Frustrated with the RCS tank

[TheresaM]

-Established 5g
-1 nerite snail and a bunch of RCS, no idea how many but definitely not overstocked
-RCS are from different sources but nothing new has been added to the tank
-Nano tree, cholla wood, indian almond bark
-Water params great
-Fed every other day
-Java fern, guppy grass, Brazilian pennywort
-Flourish when I remember, less than once a week
-Sand substrate
-Water temp 76.5
-I've seen molts and do leave them in the tank

Issues started about a month ago when my first berried shrimp just died, everything else in the tank was fine. Then a week later another one (not berried). A third today. Watching the tank I notice the 'white wormy things' which I searched for on AA, read a bunch of threads. Did a 50% WC and I'm very picky about water temp going back into the tank....any ideas what's going on with the tank?

 

[Angela1108]

Do they go right to the food when you put it in? If not maybe space it out?

Maybe try blanched kale or zuchini or cucumber?


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[TheresaM]

Do they go right to the food when you put it in? If not maybe space it out?

Maybe try blanched kale or zuchini or cucumber?

Oh yeah, they love feeding time and are fed a big variety of foods. I just don't understand the deaths for no apparent reason

 

[TheresaM]

Did the water change yesterday, shrimp weren't fed and this morning another death.

Any ideas what the heck is going on?

 

[Angela1108]

That's so strange. Did you ever have anything in the tank before that was treated with copper? I've heard sometimes it will go into the glue that holds the tank together and can leach out over time


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[TheresaM]

That's so strange. Did you ever have anything in the tank before that was treated with copper? I've heard sometimes it will go into the glue that holds the tank together and can leach out over time

No, nothing. It's an acrylic tank that was set up specifically for the shrimp. Not even sure if I should feed them today or not

 

[Angela1108]

I am stumped then :/ I didn't think they really got sick/had issues like fish other than the water parameters


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[ScotJudd]

I had a similar problem.
My main tank RCS colony is thriving and I moved a few into a clean tank, just because it wasn't being used. One by one they died. I tried again. Same thing.
Then I quarantined some new fish in the tank for about 6 weeks. The tank glass had become a bit green and 'dirty'. After the fish went into the main tank I thinned out my Java moss in the main tank, by the hand full, and chucked it in the QT. It had baby shrimp in the moss. I now have a small colony (about 50) in the QT and they are breeding away.
The shrimp feed continuously on the bio film but enjoy being fed as well.
I am convinced that my initial failures were either that adult shrimp don't like being relocated or that the deaths were due to a lack of bio film due to the cleanness of the tank.
I would persevere but it's not cheap if you have to keep buying replacements.
These are my tank stats:
Temp 78f
Ph 7
Ammonia / nitrites 0
Nitrates <20
Kh 6
Gh 6
Hope that's of some help.


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[TheresaM]

Thanks to both of you for the replies, I really do appreciate it!

It's just frustrating feeling that I'm missing something, you know? There's definitely lots of bio film between the plants, cholla, etc.

I think I'll do a small water change again tonight, not feed them, and see what happens.

 

[TheresaM]

Got ready to do a WC and found another dead

I have this project set up with 1 RCS so I think I'll move some survivors from the main tank to this one for now....

 

[Fresh2o]

Just curious, are the deaths occurring after molting? I bought 15 RCS from an LFS and 10 of those died over a period of several weeks. Mostly after molting. Tank was a few months old with lots of moss and several crypts. Suspecting a calcium deficiency, I added a few acorn to walnut sized chunks of cuttle bone to the filter and to the tank. The remaining 5 were doing okay but not breeding (or dying). I then got an order of about 25 more RCS from another AA member and those grew and spawned. I get an occasional death but the number of larvae being born offset that.
One other product I've used to help boost calcium is montmorillite clay. It's mostly used for conditioning koi. I add about 1/4 tsp after each water change. GH and KH have been steady at 9 and 5, respectively.
Hope this helps.


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[TheresaM]

Just curious, are the deaths occurring after molting? I bought 15 RCS from an LFS and 10 of those died over a period of several weeks. Mostly after molting. Tank was a few months old with lots of moss and several crypts. Suspecting a calcium deficiency, I added a few acorn to walnut sized chunks of cuttle bone to the filter and to the tank. The remaining 5 were doing okay but not breeding (or dying). I then got an order of about 25 more RCS from another AA member and those grew and spawned. I get an occasional death but the number of larvae being born offset that.
One other product I've used to help boost calcium is montmorillite clay. It's mostly used for conditioning koi. I add about 1/4 tsp after each water change. GH and KH have been steady at 9 and 5, respectively.
Hope this helps.

Just ordinary cuttlebone, like I could grab on Amazon?

And thanks

 

[TheresaM]

Did the WC, moved 4 out. Reboiled the cholla and indian almond bark. Added a feeding dish. Hoping for the best overnight, thanks again.

 

[Fresh2o]

Good luck with this. Been there.
Cuttlebone from Walmart.


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[taernster]

I ordered a few cuttlebones from Amazon when my tank experience this and it seemed to remedy the situation as I quit experiencing the deaths after WC

 

[TheresaM]

I ordered a few cuttlebones from Amazon when my tank experience this and it seemed to remedy the situation as I quit experiencing the deaths after WC

I got a cuttlebone today actually. Do they ever sink though?

I've still be doing a daily WC. In retrospect one thing I noticed is the deaths were all lesser colored (lower grade) RCS....maybe not strong stock?

 

[Fresh2o]

I got a cuttlebone today actually. Do they ever sink though?



I've still be doing a daily WC. In retrospect one thing I noticed is the deaths were all lesser colored (lower grade) RCS....maybe not strong stock?

It will sink eventually.
Where did you get the RCS from?


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[TheresaM]

It will sink eventually.
Where did you get the RCS from?

Three different online sources actually. No recent deaths....

 

[chadda8708]

happening to me

moving my 1 survivor to a PERFECT long 20 g with my guppies!

 

[TheresaM]

moving my 1 survivor to a PERFECT long 20 g with my guppies!

Oh no, how many did you lose?