Thinking about giving up on Inverts

[leeser28]

Not that I want to, but I think it's safer for them. I had 2 different tanks that have had significant losses, and I know it's not the stock.

The first tank - a 20 gal newly cycled with media from an established tank. Readings consistently pH 8.0, 0 NH3, 0 NO2, 5-10 NO3 (depending on how recent the water change). I got 3 beautiful purple brigs and 6 blue pearl shrimp. Within 5 days the brigs were dead (so did extra water changes when they weren't looking well). Also in the time I lost 2 snails (1 a sad accident during a water change :silly: and one for unknown reasons). Also in that time I noticed a berried female . As the days went by the berried female lost the eggs one by one (don't know if they hatched, haven't yet seen any little ones). In the last week I've lost 2 more shrimp - don't know why. The latest one last night - she looked like she molted, she had disappeared for the day, came out, leaned against the glass, and died. So now there are 2 female blue pearl shrimp left.

The second tank - in my office, a 2 gal newly cycled with media from an established tank - it also had had other fish in it that died (horrible mistake of a tank, I have decided not to use it any longer). Reading before shrimp - pH 7.60, 0 NH3, 0 NO2, 5 NO3. Got 10 RCS for this (again excellent stock!). I came in the day after putting them in and several had molted (being such a Newbie I thought they were dead shrimp - duh, got worried, did a water change and had another unfortunate water change accident :silly:. But there were 9 healthy RCS swimming around like crazy little guys. SO everything was great for several days. Went in last Sunday, everyone looked great, did a 50% water change (treated with Prime) and left. When I came in to work about 18 hours later, all 4 or 5 of the young shrimp had died. I tested the water - the ammonia was showing a little (0.25 - but again the tank was just treated with Prime <18 hours before), 0 NO2, 5 NO3. I was wondering if the ammonia spike was due to the dead shrimp. Of course, I took out the bodies, did an immediate water change of about 75% - again treating with Prime. Everyone looked fine. I got busy at work and then checked back on them about 4 hours later, and the 4-5 remaining shrimp were either dead or dying, except 1. I tried to save 3, but only one made it. I put her into RO water and brought her home because at this point I'm thinking that there was something wrong or different in the tap at work. She's still alive, beautifully red, living with the other female blue pearls until my 10 gal is cycled.

Sorry for the long post but it's just been a long and sad road! I must give a big thank you to msjinkzd, :thm:who has held my hand from hundreds of miles away and answered many PMs. But I don't know what to do... Should I spare future inverts, or should I keep trying? I really like the little critters!

Thanks to all who persevered through this whole story and replied!! Lisa

 

[snoopy65]

I think you shouldn't give up, but I also think you should put your inverts into older tanks. The new set ups may be the problem as there may not be enough stuff growing on the plants, walls of the tanks etc for the critters to graze on.

 

[msjinkzd]

I would get a report from your water company about any metals possibly in the water. I just don't see anything glaringly wrong with what you ahve done. The ammonia could have gotten the cherries, but the water change should have fixed that. The bridgesii were juvies and usually very hardy. I could understand losing one, but not all of them. If there is something toxic to inverts in your water, their may be filter media you can use to absorb them or you may need to treat the water and age it before doing your wc's. I would hate for you to give up when we haven't figured out why its gone so terribly wrong. I would wait to get more until its determined why they are all doing poorly.

 

[snoopy65]

Older copper pipes?

 

[msjinkzd]

It was in two different tanks though, one at work and one at home.

 

[snoopy65]

So it probably is two different problems, just sadly happening to the same person.

 

[southerndesert]

I agree that your tanks were likely simply too "New" I have learned over a couple years of keeping shrimp successfully that patience and stability are the keys. I normally will not put shrimp into a tank less than 30 days matured or more... Overkill?...Perhaps, but I rarely ever have deaths after introducing shrimp to an aged tank.

Don't give up on these fascinating little animals and try maturing (not just cycling) your tank before adding shrimp and I think things will go better for you. Then remember to feed very little every other day or so to avoud food rotting in the tank as this can be a killer as well.

Good luck and things will get better as you learn more about keeping inverts, finding this forum will help as well as many of us have also been through these same issues.

 

[leeser28]

Thanks everyone! I really don't want to give up. I'll look up the water reports. What's the best way to age a tank? I have a 40 gal that has quite a few fish should I move some to the 20 gallon? And how do MTS do. I was thinking about getting some of them to root around in the sand (I was also fearing pockets of bed gas in the sand in the places where it's difficult to stir it up with a gravel vac -- like near the driftwood and plants). Would MTS do OK in a cycled but young tank?

OK - I'm a church organist and must go for now, but I'll be checking this thread once church is done Thanks again for all of the support - this place is great.

 

[pik01]

MTS will fare just fine in any tank, cycled or uncycled. They're very hardy. To mature a tank I'd suggest a few fish in a cycled tank and live plants. I hope you don't give up on inverts. We're rooting for you and once we solve this mystery it will be that much of a sweeter victory

 

[Bubbles2112]

I agree with not giving up. All of us have killed our share of shrimps--its a learning process. When I was brand new to keeping these fascinating creatures--my tank was going along nicely and had lots of berried shrimps. I would guess that I had about 150-200 shrimps. It turns out I killed almost all of my original shrimps (from overfeeding). I did some research and corrected my feeding habits and now they are going gangbusters again! But I gotta be honest--I felt like giving up too. But I hung in there and I'm happy that I did as I get a lot of enjoyment from watching them. I even added some Dark Greens to my tank of Red Cherries!