to mix cherry and caridina, aim for the upper end of caridina parameters as they are more sensitive and the cherry should be fine with those parameters as they are much more adaptable! The end result though is that anything other than just buying 2 heaters is really a false economy and a bit mad really, in my opinion! Any saving made on electricity by having less heaters will probably be offset by electric to run another sort of extra circulation system setup? Someone else may have other ideas though? Simon

I haven’t used any bottled bacteria, I did consider using some in the tank after all this, but decided against it. This is really frustrating, but thinks are looking better. Will I need to wait for a moly to see improvement, or should I see improvement before? Should I be providing a calcium supplement?

Bacteria can simply drift in from the air. The same reason people are able to get tanks cycling without any additives. Maybe try something like Eco-Balance, which claims to displace "bad" bacteria. I don't have proof that it works, though. Then there's the "natural" acti-bacterial things like: lower temperature, lower pH, tannins, etc.

Let's wait and see. However, if any more start dying or showing signs of discomfort, do another water change. I have a theory but it's unproven. Bacteria in a bottle (powered or liquid) - we add this into the tank to try to seed the tank with beneficial bacteria. But it risks introducing "other" bacteria types. The real aquatic bacteria that breaks down ammonia cannot live in an air tight bottle without ammonia for long. So what really is in those bottles? Anaerobic bacillus should be the dominant strain in the bottle, but what else? Did the manufacturers take that much care to ensure that no other harmful strain was added to the bottle? Do they really test their products after it is bottled that closely? All questions I have no answers for. Bacteria is everywhere, on our hands, in the water, so it's difficult saying definitively that that is the source, or this is the source of the problem.

Out of the remaining, a few do have discoloration. Time will tell. Should I be doing any other water changes or should what I’ve done be sufficient? i wonder how they came down with this disease. It’s boggling my mind. I read bad water parameters, but I thought my water levels were pretty good?

Thank you for your understanding. That means very much to me. My intentions were never to harm your shrimp. Lessons are definitely being learnt here. As I mentioned before, there are no official meds with exact doses for shrimps. So we are learning everyday. If we do nothing, and lose shrimp slowly to bacteria we cannot treat, than we still lose. Do you still see any shrimps with the abnormal colouration? It will take a few days to take affect. So we just need to watch and wait.

Yes, or so I thought. The original poster worked in drops. The problem is, 1 drop is not a measurable unit. I had to convert 'drops' into millilitres.

.Will do. Your experience will be noted as a possibility. You have had a very bad experience with it. The dose might have been too high, for that I apologize, as that was my suggestion.

Hello, Perhaps there is a thread here on this, but I wasn’t sure what search terms to use. I have 4 shrimp breeding tanks next to each other in a pretty chilly basement. I have two whisperer air pumps oxygenating four sponge filters (they have two valves each). I only have two heaters though, and I don’t want to run four (too expensive and energy demanding). my goal is to keep the tanks very stable at the same parameters, to be able to support Neocaridina and caridina species together where their tolerance overlaps. I am looking for some kind of system, like those that circulate hydroponic setups, where I can keep my largest tank, or some kind of bucket basin, warming and the water circulates amongst the tanks. It is also important it doesn’t suck up the shrimplets and would be great if this somehow made water changes easier as well (like I just need to empty bucket basin and add treated water back to it every once in a while). Let me know if any of you technically savvy people have ideas on what I would need to get this going. Thanks!

Oh, I don’t mean right this second. I’m really asking at what point will I know if the stock is stable from this mishap/disease before I add more. Not sure how to identify when the disease is gone completely. I’ve planned on introducing some tiger shrimp to possibly get some fancy tigers, but I would wait a month or more probably after this.

I use bicarbonate of soda to temporary raise the PH, my 3.5 gallon tank at once PH dropped to PH5 after I put carbon to remove extra color from putting wood in the tank.

Probably the mostly used way is drill a hole in the tank and have the water lead into a sump, that way you can put the heater, pump and UV light in the sump, as it has been mentioned neo and caridina don't do well with the same water parameter, so it's two tanks+two tanks setup. Think of what you want first before doing it, do some research , test and trial do cost money, I have a 12 inch shrimp tank for about 1.5-2 years and with lots of test and trial with equipment, spent over USD650. and I've been in fish keeping for over 35 years.

I’ve watched that video before, and had some thoughts about the joint system purposing. I think the tanks would do best if the heater is in the same corner/edge as the bridge, and having flow directed so that there is a little flow between but not an extreme amount from either side. I also support that neos and Caridinas should be kept in seperate circulations. As for water changes the bridge would not assist, but you might be able to make some sort of tap that sources from the bottom of the tank, with an intake sponge?

I REALLY REALLY hope the new babies survive to boost your population and everything now settles down so you can relax and enjoy them. Simon

@beanbag advise is spot on. Here is a You tude vid of what an aquarium water bridge is you could try making it out of pvc piping for a smaller scale. you would have to test the size of the piping to be used, if you have flow from one tank to the other, like with a canister filter of water pump.

Brand new babies dropped from the berried female today. Hope they survive. I did another 4.5 gallon water change. I don’t know how much of the oil might still be in the tank. No, it’s ok. I even dropped the dosage, so I guess we all learned a lesson. You were trying to help me, I’m not mad at you in the least. The question is, will it fix them? They were exposed to a HIGH dose for 10 minutes or so and subsequently, residual oil for 24 hours....

Just pulled out 3 more dead shrimp. I’m not trying to be confrontational here, but the disease thread needs to be updated to reflect this possibility more accurately. This nuked my entire tank, even when dosing at 75% the lowest recommended dose. God knows how many more shrimp might die, still.

PH reads 6 this morning so I think I will leave the rock in the tank for NOW and I will mull that one over, I still tend to think it may be better removed and let the tank naturally (slowly reduce with normal small weekly water changes) find its own PH level without the rock to increase it, which with this water is around 5.5 I think. Gloves coming today and I have seen a couple of shrimps so will plod on with it for now! Simon

Me too. Two more adults dead this AM....