The elusive water sausage

[CassCats]

i've got 4 of these pangio seminicas and one big pango oblonga. These are by far my favourite little fish! So entertaining to watch as they wiggle their way through the tank and sift through the sand! That's definitely a well fed little noodle

Pangio loaches are fantastic!

 

[eatyourpeas]

A bit of venting here:

My kuhli loach Iji has been killing my cherry shrimp during the night. She is fat, and seems to do a number on the newly molted little guys. I am still waiting for more to arrive at LFS so I can get her some companions. In the meantime I have moved some shrimp to another tank before they all become extinct. Is there anything that can calm her a bit in the meantime?

 

[Mick85]

A bit of venting here:

My kuhli loach Iji has been killing my cherry shrimp during the night. She is fat, and seems to do a number on the newly molted little guys. I am still waiting for more to arrive at LFS so I can get her some companions. In the meantime I have moved some shrimp to another tank before they all become extinct. Is there anything that can calm her a bit in the meantime?

I have 6 kuhlis and dropped about 50 RCS into the tank. It's hard to know how many i've got left because the tank is heavily planted but i still see heaps of shrimp in the plants. I see the shrimp and kuhlis hanging out together sometimes and haven't seen any get taken by the kuhlis but who knows what goes on at night.

 

[eatyourpeas]

They have been together in this tank for a few months without any issue, but as of a week ago I find anywhere between 2 and 7 dead shrimp in the morning. Tank parameters are perfect, no signs of stress from anyone during the day, but the kuhli loach has gotten quite big. I wonder if she just goes on a tear and hurts the newly molted ones to death.

 

[Mick85]

They have been together in this tank for a few months without any issue, but as of a week ago I find anywhere between 2 and 7 dead shrimp in the morning. Tank parameters are perfect, no signs of stress from anyone during the day, but the kuhli loach has gotten quite big. I wonder if she just goes on a tear and hurts the newly molted ones to death.

so she's just killing them and not eating them? That's strange.

 

[eatyourpeas]

I do find it strange. Two more dead shrimp this morning and she ate all her food last night.

 

[CassCats]

I do find it strange. Two more dead shrimp this morning and she ate all her food last night.

Have you witnessed her actually killing the shrimp or is there perhaps something else theyre dying from and theyre scavenging?
Id check the tank for hydra or planaria.
Kuhlis aren't hunters, theyre scavengers, so id be looking at that plausibility first.

 

[eatyourpeas]

Good call. I will check but I do not believe I have introduced anything to the tank.?

 

[eatyourpeas]

@NCaquatics Here are pictures of the newly departed and the tank in question. The dark blue shrimp show red on their head after death.

Also, I noticed a couple of weeks ago the duckweed has been disappearing and the roots piled on the bottom of the tank (you can see some on the bottom right). Could that be related? No other abnormalities detected. No signs of Hydra, Planaria, Rhabdocoela or detritus worms. A few ostracods.

Parameters are as follows, water changed this past Sunday (deaths started over a week ago):
Ammonia: 0 - Nitrates: 0 - Nitrites: 0 - pH: 7 - KH: 90 - GH: 120

 

[eatyourpeas]

So, after reading about shrimp problems I am tempted to follow @NCaquatics possible diagnose of planaria. Even though I can't see the little buggers because they are nocturnal, the deaths are coinciding with moltings. Also, I started a new feeding regime with frozen food and I may have been overfeeding (one never does that!), which may explain Iji turning into a sausage. I will try to go a few days without feeding and then cut the portions significantly and see if that helps.

 

[CassCats]

I would pick up some "no planaria" or "planaria zero" as a treatment precaution

My colony of shrimp dropped to just 1 shrimp because of hydra that went unnoticed. Treated with no planaria and added new shrimp and no further losses.

Planaria won't hurt fish but they kill shrimp. The product is safe for fish and shrimp too. Works for planaria and hydra

 

[eatyourpeas]

I would pick up some "no planaria" or "planaria zero" as a treatment precaution

My colony of shrimp dropped to just 1 shrimp because of hydra that went unnoticed. Treated with no planaria and added new shrimp and no further losses.

Planaria won't hurt fish but they kill shrimp. The product is safe for fish and shrimp too. Works for planaria and hydra

Excellent! Thank you! I will order it. I have to profusely apologize to Iji as well ?

 

[eatyourpeas]

The deaths continue, also moltings. I have yet to determine if they are related to planaria since I see possible ROD on the dead ones, but parameters are perfect. Also, shrimp I have moved to other tanks have molted and there have been no deaths. Have not feed for two days now. Either way, No Planaria is due to arrive on Tuesday. Will I need to remove Iji (Kuhli loach) when I use it?

 

[CassCats]

The deaths continue, also moltings. I have yet to determine if they are related to planaria since I see possible ROD on the dead ones, but parameters are perfect. Also, shrimp I have moved to other tanks have molted and there have been no deaths. Have not feed for two days now. Either way, No Planaria is due to arrive on Tuesday. Will I need to remove Iji (Kuhli loach) when I use it?

Loach can stay, its fish safe

 

[eatyourpeas]

One molting, no deaths! Yay! Also, got two new kuhli loaches yesterday to keep Iji company. They are in quarantine at the moment, and are very cute and tiny, like little noodles.