# My Shrimps are not active. Please help me!!!



## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

I have neocaridinas and Caridinas in a 6 gallon and me being concentrating on Caridinas water parameters because they are sensitive. 

Since beginning I see my Neocaridinas and Caridinas Shrimp are not active. They just like to sit at one place and looks like statues. I never see them swim and they walk around the tank rarely. But when its feeding time they come out from hiding and eat like crazy but again get lazy and inactive. This is a short video I made. Please have a look. 

https://youtu.be/BY7kP0tErRo

Water Parameters :
--------------------------------

Tds: 137
PH: 7
Gh: 5
KH: 0-1

No3: Nill
No2: Nill
Amonia: Nill
Temperature: 72-74

I use Distilled water and remineraliz it with Sl Aqua. Seachem Flourish as CO2 substitute. Also use Seachem Flourish comprehensive, Potassium and Iron as liquid fertilizers. 

I also tried to avoid putting fertilizers and also flourish to see if that make any difference but no difference in shrimps behavior. 

I feed them Bacter Ae, Dennerle shrimp king complete, Dennerle shrimp king Color, Shrimplab Protein. Rotate foods and I feed Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. 

Is it because my tank is heavy planted? I have Monte Carlo carpet. Maybe they don't need to roam around and can graze wherever they are? Those of you guys having shrimps in carpeted tank are your shrimps very active? 

This is my tank:










Please Help. Thanks.


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## [email protected] (Jan 8, 2010)

As long as they actively grazing , which they appear to be in your vid they should be fine . Have you had any deaths ? 6gal imo is kinda small


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## ILikeRice (Jul 9, 2017)

Beautiful tank... may be your CO2 or ferts ..try cutting down..Or could be they like hiding in a heavy planted tank which is also pretty common.


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

[email protected] said:


> As long as they actively grazing , which they appear to be in your vid they should be fine . Have you had any deaths ? 6gal imo is kinda small


I found three shrimps died but that was after a large water change because I was treating tank from planaria and needed to do a large water change. I did put same water parameters though. Three shrimps died after that. 




ILikeRice said:


> Beautiful tank... may be your CO2 or ferts ..try cutting down..Or could be they like hiding in a heavy planted tank which is also pretty common.


Thanks. I tried to cut down fertz and liquid carbon but no use. They are always lazy and love to hide. Some of them go to hiding for two three days even. As you say its common. What you mean by that. Is it because tank is heavily planted? And thanks for the compliment.


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## blissskr (Oct 9, 2007)

While they were moving a little in your video that little movement isn't normal activity imo, especially if it's occurring over long periods of time. Unless the shrimp are very newly added to the tank or if they were in the tank with fish or something that was spooking them. Shrimp can act lethargic like that in water that doesn't have enough oxygen, how is your tank being oxygenated? If you don't have one perhaps try adding an air stone and see if their activity levels increase.


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## Surf (Jun 13, 2017)

I have seen this before in my own tank. It was iodine deficiency. Iodine is tyically not added to fertilizers or GH boosters and it will not be in distilled water. It is however needed by all animals. Plants will absorb it if it is available but they don't need it to grow.

I added one drop of iodine tincture (2%) to my 5 gallon and the shrimp were back to normal in about 1/2 day. You probably only need a 1/2 drop or less. I never saw any toxic affects and I never lost shrimp right after a dose. I did buy a Hanna iodine meter and the highest reading I ever saw in my tank was 0.1ppm (the meters minimum reading). And whenever I saw it that high the shrimp were behaving normally. I dosed it once a week for a while but you can drop that down to once every other week if you want.

Note do not buy the color free version of iodine you sometimes see in stores. The color free version has no iodine and is instead Isopropyl alcohol. 

An alternative to iodine tincture is potassium iodide. KI is about 70% iodine and 0.010ppm should be enough to avoid this problem.

https://www.loudwolf.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=49&products_id=100&zenid=EcxvduBkGAcL53LzPRFkU2


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## VRaverna (Jan 11, 2018)

Instead of adding iodine directly to the water, can you feed the shrimps with seaweed based feed to provide iodine to the shrimps?


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

Surf said:


> I have seen this before in my own tank. It was iodine deficiency. Iodine is tyically not added to fertilizers or GH boosters and it will not be in distilled water. It is however needed by all animals. Plants will absorb it if it is available but they don't need it to grow.
> 
> I added one drop of iodine tincture (2%) to my 5 gallon and the shrimp were back to normal in about 1/2 day. You probably only need a 1/2 drop or less. I never saw any toxic affects and I never lost shrimp right after a dose. I did buy a Hanna iodine meter and the highest reading I ever saw in my tank was 0.1ppm (the meters minimum reading). And whenever I saw it that high the shrimp were behaving normally. I dosed it once a week for a while but you can drop that down to once every other week if you want.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot for the detailed reply. Well can I use this product :

http://www.seachem.com/reef-iodide.php

Will it serve the same purpose? I am not good in calculation so how much shall I need for a 5 gallon tank?


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## Surf (Jun 13, 2017)

Yes you can use the Seachem product. It is potassium iodide (KI). Get the smallest bottle size, 100ml, it will take you years to use it up. Using there recommendations for your 6 gallon add 0.275 once a week will dose the water to 0.1ppm (which is higher than what I would do. I would go with 0.1ml once a week . You don't need much.


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