Tiger shrimps

[Adroit]

Has anyone kept tiger shrimps before, and successfully? I use to have 20 tiger shrimps in my 10 gallon, but it now dwindles to the last 6-8. My water parameters has always been Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 10-20. I have done daily water changes in order to reduce any Ammonia, Nitrite, or Nitrate if they exists, but still at least one drops dead each day. Temperature: 78-80F. I feed them 2 Wardleys bottom dwellers pellet every other day. I can't seem why my shrimps are dieing.
PS: I have never added any chemicals other than prime.

[radioaktiv]

you ever used any snail-killer or anything else with copper in it?

[Adroit]

Nope the tank was pretty dormant until i added the shrimps. I only had one CAE in there for about a month or so in order to keep some of the bacteria load alive. Other than that, i added a big chunk of driftwood, and about 2 golf balls worth of java moss the night before i added the shrimp. The only thing i can think of that would be killing them is the temperature. My tank usually hovers between 78-80F.

[radioaktiv]

wouldnt think 78-80 would be a problem

but im no shrimp expert

[bra8ndy8]

Ask Andrewh.....he knows his shrimp!

[SeanH]

I have a ton of tiger shrimp, for me they seem rather easy to keep. The only thing I think is your problem might be the "daily water changes". Heavy "hard" metals are not so quickly chelated as the "soft" metals by the common chelating agents in water conditioners. Shrimp of which seem to be fairly sensitive unlike most fish. I have mind in a couple heavily planted tanks, of which I only make 25 percent water changes every couple of weeks.

[Adroit]

So what do i do about the deaths? Just scoop out the shrimp and just take it? I thought the problem was the water, so i did frequent water changes to eliminate any kind of chemicals, Ammonia, Nitrite, or Nitrate if they exists. So i guess I'll just see what happens now, and only do weekly water changes.

[biggin]

Google the nitrogen cycle....

You want SOME nitrAtes in your tank, chances are if you have been doing daily water changes from the begining you have never cycled the tank. While shrimp are not as sensitive to ammonia as most fish a few weeks in it and they will succumb to it as well.

So what do i do about the deaths? Just scoop out the shrimp and just take it? I thought the problem was the water, so i did frequent water changes to eliminate any kind of chemicals, Ammonia, Nitrite, or Nitrate if they exists. So i guess I'll just see what happens now, and only do weekly water changes.

[budwick weiser]

good catch blake... i x2 what he said

[ElijahTurtle]

If the tank has ever had any copper based medications used in it like Snail-B-Gone or anything else,then the tank it's nuked for shrimp...Period end of story. You will always have mysterious shrimp deaths in it.
I'm not necesarily saying this for just your benifit since it says you've never used anything but prime. It more for those that are considering a used tank of unknown history.
Shrimp don't handle WC as well either due to the contaminates in the water that have little to do with the nitrogen cycle. I want to reitterate what Sean was saying about the heavy metals in the water. Continual WC from tap aren't good for shrimp either, it contains metals that need to be filtered. If you really want to do well with FW shrimp, you need to use well filtered, distilled or RO water for the best results.
I'm not saying you can't keep them without it, it just makes it more of a challenge than it should be. Get a filter or 2(The universal fit kind for icemakers) & run the water through both for your shrimp tank WC's.

I'm also going to have to agree with Blake, if you added 20 shrimp & you've been doing frequent WC with a shrimp death every day, then the amonia is probably doin a bunch of mini-spikes.

[DallasDiscus]

Check out petshrimp.com I would think the tank might need less water changes and build up the good bacteria.

[Adroit]

Well its been 1 week and from the 25, i have started out with, only 6 shrimps are alive, but the death rate has dropped dramatically. It started with 3 deaths a day to none in the past 2 nights. I think the problem could be that these were adult shrimps and did not take well to the new water parameters i have. I don't really think 10% water changes daily could really make 3 die each night. Plus the tank was already cycled. But now I'll consider buying some RO water. Hopefully there's a female shrimp in there, and might replenish my stock with more adapted offspring.

[bra8ndy8]

Well if you are doing that many water changes then you are starting a mini cycle......so it will kill the shrimp

[Adroit]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the bacteria exist in the gravel bed, fish ornaments, and filters of your aquarium, and barely to no extent free float in your aquarium water?

[greeneyed]

Mostly, but with almost clean water in the tank, there is not much for it to survive on.

[bra8ndy8]

I'll correct you.....I have a 300 gallon, I was doing a 50% water change weekly.....and my water kept turning a light brown 3-4 days in. I was told by one of the members that I was starting a mini cycle by changing so much water...I dropped it to 30% and haven't had the problem again.

[Adroit]

Well i changed to a weekly maintenance schedule, and the 6 is still holding strong.

[ElijahTurtle]

Well hopefully you have both males & females left & they will breed for you eventually

[budwick weiser]

just play them some barry white and dim the lights

[ElijahTurtle]

roflmaoroflmaoroflmaoroflmao

[bra8ndy8]

That's good to hear!