Is My Shrimp Dying? Sos

[RobGoldsmith]

I have a japonica shrimp, i have had it for maybe 1/2 months.

Today It started lying on its side then shooting around the tank then resting then shooting off again. It keeps getting pushed around by the pub them darting to a corner and starting again

Any ideas?

I did add some weed today but it is only the very basic normal green always used grow crazy weed that is everywhere.

I am not using any medications and nitrate is at 20.

Rob

 

[elisew]

Your shrimp may possibly be simply trying to shed it`s skin They can shed a couple of times a month but they usually try and find somewhere quiet to do it. Shrimps are pretty vulnerable once freshly shed, they may not move for a little while after shedding as they need to 'dry out' so that their 'armour becomes protective again.

I think it`s just a case of being viiglant, keep an eye on it for the next day or 2 and if you see a white kind of half transparent 'body' then you`ll know it`s the shed skin

 

[RobGoldsmith]

Update

I have planeria!

I keep reading they can poison shrimps!

Can anyone help me out

This toxin is particularly potent towards any species of shrimp and glass shrimp.

http/www.planetinverts.com/killing_planaria_and_hydra.html also

Aghhhh, this is horrid!!!! Hes dying Those #19###s!!!!

 

[RobGoldsmith]

- Shrimp died.
Still lots of Planaria worming around the tank sides this morning. Nothing like the pics ive seen though of them really big, these are maybe 1mm at a max! Almost like long grains of sand. People say to remove them manually but its impossible! Hope my Apple Snail is ok

 

[Primous]

You need to reduce the amount of food you're feeding. They live off the uneaten food left by your fish. Small pieces invisble to the naked eye sustain them.

I had planaria too a while back, here's my advice. Feed your stock once a day. Make the portion small enough that the flakes/food is left on the substrate for no more than 30 seconds. Anything other than 30sec means your over feeding.

You can test the amount of planaria in your tank by completely blacking out your aquarium for a couple of hours or so and then turning on the light. The amount you see may shock you.

If you're seeing planaria while the lights are on you have a ton of them to contend with so don't bother with the lights out test. And also, to get things started don't feed them for a day and then start the new feeding regime.

 

[RobGoldsmith]

Blooming heck!!!!

Last night Shrimp was curled up paralysed and twitching! So i put it in another tank, woke up this morning to see he had gone so thought someone had removed it! Just Looked again and he is hanging on to a plant eating away and moving down the trunk! AWESOME!

When i removed him from the tank last night he was hardly moving, he had been what looked like trying to scratch himself for hours! Was sure he was a gonner when he sat in the net motionless. One last stab was to try the other tank and today he looks fine!

With regards to the bas**rds
When i turned the light on this morning i found maybe 5 on the glass! They are as small as sand and i could never pull them out not least because i need to turn my light off and i cant see them then! I also read that not feeding the tank as much makes them turn on shrimp etc, which is what i have done the past week.

Should i place my apple snail in the other tank too? Would salt get rid of them? Medicines look so costly!

Thanks again

Rob

 

[Primous]

I have crystal red, snow, cherry and black tiger shrimp during and before I first spotted planaria. Planaria are not carnivorous, they are scavengers. If you remove their food source, they can't feed and die. Eating hard bodied shrimp isn't something they an do so wherever site you got that info from isn't somewhere I'd bother visiting again.

I said turn the lights out because planaria don't like light. They come out when it's dark because fish will happily eat if they spot them. So if you turn the lights of and completely black out the aquarium for a couple of hours then suddenly turn the lights on you'll get a good idea of the numbers. I do this occasionally myself just to see if I have any. If you can see them during the day and with lights on that means they are in abundance.

People tend to feed their stock large amounts because it looks nice and have no idea that keeping an aquarium is about striking a balance. And by the way planaria is just the start, there are parasites that can grown in your community that live of uneaten food and prey on planaria that can kill off your entire stock should you not take action asap

 

[RobGoldsmith]

OK, thanks, but i must have read 50 cases of them attacking shrimp now.

Warning - Research carried out by Tim Henshaw at Bolton Museum (Lancashire, U.K.) indicates that Planaria carry a toxin on their surface. This toxin is particularly potent towards any species of shrimp and glass shrimp.

and

Some have speculated that the Planaria are harmless yet their presence is annoying. This assessment is false. Planaria tend to prey on fish fry and shrimp. Their stings are lethal and any victim that has been stung will likely die. The Planaria do not just bite and let loose instead they maintain a grip on their prey until it is dead. Once a shrimp has been bitten by this worm it lifelessly drops to the ground until all life force has been drained. In some instances, shrimp are lucky enough to shake off the Planaria.

etc, etc, etc.

I shall take your advice and cut back on the feeding though Try the 30 second rule also

Rob

 

[Gilli]

Take everthing out of your tank and do a really thorough gravel vac, turning over the substrate and getting to the bottom which will get rid of a lot of the planaria. Do this a couple of times a week and cut right back on feeding as advised, if you dont overfeed you wont have a problem with them.

You will know if your shrimp is dead as they go a pinky colour like when they are cooked!