Better Water Without Ghost Shrimp

[SoCalMom]

My last two ghost shrimp died last week-ish. During the time that I had them, the water would get cloudy within 2-3 days. It's been a week since I changed his water and it's still crystal clear (although he will be getting his water changed tonight). I don't get it, I thought GS were supposed to help keep the water clean. Has anyone else noticed that?


Oh well, I won't be getting any more GS, that's for sure lol

 

[lilfishie]

not sure shrimp are known for there little waste produce, my amano is forever eating yet hardly ever see him pooping can you think of anything else that could of cause it? new gravel anything?

 

[SoCalMom]

not sure shrimp are known for there little waste produce, my amano is forever eating yet hardly ever see him pooping can you think of anything else that could of cause it? new gravel anything?

Yea, that's why it's weird

Nope. The only thing different is no shrimp lol

 

[joycould]

When you figure bio loads you have to figure shrimp as part of it just like you do with snails. I wouldn't keep shrimp in anything smaller than 5 gallons with a filter. Cloudly water could be from over feeding or the type of food as well.

 

[SoCalMom]

When you figure bio loads you have to figure shrimp as part of it just like you do with snails. I wouldn't keep shrimp in anything smaller than 5 gallons with a filter. Cloudly water could be from over feeding or the type of food as well.

That's probably what it was. I had 3 in my unfiltered 2.5 gal

I don't over feed Alfie, and it's the same type of food I was feeding him before and after the gs

 

[Dibari]

When you figure bio loads you have to figure shrimp as part of it just like you do with snails. I wouldn't keep shrimp in anything smaller than 5 gallons with a filter. Cloudly water could be from over feeding or the type of food as well.

? Huh? Shrimp contribute little to nothing to a bioload. You could probably keep somewhere upwards of 6 in a 1 gallon with no ill affects or much ammonia build. I know this, because I have.

 

[vanvran]

I have a ton of ghosties (one of my guys/gals had a litter!) in my 25 gallon with my tropical fish. No change in the tank at all either way. Think it must be something else?

Something interesting happened in my tank--evertthing was covered in green algea until I treated it once with Maracyn (for potentially sick fish)--since then - sparkling clean - no more algea!

 

[SoCalMom]

Think it must be something else?

I honestly don't think so. Since the shrimp died, I have done nothing different. No new gravel, food, plants, decor, nothing. So I have no idea *shrugs*

 

[mommyof2bettas]

That's odd... Did you feed the shrimp anything different than you feed your betta? I know that when shrimp die they can foul the water uickly, but it's odd that it happened while the shrimp where alive.

 

[SoCalMom]

That's odd... Did you feed the shrimp anything different than you feed your betta? I know that when shrimp die they can foul the water uickly, but it's odd that it happened while the shrimp where alive.

I fed them Hikari Algae Wafers. They didn't eat it the first day, so I took it out. After the first day they ate it. It was only a tiny piece since it bloats. They ate it pretty fast. I don't think it was in there long enough to cloud the water; but I could be wrong

 

[Dibari]

That's odd... Did you feed the shrimp anything different than you feed your betta? I know that when shrimp die they can foul the water uickly, but it's odd that it happened while the shrimp where alive.

I fed them Hikari Algae Wafers. They didn't eat it the first day, so I took it out. After the first day they ate it. It was only a tiny piece since it bloats. They ate it pretty fast. I don't think it was in there long enough to cloud the water; but I could be wrong

It might be (I think this happened with mine) if you have a cave, the shrimp carry the food off to the cave, and hide it for safekeeping instead of eating immedaitely, and that food would spoil and mess up my water.

 

[poopsydrew]

IMO I doubt it was the ghost shrimp...

Drew

 

[SoCalMom]

IMO I doubt it was the ghost shrimp...

Drew

Then please enlighten me to what it is since nothing but their presence has changed

That's odd... Did you feed the shrimp anything different than you feed your betta? I know that when shrimp die they can foul the water uickly, but it's odd that it happened while the shrimp where alive.

I fed them Hikari Algae Wafers. They didn't eat it the first day, so I took it out. After the first day they ate it. It was only a tiny piece since it bloats. They ate it pretty fast. I don't think it was in there long enough to cloud the water; but I could be wrong

It might be (I think this happened with mine) if you have a cave, the shrimp carry the food off to the cave, and hide it for safekeeping instead of eating immedaitely, and that food would spoil and mess up my water.

I did have the cave but I had to take it out because it made the water smell like sulfur

Arrghhh...never going to figure it out lol

 

[poopsydrew]

IMO I doubt it was the ghost shrimp...

Drew

Then please enlighten me to what it is since nothing but their presence has changed

That's odd... Did you feed the shrimp anything different than you feed your betta? I know that when shrimp die they can foul the water uickly, but it's odd that it happened while the shrimp where alive.

I fed them Hikari Algae Wafers. They didn't eat it the first day, so I took it out. After the first day they ate it. It was only a tiny piece since it bloats. They ate it pretty fast. I don't think it was in there long enough to cloud the water; but I could be wrong

It might be (I think this happened with mine) if you have a cave, the shrimp carry the food off to the cave, and hide it for safekeeping instead of eating immedaitely, and that food would spoil and mess up my water.

I did have the cave but I had to take it out because it made the water smell like sulfur

Arrghhh...never going to figure it out lol

I cant enlighten you, I dont know. Water chemistry is not simple. It could have been a number of factors and you will never know for sure. My best guess would still be a dead shrimp rotting in the tank and I know you said that isnt the case, so there goes that. Next guess would be overfeeding. Like I said could have been so many things, but ghost shrimp barely add to the bioload at all. Its not like you just got a messy one.

Drew

 

[starrynightxxi]

you know, i found shrimp in my little tanks made the water go cloudy, also, but in the big tanks with filters it doesn't matter how many you put in. i was feeding those algae wafers too, and honestly i think it's THEM that cause it more than the shrimp. your little pieces may have been disappearing because they dissolved, which could create a number of reasons for the cloudy water (food particals, algae bloom, bacteria bloom)

Buying shrimp to keep the water cleaner is silly. They can't feed on scraps when there are none (and there are rarely scraps in a betta tank) and they often need to be fed seperately anyhow, like any other fish. If overfeeding was a habit, then they might do you some good, but otherwise, all they're gong to do is add to the bioload. after all, what goes in, comes out.