shrimps acting weird

anyone? i need to fix this problem so they can start to eat algae again...

You should post this on www.petshrimp.com they are very knowledgable when it comes to questions and problems with shrimp.

Was the water temp the same? Usually if they start acting goofy after a water change, the temp hasn't been adjusted close enough, or something else is drastically different than what they had.

Also, I wouldn't use the Stress Coat, since it has been known to do more harm than good. A good dechlorinator is all they need.

ok I think it's because of the temp, what should I do?

turtlehead said:

ok I think it's because of the temp, what should I do?

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Well, first of all, try to return the temp to normal, but gradually. If they survive, they survive.

Second of all...be careful!

I find that so long as I keep the water temp within 3-4° of the tank temp nobody seems to care. I use either Amquel+ or Prime as my dechlorinator with no problems.

In general, the only time I've had my shrimp wig-out is when something is wrong with water quality...whether it be a nitrate/ammonia/nitrite spike or elevated CO2 levels. Municpal water mixes change during the year so you may want to check your tap water for elevated levels of nitrate or even higher than normal chlorine/chloramine levels.

this is the first time its happened after 4 weeks 4 water changes

If you think it was the temp (which it very well could have been), and it happened yesterday, I would leave them well enough alone at this point. If you try to adjust it again now after the fact, you'll probably stress them more since the water is most likely back to where it started anyway.
You do use a heater in the tank, right?

yes I use a heater.

So are they acting normal again, or are they still at the surface? If they're still agitated today then something is definitely wrong with your water.

I just added new store bought shrimp and they are at the bottom eating algae, the old ones aren't :\

As we speak (more or less), I changed the water in the office 20g aquarium. The incoming water (treated with Seachem Prime) was at least 10F colder than the outgoing water. The change is always about 85% in that tank. But no problems. There are a lot of shrimp in that tank - 30 or so. They seem durable to me. Try using Prime in future - it is very cost effective.

Andrew Cribb

I think they are alright now, I think they established it as a hang out place only one or so there.

By any chance did you perform your water change late in the day? If so, chances are you removed oxygenated water from the tank & replaced it with whatever gases are in your tap. Furthermore, you may have removed CO2 from the water as well, which means that the plants weren't able to photosynthesize & produce O2 before lights went off.

That has happened to me before, including last night/this a.m. A bunch of the shrimp were near the top of the aquarium, and the Cardinal Tetras were at the bottom, listless and not as vibrant as usual.

I find the best way to give 1st aid is to do a water "transfusion" by emptying tank water in a 5-gal bucket, aerating as much as possible. Then back in the tank with as much splashing & bubbling as possible. They all perk up after 2-3 changes.

Good point, Johm. I did that a while back...water change about an hour before lights out when I was still running my CO2 24/7. The next morning I found some very stresed out fish. I ran a powerhead with an aeration tube for a couple of hours to get some O2 back into the water.

Lesson learned...never do a major water change late in the day without adding supplemental aeration over night.

it was late in the day..... no wonder, they are doing fine now, no algae in site.