ghost shrimp keep dying. arrgh!

Ghost shrimp are basically sold as feeders. Down the hatch before they die.
I have kept them for multiple generations in the past without iodine
supplements, but since then, it appears that may be a viable process.
One problem I did notice was that the shrimp with a large white patch in the
carapace were the first to die. It seems this is a lethal parasite, and is
easily transmitted to the other shrimp. If you could be selective and avoid
or at least dispose of these white bodied shrimp, I think your luck will
turn around. Once I had no shrimp with this problem, spawnings kept
happening and none of the following generations had the problem. Got to
where I had too many ghost shrimp.
You are right in not fooling around with your water. Much easier on you and
the fish to use what comes out of the tap.
'Trust me". Never trust someone who says that. Trust has to be earned.
You seem to have a good grasp on your own set-up. All I would suggest is
try healthier ghost shrimp. Maybe waiting a month then try some of the
algae eating shrimp. Cost more but usually healthier.

Jim

yelohk wrote in message
...
I'm new to the hobby, so there is much that I don't know. I'm not sure
why but I keep losing ghost shrimp. I'm on my fifth batch so far.

At first I didn't use iodine and they died.

Then I tried adding kent's marine iodine, as I saw suggested in another
newsgroup, and they die. Perhaps I'm using an incorrect dosage?

Although some people say they don't use iodine or salt or anything.

Usually they last a few weeks before turning white and dying, but this
batch is dying within hours.

I don't know why I subject myself to this because I hate watching them
suffer. But I keep trying because they're fascinating and they do a good
job of cleaning the tank, although I regularly vacuum and the otos take
care of the algae (what algae?).

So far within hours of my latest purchase I have lost one and the others
aren't looking good.

The last time I had a batch die off quickly (they looked like they had
been cooked) was from another store. They told me afterwards it must
have been pH shock, as they maintain their tanks at ~7.0 and my tank was
7.8. I was told I should try to maintain my tank at a pH of 7.0. I felt
it was difficult enough to keep my tank stable as it is without throwing
in another parameter.

The ones I've bought from petsmart seem the hardiest, but that may be
because they're located close enough to use the same water supply as me
(I think), and their water is the same ph as mine. But I still lose them
within approx. 6 weeks.

This current store where I bought them from today said that basically it
is impossible for retail stores to maintain a consistent pH due to the
constant water changes and fish load in the tanks. The guy also told me
he was a marine biologist and zoologist, so that I could trust what he
told me. He basically said test kits were inaccurate, it's impossible to
maintain a constant pH, and the only thing I needed to be concerned
about was if my ph was low 6 or below or 8.4+ because ghost shrimp have
a hard time surviving in those levels.

Although after hearing my prior losses he recommended that I dose my
tank with antiobiotics (erythomyacin (sp?)) for 8 days. He thought it
might be a bacterial infection that didn't harm the fish, but affected
crustaceans. Does this sound feasible (that the cause could be bacterial)?

He then suggested that if that didn't work I try using bottled water.

I balked at his suggestion that I add antiobiotics to my tank, because I
am afraid of adversly affecting my tank somehow by causing an imbalance
in the tank, that the antibiotics my harm my plants, or harm the fish
currently in the tank. Although he seemed to believe that that line of
thinking was nuts. So he suggested that I slowly add tankwater to the
bag then add the shrimp to my tank. Within 5 hours one is dead, and the
other three are cloudy.

I'm beginning to wonder if this antibiotic thing is a good idea.
However, I still question whether pH is a factor... There has to be
something in the water...

Does anyone have any ideas why they might be dying?

My pH is ~7.8
Ammonia and Nitrites are 0.
Nitrates are ~10.
I do 25% weekly water changes
I regularly add dechlorinator, iodine, and flourish to the tank

I've only got my tank up and running in early march, but the test
results have been consistent since the tank cycled.

Every time I look at them I feel awful.

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direct replies: yelohk AT yahoo