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Update to say that after a few gravel vacs, front wall scrub, moss / floating plant trim, that the condition seems to have improved. My current theory is that it is due to waste / debris management, where "stuff" like that brown mulm accumulates in the substrate and behind the HMF filters. Maybe some tanks can somehow deal with it, but mine can't. Also another experienced shrimper suggested that maybe those "shell bugs" don't just live on the shrimps but also in this debris. Maybe this is the reason some tanks fail due to "old tank syndrome" where all they need is a good gravel vac? Also, I am guessing that plant trim helps too because now more of the nutrients and light go into growing algae instead of more plants? Well anyway for this tank I will try weekly water change and monthly gravel vac / plant trim. For my next tank, I'm thinking of something like an under-gravel system where this mulm can fall down and I vac it out.