So you just set up a brand-new planted tank and bought ten (or twenty) freshwater dwarf shrimp. As soon as you move them, you start to see them die over the next few days or weeks. one by one. What the heck happened?.
We often talk about how hardy shrimp are, which is definitely true. However, they are more delicate than most of our aquatic fish friends.
There are many reasons shrimp perish. There are mistakes that are so obvious that you can see them on your own, but there are also things that not even the most experienced shrimp keepers would think of.
Are you ready to give up on keeping these brightly colored pets? You should read what comes next before you give up. You can always make it right. I will explain the possible reasons why shrimp can die, and how you can remedy them.
As an aquarist, few things are more disheartening than waking up to find your ghost shrimp have perished overnight. These hardy crustaceans are a popular starter species due to their low care requirements, but they are still susceptible to problems if their needs aren’t met.
If you’ve recently experienced unexplained ghost shrimp deaths, don’t despair. By pinpointing the cause, you can take steps to create a safer habitat for future shrimp. Here are the most common culprits for ghost shrimp mortality and how to avoid them.
Sudden Temperature Fluctuations
Ghost shrimp thrive in water between 70-80°F. If your tank falls outside this range, even briefly, thermal stress can kill them. This is one of the most frequent causes of ghost shrimp dying overnight or shortly after introduction.
Prevent it by
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Investing in a reliable heater to maintain a stable temperature. In smaller tanks, a few degrees of fluctuation can be devastating.
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Acclimating shrimp slowly when introducing them to a new tank. Float their bag to equalize temperatures before netting shrimp into a drip acclimator or directly into the tank in small batches.
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Avoiding extreme temperature swings by locating tanks away from drafty windows, doors, or HVAC vents.
Inadequate Oxygenation
Ghost shrimp need well-oxygenated water to breathe comfortably. Low oxygen overnight can suffocate them.
Causes include:
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Overstocking the tank with too many animals for the filtration to support.
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Letting waste accumulate and decompose, using up oxygen.
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Operating air pumps or filters at too low a flow rate to maintain surface agitation.
Improve oxygenation by:
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Performing weekly water changes to reduce bioload and refresh O2 levels.
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Using air stones or pumps to agitate the surface. Adjust flow to cause noticeable surface rippling.
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Not overstocking the tank. Allow approximately 1 ghost shrimp per 2 gallons of water.
Overcrowding Stress
In addition to oxygen concerns, cramped conditions stress ghost shrimp and make them prone to disease or aggression from tankmates.
Prevent overcrowding by:
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Allowing at least 2 gallons per ghost shrimp, as above.
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Providing ample hiding spots with plants, rock caves, driftwood, etc.
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Keeping tank maintenance rigorous on crowded tanks as waste accumulates faster.
Improper Diet
Ghost shrimp are scavengers and will eat almost anything, but a poor diet weakens them and causes eventual death.
Feed them a varied diet including:
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Protein sources like brine shrimp, blood worms, mysis shrimp
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Occasional vegetables like blanched zucchini or cucumber
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Quality flake or pellet foods for omnivores
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Calcium-rich foods to support molting
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Grazing on algae and biofilm in the tank
Exposure to Toxins
Ghost shrimp are highly sensitive to water quality. Ammonia and nitrite spikes from cycling tanks, chlorine, or other toxins in tap water can rapidly kill them.
Keep water safe by:
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Fully cycling the tank before adding shrimp. Or, use hearty species like cherry shrimp to cycle the tank instead.
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Using water conditioner to neutralize chlorine and chloramines whenever performing water changes or topping off.
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Avoiding chemical medications unless absolutely necessary, and use half-doses when treating tanks with shrimp.
Aggressive Tankmates
Predatory fish like cichlids will prey on ghost shrimp. Even non-aggressive community species may nibble at shrimp during molting when they are vulnerable.
Keep them safe by:
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Researching compatibility before selecting tankmates. Good options include small tetras, rasboras, danios, etc.
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Providing ample hiding spots and dense planting for escape routes
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Using a breeder box or mesh dividers to separate shrimp if needed
Issues Molting
To grow, shrimp periodically shed their exoskeletons in a process called molting. Problems shedding this old shell can kill them.
Support healthy molting by:
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Offering calcium-rich foods like spinach, kale, calcium supplements
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Maintaining stable alkaline pH between 7-8
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Providing places for them to hide during this vulnerable stage
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Keeping water pristine, as molting is stressful
Buying Unhealthy Shrimp
Sadly, some losses are unavoidable when purchasing ghost shrimp from big chain stores where they are sold as feeders. These shrimp are not always bred or cared for well.
Boost their chances by:
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Picking active individuals showing natural behaviors, not lethargic or dead shrimp
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Acclimating new shrimp gradually to avoid shock
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Quarantining new arrivals for a few weeks to manage any diseases
By carefully managing their environment, most causes of ghost shrimp dying prematurely can be avoided. Test your water parameters, maintain excellent water quality, and research their needs before purchasing shrimp. With attentive care, these inexpensive critters can live 1-2 years and thrive in community tanks.
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN – BE CAREFUL!
Make sure to quarantine your aquatic plants!
Many people don’t realize how susceptible shrimp are to toxins. Say you buy a plant at a fish store. Often, the plants will have been treated with a pesticide to get rid of snails. These treatments often contain copper which, as we know, is deadly to shrimp. If you think this might be the case, you can put your new plants in clean water for a while to watch for snails and make sure that any pesticides used will not stay on the plants.
How to Quarantine Your Aquatic Plants:
- For at least five days, put your new plants in a bucket of clean water.
- (Optional) Add Seachem Prime to the bucket of water. It will bind pesticides, preventing them from harming your shrimp. Seachem Prime cleans water by getting rid of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. It will also remove chlorine and chloramine.
- Change the whole tank’s water every day for five days, and add Seachem Prime after each change.
- After five days, give the plants a good rinse with clean water.
- It’s now time to put the plants in your shrimp tank.
Another easy mistake is using aerosols, like hairspray, air freshener, bug spray, or flea and tick treatments for dogs. These aerosols can enter the shrimp tank and quickly be absorbed by the water. Because of this, be careful where you spray and wash your hands well before going near the shrimp tank.
Without a doubt, one of the best things in life is seeing your little shrimp friends happily eat a lot of food. But if you feed them too often or too much, they may make too much waste, which can make the water dirty and raise the ammonia level. This goes back to having a proper amount of biofilm/algae in the tank. If you have enough of those growing, you will only need to feed your shrimp sparingly.
As far as overpopulation; this is not always a problem. It’s possible for adding too many shrimp at once to overload the bio-filtration if the tank is too small or hasn’t been set up for long enough. This is because the bacteria colony may not be big enough to handle the ammonia the shrimp produce.
WHAT DID YA FILL ‘ER UP WITH?
Consider the water source that you used to fill up your tank. Depending on the city you live in, municipal tap water can vary widely.
In many places, chlorine and sometimes chloramine are used to clean the water for people to drink, but they are not safe for shrimp. Chlorine can usually be “gassed off” by letting it aerate for 24 hours. But chloramine, which is chlorine and ammonia mixed together, needs to be taken out using a dechlorinator that says it can get rid of both of these dangerous chemicals. Well water can also contain heavy metals (iron, copper, bacteria, pesticides).
You can test your water with a kit, call a local supplier, or go to the EPA’s website to find out if there are harmful chemicals in it.
A Reverse-Osmosis Filter is the safest thing to do if all of this seems like too much work or if you just want to be extra careful. This unit needs to be set up, but it will get rid of all possible impurities. Many fish stores in the area also sell RO water that has already been filtered.
This is obvious to long-time fish/shrimp keepers, but it is especially important for shrimp. It is important to make sure that your planted tank is fully cycled before you buy shrimp. Even after it is, don’t buy them right away because biofilm, which is important for shrimp health, needs time to grow. Shrimp appreciate a well-established tank, with algae and biofilm to munch on. You should add bacteria supplements to help this process along.
Where you buy your freshwater shrimp is going to be a big determinant in their survival. Imported shrimp are going to have a harder time adapting than locally bred shrimp. Many shrimp are sourced overseas- be careful of this. When this happens, they are usually coming from a wild or farmed habitat. They are used to these water parameters and conditions. Then they are caught, put in bags, sent a long way, stay in bags for days or weeks, and finally get to your house or store. When they get to the U.S., they are much more likely to be sick or stressed, which usually ends their lives.
Imported shrimp are more likely to come with or develop usually-rare diseases, like parasites or fungal infections.
Shrimp Infected with Vorticella Parasite
This is why it’s better to buy shrimp from a reputable online store with good reviews, like Buce Plant Shrimp Packs, or from shrimp farms close to where you live. There will be information on the site or you can ask the seller what conditions the shrimp are kept in. This way, you can be sure that they will be under much less stress, which will help them get used to their new home and cause fewer or no deaths. Of course, there is always a chance a shrimp is born with unlucky genes. Just like humans who get sick or are immune-compromised, the same happens with shrimp. If it is just one shrimp that perishes, it is not a huge concern.
Although shrimp are hardy, they do not like sudden changes. Acclimation should be a slow process. The best way to achieve this is by using the drip acclimation method:
1. Pour the shrimp, and the water they came in, into a container. 2. Set up a drip system, by using an airline hose from your tank to their container. 3. Put in your tank water slowly, about two drops at a time, until you own half of the water in the bin. 4. You can repeat this process for as long as you’d like. This way, they will not be shocked by their new temperature or parameters.