Cherry shrimps eat each other?

[htadothk]

My ghost shrimp, crayfishes, cherries etc. all eat dead / dying / weak shrimps. I've witnessed that happening a dozen times - doesn't matter if the shrimp was trying to molt or sick or dying, if it lays on its side, it would be pulled away by another shrimp or crayfish and eaten alive.

At first I was not comfortable with this, but now I feel that it's simply nature at work and I let them do whatever they want.

 

[mldncx]

This thread explains why my rcs keep disappearing and I'm not finding any corpses laying around. Of the original fifteen I have only eight left and I've only seen two dead bodies. The others must have been eaten.

 

[boobiebutt]

Okay these water parameters are annoying and confusing the poop out of me!

4/7 my parameters was:
NH3+NH4 - Ammonia = 1.5mg/l
NO2 Nitrite = <0.3mg/l
NO3 Nitrate = color is between the 5 and the 10 mark. I'm not sure what the units of measure is, but it is the Nitrate API test.
I did a 40-45% water change on 4/7

4/9 I feed about 5X 1mm side chunks of algae wafers. An hour later I vacuumed whatever specs of algae wafer that they didn't eat and did another 20% water change.

4/11 Did a water test before my weekly 40% water change I do on Sat. or Sun.
NH3/NH4 - Ammonia = 0mg/l
NO2 - Nitrite = <0.3mg/l
NO3 - Nitrate = 10mg/l

I'm obviously doing to do a 40-50% water change after this posting, so I know need people coming in here to tell me DO A HUGE WATER CHANGE NOW crap... but anyone can figure out this random huge Nitrate spike?

Since 4/7 to 4/11 I have changed at LEAST 60% in 2 water changes. I've fed once. And I washed my sponges in the Red Sea Nano Filter about 2 weeks ago in old tank water. I rinse out the sponges about every month roughly.

Any ideas?

 

[excuzzzeme]

Those number look pretty good! However much water you changed seems to be the key amount. You have to remember that the smaller the tank the faster and more critical impacts occur. 0 ammonia, 0nitrite, <20 Nitrate is about as good as you can want.

Check your tap water for ammonia to rule that out as a source. If clear that just leaves something in the tank. That something could be a build up of detritus (I doubt it), decaying food (possible), decaying plant matter or fish.