Oh good, the problem though is still that he has a bag full of shrimp and no where to put them (as far as I can tell), especially if the bettas are ill.
Newbie with Red Cherry Shrimps, need help asap!
- Thread starter boobiebutt
- Start date
I will take the advice on increasing water changes. The ammonia/nitrite/nitrate do not increase what so ever over a period of 4 days that I tested. I tested the water last Sunday and the results for all of the test were 0/0/0.
I will set up the shrimp tank tomorrow and see how it works out. I do have an extra sponge in the nano filter so I'll use that with the sand to help seed the new tank.
I tested it last week with the results 0/0/0 for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Yea I am setting up the 10 gallon now that I got shrimp. I originally wanted to do more research before I purchased them but she surprised me out of the blue. =| I don't want them to die. I'd probably cry.. I love my fishes and my new inverts.
Just saw the note about the RCS being mail order - return is not an option.
As Missmeliss was suggesting, you could get liquid bacteria (I've heard good things about the API Stress Zyme). That would at least get some bacteria into the tank if there isn't much in there. I'm not sure what to suggest you do with the little guys until something is definitely cycled.
As Missmeliss was suggesting, you could get liquid bacteria (I've heard good things about the API Stress Zyme). That would at least get some bacteria into the tank if there isn't much in there. I'm not sure what to suggest you do with the little guys until something is definitely cycled.
Yea that's my main concern at the moment. I can keep them in the bag they were shipped in floating and clipped to the top of my betta tank so the temperature is constant but I'm not sure what to do about water changes or anything in such a small amount of water.
I assume my betta tanks are cycled because they have been in them for at LEAST 2-3 months with weekly water changes. I never tested the water at the start of the cycle.. I only tested the water later down the road so I never saw ammonia climb, never saw the nitrite spike or anything for signs of a cycle. By the time I did test the water, I'm sure some of those signs have possibly happened.
Sweet surprise, and I understand about crying when they die. I had a really hard week with inverts and it was very sad, which is why I'm so cautious. I do hope that they do well!! They are great little critters.
As for feeding, I give them a little bit of sinking Algae pellets -- it's really easy to give them too much and then the water gets yucky -- a piece about the size of a 1 mm ball is enough for one shrimp.
Good Luck! Keep us updated.
As for tonight, I'm going to float the bag I got the shrimp in my 2.5 betta tank. Tomorrow morning I'll empty the shrimp bag in a spare 1 gallon tank I have and I'll drip acclimate them to my water parameters. I'll take the spare sponge/some sand from my unmedicated betta tank and try to cycle the 10 gallon as fast as I can until I can put the shrimps in there. I'll stop by the pet store to see if I can find the API Stress Zime. I guess I'll have to do nearly full water changes on the 1 gallon daily until the 10 gallon is cycled.
I'll still take more suggestions if anyone has any bright ideas, and I'll keep this thread updated. Thanks everyone for all the help and happy Valentines day!
http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...r_tb_8_tab?&query=fungus&queryType=0&offset=0
The second one is somewhat healing on it's own due to the increased water changes so I'm keeping an eye on it. If it takes a turn for the worst I'll medicate it, if not I'll let it heal naturally and keep the meds out of the tank.
I'll still take more suggestions if anyone has any bright ideas, and I'll keep this thread updated. Thanks everyone for all the help and happy Valentines day!
Oh yea, I forgot to mention that I'm using Fungus clear tabs from Jungle Labs at the moment on the 1 betta I'm medicating.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...r_tb_8_tab?&query=fungus&queryType=0&offset=0
The second one is somewhat healing on it's own due to the increased water changes so I'm keeping an eye on it. If it takes a turn for the worst I'll medicate it, if not I'll let it heal naturally and keep the meds out of the tank.
many people have started dry tanks for shrimp. What I mean is they take filter media and a healthy portion of substrate from an established tank, along with some live plants, place it right in the tank and let the shrimp go. When I say established, I mean cycled with plenty of biofilm. This is a less than ideal way to start a shrimp tank but then again this is a less than ideal situation you have. The idea is to get as much biofilm into your new tank as possible to kickstart the cycle.
How many shrimp do you have? I found a similar thread with an Eheim 2213 in a 10g and the person was advised to just aim the outtake at a wall about 5 inches away to diffuse the flow (the thread). It still sounds pretty strong if your shrimp are caught up in the flow. I know you said you didn't want to spring for a new filter if you could help it but consider a sponge filter like this Hydro Sponge 1, especially if you have a spare air pump laying around. You can also find quite a few DIY instructions for sponge filters if you're the handy type.
Be aware that while your shrimp can survive this Dry Start method the tank will be like a desert for them. Normally shrimp will constanly graze on infusoria in an established, cycled, mature tank. Since your tank isn't set up yet, there's not yet any infusoria. If you do try this Dry Start, be sure to keep up with frequent partial water changes. Best of luck to you and keep us updated, please
edit: borrow media and substrate from the unmedicated betta tank, and don't worry about the finrot as far as the shrimp are concerned (no fins means no finrot)
How many shrimp do you have? I found a similar thread with an Eheim 2213 in a 10g and the person was advised to just aim the outtake at a wall about 5 inches away to diffuse the flow (the thread). It still sounds pretty strong if your shrimp are caught up in the flow. I know you said you didn't want to spring for a new filter if you could help it but consider a sponge filter like this Hydro Sponge 1, especially if you have a spare air pump laying around. You can also find quite a few DIY instructions for sponge filters if you're the handy type.
Be aware that while your shrimp can survive this Dry Start method the tank will be like a desert for them. Normally shrimp will constanly graze on infusoria in an established, cycled, mature tank. Since your tank isn't set up yet, there's not yet any infusoria. If you do try this Dry Start, be sure to keep up with frequent partial water changes. Best of luck to you and keep us updated, please
edit: borrow media and substrate from the unmedicated betta tank, and don't worry about the finrot as far as the shrimp are concerned (no fins means no finrot)
Do you have a hardness test kit? If those shrimp have been through the mail and are staying in that sealed bag overnight, the ammonia in that bag will have been building up this whole time, but won't be as toxic because of the CO2. Once you open that bag, the CO2 will be replaced by oxygen, which will make that ammonia toxic pretty quick. Drip acclimation may not be the best way to acclimate them since it's a slow, gradual process. In the case of shipped critters, it's sometimes best to float and dump (float the sealed bag in the tank so the temp stabilizes, then scoop the shrimp from the bag to the tank, excluding any water from the bag). The reason I asked if you had a hardness test kit is that float and dump is not advised if there is a vast difference in hardness between the bag water and the tank water.
That said, I got my own red cherries before I learned that it's better to float and dump shipped fish. Not knowing any better, I drip acclimated the shrimp and not one died from the process. Take what you want from that, I just felt that I should pass on this info.
That said, I got my own red cherries before I learned that it's better to float and dump shipped fish. Not knowing any better, I drip acclimated the shrimp and not one died from the process. Take what you want from that, I just felt that I should pass on this info.
putting the shrimp in the umedicated tank would work. I would just worry about the betta thinking the shrimp were snacks. Depends on the betta's personality but a breeder trap or breeder net would solve that problem, too.
