Rotten Cryptocoryne leaves poisonous?
I've lost at least 50 cherry shrimps, 5 red nose shrimps, 5 CRS, 1 woodshrimp, and my Cameroon armoured shrimp within the span of 1 week and the cherries are still dying at a rate of 10-20 a day
It all happened last Wednesday, when I planted some Cryptocoryne wendtii, balansae and retrospiralis in my shrimp and Borara tank. While planting, the shrimps flocked onto the new plants to graze.
After planting, I changed one third of water to clear up some of the mulm I kicked up but I noticed the shrimps all crowding at the surface. The red nose shrimps started to jump out and the armoured shrimp was frantically running all over the place.
3 hours later, seeing that water is still dirty, and the shrimps are still as frantic, I changed another half tank of water thinking I might have introduced some kind of insecticide from the crypts as I didn't rinse them before planting. All the tapwater treated with double dose of AquaPlus just in case water has chloramine as was my normal practice. Regrettably, the waterchange didn't do a thing for the frantic shrimps. The fishies were unaffected though. I dropped in an airstone and ran it for the night although it is a non-co2 tank.
Thursday, Found CRS carcasses. Fishes were ok, noticed missing red nose shrimps and the cherries and woodshrimps were still at the surface. Armoured shrimp had dug up substrate and fanned the basefert all into the water column. Didn't dare to change water anymore for fear that there is something in the water.
Friday, 1 woodshrimp jumped out, cherry shrimps begin to die. All still hanging out at the surface. Because of basefert leak, I washed the choked filter with Aquaplus-treated tapwater. Shrimps seem to respond better and most returned to the mulm coated moss.
Saturday, even more dead cherries, crypts start to melt down. Everything coated with a layer of mulm + basefert caused by the frantic digging-pushing of the armoured shrimp. Nitrite and Ammonia measures 0ppm. Scratching my head Decided to catch out the armoured shrimp when It comes out of hiding.
Sunday, even more dead cherries. Armoured shrimp also dead. badly trampled crypts all melting rapidly, algae growing on everything as rapidly. Scrub and clean, removed all the moss, change choked fine filter wool and siphon as much as I can, in the end changing 75% of water. Shrimps returned to their grazing, most feeding off the melted remains of the crypts. Thankful.
Monday, water still not crystal clear. Realised I've gone and hurt the filter bacteria! Cherries start dying again. sigh
Tuesday, more shrimps dead. Daily, I've been clearing around 10-20 dead cherries so far. I don't know how many may have died whose carcasses are eaten up, but I see my population disappear over the days. I also noticed that the shrimp's appetite is poor. They shun pellets and feed on the rotten leaves. But after feeding, they will struggle, then lay down to die. Netted out 10 to transfer to another tank that was not planted with the crypts. Yamato had turned green.
Wednesday, Those transferred out are well and feeding. Those in the shrimp tank are still dying. What can be wrong? My conjectures are:
1) Insecticide in the crypt roots tainted the water because I didn't rinse them. However, the fishes and shrimps in the LFS tank were unaffected.
2) High suspension of basefert + mulm in the water choked the shrimps
3) There's something bad in the tapwater that Aquaplus cannot treat
4) Choked filter lost efficiency severely
5) Changing of fine filter wool further reduced the filter's bacteria count
6) Further changing of 75% water further killed off more filter bacteria and hurt the shrimps even more
7) Crypt melt is poisonous?
I'm now really dazed and confused. Can anyone help shed some light? please?
Warm regards,
Lawrence Lee
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
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