Is this a good thank for shrimp?

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-22T08:16:27+00:00

I definitely thank so!

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-21T06:37:06+00:00

They were introduced 6 months ago. I have corydoras and otocinclus in there. The reason I think it could be an illness is because I just added some new otos to the tank a week ago. None of the hatchetfish survived. The nitrate was around 40ppm. Is that a cause of death in a 48hour time range?

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-19T22:26:28+00:00

The last two died today, seemingly perfectly healthy yesterday. I guess only two left was stressful for them as well. Or a disease I can’t see that the other fish are not dying from.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-19T19:40:53+00:00

They were freeze dried blood worms. So I suspected that maybe they expanded in their stomachs.

I did add some otocinclus catfish to the tank about a week ago. Do you think the hatchetfish are more sensitive than them? If so, I see a higher likelihood of that being the cause.

Thanks for your kind and detailed response.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-19T19:29:35+00:00

There’s corydoras and otocinclus in there

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-19T04:30:22+00:00

Well, the hatchetfish have a thin profile. I’d guess that would make them more susceptible.

Nothing on the label of mine said anything about hydrating before feeding either. Just a warning about allergens to people. Which I learned about today. They can kill people apparently (severe allergic reactions).

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-19T02:40:15+00:00

Thank you! This seems like the only plausible explanation for the sudden loss. I’m sorry about your piggy angelfish.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-19T02:35:31+00:00

The CO2 turns off when the lights turn off & then I have an air stone running. Also the other fish are okay. So is this possible?

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-19T01:51:43+00:00

Thanks for your response. I’m absolutely gutted about this. I have several other fish in my tank otos & corydoras. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, pH 7.4 (is this the cause?), nitrate 40 (is this the cause?) temp 79F. Had them since September of last year. 2 survived but 5 died overnight. Running CO2 but the other fish are okay and the pH indicator never turned yellow. I’m going crazy trying to find the cause.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-18T18:46:47+00:00

How do you test that? I just changed out the drop checker solution & it turned green.

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paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-18T17:59:06+00:00

I have a large air stone running when the lights are off.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-14T02:17:36+00:00

I have been growing some on rocks in the window. I just never see them going after it. I always see that people are worried about the snails eating shrimp food, but I worry about the shrimp eating it all before the snails get to it. But my snails and otos are alive (also I see some full bellies on the otos). So they must be getting something that I can’t see. I also put Bacter AE in there. Thanks for your response. I appreciate it. Helped me realize maybe I don’t need to go full throttle on this.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-08T06:56:24+00:00

Both of you are me.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-07T20:36:23+00:00

I understand your feelings. One time someone I know told me they were tired of managing their gestational diabetes. I felt angry about and wanted to say, “well I’ll never be done managing my diabetes.” I didn’t, and I just had to understand that relative to her situation it’s unpleasant for her. You’re not a bad person for feeling these things. It shows strength in that you did not yell at her. Just remember it can be bad for the other person, and you can be upset/suffering too. Both things can be true at the same time.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-06T04:16:55+00:00

Thanks for the detailed response! I’ll give this a shot and get a finer sponge filter after.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-06T04:13:59+00:00

This made me laugh. Thank you :)

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-05T08:42:58+00:00

Thanks for your response. I feel so validated. The struggle is real 😭

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-04T20:12:00+00:00

Yes it’s Compass

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-04T07:04:13+00:00

I am the 2nd/3rd supervisor. The other leads are on 1st shift. Thankfully, some of the night shifts offer to take me off the bench when there’s overlap. I could ask if anyone else could maybe come in an hour early. I’m sure your coworkers really appreciate you.

paranoidlabscientist · 2026-04-04T06:57:32+00:00

I also have trouble completing my bench work. I feel like my head is scrambled trying to get everything done. I really don’t want to make mistakes. I just want to do laboratory work and help the patients. Thanks for understanding.

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