# Shrimp Can't Shed!! Dying Fast!!



## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

My shrimp can't shed their exoskeletons. I think that is what is killing them all.

I've lost my bamboo shrimp, about 4 Black Diamond Shrimp and probably close to 10 RCS in about 1-2 weeks. Nothing else in the tank is affected. All fish, frogs and nerite snails are fine! When the shrimp die, they don't look like they have been killed, (eg: no missing legs or body parts.)

I noticed that one or two of the shrimp who died had large spaces/cracks in their shells - one currently dying shrimp has that now - and it's been a while since I've seen any shed exoskeletons on the gravel. I used to see 2-3 a week! 

Nothing in the tanks has changed. The Ammonia and Nitrite are at 0ppm, Nitrate is at 20-30ppm. I tested the pH last week and it was 7.8 and then tested later in the week and it was about 7.2 - 7.4, the gdH was at about 11 and the kH was at 22 (or vice versa, I can't remember...) All I know is that when I compared them - the gdH and kH - to the chart, they were all in the healthy range for keeping shrimp.

What is going on?! I stopped feeding the FLUVAL shrimp bites a few weeks ago because of the copper in them, but there is still a lot of food in the tank for them to eat. Why can't they shed? It breaks my heart to see them with damaged shells and dying! The snails are fine, so it can't be a hardness/calcium issue.... I don't get it!!! 

Is there a disease that can cause shrimp to stop shedding? The Black Diamonds are fairly new... maybe 3-4 weeks old. But they seem to be doing better than the RCS. Only 3 or 4 of them have died, where maybe 10 or so of the RCS have died, and more are not looking well. (Mostly females from what I can tell.)

Thanks in advance!!


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Not too sure if this will help,but i googled your issue and came across this:Myra Van has recommended in previous posts to add iodine (1-2 drops a week) to aid shedding. She suggested using marine iodine additive.
From this site:Amano shrimp molting problem - Practical Fishkeeping Forum

From reading on that thread,be sure its marine iodine and not the medicinal stuff.The shrimp farm is now a sponsor so PM them to ask if they can help.

Sorry Holly,I hope you figure it out.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

In SW tanks Inverts need Iodine to grow a proper shell, is it the same case in FW?. Also FW Inverts need hard water and a high ph to get enough Calcium for their ahells. Lots of Shrimp will use up a lot of Calcium.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

+1 on the iodine, I'll keep an eye out for some supplements.

Holly, I have a copper test kit from API that I can ship to you or highly suggest you buy one to test what is in your water.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Thanks for the iodine tips, and copper test.

The fert' I use for my plants adds iron to the water, so would that work for iodine or do I need to get something else? (I think they may be two different things...)


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

holly12 said:


> Thanks for the iodine tips, and copper test.
> 
> The fert' I use for my plants adds iron to the water, so would that work for iodine or do I need to get something else? (I think they may be two different things...)


Yep, chemically they are very different.

Hope things work out Holly


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Iron and iodine are 2 different things


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Thanks everyone!

I took some water to the LFS to have a copper test done. Copper tested 0ppm and all the other params' were fine (which is what I was getting when I tested it.) 

The only thing was my pH was at like 7.8 - 8.0 and apparently shrimp like it a bit lower. They said RCS and Amano shrimp can take that high pH but the BDS like it lower. (But that doesn't make sense, since I've had my RCS shrimp in that pH for 6 months now and they have thrived up until now and are just starting to die. The BDS are doing better than the RCS!) They suggested using pH down, (which I did NOT end up getting, because I've heard it just causes problems.) Maybe my tank was just not meant to have shrimp.

It was also suggested that maybe the shrimp are just old and are dying - which I guess is a good possibility. Just odd that they are all dying at the same time, and some with big cracks in their shells.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

It may be beneficial to you to test your tank's pH at multiple times throughout the day (at morning and at night especially), to see if there might be a pH swing that would be stressing your shrimps out.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I can do that. (What would cause a pH swing throughout the day?) I'll test and find out.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Plants cause the ph to swing when it uses up the CO2 during your lighting period. I have never seen it myself, but I know it occurs. The swing is very slight I believe.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Ah, I see. Thanks. I'll try testing in the a.m and then before lights out.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

pH swing occurs with planted tanks because during the day plants consume CO2 and produce oxygen during photosynthesis. When the lights are off, however, the reverse happens - the plants metabolize sugars they create via photosynthesis and in the process consume oxygen and generate CO2 (hence why many people turn off their pressurized CO2 systems at night). CO2, being carbon-based, affects the alkaline buffering capacity (KH) in your tank, and also affects the pH level (a measure of hydronium ions, I believe). The pH will be very low in the morning and will climb during the day as the CO2 concentration drops, then drops again overnight as CO2 is added back into the tank by the plants. Low KH can make this swing more drastic, as it is a measure of buffering. Adding CO2 during the day only can try and counter this swing as well - many plant enthusiasts gauge the accuracy of how much CO2 they dose by how minimal their pH swing is. 

Hope I didn't confuse anyone.


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