Commando Fire Red Shrimp Keep Dying!

[kingkew]

Hi all,

I have recently setup a new tank that began cycling on 8 April. There are some ludwigia plants and a big driftwood with white fungus and green algae on it. Black gravel as substrate. I have added Flourish (probably overdosed) and Flourish Phosphate in once a week. During the first batch of commando fire reds, they died within hours. I thought that it might be due to overdosing Flourish (which contains heavy metals), hence I added some Seachem Prime to detox the tank. The second batch still died and I do not know what might be the reason. Any help or advice would be great, thanks

[Urban Aquaria]

Since your tank is still cycling, most likely the parameters are unstable and spiking to toxic levels so the shrimps are affected (may not have much to do with the fertilisers). It's best to wait until the tank is fully cycled before adding in livestock.

Use test kits to check the water parameters, otherwise it's all guesswork and you'll be using livestock as test subjects, which tends to result in a lot of unnecessary deaths.

Btw, "commando" shrimps are usually those culled or cheap shrimps, due to the fact they are being put into possible adverse water conditions (and high chance they'll die)... try not to use the more expensive shrimps to do that, it's a waste to keep killing the nicer shrimps just for testing purposes.

[kingkew]

Since your tank is still cycling, most likely the parameters are unstable and spiking to toxic levels so the shrimps are affected (may not have much to do with the fertilisers). It's best to wait until the tank is fully cycled before adding in livestock.

Use test kits to check the water parameters, otherwise it's all guesswork and you'll be using livestock as test subjects, which tends to result in a lot of unnecessary deaths.

Btw, "commando" shrimps are usually those culled or cheap shrimps, due to the fact they are being put into possible adverse water conditions (and high chance they'll die)... try not to use the more expensive shrimps to do that, it's a waste to keep killing the nicer shrimps just for testing purposes.

Thanks for the reply

Might it be due to the large driftwood that affects water quality? Would you suggest a water change right now?

[greenie]

Instead of using those shrimps to test your water parameter, why not get a proper test kit and do the necessary water changes until your water parameter is stable.

I suggest stop dosing ferts in the meantime. Observe & act accordingly for fert dosing. If you do not do CO2 dosing, less fert than recommended is better. And please acclimatize the shrimp before dumping in your tank. Add more plant biomass if possible.

And in the future, do tell us your tank setup so as to help us to help you.

[Urban Aquaria]

Thanks for the reply

Might it be due to the large driftwood that affects water quality? Would you suggest a water change right now?

Driftwood usually release tannins which help to lower pHs (how much and how fast it lowers depends on the type and size of the wood)... the tannins are usually beneficial to most softwater fishes and shrimps.

If you still have livestock in the tank, it'll be good to do a series of small 20% water changes over the course of a few days (so that any changes in parameters are gradual), hopefully that can reduce the toxic conditions.

Like mentioned, without test kits its all guesswork, so you just have to try and see.

[Junneh]

Test kits are indeed life savers. Though costly these days, they will prove to be an essential asset in the long run. I've just started my tank and it took approximately 2 months to be fully cycled... I made the mistake of overstocking a cycling tank, which in turn resulted in unnecessary casualties..

Like what UA mentioned... Daily WC is the way to go!

[kingkew]

Driftwood usually release tannins which help to lower pHs (how much and how fast it lowers depends on the type and size of the wood)... the tannins are usually beneficial to most softwater fishes and shrimps.

If you still have livestock in the tank, it'll be good to do a series of small 20% water changes over the course of a few days (so that any changes in parameters are gradual), hopefully that can reduce the toxic conditions.

Like mentioned, without test kits its all guesswork, so you just have to try and see.

The water has a strong blood/iron kind of smell. I am quite worried. It is still colourless but with quite a strong odour. What might have caused this smell?

[Maloocom]

maybe is your gravel. I heard before that black gravel or artifical gravel is bad for livestocks as they are chemically treated or coloured. Might be a cause for the deaths.

[IrvineChen]

I also face the similar rotten smell before.. but it is due to my green algae.. so smell very bad

[Urban Aquaria]

The water has a strong blood/iron kind of smell. I am quite worried. It is still colourless but with quite a strong odour. What might have caused this smell?

Strong odors coming from the tank water are usually due to high organic content, ammonia and high bacteria count/activity, its common during the tank cycling phase whereby water parameters are still unstable and the various bacteria populations are trying to establish. Once the parameters and cycle are stable, the odors will usually disappear.

[kingkew]

Strong odors coming from the tank water are usually due to high organic content, ammonia and high bacteria count/activity, its common during the tank cycling phase whereby water parameters are still unstable and the various bacteria populations are trying to establish. Once the parameters and cycle are stable, the odors will usually disappear.

Hence would you suggest that I do not do anything to the tank and observe if the smell goes off in a few days? I was planning to make a major water change

[Urban Aquaria]

Hence would you suggest that I do not do anything to the tank and observe if the smell goes off in a few days? I was planning to make a major water change

Water changes can help to reduce and ammonia and excess bacteria in the water column, which would in turn also reduce the smell too. Though either way it should eventually clear up on its own after some time.