Need help, Shrimp die within hour of adding to tank

[PattysAquatics]

My cousin needs some help so I’m posting this for him. He can’t keep shrimp in any of his tanks. They typically die within the hour of adding them. He has multiple tanks and breeds rams and those are fine. I attached the test strip results. He has well water, which we are thinking is a cause because they die in multiple tanks not just one. He thinks maybe it’s the salt he adds to his well water and plans to go to RO water but any ideas would be helpful. 

[Guppysnail]

Has he tested for copper?

[evilgenius]

I had terrible success with shrimp until I put them is a heavily planted tank that had been running for a over a year. They thrived and now I have hundreds and just a couple of weeks ago moved them all to a bigger tank. 

[PattysAquatics]

On 8/8/2022 at 11:29 AM, Guppysnail said:

Has he tested for copper?

@Guppysnailno he has not but definitely something to look into. Thanks 

[JettsPapa]

The low GH could certainly be a problem, especially if he's introducing neocaridina shrimp (red cherry shrimp, or the other color varieties).  However, I wouldn't expect that to kill them that quickly.  Is he drip acclimating them, and if yes, for how long?

The salt could also be an issue, but I'm less familiar with that.

[evilgenius]

On 8/8/2022 at 12:50 PM, JettsPapa said:

The salt could also be an issue, but I'm less familiar with that.

The only time I've ever used salt was when I had a sick betta. 

On 8/8/2022 at 12:50 PM, JettsPapa said:

Is he drip acclimating them, and if yes, for how long?

This might be the single most important piece of information. I originally drip acclimated my first batch for over an hour.

[redfish]

On 8/8/2022 at 12:50 PM, JettsPapa said:

The low GH could certainly be a problem, especially if he's introducing neocaridina shrimp (red cherry shrimp, or the other color varieties).  However, I wouldn't expect that to kill them that quickly.  Is he drip acclimating them, and if yes, for how long?

The salt could also be an issue, but I'm less familiar with that.

I was thinking GH is low too but agree I wouldn't think it would kill that fast?

[PattysAquatics]

On 8/8/2022 at 12:50 PM, JettsPapa said:

The low GH could certainly be a problem, especially if he's introducing neocaridina shrimp (red cherry shrimp, or the other color varieties).  However, I wouldn't expect that to kill them that quickly.  Is he drip acclimating them, and if yes, for how long?

The salt could also be an issue, but I'm less familiar with that.

@JettsPapaHe told me they died during drip acclimating them

@evilgeniushe doesn’t use salt for the tanks he actually uses potassium chloride salt substitute for his water softener for his house water. 

[JettsPapa]

On 8/8/2022 at 2:27 PM, Grizzly said:

@JettsPapaHe told me they died during drip acclimating them.

Then I'm out of ideas.

Edited August 8, 2022 by JettsPapa

[PattysAquatics]

I’m assuming the low GH is from the potassium Chloride taking out the trace minerals from the water in the water softener but yes stumped on the shrimp dying fast. He has had issues with other fish dying lately as well. Not all but certain species he can’t keep alive. Has to be the water in some form causing it is all we can think 

[evilgenius]

On 8/8/2022 at 2:27 PM, Grizzly said:

he doesn’t use salt for the tanks he actually uses potassium chloride salt substitute for his water softener for his house water. 

Ahhh... I see. I have no experience with those. 

On 8/8/2022 at 2:27 PM, Grizzly said:

He told me they died during drip acclimating them

That's just odd. There is something in the water, copper or ammonia or something. 

[PattysAquatics]

On 8/8/2022 at 2:34 PM, evilgenius said:

Ahhh... I see. I have no experience with those. 

That's just odd. There is something in the water, copper or ammonia or something. 

@evilgeniusi told him to get a copper test kit. I tested for ammonia and there was none. He has a RO system he used in the past and think he is going back to it. 

[evilgenius]

On 8/8/2022 at 2:36 PM, Grizzly said:

i told him to get a copper test kit. I tested for ammonia and there was none. He has a RO system he used in the past and think he is going back to it. 

That might be the trick. Good luck, I hope it works! 

[anitstuk]

They could of died of chemicals or heavy metals

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/8/2022 at 9:28 AM, Grizzly said:

My cousin needs some help so I’m posting this for him. He can’t keep shrimp in any of his tanks. They typically die within the hour of adding them. He has multiple tanks and breeds rams and those are fine. I attached the test strip results. He has well water, which we are thinking is a cause because they die in multiple tanks not just one. He thinks maybe it’s the salt he adds to his well water and plans to go to RO water but any ideas would be helpful. 

The first question is what kind of shrimp in particular are we talking. Each variety has different needs and different parameters.  It also will help to understand acclimation method that was used. Shrimp are and can be extremely sensitive and usually require a particularly longer acclimation if we are talking certain types.

Please also request a photo, filtration, substrate in the tank so we can have an idea of what's going on.

As for your testing results, I always have issues with the color on a few. I see that for PH and I always stare at it and wonder if it's 7.0 or 6.3 range. 

On 8/8/2022 at 12:36 PM, Grizzly said:

i told him to get a copper test kit. I tested for ammonia and there was none. He has a RO system he used in the past and think he is going back to it. 

You can get polyfilter as well and avoid having to get 4-5 different test kits for metals.  It might be the way to go for this situation as well.