# help! Dying shrimp!



## destahall (Apr 2, 2012)

I am new to the shrimp world. I've had fish tanks forever, and started with live plants a year ago. 
Last week I got some Amano's from Arizona Aquatic Gardens. A few days later, I got some red cherry's from a seller on ebay. 2/20 amano's arrived dead, but all the cherry's were alive. Acclimated slowly to my 2 of my tanks, and they were great til tonite. My 20 gallon has 6 dead shrimp- 4 amano and 2 cherry's. Tested parameters- 0 for ammonia/nitrite, nitrate is at 10 (dosed Prime yesterday after my weekly cleaning, dosed again tonite after the + reading). temp 78. pH 6.4 I do use CO2 injection, usually kept about 30...but my pH is usually right around 6.8. Not sure why there was a drop in pH- there is generally no fluctuation in that...my GH is only 4, so I know that is low. As I'm writing this I'm wondering if they got CO2 overdose, since my pH dropped a bit and raised the CO2? Was watching the shrimp, and few I thought were dead, they were on their side. As I watched, they moved a bit. I took them out, acclimated them to another tank and now they seem fine, after only about 1/2 hour. The tank I moved them to has no CO2. My fish are fine, my snails and few clams seem ok, too. I read elsewhere that AZ is a very bad place to get shrimp- is this true? Doesn't please me if it is, since I gave them my money, but it would be a lesson learned. Maybe "bad" shrimp + slightly high CO2? Although there were a few dead cherry's...but that could be just CO2, I supposed. Sorry I'm rambling, but I know literally no one else that has shrimp...or live pants, even- I'm kinda on my own. Any advice would be helpful! I will be doing a water change in the morning (time for bed where I am).


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## destahall (Apr 2, 2012)

Last nite I did take out a few gallons of water and replaced it, just in case it was the CO2. Kept the water low enough so the filter would really oxygenate the water. This morning, the few shrimp I hadn't moved to the other tank are doing fine. Guess I just learned a lesson! I had read that shrimp were sensitive to CO2 levels (as well as everything else under the sun, lol). Guess they really are! I am not sure why my pH dropped. I have tested it morning and nite due to the CO2, and it has always stayed steady. All 5 of my tanks are always at 6.8....have done a thing differently, so that is weird. I will be mroe cautious now. Will slowly start my co2 back up, and keep testing pH. My co2 level will stay lower now, just in case I get another pH drop.....any other advice would be helpful. I hate killing things and wasting my money, it's just a bad deal all around....


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

Shrimps are very sensitive on temperature changes.


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## destahall (Apr 2, 2012)

Don't believe there have been any temp changes. When doing a water change, I always make sure the water is the same temperature.
I am curious about the arizona aquatic quality of shrimp. I was going to actually place another order, until this happened....they have some cool shrimp that I haven't seen elsewhere at decent prices, but it's not worth it if the shrimp are just going to die. 
I got nerite and rabbit snails from them and they are doing great. (Which, by the way, if anyone out there has nerites or rabbit snails for sale, message me!).


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## destahall (Apr 2, 2012)

No helpful info for the shrimp newbie? Please? Any odd bits of info, or if you thing I am right as to why they were dying would be kinda nice.....they seem to be fine now, got the pH raised back to where it should be and lowered the CO2....but I know there are a bunch of you shrimp experts out there with some thoughts and I would like to hear them!


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## supatank (May 26, 2012)

these shrimp in my experience are very sensitive to any form of chemical, especially prime and other fert (i experience this the hard way). they also don't do very well with fluctuation in water chemistry (ie. ph), which is cause by your co2.


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## alexopolus (Jan 18, 2010)

I keep these guys in my tank with CO2, and yes they are sensitive. I run a air stone when the lights go off in my tank.


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## whitetiger31 (Aug 1, 2012)

I know this might be a no brainer, I do admit i did this my self. I had shrimp for a while. i would consider myself a newbie on shrimp as well. I would make sure you go threw all your food(flakes and tablets you are putting in the tank). I was feeding my bottom feeder fish these tablets for years and never had a problem. i started to feed them to my shrimp and i lost all of them. i found out later it contained copper. Some people say copper in small dosage is ok. They are lying. If it has copper sulfate or any form of copper dont use it. Alot of fish food and bottom feeder food has copper in it as a way to keep the food from going bad. Unfortantely its terrible for shrimp. I would check that. I hope i helped !


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