Red Cherry Shrimp Vanished

[Nolapete]

My little 10 gallon tank with Endler's livebearers and red cherry shrimp was cruising right along with no problems whatsoever. In fact, I had so many red cherry shrimp that the bottom of the tank looked like a vibrating red carpet. Other than some java moss and a sponge filter rated for a 65 gallon tank, there was nothing else in the tank.

The colder weather arrived, so I added a new heater set to 78 degrees. Room temperature had been around 75 degrees prior to adding the heater, so the water was probably around that temp. A few days later all the shrimp were gone. There are a lot of Endler's and snails, so no corpses to be found. No other changes were made to the tank other than the heater.

A friend who raises mysis shrimp said he had a similar problem and resolved it by adding a grounding probe to the tank. Something to do with EMP or something like that.

Any ideas?

I want to get some more, but don't want to nuke them if it is something I can resolve beforehand.

[sed03f]

I found a bunch of my cherries in my canister, which had a spnge filter. I seriously found some adults in there too! I found some really thin panty hose, that works well, but you have to keep cleaning it off so the filter doesnt stop working. but it keeps them from getting sucked in! And with livebearors in there Im sure a few casualties went to them too

[msjinkzd]

That is really odd. They all were dead and gone in one day?

[luckydud13]

Or was it a periodical die ofF?

[Nolapete]

I don't have a canister filter on the tank. It's just an air-driven sponge filter, so they weren't sucked into the filter.

I don't think it was in one day, but can't be sure since it was about three days before I noticed.

I don't think it's a coincidence that a periodic die off happened shortly after I added the heater. It could be, but I'm not buying it yet.

[BreellaBlue87]

air driven sponge filter... those blueish green cartridges with the sponge and the white and black stuff inside that you plug into an air pump? I'm rather confused on your filter.

[cam191919]

that is odd. any signs of death buried in the substrate

[Nolapete]

air driven sponge filter... those blueish green cartridges with the sponge and the white and black stuff inside that you plug into an air pump? I'm rather confused on your filter.

Here's the filter I use in most of my smaller tanks. I have a commercial air pump AV-50 available from Ken's Fish.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3950

Cam, the tank is bare bottom other than some java moss, so no signs of deaths anywhere. I'm sure the snails and Endler's made short work of the corpses.

[pam916]

I know my cherry shrimp do better at cooler temps and I never really had a lot of luck keeping them til I put them in a tank without a heater. The temp runs around 74F. If you haven't done so already, you might want to check the temp in the tank with a thermometer, I have found that some of the heaters that have temp settings don't always keep the tank at the temp it is set on.

[Jag1980]

I had 20 RCS yesterday, today I have 9... I check my Bio-Wheel Mini filter cartridge and there they where... Even the ones that are little over 1/4" got sucked into the tiny little slots of the intake strainer... I guess shrimp aren't the most intelligent creatures in the tank.
Very disappointed, I was hoping to get hundreds and now who knows when the stock will re up itself?

[msjinkzd]

Witha sponge filter its certain that is NOT where the shrimp are. That is very sad Nola! Is there any way for you to test the heater to see if its the issue. Its possible, I am just surprised that all the corpses were gone so quickly!

[Nolapete]

Guess I'll have to get some more and set the temp to only 75. Makes me sad though because I like having my Endler's and RCS together.

[msjinkzd]

I keep them at 78, i don't think it was the temp. I think your theory of faulty heater is more likely