Please Read/Respond

[sandy]

Hi All. I found two (of three) pepperment shrimp dead this morning. I don't want to over react and do an immediate water change (can do too much, yes?). I do always have 10 gal aged and ready for emergency.
Sunday: Did my 10 gal water change
Monday: Added one LR 8lbs, well-cured
Tuesday: A blip in the Ammonia, but back to zero
Wednesday: 5 gal "refresh" water change because of the new rock. Found 2 pepperment shrimp dead.
Everyone else is well and accounted for (including the other pepperment shrimp.
Levels: Ammonia ZERO
Nitrite between zero and .25
Nitrate between 20 and 40
PH 8.2
Do 10 gal change again? Wait and re-test?
Thanks. Sandy
These were my first deaths in my 50 gal (dammit). I won't be adding any new livestock. Only a piece of rock or two every month if my levels are zero.

 

[fshhub]

it could be your ammonia and nitrites, yes, it coud also be molt??? were they actual bodies, they molt their shell in one piece, and often you may think they are dead,
as far as nitrites, i owuld wait one day, and repeat every other day til they get down to 0 again
HTH

 

[sandy]

Thanks fshhub . Ummmm my nitrites and nitrates have never been zero in this new tank. Nitrites have always been close to .25 but today they are much closer to zero.
For one, it is only a month old and cycled with fish.
Second, I'm sure I have been overfeeding. I've been reducing feeding more and more. I'm learning.
I do think they were actual bodies. But I'll keep checking.

 

[dizzy]

Since there are two dead, that would be considered an anomaly rather than coincidence.
I would look at the non-recurring variables that week.
First off, people will say that your nitrates could be a little high and that your nitrites should be at 0. I agree and the water change can't hurt.
You added the lr and that was definitely something that could change the your tank conditions. It could even have been something on the rock and was "something they ate". How comfortable are you with your purchasing source?
Did they die right after your last water change? If so, did you check the conditions of the water before you added it to the tank (on the day that they died)?
Those would be my thoughts.
It sounds like another double murder case for the Great Sherlock Holmes!
Indubitably, my dear Watson...Indubitably.
Diz

 

[jimi]

What is your salinity at? If it is ok then I would say the nitrites did them in.

 

[sandy]

Thanks. No, they were alive and well last night, well after the water change and 24 hours after the introduction of the new rock. The third pepperment shrimp and the cleaner shrimp seem fine.
So ANOTHER 10 gal change won't hurt? That would be 25 gal in three days. s'kay?

 

[fshhub]

if the tank is only a month old, it may not have completely cycled, especially if the trites are readable, this can and does kill things, especially inverts, the cycle is best left uninterrupted, to finish it's course, so it does not restart, however, you have shrimp, which may not survive this, you are kind of between a rock and a hard place there, you would not happen to have a q' tank would you, if so , get the inverts in theere, and let it finish its cycle, you would be better off this way(IMO)
HTH

 

[sandy]

Nitrites? Even though they are nearly zero? Or was it the .25 nitrite level over time? It was not the NitrAtes? Thanks for your patience people. I just took some digital pics and want to show them to you later today.

 

[jimi]

What is your salinity?

 

[fshhub]

yep, nitrItes, even near 0 is not good, they are toxic, and nitrates, normally do not register at .25
yourtrates need to be as low as possible, but yout trItes ned to be 0
looking forward to the pics

 

[sandy]

fshhub: How do I get my nitrites to zero? Time takes time? I think I have a good filtration system and also 30 lbs LR... Reduce or stop feeding for a day or two? Water change? No more water changes until this weekend maintenance?
My tank is only a month old, but the Ammonia has been zero for two weeks.

 

[sandy]

Oh, Specific Gravity is 1.023 and pretty much stays that way because of the frequent water changes / F/O top off that I do. Temp is around 78 degrees.

 

[sandy]

"Best if the cycle is left uninterrupted"... still do water changes though, yes? What do you mean specifically about uninterrupted?
Thanks for your patience.

 

[fshhub]

well, it takes time to get teh nitrites down, they are actually the 2d stage inthe cycle, water changes, can help, but if it is not fuuly cycled, it is not hte best thing to do, but you culd lose fish and iverts, if it goes too high(how high, i am not sure, i never had that problem, personally)
you got a dsb? if so, this will also help gratly, and or lr
a skimmer is another tool that may help, but it too would only hold back your cycle, and not allow it to finish too

 

[sandy]

I think I have dsb: 60 lbs sand. (40 of it Nature's Ocean). I'm not running the protein skimmer because of the cycle (and other reasons).
Okay. Time. I don't want to prevent the tank from cycling by doing too many water changes. Is this what you are saying water changes will do? Slow down the cycle.
Good News! I just saw another pepperment shrimp. At least one of the bodies was a molt. Whoo Whoo! Who knows about the other one (shrimp) --- all this... well, I learned a lot today. Thanks

 

[wrassecal]

Sandy, I think you are my favorite person on this site. I always check your questions, because they are the same as mine. I read and I read and I test and I'm still constantly on here trying to figure out what I'm doing and why! I'm going to have to move the computer by the tank so I can do both! Know anyone who wants to buy a big screen TV, I never use mine anymore. We must have started about the same time. Dec.? - Debi