Amano Shrimp Killing Eachother?

[Izzylovesfishies]

Hello, I’m relatively new to the hobby of fish keeping and I need help. I have a Fluval Spec 5gal tank with 10 amano shrimp. The problem is, I woke up yesterday to find two of them dead with the other amanos eating them. I know they are scavengers, so it wasn’t super unusual, but I then got really worried and suspicious because I found separate moults near the dead shrimp. Did the shrimps moult and the others ate them alive until they died because they were vulnerable? I increased the amount of food I’m giving them so I hope that’ll fix the problem, but does anyone have any advice? I heard of many people that keep amanos in 5gal with no issues, so why is this happening? Also, the shrimp that were dead were bright pink, like the shrimp you cook and eat. The tank doesn’t go over 76, so it’s not them boiling to death; I heard that when they are attacked and killed they turn that color, so that’s why I’m worried, but other people say it’s their beta carotene, I’m just confused at this point. Also, the tank has been cycled, I don’t put any fertilizers, the tank is very heavily planted, I do a 50% water change and gravel clean once a week, and I inject CO2 daily. Please help!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

There it is, if you inject CO2 daily that might be your problem. If you don’t carefully inject CO2, it’ll kill fish and shrimp. Any chance of a picture? It is very unlikely that the shrimp actually killed the other one. But we won’t know for sure without a picture.

 

[Izzylovesfishies]

There it is, if you inject CO2 daily that might be your problem. If you don’t carefully inject CO2, it’ll kill fish and shrimp. Any chance of a picture? It is very unlikely that the shrimp actually killed the other one. But we won’t know for sure without a picture.

Thanks for responding! I’ll be more careful when dosing CO2 next time. I’m just relieved as I heard they can get aggressive with each other when they are hungry. I was stupid and didn’t take a picture, but if it happens again, I’ll take one. Do you know why shrimp during pink when they die though?

 

[Essjay]

I don't know why they turn pink but they all do, even red cherry shrimp.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

No, that is interesting. I have been keeping cherry shrimp for a while now and when one dies it just stays the same color, unless it’s in there for a while, then it’ll turn a white color.

They may get aggressive, but they definitely won’t kill each other.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I don't know why they turn pink but they all do, even red cherry shrimp.

Really? I guess I never noticed it because they’re already sort of pink?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I did some digging, it seems that they have a red protein wrapped around their body that’s invisible, but it unravels and becomes visible when they die, that’s where the pink color comes from.

 

[Retired Viking]

Hello and welcome to the forum, I avoid using Co2 when having fish or shrimp in the tank especially at night when the plants stop producing oxygen and produce Co2 instead. With my luck I would wipe out the whole tank.

 

[seangee]

DO you mean CO2 gas or the so called liquid CO2?
Personally I would not use either but the liquid version is actually gluteraldehyde which is poisonous. The dosages are calculated to be enough not to kill fish - so I definitely would not use that.

 

[Izzylovesfishies]

DO you mean CO2 gas or the so called liquid CO2?
Personally I would not use either but the liquid version is actually gluteraldehyde which is poisonous. The dosages are calculated to be enough not to kill fish - so I definitely would not use that.

Wow, I didn’t know that. I think it’s the latter. I’ve stopped rowing CO2 a while back and all problems stopped, so I think that was the solution, good to know for the future!