the new shrimp tank

[missdiane]

Hi Folks - wondering if someone can answer a question. I'm starting my first shrimp tank. It's been cycling & the new kids will arrive this week. Much research tells me that i should get a sponge filter & I plan to do this ASAP. However, to start I will have to use the whisper internal filter that came with the 5 gallon tank. There is no intake tube on this filter. It sits in the tank (HOB) and the water is taken up through the bottom. Will the shrimplets be sucked up in this as with other filters? Will it suffice to put a nylon stocking over the bottom? Help please. I've overspent already & can't buy another filter at this time. Thanks!

[saw]

Do you have the gph specifications? I looked up the item to see what they look like and a nylon stocking may be all that is needed depending on the flow. Another idea is to tie a poly fiber pad over the intake vent.

Thanks, Steven

[missdiane]

thanks for responding Steven! It is the 90 gph model for 2-10 gl. tanks > as I said, it came with the tank. The shrimp are OEBTs & quite expensive so I'm trying to do it right. Hoping to breed & sell to LFS which has agreed to buy - YAY! The only store available locally is Wal Mart - they sell nylon stockings but not much in the way of aquaium supplies. I'm going to examine the filter - thing is I didn't notice any type of intake area (). The flow is from the top in waterfall fashion so by placing the filter a bit higher in the tank, I think I'll eliminate the chance of shrimp entering there.
Thanks for your help!!

[missdiane]

Just thinking..... would it work to cut the padding from a new filter cartridge & rubber-band it around the bottom? Would this cut the gph flow too much?

[parker002]

For this kind of filter, I think cutting a piece of nylon stocking would be the way to go. I've used this before in small tanks and it works well.

[missdiane]

OK - was thinking about Steven's poly fiber suggestion - so, Parker you do not think the filter pad would work kind of like a sponge pre-filter?
Shrimp will arrive tomorrow! YAY!

[parker002]

It might. It might also impede the flow too much or worse - collect grime at such a rate that you have to clean it every few days. Panty hose work well in that they prevent the shrimp or fry from getting sucked into the filter but they otherwise don't do much.

[babygeige]

I agree with parker002. Just go with a little bit of nylon stocking, you should be fine. I used this filter for a brief time with my first batch of shrimp and that's what I used. You'll still probably have to keep an eye on it to keep it from getting clogged with gunk.
Make sure your tank is completely cycled - shrimp need good water conditions to thrive.
Enjoy the shrimp! They're fun to watch.

[goldenpuon]

I did this as well for a period with guppy fry. I used a piece cut out from a fish net and used string to put it over the filter. It worked well minus one fry that somehow got stucvk out of probably 40. It did get moderate build-up on it. I wish you best of luck with the shrimp missdiane!

Renee

[missdiane]

HI ALL! I HAVE VERY SAD NEWS. FIRST OFF, I USED PANTY HOSE FOR THE FILTER - GOT TO THINKING THAT THE CARTRIDGE PAD MIGHT BE TOO COARSE & THE BABIES COULD GET STUCK. ANY THIS WAS THE SET UP. 5 GALLON TANK, SEEDED WITH MEDIA,ETC. FROM EXISTING TANK & LIVE BACTERIA ADDED, WELL PLANTED, DRIFTWOOD AFTER 3 WEEKS, THE WATER PARAMETERS WERE CONSISTENT AT 75 DEGREES, ph 7.6, kh 150, gH 160, 0 AMMONIA, 0 NITRITES, 10-20 NITRATE. THERE WERE ALSO 2 GUPPIES & 1 MYSTERY SNAIL IN TANK. EVERYONE HAPPY. I ADDED 3 GHOST SHRIMP WHO HAD BEEN LIVING IN THE SAME PARAMETERS FOR 6 MONTHS IN MY 20 GAL - I WAITED 1 WEEK. ALL HAPPY. I ADDED 4 RCS WHO HAD BEEN LIVING IN THE 20 GAL. FOR 2 MONTHS, ALL STILL HAPPY. 2 DAYS LATER, I RECEIVED/ADDED 10 OEBT SHRIMP. AFTER NOT SEEING THEM FOR A DAY, I BEGAN TO WONDER IF MY $1 GUPPIES WERE EATING MY $100 SHRIMP & I REMOVED THE GUPPIES. THAT NIGHT I SAW 3 OF THE NEW SHRIMP. THE NEXT DAY, THEY WERE GONE. I FOUND 1 CARCASS. NOW 3 DAYS LATER MY GHOST SHRIMP & RCS HAVE ALL DIED.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS? I'M NOT WEALTHY - THE SHRIMP WERE AN INVESTMENT TO BREED & I HAD A SELLER. I'M AFRAID TO PLACE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE TANK TILL I FIGURE THIS OUT.

[Carl]

Sorry to read this;

I would re-check your water parameters, although I suspect this likely is not the problem.

Did you have any temperature swings?

Did you see anything on any of the living shrimp just prior to death?
Shrimp can contract Saprolegnia or even bring it into an aquarium

Are you running a UV Sterilizer, if so when was the last time the UV bulb was changed?
If not, this would be an investment I would not be without when dealing with expensive specimens (this is not to say a UV would have prevented this problem, but it still should be part of any system dealing with valuable specimens)

I would strongly suggest treating with Kordon Ich/Fungus Attack, if only to kill off any Fungus or potential parasites while not harming any shrimp if any are left

Please Reference
*Aquarium Disease Prevention
*UV Sterilization
*Aquarium Medications; Organic Treatments (Naphthoquinones)

Carl

[Carl]

You might also read some of the articles on this website from Germany (in the Aquarium Shrimp Disease Drop down):
translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crustakrankheiten.de%2F

Their information is excellent IMO, however I do not agree with all their treatments, in particular with Nifurpirinol for shrimp as know from experience this will kill shrimp
As well ampicillin is rarely effective for most aquatic bacteria such as the Aeromonas mentioned in this articles bacterial section

Carl

[parker002]

Probably not what you want to hear but my experience with shrimp is almost identical to what you've posted.

I've kept them successfully for several months and then one night they all just die.

[missdiane]

thanks folks! I didn't have any previous temperature swings. However since my last post, my apartment AC died. You might not know - I live in Nevada and it is 120 degrees & expected to continue. All 4 of my tanks rose to over 85 on Sunday evening. i raced to Wal mart which is the only store here that sells any fish supplies. Bought 4 small fans to run over the water surfaces, took off tank covers, turned off lights, turned on air stones. prayed & watched my fish all night - yes I have been freaking out!. This is the third day. I'm in a small town & no one can find the parts to repair or to install a new AC unit. The dogs are laying on the floor, panting. I have a migraine and am spending all day climbing over electrical cords to check on the fish. Temps are staying around 79 - high but better than 85. i went yesterday & spent my remaining $ to buy an evaporative cooler which is doing very little.
Now for the good news: last night I was looking at the new 5 gallon, thinking how pretty it looked & what a lovely shrimp haven it would've been. Suddenly I thought I saw something jump from behind the filter onto the nearby plant. Two minutes later I saw it again. Yes, 1 living RCS!!!!! Talk about survival of the fittest!! He/she is still there today - sitting on the moss ball.
Guys, please say a little prayer for the fish, dogs, and that someone can fix the AC before the holiday.
Thanks!

[parker002]

Hope you get it fixed soon. Temps like that are dangerous for people and pets alike!

[Carl]

I hope/pray you can get your air fixed quickly!

In the meantime, I too use evaporative coolers with generally decent results when the humidity is under 30% (better yet under 10%)

Many persons have trouble with these, even in low humidity which you should have most of the time in Nevada

The secret is you must place these near a window or some other opening, THEN you must have another vent or window that has a fan in it to suck the air out of the room to keep the humidity down
I use window fans.

If done right you should be able to bring down a room temperature 15F or more with just a portable evaporative cooler.
I personally have dropped a rooms temperature from 90 F to 75F in less than perfect humidity conditions in a matter of less than an hour.

What many do not think about whether an air conditioner or evaporative cooler, is that unlike with heating, with cold is not truly the opposite of heat, rather it is the LACK of heat (just as darkness is the lack of light)

So when you run an air conditioner, the air conditioner extracts the heat from the air and then blows it out of your home, auto, etc.

With an evaporative cooler, you are using the humidity/moisture to absorb the heat, but if the humidity remains trapped in the home, it is no different than venting an air conditioner inside your home.
In other words this moisture MUST be extracted from the room/home!!

Hopefully you can locate a window fan (make sure it is blowing he air out), this might make your living area more livable untol you can get your AC fixed.

BTW, glad you located a shrimp too, make sure to the Kordon Herbal Ick/Fungus to your tank.

Carl

[missdiane]

thanks for the info Carl - will do! The latest is that they can't replace the unit for a couple of weeks! Landlord offered to put me up in a hotel, but they don't accept dogs & I just refuse to leave 3 tanks of fish....so nice thought but we'll stick it out
The bedroom where the cooler is only has one vertical opening window, which i have open but no place to add a fan. fortunately the humidity is only about 12%.

[Carl]

Jul 2, 2013 18:31:24 GMT -5 missdiane said:

The bedroom where the cooler is only has one vertical opening window, which i have open but no place to add a fan. fortunately the humidity is only about 12%.

If you can find a way to even just suspend a desk fan or something similar to blow air out this window.

Otherwise unless you evacuate the moist warm air, your evaporative cooler will never work near its full potential

Please stay cool!

Carl

[missdiane]

thanks for the positive energy!!!
RIP: 15 RCS - 10 OEBT shrimp - 4 ghost shrimp - 1 Delta guppy - 1 Botia Striata
HOPEFULLY NO MORE!!!!!

[goldenpuon]

I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles missdiane! That must be very stressful and the fish and shrimp dying-very rough emotionally. I wish there was something something I or others at here could do to help! Keep up head up and try to think positively. Thinking positively may not be realistic for this situations, but it'll help you get through it. I wish you the absolute best! You and your pets are in my prayers missdiane!

In the mean time, is it a safe temperature inside your house? I got mild heat exhaustion from moving around for an extended period when it was 80 F in my house and hotter outside. Can you use a box fan or even splash cold water on yourself and dogs to cool off?

Renee