Cherry Shrimp - Is It Sick Or Dying?

[JPK]

I have a small tank (24 litre) which has been setup for a while now, and has had cherry shrimp living in it without problem, I came home today to find one of the shrimp laying on it's back, and unlike the other shrimp, when the panda corries move near it, it doesn't move out of the way, and yet when you look at it, it is still moving it's legs quite actively.

The panda corries were added a few day's ago but they have not troubled any of the fish or shrimp while I have been watching the tank (which I spend a fair amount of time doing every time I introduce a new tank mate) and I asked if the shop had used any copper based products in their tank, they had not. None of the other shrimp are showing signs of being ill, and the others are also growing bigger then this one and so I assume are older, which puts age out of my head.

Could it be an illness or is it just a case of the panda corries have had this affect?

 

[JPK]

The shrimp in question is now in quarantine away from the other inhabitance of the tank, I am going to observe it and see how it gets on, any advice anyone can give would be helpful, the balance in the tank is almost spot on perfect so I am now more leaning towards old age, but still want to rule this out unless the shrimp does infact die

 

[myrtle]

Hi, I can't offer too much help I'm afraid but I've had the odd shrimp die for unexplained reasons whilst the rest of the troupe are breeding quite happily. I wouldn't think it has anything to do with the pandas though but I don't know a lot about shrimp disease...

 

[JPK]

Thanks, well whatever it was I woke up this morning to find it completely lifeless, so as you've said, it must be the odd shrimp that's died for no known reason...

 

[myrtle]

Oddly enough after posting I found a dead shrimp and there can't be much wrong in the tank as my Celebes are still breeding in there!

 

[JPK]

Strange, yeah my other shrimp are fine, although they are now in a separate tank to my fish, after introducing the corries it also seems I now have an outbreak of white-spot! Treating it requires medication with copper sulphate, mega shrimp killer in other words. Still I went back to the same fish shop to get stuff for it (They have always done good before, so this must just be a one off), mentioned it to them, they gave me the medication for free! Checked the dead shrimp for any signs of anything today, and nothing, so the cause of this is completely unknown and I think it will be forever!

 

[Caprichoso]

Shrimp are sensitive to ammonia. You may have a slight ammonia spike which may appear not to affect your other fish but is very bad for shrimp.
Also, shrimp don't tend to live very long (2 years).
Are you doing regular water changes?
As for your white spot issue, you are far better off doing water changes than medicating. Fish only usually get sick because of less than perfect water stats. Meds may help short term but you need to address the cause (the water quality) if you want to prevent this from becoming a re-occurance.
Good luck

 

[JPK]

Thanks for the advice, yeah I know all about shrimp, did my homework, and do just think it was natural death, but not to matter, I can always get more I checked all the levels and everything has been fine chemically, unless it was a quick spike that happened and was gone before I found out, but then that doesn't explain a single shrimp dying...

I am doing regular water changes, and the white spot issue was brought in by the corries as when I went back and told them, they checked it out, they told me they had a white spot breakout in their tank with the corries too, got the med's for free anyway, but good news is the shrimp are surviving and I am considering setting up a larger tank as I got talking and the guys in the fish shop said if I could get a shrimp colony going they would buy them from me as they don't get them in often and haven't had the time to get their own one set up. I used to supply them with neon's (4 years ago) but shrimp are completely new to me this year, so new rules to learn for them.

So I got an old tank from when I had more room, and made some room, just setting it all up for shrimp now, waiting on payday so I can go get some substrate and a few grasses, and then moss balls down in there!