Shrimp Dying -- help ASAP!

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riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#1
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#1
Last week I had a shrimp die and I had posted a bit ago about finding out that my Kuhli Loaches were possibly eating shrimp (one I saw). Then this week I have had 4 shrimp die and not the same species. Two cherries and two Amanos and I'm hoping one wasn't my pregnant Amano.

I have no idea why they're dying off.

pH: 7.2
nitrite: .1ppm (Newman helped me figure out why its .1ppm and its my tap water but its been this way ever since I switched to RO/Tap mix and everyone was fine until about 1.5 weeks ago so I don't think its this since it isnt new)
temp: 78-80 degrees F
ammonia: 0

And those are the only things I can test for, I have a small kit :/

I'm wondering if it could possibly be the new DIY PVC pipe spray bar thing? I freaking rinsed that thing like no other in scalding hot water, boiling and rinsed the tubing with scalding hot water. But I mean that is the only thing that's changed, so that must be it?

Oh and they look fine, they are active but it will be out of nowhere I walk by the tank and one is dead.
 

R

riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#5
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#5
Fishman1995 said:
Did any of the other shrimp kill them, you think?
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I'm not sure, I don't think so...the Pinocchio shrimp are the only ones that I know are more aggressive than most shrimp but couldn't imagine them attacking a 1.5" shrimp, maybe the .5" because they're only maybe an 1" if that. But its a possibility. The Bamboo shrimp are larger but have those "fan" feet and are ALWAYS up in the current.
 

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Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
#6
May 11, 2010
1,341
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North Carolina
#6
Id sit down and watch your tank for a few hours and just see what the Pinochio's do, cause i didnt expect it but when i first set up a 10 gallon tank my black tetras killed some fish. Just watch and see if theres any agression
 

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riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#7
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#7
Fishman1995 said:
Id sit down and watch your tank for a few hours and just see what the Pinochio's do, cause i didnt expect it but when i first set up a 10 gallon tank my black tetras killed some fish. Just watch and see if theres any agression
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Oh yea, I know the unexpected totally happens. It's more so that since the fish have been together for quite some time that it seems odd to happen out of nowhere, which is why I thought some chemical off the PVC pipe might be doing that. But I'll continue monitoring it and see what happens!
 

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riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#9
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#9
My thoughts exactly about the fish going first, unless they're just magically more resilient to whatever is going on.

The DIY PVC spraybar is pretty much like adding any kind of plastic gravel or decoration into a tank or even buying it for yourself. Like washing dishes before using them and washing clothes before wearing them because of manufacturing chemicals.

I have no idea though, I'm stumped, mostly why I figured I'd see what everyone on here thought.
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#10
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
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36
#10
A reading of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate would be helpful. Can you LFS do this for you if you don't have a complete kit right now?

Shrimp are more sensitive than most fish to water parameter issues and possible contaminants or medications, especially those containing copper. They can die off if ammonia, nitrite or nitrates are high.

What do you use to dechlorinate your tap water? If you have nitrite in your tap water, you can detoxify it with some brands of dechlorinator as long as you increase the aeration in your tank.

Have you medicated your tank for any illnesses?

Did you bleach the PVC piping? My local hardware store advises that we must bleach and rinse the pipes before being used if we plan to consume the water (in other words, to keep it safe for drinking water, but no need to do this step if its an outgoing pipe for wastewater). I've always done this with PVC I've used in a tank, and every one of my tanks has some PVC in it.
 

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R

riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#12
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#12
OrangeCones said:
A reading of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate would be helpful. Can you LFS do this for you if you don't have a complete kit right now?

Shrimp are more sensitive than most fish to water parameter issues and possible contaminants or medications, especially those containing copper. They can die off if ammonia, nitrite or nitrates are high.

What do you use to dechlorinate your tap water? If you have nitrite in your tap water, you can detoxify it with some brands of dechlorinator as long as you increase the aeration in your tank.

Have you medicated your tank for any illnesses?

Did you bleach the PVC piping? My local hardware store advises that we must bleach and rinse the pipes before being used if we plan to consume the water (in other words, to keep it safe for drinking water, but no need to do this step if its an outgoing pipe for wastewater). I've always done this with PVC I've used in a tank, and every one of my tanks has some PVC in it.
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The ammonia is 0 and the nitrite are .1ppm, my kit has those in it just not the nitrate. I'm planning on getting a kit soon but the only ones they have at my LFS are 32 dollars plus tax and will just have to wait because of that. One LFS does test water though and I'm going to do that. I'm still doing RO and tap, going less tap again but used I think its Aqueon brand of dechlorinator.

It must be the PVC though because I didn't bleach it I just used ridiculously hot water but I didn't bleach it. I did a bleach method on my plants that was suggested before and all of my plants died, well the bleach ones, so I kind of strayed away from the bleach. Maybe that's what I need to do though. The PVC project was ultimately to avoid just buying a whole new filter system, but looks like it's just going to cost as much or more either way.

I haven't done any medications, nothing at all. The plants have been growing really great, fish look great, I have double the circulation in the water than I did a few weeks ago. Although now that I think of it I did recently buy the "fake" Juliis from a LFS could they have had some issue that would kill the shrimp and not the fish? Normally when I get new fish it affects the fish first if there is a disease/sickness.
 

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riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#13
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#13
I don't know if this helps at all but I did find another shrimp and he was either brown, cherry, or clear colored and has turned blue. Not sure if maybe thats any kind of sign/symptom? All the others that have died have kept their same colors.

I did a large water change, small one yesterday, and am going back to using RO water only (which is what the first owners used, whether it lacks nutrition or something I don't know, but they kept their tank growing better and in better condition than I'm doing, before I tried mixing tap water into the RO when someone explained that RO water was too filtered for fish) and I replaced the old filter carbon pieces or what not that go in the canister with fresh ones. Hoping that this helps, all other creatures in the tank are fine.

Guess we will see!
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#15
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#15
Ammonia was zero before. Is it still at zero?

You mentioned having a nitrite reading of 0.1 before. Has it gone to zero now or what number is it at?

What kit uses that scale for nitrite? I've only seen 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 on kits.

What is your reading for nitrate? Most fish can tolorate nitrate in the 20s, but some inverts can only handle 10 or 5, and would require more frequent water changes to dilute the nitrate.
 

TAL

TAL

Large Fish
#16
Sep 7, 2008
588
0
0
#16
I have PVC pipe in the tank for hiding spots......never gave me a problem.

I'd start with buying a more complete test kit.
 

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riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#17
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#17
OrangeCones said:
Ammonia was zero before. Is it still at zero?

You mentioned having a nitrite reading of 0.1 before. Has it gone to zero now or what number is it at?

What kit uses that scale for nitrite? I've only seen 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 on kits.

What is your reading for nitrate? Most fish can tolorate nitrate in the 20s, but some inverts can only handle 10 or 5, and would require more frequent water changes to dilute the nitrate.
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It is the Red Sea test kit, I think you said you weren't sure about that one? I also did it with an API test kit (and use API for nitrate) and it reads the same as Red Sea. As of yesterday these are all of my readings:

nitrate: 10ppm (last week it was 20ppm and I have to admit I think it was because I fed them then took water out to test and realized fish flakes were in it, not sure if that'd cause it? Yes I'm a total dodo-brain. Either way its at 10 now compared to last Friday)
pH: 7.2
nitrite: .1ppm (not sure if its STILL from the tapwater? I haven't used tap water in like...weeks and my tap measures the same nitrite)
ammonia:0
iron:0
chlorine:0
CO2: 12ppm
KH: 5ppm
GH: 9ppm
 

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riseabovethesun

Large Fish
#18
Jun 14, 2010
649
0
0
California
aquatic-underworld.blogspot.com
#18
Some photos of my shrimp, healthy?

Here are some photos of a few of the shrimp I have including the amano which seem to die more often than the rest. Also the little brownish/black guy at the end does anyone know what he is?

Pinocchio/Red Nosed shrimp



Amano shrimp



Cherry shrimp -- pretty sure this is a new guy, found some teeny babies last night too but couldn't snag a photo


Other shrimp



Oh yea and the second red nosed shrimp photo what type of plant would you say he is on?
 

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