Water has 0 ammonia and nitrite, shrimps still dying.

[Ingen]

Hi,

I have a recently started a 60cm x 30cm x 36cm planted tank about 2 months ago, using ehiem 2215 as the filter. Some rocks, mainly hemianthus callitrichoides, some eleocharis sp mini, and flame mosses. Daily seachem Fert - NPK, micro, iron and co2 injection during light on period (5 hours a day).

I tested the water and it has 0 ammonia and nitirite, surprisingly, also 0 nitrate although I dose seachem nitrogen on alternate days.

I introduced 4 yellow gold back shrimps from my low tech tank to this new tank and all passed on within three days, last one died this morning (kind of depressing). I noticed one has his head area sort of opened up and a white line around the joint between the head and body. I read and reckon it could be molting problems. All of the shrimps died during the night. They were alive before lights off and dead the next morning.

I do not have test kit for GH, KH and TDS. Before I rush to buy all the test kits, would like to know which one I can do without and what brand should I get?

As I have intention to keep CRS once the tank is stable, are there any minerals or supplements I should get to stabilize or enhance the water condition to make it better for shrimps? Or any steps I should learn or take before I attempt CRS?

[sootz]

before the 4 shrimps, there were no fauna living in that problem tank?

[thebaldingaquarist]

I am not a shrimp expert, but i will share what i think is happening.

If there is 0 ammonia, i feel you should be looking into
1. Temperature too high/low?
2. Any Copper in the water?
3. Any other heavy metals in the water? Any new piping installed recently?
4. PH too high or low

For PH, how are your plants doing? You mentioned molting.. did you see molted shells? the opening up could be due to accelerated decomposition due to higher temperatures.

[Ingen]

I had 10 green neon tetras in it. Moved them off to another tank before introducing the shrimps. No visible issues with the tetras, only 1 disappeared only to be found dried at the corner of the cabinet weeks later...

[felix_fx2]

Ingen, you dose NPK... not possible to have 0 nitrate

[Ingen]

I am not a shrimp expert, but i will share what i think is happening.

If there is 0 ammonia, i feel you should be looking into
1. Temperature too high/low?
2. Any Copper in the water?
3. Any other heavy metals in the water? Any new piping installed recently?
4. PH too high or low

For PH, how are your plants doing? You mentioned molting.. did you see molted shells? the opening up could be due to accelerated decomposition due to higher temperatures.

I saw some 1-2 molted shells a day after I introduced them.

1. Temperature too high/low? Currently one spoilt, not very sure the exact temp. Should be between 27-29 as it in a dark corner of the house
2. Any Copper in the water? I have never tested for copper, am using stainless steel inlet and outlet piping, should I be getting something to test copper?
3. Any other heavy metals in the water? Any new piping installed recently? Same as above, any test kit that can test for heavy metal and copper concurrently?
4. PH too high or low - PH around 5.5 - 6 using ADA amazonia soil.

[Ingen]

Ingen, you dose NPK... not possible to have 0 nitrate

That's why I'm surprising the API nitrate test shows yellow, the top bar on the chart. Maybe not dosing enough...?

[Urban Aquaria]

I've also noticed this phenomenon when shifting shrimps from low-tech tanks to high-tech tanks that undergo fertilizer dozing and injected Co2 too.

In my case, i did a slow drip acclimatization for my shrimps with water from the high tech tank for a few hours before introducing them in, but even then out of 30+ hardy cherry shrimps shifted, around 20-30% of them still died with cracks on their shells over the span of a few days. The rest that survived the transition stayed healthy and thrived from thereon.

I noticed alot of molted shells straight after the shift though (could be a trigger for molting due to the big change in water parameters)... so i guess the ones who could molt successfully survived the transition while those who couldn't molt (ie. weak or not ready to molt) died as a result of failed molts.

[thebaldingaquarist]

Based on the reply, i am inclined to deduce too low PH/KH (death due to unstable molting) or copper poisoning. with too low PH/KH being a higher possibility. i think the shrimp is neocaridina right? if it is, PH between 6-8 should be ok. Any other fauna in the tank to disturb them molting?

I saw some 1-2 molted shells a day after I introduced them.

1. Temperature too high/low? Currently one spoilt, not very sure the exact temp. Should be between 27-29 as it in a dark corner of the house
2. Any Copper in the water? I have never tested for copper, am using stainless steel inlet and outlet piping, should I be getting something to test copper?
3. Any other heavy metals in the water? Any new piping installed recently? Same as above, any test kit that can test for heavy metal and copper concurrently?
4. PH too high or low - PH around 5.5 - 6 using ADA amazonia soil.

[felix_fx2]

That's why I'm surprising the API nitrate test shows yellow, the top bar on the chart. Maybe not dosing enough...?

the exact is we expect to have some, depending on what we dose for source for N.
then is there a shock in the environment? like GH/PH differences? Cause your new tank more rocks

[thebaldingaquarist]

I've also noticed this phenomenon when shifting shrimps from low-tech tanks to high-tech tanks that undergo fertilizer dozing and injected Co2 too.

In my case, i did a slow drip acclimatization for my shrimps with water from the high tech tank for a few hours before introducing them in, but even then out of 30+ hardy cherry shrimps shifted, around 20-30% of them still died with cracks on their shells over the span of a few days. The rest that survived the transition stayed healthy and thrived from thereon.

I noticed alot of molted shells straight after the shift though (could be a trigger from the big change in water parameters)... so i guess the ones who could molt successfully survived the transition while those who couldn't molt (ie. weak or not ready to molt) died as a result of failed molts.

UA is right. did not think about acclimatization. how were the shrimps acclimatized?

[Ingen]

I did not do the drip acclimatization. I just place it in a bag and place it in the water for about 10mins to match the temp and poured some of the new tank water into the bag and leave it there for another 20mins or so.

[Urban Aquaria]

I did not do the drip acclimatization. I just place it in a bag and place it in the water for about 10mins to match the temp and poured some of the new tank water into the bag and leave it there for another 20mins or so.

Maybe try doing a very slow drip acclimatization for the shrimps (over a few hours, the longer duration the better) and see if the survival rate improves, hopefully it helps.

[Ingen]

Maybe try doing a very slow drip acclimatization for the shrimps (over a few hours, the longer duration the better) and see if the survival rate improves, hopefully it helps.

All died, none left... Thus trying to find out more before I get new ones. Feel quite bad to have them dying one at a time daily.

[thebaldingaquarist]

All died, none left... Thus trying to find out more before I get new ones. Feel quite bad to have them dying one at a time daily.

So sorry for your loss.
Nevermind, some of us learn the easy way, you and i learn the hard way. At least we learn something new!

[felix_fx2]

All died, none left... Thus trying to find out more before I get new ones. Feel quite bad to have them dying one at a time daily.

shrimps need acclimatization of water, if not will confirm get shocked.. my experience with CRS.. 5 minutes 1 dead... next day another 2... then another 2..
For fish especially the common ones, i do the same as you.. but maybe a while longer... shrimps are more sensitive of their water conditions then just temperature.

[Ingen]

shrimps need acclimatization of water, if not will confirm get shocked.. my experience with CRS.. 5 minutes 1 dead... next day another 2... then another 2..
For fish especially the common ones, i do the same as you.. but maybe a while longer... shrimps are more sensitive of their water conditions then just temperature.

Noted!

BTW, any supplements or minerals that enhance water condition for shrimps? Or I should just leave it be and try again? I still don't know why my nitrate is 0...

[felix_fx2]

got use seachem prime?

[thebaldingaquarist]

can try shizhen from mosura.....

[Ingen]

Felix: yup been using prime to age the water
Eric: I took a look mosura products. There are lots of different ones lol. Only need shizhen, what about mineral plus?