Shrimp Dying

[Owl31]

Setup a 1L pico shrimp tank for about a month already. Saw ammonia nitrite spike, hence I believe tank is cycled. Tank setup as below:

Tank: Approx 1L
Substrate: GEX Pure Soil Black
Plants: 2 Anubis Nanas and 3 small Marimo moss ball
Filter: Air pump mini sponge box filter with small ceramic ring and i think some charcoal as media

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ph: 6.2
Temp: approx 24-25

Water Source: Life Distilled Water from Fairprice pH 6.4
Water conditioner: Seachem Safe
BB dosed: Ocean Free A-Z Super Beneficial Bacteria till cycled

I added 10 ghost shrimps after tank was cycled to see if the water is suitable for shrimps. 9 out of 10 ghost survived. Bought 10 CRS from shop A and acclimatised them in 1hr with floating of back and adding small amount of tank water every now and then. CRS was wiped out slowly. All along with ammonia and nitrite reading at 0.

Decided to try again by purchasing 10 RCS from shop B, this time by doing testing of pH while acclimatising. Shop B pH is around mid 7. Acclimatised for 3 hours with very slow gradual pH drop until ~6.3-6.4. Added the RCS into the tank. 4 to 5 out of the 10 shrimps were active and swimming happily. Went out and came back 3 hours later to 3 dead shrimps. Currently 2 to 3 are swimming around actively.

I am really clueless what is not right and is taking out the shrimps slowly. Anyone care to advise?

[Owl31]

Woke up to another 4 dead shrimps. Another 2 swimming actively (fingers crossed) and 1 hiding.

Reading reads:

Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite <0.25

Not sure but suspecting if the reading is due to the 4 dead shrimps.

This is driving me nuts.

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[simbk]

Hi Owl,

I'm taking a wild guess for your situation, but your shrimps might have died due to huge fluctuation of parameters.

You said 9 out of 10 ghost shrimps survived, are they still in your 1L Pico tank?

Shrimps need stable parameters to survive and thrive. A 1 litre pico tank might not be the best choice.

Also, since you are using distilled water, there is no need to use SeaChem Safe, since there is no chloride to be removed from your water.

If space is a constrain, keeping shrimp might not be the best choice for you, or you can try keep the Hawaiian shrimp, Opae Ula, though i have no experience in Opae Ula.

You might want to read up on other members' posting on their shrimp setups, so that you can have a better idea on keeping shrimps.

Hope the information gives you a rough idea what might be the cause to your shrimps dying and may you find success in your shrimp keeping.

[torque6]

No idea what's the diff with newbies and their small tanks. Seems they all love small tanks. The rule of this hobby is the smaller the tank, the larger the fluctuations in parameters. Small tanks are very unstable. Unless of course you have small pico tanks with 1-2 Opae Ula with no water change at all, then it's fine probably. But still, it's only a probably.

[Owl31]

No idea what's the diff with newbies and their small tanks. Seems they all love small tanks. The rule of this hobby is the smaller the tank, the larger the fluctuations in parameters. Small tanks are very unstable. Unless of course you have small pico tanks with 1-2 Opae Ula with no water change at all, then it's fine probably. But still, it's only a probably.

Thanks for your advice. Certainly helps in the situation!

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[Owl31]

Hi Owl,

I'm taking a wild guess for your situation, but your shrimps might have died due to huge fluctuation of parameters.

You said 9 out of 10 ghost shrimps survived, are they still in your 1L Pico tank?

Shrimps need stable parameters to survive and thrive. A 1 litre pico tank might not be the best choice.

Also, since you are using distilled water, there is no need to use SeaChem Safe, since there is no chloride to be removed from your water.

If space is a constrain, keeping shrimp might not be the best choice for you, or you can try keep the Hawaiian shrimp, Opae Ula, though i have no experience in Opae Ula.

You might want to read up on other members' posting on their shrimp setups, so that you can have a better idea on keeping shrimps.

Hope the information gives you a rough idea what might be the cause to your shrimps dying and may you find success in your shrimp keeping.

Think I found the cause, high TDS. Probably like what you said, Seachem Safe. Bad advice I've got but only got myself to blame for not doing enough research.

Kept the filter and plants in another tank of distilled water while I do water change to bring down TDS. Ammonia and nitrite reading 0 before and after WC. Ph remains at 6.2.

Shop B was nice enough to give me 2 free shrimp to try again after I purchase a TDS pen and seek advice. Touch wood, shrimps are okay so far together with that lone surviving shrimp from shop A. Anyway, shop B's water pH is almost same as mine, hence I guess it is best to get shrimps from shop B in future.

As for space, this is for my office desk. I don't want something too eye catching. I'm cycling another bigger tank at home.

Anyway thanks for highlighting Seachem Safe as possible cause.

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[simbk]

We learn from experience, be it ours or others. Don't feel any advice is bad, just something we have to go through and learn.
Wish you all the best in your shrimp keeping. No need to rush, slow and steady will make your shrimp tank survive and thrive.

[Owl31]

We learn from experience, be it ours or others. Don't feel any advice is bad, just something we have to go through and learn.
Wish you all the best in your shrimp keeping. No need to rush, slow and steady will make your shrimp tank survive and thrive.

Totally agree. Silly me to think that adding Safe won't up the TDS. Well now I know and probably found out the problem.

Woke up to minor ammonia spike, probably due to thorough WC. Shrimps survived. Hopefully BB works OT and brings Ammonia down.

Thanks simbk

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[Owl31]

Finally stablized!

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[simbk]

Finally stablized!

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Great, hope your shrimps slowly thrive in your office tank

[Owl31]

Great, hope your shrimps slowly thrive in your office tank

Thanks simbk. I hope so too. Fingers crossed. So far so good.

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