Dying after molting

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JessiNoel21

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
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646
Location
Springfield,MA
So one of my RCS died right after she molted is that normal? If not want did I do wrong . Parms are as follows Ammonia 0,Nitrites 0, Nitrates <20, pH 6.5, and temp 77.3F

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My gH 6 and kH 5 and no clue TDS due to no test for it

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I put a small piece of cuttlebone in the tank maybe it will help

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You may lose a few while they adjust. It happens to me every time.
 
They have been in the tank for a week now all others molted just fine except her and the smallest Amano but he died cause he got stuck in my cholla wood.

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I think another factor is I've been doing daily water and gravel vacs to get rid of detris worms that came on a plant. I am going hold off on those I just give them a shrimp veggie stick that has calcium in it this will be the first time feeding them since getting them. Only other new thing in the tank is guppy grass that I got today.

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I think another factor is I've been doing daily water and gravel vacs to get rid of detris worms that came on a plant. I am going hold off on those I just give them a shrimp veggie stick that has calcium in it this will be the first time feeding them since getting them. Only other new thing in the tank is guppy grass that I got today.

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Good move holding off on the daily water changes. You want to strive for stable conditions and do 1-2 per week at best.
The detritus worms might be unsightly but pose no threat to the shrimp. I've got seed shrimp, hydra, planaria, copepods, pond snails, ramshorn, and MTS in my tank. Aside from a recent major rescape, the shrimp population has been stable since 2013. KH/GH last time I checked was 5/9, respectively.
I did find a product called Montmorrilonite Clay (I think by Micro-Lift). Often used in koi ponds to help with clarity, mineral content, and digestion, it is also used to help boost calcium in tanks. I've been noticing the tips of the MTS would turn white and decay. I add about a 1/4 teaspoon once a every few weeks.


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I will Google it thank you it just stucks cause I lost 45 shrimp prior to this due to copper issues got Cuprisorb which took care of that problem now I am having another one lol

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It is completely normal to lose a shrimp or two within 2 weeks of shipping. Sometimes they just can't handle the stress of the move, no matter how well you acclimate them and treat them.

What is the behavior of the shrimps you have now? Are they circling around the tank restlessly or are they hanging out and grazing on plants, moving around whenever they're bored of their area? Are there a few hanging out at the top of the water in the corners?

I strongly recommend not changing the water for around two weeks after you receive new shrimp. They're extremely weakened and stressed from shipping and the most important thing to help their stress levels is stability. It really does take a while for them to get completely comfortable. Keep the temp, water, lighting consistent and stable during this period. I also don't feed for at least a few days after new shrimps come in. After two weeks, resume weekly 10% water changes.

Guppy grass is great for shrimp tanks. Do you have any other plants in there? If you can get a hold of hornwort, I'd put some in. It does wonders to reduce nitrates to zero. I think even low nitrate levels stress out shrimp and is one of the causes of those "unknown cause" deaths. Hornwort and other floating plants soak up nitrates better than most other plants.

Indian almond leaves do wonders for the stress levels of shrimp. Adding a leaf in the tank may help as well.

+1 on adding cuttlebone or other micronutrients to the tank (tourmaline, montmorillonite, etc.)
 
It is completely normal to lose a shrimp or two within 2 weeks of shipping. Sometimes they just can't handle the stress of the move, no matter how well you acclimate them and treat them.

What is the behavior of the shrimps you have now? Are they circling around the tank restlessly or are they hanging out and grazing on plants, moving around whenever they're bored of their area? Are there a few hanging out at the top of the water in the corners?

I strongly recommend not changing the water for around two weeks after you receive new shrimp. They're extremely weakened and stressed from shipping and the most important thing to help their stress levels is stability. It really does take a while for them to get completely comfortable. Keep the temp, water, lighting consistent and stable during this period. I also don't feed for at least a few days after new shrimps come in. After two weeks, resume weekly 10% water changes.

Guppy grass is great for shrimp tanks. Do you have any other plants in there? If you can get a hold of hornwort, I'd put some in. It does wonders to reduce nitrates to zero. I think even low nitrate levels stress out shrimp and is one of the causes of those "unknown cause" deaths. Hornwort and other floating plants soak up nitrates better than most other plants.

Indian almond leaves do wonders for the stress levels of shrimp. Adding a leaf in the tank may help as well.

+1 on adding cuttlebone or other micronutrients to the tank (tourmaline, montmorillonite, etc.)

I got them at the LFS but you are right it is common it just stinks. I have Java Moss,Annibus,Cyrpt, water sprite, and guppy grass for plants. I also have 4 alder cones,driftwood, 2 pieces of Chola wood, and one IAL split in half.

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