Ghost shrimp dying

[Moozillion]

Hi, All.
I've had my little mud turtle exactly 2 weeks now. I put about a dozen ghost shrimp in the tank about 10 days ago and did a 50% water change about a week ago. I was expecting my turtle to eat some of the shrimp, which I assume he has. I counted 4 shrimp last night. This morning I saw 1 dead shrimp that another shrimp appeared to be eating. This evening there is another dead shrimp and one live one that hardly moves, so I figure he's on the way out.
I looked up a little about ghost shrimp and tested my water. My pH is 6.5 but my nitrates and nitrates score just off the chart using those dipsticks.

Do you think the nitrates and nitrites are what is killing the ghost shrimp?
I ASSUME the nitrates and nitrites are no harm to my turtle since he doesn't breathe water?
Is this something about the "cycling" that new tanks have to go through?

 

[SteveW]

Basically, yes. New water doesn't have the bacteria to buffer NO2 spikes and turtles are messy eaters and big, ah, polluters, if you catch my drift. I treat the water to remove chlorine first (or age in sunlight) then add a product called 'stabilize' that adds beneficial bacteria. Plants will help too. Anacharis if your turtles won't eat it (my mud doesn't) or duckweed.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi, All.
I've had my little mud turtle exactly 2 weeks now. I put about a dozen ghost shrimp in the tank about 10 days ago and did a 50% water change about a week ago. I was expecting my turtle to eat some of the shrimp, which I assume he has. I counted 4 shrimp last night. This morning I saw 1 dead shrimp that another shrimp appeared to be eating. This evening there is another dead shrimp and one live one that hardly moves, so I figure he's on the way out.
I looked up a little about ghost shrimp and tested my water. My pH is 6.5 but my nitrates and nitrates score just off the chart using those dipsticks.

Do you think the nitrates and nitrites are what is killing the ghost shrimp?
I ASSUME the nitrates and nitrites are no harm to my turtle since he doesn't breathe water?
Is this something about the "cycling" that new tanks have to go through?

Poor shrimps!
Sorry, but I cant help feeling sorry for them.

 

[wellington]

Basically, yes. New water doesn't have the bacteria to buffer NO2 spikes and turtles are messy eaters and big, ah, polluters, if you catch my drift. I treat the water to remove chlorine first (or age in sunlight) then add a product called 'stabilize' that adds beneficial bacteria. Plants will help too. Anacharis if your turtles won't eat it (my mud doesn't) or duckweed.

Ditto.

 

[SteveW]

I use this:



And then this in the filter;



With my aquatics, nitrate always needs to be managed. Partly I think because I change the water often or in my big tank, use a UV sterilization filter. Regardless, it always seems to be an issue, so I'm treating, filtering, and buying plants. Having shrimp (or mosquito fish, on my case) is a helpful indicator, a canary in the coal mind kind of thing. I wouldn't worry about your mud turtle.

 

[Moozillion]

I use this:

View attachment 159189

And then this in the filter;

View attachment 159190

With my aquatics, nitrate always needs to be managed. Partly I think because I change the water often or in my big tank, use a UV sterilization filter. Regardless, it always seems to be an issue, so I'm treating, filtering, and buying plants. Having shrimp (or mosquito fish, on my case) is a helpful indicator, a canary in the coal mind kind of thing. I wouldn't worry about your mud turtle.

Thanks SO MUCH!!!!!

 

[Moozillion]

Poor shrimps!
Sorry, but I cant help feeling sorry for them.

I feel sorry for them too. That's why I want to correct this. My longer term goal is to have a much larger tank with lots of live plants for the shrimp to hide in and reproduce. My hope is that if Jacques is well fed on the food I give him, the shrimp will be the clean up crew and Jacques will only eat the sick ones or the ones that have died from natural causes.

 

[Tom]

Hold on for just a minute before you start in with all the chemicals and worry…

Are you 100% SURE that its a dead shrimp and not a molted exoskeleton? It can be very hard to tell the difference. Many many people have found their dead shrimp, crab, lobsters, arachnids, etc… only to discover that is was a molted exoskeleton.

 

[Moozillion]

Hold on for just a minute before you start in with all the chemicals and worry…

Are you 100% SURE that its a dead shrimp and not a molted exoskeleton? It can be very hard to tell the difference. Many many people have found their dead shrimp, crab, lobsters, arachnids, etc… only to discover that is was a molted exoskeleton.

Hmmmm...ya know, I never thought of that!!! . I'll try scooping one up and have a quick look! THANKS, Tom!

 

[SteveW]

Hold on for just a minute before you start in with all the chemicals and worry…

Are you 100% SURE that its a dead shrimp and not a molted exoskeleton? It can be very hard to tell the difference. Many many people have found their dead shrimp, crab, lobsters, arachnids, etc… only to discover that is was a molted exoskeleton.

Excellent point regarding the exoskeletons, but what would be the downside of adding filter media and nitrifying bacteria?

 

[Anthony P]

Hold on for just a minute before you start in with all the chemicals and worry…

Are you 100% SURE that its a dead shrimp and not a molted exoskeleton? It can be very hard to tell the difference. Many many people have found their dead shrimp, crab, lobsters, arachnids, etc… only to discover that is was a molted exoskeleton.

EXACTLY what I was gonna say

 

[Tom]

Excellent point regarding the exoskeletons, but what would be the downside of adding filter media and nitrifying bacteria?

I can't think of a downside other than expense and hassle, IF it is not needed.

 

[Tom]

EXACTLY what I was gonna say

What's up ANTHONY P!!!!!!!!

I'm glad you are watching Moozillion's post's. She is awesome and I'm glad that a real turtle man is watching out for her and her new turtle.

 

[Tom]

When I wrote "real turtle man", I'm referring to the fact that I am not all that experienced with turtles, and that I hold Anthony's knowledge and experience in high regard.

It was a self depreciating comment. I meant no offense to all the other turtle people who have been advising Moozillion too.

 

[mike taylor]

Great Tom know you have hurt my fillings .

 

[Tom]

Great Tom know you have hurt my fillings .

PM me your address Mike. I'll send you some Kleenex...

 

[Moozillion]

What's up ANTHONY P!!!!!!!!

I'm glad you are watching Moozillion's post's. She is awesome and I'm glad that a real turtle man is watching out for her and her new turtle.

You are SO SWEET!!!!!!

 

[Moozillion]

PM me your address Mike. I'll send you some Kleenex...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

 

[Moozillion]

I scooped out one of the shrimp that looked dead, and it seemed pretty solid- not just a shell. So I figure that one, at least, truly is dead. From now on I will ALWAYS check any crustacean that I THINK is dead before I remove it from the tank. Thanks for that pointer!!!!
Okay, I got the bacteria- the same stuff that SteveW posted an image of. I also got Neutral Regulator from the same company. Tomorrow I'm going to do 50% water change and add those to the water. I also have some old sphagnum moss left over from when I made a humid hide for Elsa, and may wash some of that and add it. I will try adding live plants a little later. I will NOT add more shrimp until the water is RIGHT for them.

On another note, I saw a little turtle poop right up front where I could reach it. So I used the turkey baster to slurp it up. Unfortunately, it fell out again before I could lift the baster out of the water. When I told my husband, he was horrified until I reassured him I had ALREADY put the turkey baster in the trash and will buy another one. If it HAD worked, I was STILL going to buy one for cooking, and use that one for the turtle. I thought I was pretty creative!!

 

[leigti]

That cracked me up The turkey baster sounded like a good idea, sorry it didn't work.