Arofanatics Fish Talk Forums  

Go Back   Arofanatics Fish Talk Forums > General Aquatic Forums > Freshwater Invertebrates Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-08-2011, 10:34 AM   #1
ralliart12
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Unhappy All my shrimps died. Wish to restart. What measures should I adopt with existing equi

Hi fellows. I went through the FAQ (after the deaths) but couldn't find a topic with regards to handling existing equipment (from a tank that deaths occur); hence I'm posting a new thread.

Background
Extremely small tank (Ocean Free; 17.5cm * 17cm * 14cm), external hanging filter (Aleas, $7-kind), 1 small piece of driftwood with Anubia attached & 2 Marimo. Had 5 Sakuras in it for 3 days (already feeding & moulting). Last night, introduced the Anubia (washed, but not quarantined) AND (here's the kicker), 10 Grade A CRS at 1 shot into the existing setup. Morning came & all but 1 Sakura died. Understood the blood's on my hand due to 3 mistakes:

1) Introducing CRS into an inadequately-cycled setup
2) Introducing multiple organic elements into a very small ecosystem
3) Not quarantining plant before introducing it into tank


Current state
Anyway, I wish to continue rearing shrimps. But I wanna (& have to) do it properly this time round. May I know what to do with my driftwood with Anubia attached, my filter (media), my GEX soil, my Marimo (in order to prepare for the next round of inhabitants)? I already poured away the all the existing tank water, took out the driftwood with Anubia (placed it in a plastic bag), place my 2 Marimo in a plastic cup, placed the filter in a plastic bag too.

New Directions
So may I fill up the tank with water, put all the plants back, then throw in 1 or 2 fishes to cycle for a week? Or I must do something to the plants & cycle the tank water separately? Or I can throw the Marimos in but do something to the Anubia separately? Or what else, i.e. any instructions?

& regards cycling the tank, do I fill it up with water, turn on the filter (as if still keeping fishes inside)? Then do % water changes every alternate day? And/or swap out the existing filter media for activated carbon?


Please advice.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 10:59 AM   #2
Xmant
Dragon
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,034
Default

Don't be disheartened over your failure. Just bear in mind you don't make the same mistake again. There were many articles on the shrimp setup. Your current aim should keep them survive for at least 4 mths so that you could at least see them breed.

Setting up a shrimp tank is not really that difficult. However to maintain good water parameters over mths that would be a main challenge.

A quick guide.
1. Wash your tank and equip throughly.
2. Soak and rinse your current soil overnight to get rid of any contamination.
3. Put the soil back to tank with clean tap water.
4. Add anti-chlorine and anti-chloramine.
5. Hook up your filter system to get it cycle.
6. You can put BT-9 to speed up your cycling process.
7. Once tank is cycle, put 2-3 shrimps to test out for 2-3 days.
8. If nothing happen to them, then you can stock your tank with shrimps. Do not put many at one go, this will upset the bioload handling. Introduce them gradually.

Pls note:
If your shrimp starts to molt after introducing into the tank for the first 2-3 days, it is a bad sign. The shrimp is under stress due to variation of water parameters.

Good luck to you.
Xmant is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 11:02 AM   #3
cheetf
Dragon
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,138
Default

Your tank size is making things extremely difficult for you. The irony is that the smaller the tank the more difficult it is. A little change in the water parameters translate to a very large percentage change, and as a result it can affect the shrimp really bad. Any possibility of a bigger tank?
cheetf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 11:06 AM   #4
globalcookie
Dragon
 
globalcookie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,446
Default

And please, why use fish to cycle the tank when there are many other options, WITHOUT USING LIVES? Why commit more murder after you have killed 10 CRS due to your mistakes?

Goodness sake, cycle the tank properly. There are threads discussing about how to cycle, maybe even, how to shorten the cycling period. Using any life forms is torturing the life, be it fish or what. Why don't you move and live in a hazzardous environment instead? No? Than don't do it to animals or fishes, etc!
globalcookie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 11:21 AM   #5
eviltrain
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Extremely small tank (Ocean Free; 17.5cm * 17cm * 14cm),

the tank is too small, and there's only like 4.2 litres of water volume. extreme water condition may occur ( fluctuating temperature, haywire water parameter due too evaporation )

external hanging filter (Aleas, $7-kind)

any filtration is good as long as it is cycled well enough

1 small piece of driftwood with Anubia attached & 2 Marimo.

you mean mini nana? the sap of mini nana is actually toxin to shrimps.

Had 5 Sakuras in it for 3 days (already feeding & moulting). Last night, introduced the Anubia (washed, but not quarantined) AND (here's the kicker), 10 Grade A CRS at 1 shot into the existing setup. Morning came & all but 1 Sakura died. Understood the blood's on my hand due to 3 mistakes:

1) Introducing CRS into an inadequately-cycled setup
2) Introducing multiple organic elements into a very small ecosystem
3) Not quarantining plant before introducing it into tank[/COLOR]


its always best to cycle a newly setup tank, no matter big or small, for a month. This is to let the BB establish a healthy colony before you add any life stocks.

Anyway, I wish to continue rearing shrimps. But I wanna (& have to) do it properly this time round. May I know what to do with my driftwood with Anubia attached, my filter (media), my GEX soil, my Marimo (in order to prepare for the next round of inhabitants)? I already poured away the all the existing tank water, took out the driftwood with Anubia (placed it in a plastic bag), place my 2 Marimo in a plastic cup, placed the filter in a plastic bag too.

just wash everything, sun-dry and re-set your tank (everything, except for your plants ). let it cycle for a month before you adds any faunas into it. Place your tank in a air con room as cherries and CRS needs cool temperature to survive.

Good luck
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 11:45 AM   #6
globalcookie
Dragon
 
globalcookie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,446
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
its always best to cycle a newly setup tank, no matter big or small, for a month. This is to let the BB establish a healthy colony before you add any life stocks.
And BB need to be fed during this 1 month else they'll also die. Feeding, can be in the form of, throwing in dead shrimps, food, etc.

I jump start a tank by using existing tank water from another tank. It is a quartz based tank, where quartz was washed and sun dried. Using existing tank water means there will be some BB, and new colony of BB will cultivate soon. This is my method of short-cut cycling. Risk however, is that you may migrate problems in other tank water to this tank, but if that tank is stable, shrimps breeding and growing well, the risk is minimal. I used UV light for 24hrs at the outlet as a safeguard.

After that, release in some guppies for a few days to maintain or grow the BB colony.
globalcookie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 11:53 AM   #7
ralliart12
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Question

Quote:
Originally Posted by cheetf View Post
...The irony is that the smaller the tank the more difficult it is. A little change in the water parameters translate to a very large percentage change, and as a result it can affect the shrimp really bad...
Yup, I can grasp the concept that a larger tank is more stable in not only temperature, but other parameters as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cheetf View Post
Your tank size is making things extremely difficult for you..Any possibility of a bigger tank?
Space constraint. Tank is to be placed on office desk.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
Don't be disheartened over your failure. Just bear in mind you don't make the same mistake again...
I'm disheartened over the loss of lives. But I really appreciate your encouraging tone. I supposed less-restrained folks may have lashed out at me already (deservedly so, it may be).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
...A quick guide. 1. Wash your tank and equip throughly. 2. Soak and rinse your current soil overnight to get rid of any contamination. 3. Put the soil back to tank with clean tap water...
On the other hand, would it justbe more convenient to get a new packet of soil all together? i.e. IMO, the red packet version of the GEX soil isn't all that expensive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
...4. Add anti-chlorine and anti-chloramine...
Actually, if I intend to let it sit for a week, with filtration, would adding these 2 be unnecessary? i.e. let the water age & aerate naturally over time? If it's still necessary, may I know what brands (& model) of anti-chlorine and anti-chloramine to buy? As the LFS I patronise is a bit like SLS, i.e. price is decent but you have to know what you are looking for, as the storeowners is a bit bo chup the patrons one (pros & cons).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
...5. Hook up your filter system to get it cycle...
Use back existing filter media? Can change to activated carbon or some other media?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
...You can put BT-9 to speed up your cycling process...
May I know what's BT-9? & if I intend to let the tank cycle for a few weeks, do I still need its "help/boost"?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
...Introduce them gradually...
Does this "gradual introduction" apply to CRS only? Or even for the more hardy Sakuras? i.e. I cannot just dump 5 Sakuras into a cycled tank? On the other hand, will the LFS storeowners be pissed off if I just return week after week to buy 1 shrimp by 1 shrimp?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
...Pls note: If your shrimp starts to molt after introducing into the tank for the first 2-3 days, it is a bad sign. The shrimp is under stress due to variation of water parameters...
Darn! & I thought them moulting is a good thing, i.e. they being comfortable with the environment to moult. Leearnt something new.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xmant View Post
...Good luck to you.
Again, thank you for your forgiving & encouraging tone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...the tank is too small, and there's only like 4.2 litres of water volume. extreme water condition may occur ( fluctuating temperature, haywire water parameter due too evaporation )...
This one I really can do nothing about it. (Desk) space constraint.

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...any filtration is good as long as it is cycled well enough...
Understood. Btw, got an off-topic question: is there any way to make my filter less noisy? i.e. the sound originates from (the vibration of) the motor; not the water flow.

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...you mean mini nana? the sap of mini nana is actually toxin to shrimps...
Wait, is mini nana = Anubia? Or just a plant similar in physical appearance to Anubia? If, IF, it turns out mine is the mini nana, does it mean I can totally forget about putting this plant into a shrimp tank (even with mature filtration system & cycled water)?

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...its always best to cycle a newly setup tank, no matter big or small, for a month. This is to let the BB establish a healthy colony before you add any life stocks...
If I were to cycle without using any livestock at all, does I just conduct % water changes every few days? But if no waste produced, how will the bacteria build up?

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...just wash everything, sun-dry and re-set your tank...
So erm, throw away the soil & retain filter media? & by "wash everything", do I use soap? Or just tap water?

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...(everything, except for your plants )...
So erm, funny nobody mention anything about the plants I have now (the maybe-Anubia & the 2 Marimo), what do I do with them now? I can't leave them in open-air without water "permanently"...

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...Good luck
Again, thanks for your encouraging tone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
...Place your tank in a air con room as cherries and CRS needs cool temperature to survive...
Am already doing so. According to my $2-thermometer, it's (my tank water) approximately 25degC previously.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 12:00 PM   #8
BettaCloud
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Your tank is too small for so many shrimps. I made the same mistake in the past and i will not repeat it. Increase the tank size or reduce the number of shrimps. I had green water and parameter went haywired, killed my ss crs n bds. It was a grave mistake.

My method to reset tank,
1)wash the tank with hot water instead of any chemical.
2) soak all your plants for a few days, can try salt bath your plants for day1 and then change to clean water to remove the salt content.
3) as for the soil, i did rinse with hot water though it will destroy somewhat, but rinse fast.
4) then re setup and cycle your tank. After one week, add a few of your hardy shrimps for a few days before adding more.

Managed to clean and reset my parameter, now my shrimps are doing very well, shrimplets growing well.

I suspect its the anuabia sap that cause the death of your shrimps. Check your nana.
I shared a few times on shortening cycling period though not long cycling is preferred.

Dont worry bro, with experienece you can do well! Try to get a fan as inconsistent temp will affect shrimps too. avoid anuabia if you want to play safe. im not too certain about this plant, so i avoid them.

Do update us on your full tank shot after u reset.

Last edited by BettaCloud; 11-08-2011 at 12:06 PM.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 12:15 PM   #9
eviltrain
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

gex soil is capable to release small amount of ammonia. therefore, you dont have to add waste to feed the bb colony.

there was this guy from aq, nick greenbaron, he has a extremely small tank ( without any filtration ) with some driftwood and mini pelia. he's able to keep the CRS in the tank alive but im not too sure if they breeds.

as for the noisy filter due to vibration,slit a airline tube and place it inbetween the contact point of the tank and the filter. it helps to reduce the noise level.

just my 1/4 cent.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2011, 12:16 PM   #10
gryphon
Arofanatic
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 431
Default

You need to add anti chlorine like Mosura Shizhen into your new tank as well as future water top up. If not your bacteria will not grow as they are killed by the chlorine in the water.
For me I always soak new plants in salt water overnight then leave them in clean water for at least a day before adding to my tank.

Is your office aircon switched on 24/7? If it is not then better don't get CRS
gryphon is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +9. The time now is 03:59 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright © 2000-2008 Arofanatics.com (Since 30th August 2000)