Female cherry shrimp dying? diseased?

[rom]

My first generation of cherry shrimp have recently become berried and are ready to hatch the second generation. Seeing as I started with only 4 founders, I'm really happy about it. I've kept them for around seven months now without issue but only now I'm getting some shrimp death.
Here's what I've noticed.
1. It's only happening to berried females.
2. White stuff is appearing under the shrimp around where their legs attach to their body. Kinda looks like white blobs? the inside of her body seems a little whiter too (see pictures)
3. When I captured a shrimp to monitor it, her head turned a little red before she died
5. When she died the side of her head popped out (see pictures)
6. The female I captured was being swarmed by males, so much so that she could barely move. I have captured another female that was being hounded, and sure enough, white blobs.
7. I've put antifungals into the tank, it hasn't seemed to have done much.
8. I have noticed a few new baby shrimp. At least one female must have successfully carried their eggs to term, and looking around, not all females seem to have this probelm

Tank parameters
5 gallon, mature, heavily planted. Sharing the tank with MTS, Ramshorns and Nerites
Canister Filter
24 C
Nitrates 5-10 mg/l
Nitrites 0 mg/l
Ammonia 0
GH 16
KH 15-20
pH 8

 

[Slaphppy7]

Sounds like the eggs are being attacked by fungus.
How long has the tank been set up? What kind of substrate, plants, deco, etc?
What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

 

[rom]

Sounds like the eggs are being attacked by fungus.
How long has the tank been set up? What kind of substrate, plants, deco, etc?
What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

See OG post for tank parameters (Tanks is probs about 4 years old).
I have java moss, java fern, bucephalandra red & biblis, hydrocotyle tripartita, alternanthera reineckii, rotala h'ra, duckweed, dwarf water lettuce.
I use organic soil capped with 2 inches of sand.I have a lot of spider wood in there.

 

[Slaphppy7]

See OG post for tank parameters (Tanks is probs about 4 years old).
I have java moss, java fern, bucephalandra red & biblis, hydrocotyle tripartita, alternanthera reineckii, rotala h'ra, duckweed, dwarf water lettuce.
I use organic soil capped with 2 inches of sand.I have a lot of spider wood in there.

Sorry I missed the params...what kind of test kit are you using?...no ammonia test?
Invest in some IALs and add to the tank, great for shrimp, and they have natural antifungal properties.

 

[rom]

Sorry I missed the params...what kind of test kit are you using?...no ammonia test?
Invest in some IALs and add to the tank, great for shrimp, and they have natural antifungal properties.

I use the Tetra test strips, one strip for NO3, NO2, GH, KH, pH, CL2, and a separate one for ammonia.
As I mentioned, I've been adding Interpet Anti-fungus to the tank, it hasn't worked so far. Sorry, could you say what IALs are haha? not seen that abbreviation yet.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Indian Almond Leaves, or cattapa leaves
Get one of these, much more reliable than the strips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/?tag=ff0d01-20

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=indian+a...,179&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_13&tag=ff0d01-20

 

[rom]

Indian Almond Leaves, or cattapa leaves
Get one of these, much more reliable than the strips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/?tag=ff0d01-20

https/www.amazon.com/s?k=indian+almond+leaves&i=pets&crid=2HA49VME86U7C&sprefix=indian+almond,pets,179&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_13&tag=ff0d01-20

Is it the tannins that make IALs anti-fungal? if so I have some organic rooibos tea that I've used before to make black water setups. Would probably do the same thing right?

 

[Slaphppy7]

Is it the tannins that make IALs anti-fungal? if so I have some organic rooibos tea that I've used before to make black water setups. Would probably do the same thing right?

Same thing, as far as the tannins go...the advantage with the IALs is that they harbor lots of nutritious micro-organics and biofilm as they break down, inverts love them.

 

[Colin_T]

salt. 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres. leave it there for 2-4 weeks

 

[rom]

Same thing, as far as the tannins go...the advantage with the IALs is that they harbor lots of nutritious micro-organics and biofilm as they break down, inverts love them.

Good news, the white stuff on the female that I had captured is gone this morning. Yesterday, I did a 50% water change and added anti-fungal medication, a rooibos teabag, and an airstone. This morning the males have stopped hounding her as well which is good. All of yesterday they were stuck to the net I had her in. I've let her back into the tank and will keep monitoring. Kind of sad that I wasn't able to figure this out quick enough to face the first female but hey ho.

I will still get some IAL just to feed them, but I don't think I could have waited for them to be shipped.
Thanks for your help!

salt. 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres. leave it there for 2-4 weeks

If things go downhill again, I will try this. Although I've heard salt might harm my plants?