two red cherries died in last few days.

[its_an_obsession]

two red cherries died in the last 2 days. 20 g long. tank is planted. water params are as follows:
ph: 8.2
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
natrate unknown but tanks only been up for a month so i doubt its nitrate
gh: 12 dh
kh: 5 dh

my concerns would be to high ph or two high of gh. anyone know how well api softener pillow works. says it will lower gh, will that also bring ph down?

just read a post from the planted tank section on my tank sayign that the fertilizers could kill my shrimp? ive been using a kent fertilizer and flourish excel? should is top fertilizing the plants? heres link.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180142

 

[Verbosity]

I wouldn't even noticed if I lost two cherry shrimp. Keen eye you must have.

 

[its_an_obsession]

just started so i only got like 10 total... and only like 5 are full size so u notice when one of the big guys is belly up on the bottom... i hate losing fish/inverts

 

[rucus]

I had two of mine die about a month after I got my first big batch. Now they are flourishing. I wouldn't worry about it to much. But I would test test the nitrate though. Ya never know until you test.

 

[uberunce]

like above i wouldnt worry since they'll reproduce a lot in the coming weeks. i started with 6 and one died within 2 days i got a bit worried but a month later i had about 25.