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Yes, TDS is way too low. This is probably why your cherry shrimps haven't been able to breed. With TDS this low, it means that GH is also very low, lacking in Calcium and Magnesium. TDS & GH this low will cause the shrimp's eggs to be brittle (conversely, TDS & GH too high will make egg's shells to be too hard). Your Salty Shrimp will help rectify this issue. pH is also too high, which means KH is also high. A typical characteristic of well water unfortunately. Collecting rainwater or an RO system is probably the only solution here.

That last one from the old batch will probably die as well soon with all that has happened! As long as you keep everything steady the new batch should do much better though! Simon

That's about how much I've been adding. There's only one shrimp left from the previous batch. The new one came in yesterday and all shrimp are healthy. Thanks for all the help!

yes i do dechlorinate and i have three pieces of driftwood in the tank. i can add indian almond leaves as i already have some. i was seeking help on another forum before i joined here and on their advice i ordered an RO system and salty shrimps gh/kg+ because gh+ seemed to be for bee shrimp?? didnt know what that was about but thats what ive got planned so far. they should arrive soon. i was always worried ph would be a problem. would using RO water help me to better control the ph? i feed a variety of commercial shrimp foods, a small serving every couple of days. local water supply posts quarterly reports online and i didnt see anything alarming though i didnt know everything to be looking for- does any one know what i should look out for other than copper?

If you are using RO water and mineralising that, you can just use the TDS pen to measure and all the 'others' will be in balance. In basic math, 1 scoop/10L will mean 80% of a scoop in a US 2 gallon (1US gallon is 4L), if it has 2 gallons of water, and it would probably have less than that unless there is nothing else in it and it is filled to the rim. I would try a little over half a scoop to start with as it s easier to add a bit more than reduce it! Make sure it is well mixed/dissolved before taking any readings! There is a range with all figures so don't fixate too much on exact numbers, just aim for those? When changing water with the shrimp in situ you should add the new water slowly, usually some sort of dripper is best! I assume though at this stage you are more focused on getting the tank ready for the new batch en route rather than the few that are left and probably weakened anyway? Simon

Ah, everything makes sense now! I've been trying to get my shrimp to breed for a year! Until I get a test kit, how much mineralizer should I add for the ghost shrimp? The recommended scoop/10 liters?

Sorry for the late reply. TDS is 8 ppm, pH is 8.3. Temperature is 68-70. I don't have the other test kits, as I'm mainly a saltwater and planted tank guy. I don't think it's copper anymore. 7 ug/l = .007 mg/l, which should be perfectly safe. Could it be the low TDS? By the way, the Salty Shrimp came in today, and 20 more ghost shrimp should be coming too.