# cherry red massive die off :(:( HELP!



## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

I have about 40 cherry red in my 10 gallon q tank, they were all doing well! 

The plan is to move them to my new 50 gallon fully planted after it's stable. So i waited about 3 weeks after setting up the 50 gallon just to be safe. Then moved my cherry reds in, and just a few hours later to my horror, the cherry reds are dying by the dozens. The floors were littered with shrimp corpses!! The shrimps will lie on the substrate unable to move, but you can see its tiny legs moving fast just that it cant flip itself over to normal balance. And eventually it dies. What is wrong? please help!

I checked the following before moving my shrimp: 

1) temperature in both tanks are identical 
2) new tank has no ammonia/nitrite(fully planted and all), and nitrate at 10ppm 
3) there are no other livestock in the tank, otherthan some tiny snails that hitched a ride when i got my plants 
4) ph is stable at 7.2 
5) water is treated 

I dose (per instructed amount) the tank was seachem plantcare products - Flourish(trace elements), Flourish nitrogen(nitrate), potassium, and Phosphorus. And my substrate is eco-complete. They should all be safe for livestock. A lot of people use them and keep cherry reds. Could it be the copper in eco complete?

So what's going on? why are my shrimps all dead. Man this tank has been 1 disaster after another... i should just kept my biorb and saved a lot of headach and money. Big is NOT ALWAYS better....


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

Have you done water changes in the new tank before introducing the shrimp?

Eco Complete in a new tank can raise both GH and KH, sometimes quite significantly. It can take many water changes before this stabilizes.

Did you test GH and KH?

I have read that _neocaridina denticulata_ can be sensitive to elevated magnesium levels, which may be present in a new tank with Eco Complete.

Just my thoughts.


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## jeff63851 (Feb 23, 2005)

I think it might be the Eco complete's fault. Did you wash it? When I used eco-complete, it raised my GH and KH by a lot.


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

That must have been awful for you and the shrimp.  

Firstly I would check the products websites for full info on what you're using and if it's invertebrate safe. Iron and copper are bad.

Some products can also make certain water tests give false readings.

Was the PH different in the 10g? I'm not sure if PH shock would kill them all though. 

Bigger tanks are always better.....I hope you don't let this put you off.

Best of luck.


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## newguy (Mar 18, 2006)

my KH is 3, and GH is 7. Unfortunately i didnt test those in my old q tank so cant compare against them. 

But would a difference in KH/GH really kill so many shrimps suddenly? most fish only tanks dont even bother testing those values.

I did not rinse eco complete, was told by the instruction and on boards to just dump them in. 

will test copper tomorrow after i buy a kit. thanks guys


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

You might have had a PH crash or something is in your water that is harmful to the shrimp. Do you have any driftwood in this tank?

Pedro


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## YuccaPatrol (Mar 26, 2006)

I will use this thread to remind me that I should test a new aquarium with a single individual shrimp before I transfer everyone else into it.

Sorry this happenned.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

Did you acclimate them slowly? Was this a brand new tank or a used tank?


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## Sully (Nov 11, 2005)

Did you dose in both your 10 gallon and your 50 gallon tank? I think you only did it for your 50...so that might have been a shock to them.

-SULLY


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## Aquaspot (Jan 19, 2006)

There must have been a vast difference in the old tank and the newly setup tank. 
Your shrimps were not acclimatized properly and they died of shock.


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