# RCS just dying



## Mark Allen (20 Aug 2016)

Hi all,

I put a job load of RCS in my 60ltr tank and all but one are dead.
Their backs split and showed white across it. From a Google search they couldn't shed their shell? 

Temp 24, pH 7.4, gh and kh are in limits. I added tantra mineral stone. They had moss. I don't use RO water.

They never really fed from putting them in, a couple did. But they swam around etc... 

Then in days their backs split.

My only thing left is CO2, I've read it's a no no and others say it's fine so i cannot be sure.

I have 1 left out of the whole lot. I guess he's a tough one.


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## Doubu (20 Aug 2016)

Sounds like from your description they couldn't adapt to your water parameters very well. How did you acclimate them? What's your gH at? Is your tank fully cycled? Any hint of ammonia and nitrite will give you grief

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## Aqua360 (20 Aug 2016)

Within limits...?

As in, did you measure Kh, Gh? pH, tds? What readings did you get?


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## Mark Allen (20 Aug 2016)

Ph = 7.4
GH and KH I dont remember. I wrote it down but lost the paper. I can retest. I just remember it was in limits.
The LFS water they were in was pH 7.4 as well, but RO water.

As for acclimatising, I spent ages putting a tiny amount of water in every 10 minutes. I did read about the drip method, but thought a little bit over a few hours would be just as good.

Tank was cycled, but not mature (i.e. 6 months +) but I witnessed the ammonia and nitrite spike, nitrate rise and ammonia and nitrites were a 0. Just like I do on any tank. All fish in there are fine.


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## Planted Bows (20 Aug 2016)

I'm going to assume your water is to hard. 

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## Mark Allen (20 Aug 2016)

Our water is hard, live in Southampton. But it wasnt over limits. Ill test it again tomorrow and post results.

Perhaps RO water would be my cure though?


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## Planted Bows (20 Aug 2016)

Yeah white possibly the cure. Im thinking of keeping them too but our water is quite hard near Leicester 

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## Planted Bows (20 Aug 2016)

Quite*

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## Ryan Thang To (21 Aug 2016)

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/a-guide-to-crystal-red-shrimp.19724/


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## Mark Allen (21 Aug 2016)

Thanks for the link, ill have a good read later


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## Lindy (21 Aug 2016)

Certainly sounds like moulting issues so I'd check tds gh and kh as others have suggested.


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## Mark Allen (21 Aug 2016)

ok, I retested the water.

KH 120-180 ppm / 6.7 - 10.07
GH 180 ppm / 10.07 ppm
TDS - I have a meter at work I can bring home to test it.

From reading your link from above our water basically killed them. So much different informaiton on the internet. I read the wrong stuff it turns out.

My worry is my GH test is at the top of the scale too. It matches the colour, but potentially could be over a bit more still.

Seeing that I have too harder water, would you recommend RO water of rain water? I may get a little 12ltr tank and keep shrimp in there totally seperate from everything else


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## stu_ (21 Aug 2016)

Sorry I'm confused.
The thread & OP say Red Cherry Shrimp (RCS)
The link regarding care is for Crystal Red Shrimp (CRS)
The former will tolerate a wider range of water parameters than the latter.


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## Mark Allen (21 Aug 2016)

Ah yeah, so my limits are OK but maybe not ideal as at the top.

To confirm, I'm referring to RCS


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## Lindy (22 Aug 2016)

That kh is really high. be interested to see tds as I go more by that. You could cut your tap water with ro to drop the readings.


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## Aqua360 (22 Aug 2016)

Mark Allen said:


> ok, I retested the water.
> 
> KH 120-180 ppm / 6.7 - 10.07
> GH 180 ppm / 10.07 ppm
> ...



what inhabitants are in with the shrimp? They could be interfering with moulting, definitely a good idea to set-up a separate tank for your shrimp; if only to breed them and have your own supply


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## Doubu (22 Aug 2016)

Here are my parameters and I have no issues for your reference:

- Neocaridina (RCS): 4-8 gH (150 - 250 TDS), 2-3 kH, pH 6.0 - 7.2, Pressurized CO2
- Caridina (CRS/CBS): 4-7 gH (150 - 225 TDS), 1-2 kH, pH 6.6 - 7.2, No CO2

It varies quite a bit because I'm a bit lazy when it comes to matching water going in with water going in. My tap water is about 10-20 TDS, since it's summer time right now I keep topping off the water and it slowly increases. When I do WC in my larger tanks I forget to add more equilibrium back in so the gH drops low sometimes, but I always increase it back up slowly to what I want.

Did you witness ammonia/nitrite spikes while you had them in there? If so, that's most likely why they passed. Neos are usually pretty hardy in terms of gH/kH but from my experience any nitrite/ammonia and they are done.


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## Mark Allen (22 Aug 2016)

I had some white cloud minnows, as it said they were safe with them. I had 6 of those. All in a 60ltr tank, so quite spacious.

I never noticed a spike, but I wasnt testing it 2/3 times a day. How often would you have to test to notice the spike come and go?

I read that RCS dont load the bio that much, so I wasnt too worried about putting a load in. Perhaps it was a bio load shock as the tank was only supporting 6 minnows.


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## Lindy (22 Aug 2016)

White cloud minnows will eat shrimplets so I wouldn't say shrimp safe. They may even take juveniles. Had the tank cycled before you added the shrimp? adding 10 to 20 shrimp to a 60l wouldn't cause a spike but you didn't specify how many you added at one time?


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## Mark Allen (22 Aug 2016)

Thats annoying, I read on a shrimp site they were. Internet is full of duff info.

10 from the LFS, then 20 from a local breeder as so much cheaper.


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## Lindy (23 Aug 2016)

Mark Allen said:


> Thats annoying, I read on a shrimp site they were. Internet is full of duff info.


Basically if it fits in their mouth they will eat it. I used to keep Normans Lampeyes with my shrimp and while they did not harm large shrimp i'm pretty sure they would eat shrimplets and was advised so by other keepers so took them out.


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## Planted Bows (23 Aug 2016)

Just a quick one, would anyone recommend having shrimp with galaxy rasboras and a betta? 

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## Mark Allen (23 Aug 2016)

Don't do a betta, I did that and found a full grown one in his mouth. He was promptly moved.


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