Why Are Your Crystal Red Shrimp Dying?

Written by Noa in Crystal Red Shrimps

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced shrimp breeder, shrimp suddenly dying can be a major cause for concern. Shrimp are by no means cheap to breed and maintain, and no one wants to watch their pets suffer and die! So, if your Crystal Red shrimp are dying, you may want to know why.

Your Crystal Red shrimp are dying, probably due to “shock death,” which happens when there are sudden changes in the water’s pH. Other potential reasons your shrimp are dying are aggressive fighting, bacterial infections, overfeeding, overpopulation, cycling issues, or poor overall health.

This article will explain why your Crystal Red Shrimp may be dying and how to prevent it. Read on to learn more.

A Poor Habitat Can Kill Crystal Red Shrimp

Like fish, Crystal Red shrimp, or any shrimp for that matter, need a proper habitat to thrive. The secret to having a successful shrimp colony is to ensure your shrimp have their basic needs met, which includes giving them a proper tank.

Under the right conditions, your shrimp will thrive. However, your shrimp may die once their ecosystem becomes unstable. If you notice your shrimp dying, there must be a problem with the tank.

Below are the reasons your Crystal Red shrimp are dying:

Why Are Your Crystal Red Shrimp Dying?
Why Are Your Crystal Red Shrimp Dying?

There Are Sudden Changes in the Tank’s Temperature

“Shock death” is when shrimp are exposed to sudden changes in temperature too quickly. Bee shrimp are very delicate, and changing their temperature suddenly rather than gradually will kill them easily.

Shock death most commonly happens when someone “drop-and-plops” a new shrimp into a tank as soon as they acquire them. To avoid shock death, do the following:

  1. Pour the shrimp (and the water they came in) into a new, empty container, not the tank.
  2. Use a drip system to shift the water slowly from your shrimp’s container into the tank.
  3. Drip the water until at least half of it is in the tank. When your shrimp is introduced to the tank, the water will be the same temperature as the water it just came from.

Your Shrimp Colony Has Overfeeding and Overpopulation Issues

Death from overfeeding and overpopulation is common among new breeders eager to see their shrimp colony grow in numbers. That’s why it’s essential to have patience and plan your colony when you are first learning the ropes.

Overfeeding and overpopulation cause excess waste, which leads to an ammonia spike in the tank. An ammonia spike will wipe out an entire shrimp colony fairly quickly.

To prevent overfeeding and overpopulation, buy a proper-sized tank and feed your shrimp only once a day. Make sure you have enough algae in the tank to feed a large colony, and always remove any food that isn’t eaten within one hour. 

Your Tank’s Nitrate Level Is High Due to Cycling Issues

Speaking of ammonia spikes, if your tank is not properly cycling water, there will also be nitrate spikes. High levels of nitrate will kill your shrimp as easily as ammonia spikes.

To prevent nitrates from spiking, buy a test kit. A test kit will let you know about everything happening in your tank, allowing you to prevent disaster long before it happens. 

Here are a few testing kits from Amazon.com you may want to consider:

  • Aqualuna Aquarium Test Strips: These test strips by Aqualuna promise quick and accurate results. They’ll test for nitrate, the level of pH, chlorine, carbonate, and general hardness. 
  • SJ Wave Aquarium Test Strips: This home testing kit is ready-to-use and will test your aquarium for pH, chlorine, carbonate hardness, nitrate, and temperature. It comes with 100 test strips, allowing you to test your tank at home, without going to a pet store, for up to 3 months!
  • API Test Strips: API is a trusted name brand that will accurately test your aquarium and keep your shrimp colony safe from nitrate and ammonia spikes. The strips will test for “invisible water problems” that may not have been caught otherwise and could prove fatal to your shrimp.

Alternatively, you can just use snails. Snails are commonly used in aquariums due to their ability to reduce the chances of tank recycling. They’ll produce a ton of waste for the aquarium; this excess waste will help the bacteria your shrimp will feed on thrive.  

Your Crystal Red Shrimp Might Have Caught Bacterial Infections

Leaving dead fish and shrimp in your aquarium can increase the likelihood that your shrimp may become infected and die. Though shrimp are scavengers and will eat dead fish and even other dead shrimp, there are still many germs that are left behind when fish and shrimp die.

To prevent bacterial infections, remove dead fish and shrimp immediately.

Your Crystal Red Shrimp Have Been Fighting Each Other

Even the most peaceful shrimp may kill each other if there’s overpopulation in their habitat. Although the targets of attack will often be those shrimp that have just molted, any shrimp is at risk of an attack.

A few ways of preventing in-fighting are as follows: 

  • Provide enough places (plants and rocks) for the shrimp to hide from aggressors. 
  • Have an exceptionally large tank with plenty of space.
  • Transfer excess shrimp to a new tank.

Conclusion

While there are many ways that a shrimp colony can perish, there are just as many ways to prevent it from happening! Hopefully, this article will have given you some ideas about keeping your Crystal Red shrimp colony happy, healthy, and alive!

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