Shrimps And Snails In Tank For 6 Hours

[fishy55]

Hi all,

I have been fishless cycling for 84 days and around six hours ago finally added fish.

The fish (6 harlequins and 3 bronze corys) seem to be fine but the three japonica shrimps keep on lying on their sides and looking dead and then hopping off but very soon floating back down to lie on their side again, or even their backs.

I have also added a rabbit snail, this just seems also to be in one place and not moving.

The tank is an 80l fluval roma with a u2 internal filter, live plants that I also put in today along with some flourish plant food. I conditioned the water with prime.

Temperature is at 25 degrees, ph 6.6. Have not tested for ammonia or nitrite since I added the fish (it has only been 6 hours) but prior to adding the fish I did a big water change and tested water results were Ammonia 0.0, nitrite 0.0, nitrate 20 - which is the same as the tap water.

I have not fed any of them yet.

Any help or advice regarding the shrimps and snail gratefully received.

Fishy55

 

[Shred]

I'm almost certain that is copper poisoning. Cheap plant breeders often put snail killer on their plants which contains copper, which even in small quantities can be deadly to shrimp. I would recommend first removing the shrimp and snails, put them in a bucket or something similar (since you are fishless cycling I guessed you don't have another tank they could go in). Then remove the plants and wash them as thoroughly as you can, and quarantine them in a bucket for a day or two. To get the copper out of your tank you'll want to have as much surface agitation as possible, and it also might be worth buying some carbon for your filter.

 

[fishy55]

Shred,

Thanks for your reply.

I have done as you suggested and have removed the shrimps and snail from the tank and put into a bucket, along with a bit of bogwood that never made it into the tank once I took everything out at the end of the fishless cycle so it had never come into contact with the plants.

Have taken all the plants I so carefully dug into the sand out and have put into another bucket and covered them in tap water.

I have put carbon into the filter, some came with it, I took it out to do the fishless cycling so had it ready and unused in the cupboard. The filter has a valve that agitates the surface of the water.

At least 2 of the 3 shrimps are looking more lively, I'm not sure about the snail though. When do you think they can go back into the main tank? Are they likely to be able to jump out of the bucket? There is probably at least 5 inches between the water and the top of the bucket

Also the seachem flourish plant food contains copper 0.0001%. Does that mean that I shouldn't be using this if I have shrimps and snails? Or is that small amount likely to be okay? I have had a look around on this point and the concensus seems to be that it will be okay.

Thanks again.

Fishy55.

 

[Shred]

Yea the seachem flourish should be ok, as long as you don't go overboard with it. As for when to put them back into the tank, it's up to you really but I would give it at least 24 hours, hopefully most of the copper would have gone by then, just keep an eye on the shrimp once you put them back in.

 

[fishy55]

The shrimps did seem to be perking up in their special quarantine bucket, the snail never looked good.

I left them there overnight and was going to put them back in this morning but they never made it through the night, maybe because of the temperature of the water, which was obviously room temperature so around 18 degrees.

Fish seem okay though.

How long should I leave it before I try again with snails and shrimps?

Fishy55.

 

[Shred]

Aw thats a shame, I doubt it had anything to do with the temperature, amano shrimp are good with low temps in my experience. I'd wait a week or so just to be on the safe side mate

 

[Brujo]

take a water sample with you to your lfs and ask them to test the hardness and there is a copper test too

 

[Shred]

Copper tests seem to never work unless you literally have 5% copper, which is very unlikely. And amano shrimp really don't mind about the water hardness, so I'm not sure why you would need to test for that?