Rcs Deaths

[VidVid]

hey.
One of my red cherry shrimp died and a week later another one died. I don't know what going on. I feed mainly 'Wardley Spirulina Discs' and the occasional 'Tetra min Tropical Flakes'. I have no test kits and i am only basing their health on the behavior of the other remaining shrimp. All the shrimp eat happy and fine when i add the wardley spriulina discs. I change around 10% of the aquarium water in their 30L partially planted with java moss, and sponge filtered aquarium. I feed once every 2days (less than 1/4 of the discs to all 10 shrimps). What i do in a water change is only take the water out from the surface with a small container. I don't siphon because i might disturb/siphon the shrimp. hould i start doing this. Should i start siphoning carefully or is it the food causing their deaths. The algae discs has some 'copper sulfate' in it and NOT the elemental copper.
P.S. I had 13 shrimp 3weeks ago, now i only have 10 now i think.
Thanks in advance.

 

[oceanchic12]

I think u really should get a water testing kit.
Because if the water isn't right it can kill them,
or u might have some kind of bacterial infection.
so u need to get the water tested. Plus copper can

kill shrimp too, at least thats what ive heard. and
make sure ur not using any old equipment with them
that u used in other tanks. that can cause death too.

someone let me know if im wrong.

 

[VidVid]

ok thanks.
i have got access to only ammonia tester kit. I tested the water and it seemed to be fine. Ammonia at 0. It might just be the spirulina discs (which has some copper-sulfate in its ingredients). I just bought hikari crab cuisine (which i know is safe). It will become their main source of food from now on. Thanks to any other replies.

 

[Mikaila31]

Are you sure it was the actual shrimp that died and not a sheded skin?

 

[VidVid]

yes its the shrimp. the shredded skin looks transparent/translucent. The shrimp i took out looked exactly the same as if it were alive (but it was noticeably dead).

 

[oceanchic12]

i hope ur shrimp do better and that my advice helped!!!

 

[VidVid]

ok thanks.
i don't think anythings wrong with the tank. probably the shrimp dies with old age or it looks like it just had a little extra more food than the other shrimp. One more thing. Is it ok to dp water changes by taking water from the surface using a small container or is it more better to just siphon the tank bottom? Its a breeding setup and i don't want to risk sucking up any shrimp or accidentally squashing them with the siphon.

 

[Esfa]

I've had quite a few shrimp deaths lately, and im pretty sure it was because of the food... i was feeding algae wafers, and these dont have much calcium in.

im how feeding spinach and broccoli, and im on the lookout for some crab and lobster pellets.

yeah, it's fine to do a WC from the surface, thats how i do it anyway lol