What on Earth? - RCS Dying

[GodFan]

My RCS adults have been dying off. I thought maybe they were getting old since its only the old ones but I saw one with swollen eggs today. I think they were fuzzy too. I skipped water changes for a little bit (not super long) because my plants were doing good. But I didnt have problems until like a week after my last PWC. I have added 10 ember tetras, 6 habrous cories, and 3 catfish (today so they arent guilty). I had to discontfeeding frozen prawn eggs because Im pretty sure the salt killed my cories. I dont know its just wierd. Any ideas?
Thanks and God bless!

 

[Coursair]

What is your water testing at ??
Nitrates can take Shrimp out fast if it gets over 20ppm.

 

[GodFan]

No trates (lots of plants) I was told at petsmart that my alkalinity was low. My overall water hardness is 75 ppm. I have a bag of what I suspect is shrimp substrate in my filter. The guy at my LFS said it was aragonite but I dont think it is. Either way it helped them survive when all were dying. I have had no problems for a long time. This just sprang up. I dont see little ones dropping but they could be hard to see. I know they dont live long. Is it possible they are just getting old? Or can certain decaying plants harm them?

 

[Austin.b]

Did anything leak into the tank during the last PWC? What are the tanks specs?

 

[Austin.b]

I just re-read the first post and maybe an ammo spike killed them from all the new fish being added in?

 

[GodFan]

No foriegn chemicals to my knowledge. Ammo spike would make sense except they are still dying and ammo tested as 0. I had been adding seachem flourish but it had been awhile. Are they salt sensitive?

 

[Austin.b]

No foriegn chemicals to my knowledge. Ammo spike would make sense except they are still dying and ammo tested as 0. I had been adding seachem flourish but it had been awhile. Are they salt sensitive?

Hmm how long have you been dosing flourish? When you see a dead shrimp, does it have it's shell slightly off, are they dying during a molt? I would imagine them being salt sensitive, but I'm not sure on that at all.

 

[Cornstar]

If you add a lot of salt, it may hurt the shrimps.

 

[GodFan]

I havent really noticed a patern in the way the dead shrimp look with a shell poroblem. They look different depending on the shrimp. One was only part of a body, a few were just whole shrimp, and one looked like it had its brains sucked out (ok so the other fish are probably helping.) I wondered because I added frozen prawn eggs and it turned out they had enough salt to kill a few cories. At least I thnik that was the issue. They were new.

 

[MABJ]

Well whatever it is, I hope the deaths stop

 

[MABJ]

I will say though. Ghost shrimp can live in brackish water easily.

 

[GodFan]

Hmmm.... well no deaths for 2 days so maybe we are clear! Maybe they were old?

 

[MABJ]

Hmmm.... well no deaths for 2 days so maybe we are clear! Maybe they were old?

There is always that chance

 

[GodFan]

Would decaying bannanna plant excrete something harmful to shrimps?

 

[MABJ]

Would decaying bannanna plant excrete something harmful to shrimps?

Decaying anything gives off ammonia. If you don't have an established enough tank to handle the ammonia, then that. Check your nitrates and ammonia.

 

[GodFan]

No it is very established and I just had them checked and they were good. I meant like a chemical or something.

 

[MABJ]

No it is very established and I just had them checked and they were good. I meant like a chemical or something.

I can't imagine, unless it had pesticides on it to keep bugs and tropical spiders off.

 

[GodFan]

Nah this was new growth. I dont know lol

 

[shrimpbako]

before y'all start guessing what is wrong, get a test kit to KNOW what is wrong wtih your water parameters.

Ammonia is ok, for tanks with ph under 7.

For over 7, ammonia converts into ammonium and everything dies

 

[GodFan]

before y'all start guessing what is wrong, get a test kit to KNOW what is wrong wtih your water parameters.

Ammonia is ok, for tanks with ph under 7.

For over 7, ammonia converts into ammonium and everything dies

......Ive never heard anything like that..... Either way I am 0 on ammonia, trites, and trates. My ph is like 6.8 and hardness about 75ppm. I was told alkalinity was low but that whole thing confused me lol