# [Wet Thumb Forum]-help with shrimp!



## robocop22 (Aug 27, 2003)

I need help keeping shrimp in my tank (ghost or amano) both of them keep dying on me...right now there's 1/6 amano alive and maybe 3/20 ghost shrimp alive
amano been in the tank for about 3 wks...ghost shrimp about 2 wks

tank spec-29gallon, 65wt CF, 20wt F, 9wtUV
GH-8, KH-7, NO3-10, pH-6.9, ammonia-0.5, 
temp-74

fish-red tail shark, rainbows, corys, neons, oto, SAE
plants-amazon sword, crypts, anarchis, java fern, red ludwigia, rotala indica, anubias, aponogeton

thanks!

p.s. LFS has Atyopsis moluccensis that i want but I need to know how to keep the other shrimps alive first


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## robocop22 (Aug 27, 2003)

I need help keeping shrimp in my tank (ghost or amano) both of them keep dying on me...right now there's 1/6 amano alive and maybe 3/20 ghost shrimp alive
amano been in the tank for about 3 wks...ghost shrimp about 2 wks

tank spec-29gallon, 65wt CF, 20wt F, 9wtUV
GH-8, KH-7, NO3-10, pH-6.9, ammonia-0.5, 
temp-74

fish-red tail shark, rainbows, corys, neons, oto, SAE
plants-amazon sword, crypts, anarchis, java fern, red ludwigia, rotala indica, anubias, aponogeton

thanks!

p.s. LFS has Atyopsis moluccensis that i want but I need to know how to keep the other shrimps alive first


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

Are you sure the rainbows weren't the shrimp killer? larger rainbows have a taste for shrimps. What is your micro/Fe dosage? shrimps cannot take high level of metals (ie micro nutrient, Fe)in the water.

---------------------------
My 75 Gallon

Aquabay


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## robocop22 (Aug 27, 2003)

i don't think the shrimps where attacked b/c i found intact dead shrimp bodies on the gravel...i'm not dosing any micros right now
substrate is laterite and gravel
i do have some azoo condensed additional fertilizer (they come in little red balls...says contain trace elements...)
but azoo has been burried in the substrate for 1 month now....don't have a tester for Fe or Cu


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## anonapersona (Mar 11, 2004)

Ammonia??

You shouldn't have any ammonia in that tank. 

This suggests that the tank is overstocked an/or the filter is not working and/or you are overfeeding and/or the plants are not consuming wastes fast enough.

Light seems good, NO3 is OK, do you add traces and phosphate?


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## imported_Piscesgirl (Feb 19, 2004)

I've read that any ammonia will kill shrimp, and I'm also wondering how much copper might be in your ferts? Apparently most folks report no problems with the copper in most ferts -- but it is something to think about. 

I think the important thing is that ammonia reading.


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## robocop22 (Aug 27, 2003)

well my amonia level is probably 0 - 0.5 ppm @ most using ap tester. 

so you guys think 0.5 would be enough to kill shrimp?


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## robocop22 (Aug 27, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by anonapersona:
> Ammonia??
> ...


using KH2PO4....doubt i have more than 1 ppm...no tester
not added micro or trace fertilizer besides the azoo under the substrate


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## imported_Piscesgirl (Feb 19, 2004)

I can't say for sure, but when I was looking up information on the Crystal Red Bee Shrimp I bought last week, it said that they could not survive any ammonia reading at all...so...I'm just speculating that it could have been why your shrimp passed....


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## robocop22 (Aug 27, 2003)

do you guys add iodine for keeping shrimp?
if you do...what brand and how much do you add?
is it safe for the fish and plant?


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

Shrimp only require very small amounts of iodine, you would have to have a tank that had no water changes for a LONG time and a population in the hundreds of shrimp to have iodine troubles.

Your most likely culprit is the ammonia.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 26, 2004)

I did a quick search and found this to be the most recent topic including this one with no real conclusion to my problem...

http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/groupee/forums?a=tpc&s=4006090712&f=6806023812&m=8166071722&r=9066066822#9066066822

My shrimp are dying too, Ghost first then lost one or two amanos. I had 20 Ghost shrimp and four Amanos. If they start to turn white I know somthing is wrong. I was adding alot of PMDD to raise the PO4 and NO3 tests. My GH raised from 11 to 18. NO3 from zero to five and PO4 has not changed much.

My conclusion as of last night was they can't handle the high GH but now I dont know. Maybe the lage dose of Plantex with the PMDD increased the copper too much?

I did a 50% water change droped the GH to 14 and will keep myself from adding any more ferts for a while. I may even do another 50% change this weekend to continue to drop the GH some more. Current readings are PH6.8, KH 8, GH 14, PO4 .25 and NO3 5, with no amonia or nitrite.

The other part of this question is what part of the PMDD formula is raising my GH so quickly?


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