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RCS Keep dying...


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I purchased 20 RCS online from a reputable seller recently and they've been slowing dying...not sure why.

 

I have them in a Marineland 5 gallon that I've put filter sponge in the back to block the inlet from sucking up shrimp.

 

Here's a timeline of events:

  • 3 months I did a 90% water change with RO water of this existing tank I previously had fish in preparation for shrimp
  • 2 months ago I got my 20 RCS and add them to tank
  • 2 RCS died about 2-3 days in
  • Afterwards I've lost about 1 RCS every week. Somewhere in here did a couple micro water changes with my tap to increase my GH because apparently my RCS came from water with GH 8.
  • 3 weeks ago I increased filter flow rate because it seemed a little low
  • 2 weeks of no death
  • 1 week ago I added 2 CRS
  • Yesterday 1 CRS died
  • Today 1 RCS died

 

Here's my water parameters today:

 

Temp: 74

PH 7.4

TDS: 180

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 0

GH: 4.5

KH: 3.5

 

No pregnancies...just deaths...I'm down to about 10 now. Please need some help!

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Neos do better in water with a GH of 6-8. They might be having a molting issue and dying to failed molts. Also keep in mind that even after you bring the GH up, those shrimp have been building shells with not enough calcium and may continue to have molting issues until they molt and grow new shells with the higher GH water. What are you feeding them? 

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You'd be looking for failed molts, or a big ring right in the center of their bodies where the head and abdomen separate like the below pic.  

Were these homebred shrimp or imported shrimp?  Imported shrimp (especially Neo's) typically have more issues because they are stressed and unhealthy due to their long journey.  



Image result for shrimp ring of death

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  • 5 months later...

Don't use tap water. You don't know what type of heavy metals come out of your tap.

 

Use RO or filtered water and reminiralize

 

My filtered water at home comes out with a TDS of 7 and 7 pH, 0 KH, 0 GH

 

I reminiralize to 200 TDS and every single time the parameters will be a constant 7 pH, 4 KH and, 12 GH. Shrimp need high GH to build their exoskeletons. And they also need consistency in their parameters. 

 

All that said, IMO keeping shrimp is not as easy as people say. They're delicate and finicky pets. 

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