New RCS tank

[Wufghi88]

This guy just finished its cycle and now I have to buy some shrimp!!! Lol can't wait to get the little guys!! I'm new to shrimp so any of you more experienced shrimp keepers out there have any advice or comments please share!



Also any advice on getting DHG to grow a little faster would be great too. Lol it's kinda growing in but I want a carpet lol. It's only been up and planted for two weeks and its starting to grow and fill in.

 

[jwh0818]

This guy just finished its cycle and now I have to buy some shrimp!!! Lol can't wait to get the little guys!! I'm new to shrimp so any of you more experienced shrimp keepers out there have any advice or comments please share!

Also any advice on getting DHG to grow a little faster would be great too. Lol it's kinda growing in but I want a carpet lol. It's only been up and planted for two weeks and its starting to grow and fill in.

Nice set up. Whats substrate and lights are you using

 

[Wufghi88]

Nice set up. Whats substrate and lights are you using

Thanks a lot ! The substrate is 1 1/2 inch organic soil with a inch and a half black sand cap. And the light is a reflector I made out of the old hood and two 18 watt full spectrum daylight CFL's @ 6500k

 

[jwh0818]

Thanks a lot ! The substrate is 1 1/2 inch organic soil with a inch and a half black sand cap. And the light is a reflector I made out of the old hood and two 18 watt full spectrum daylight CFL's @ 6500k

Change those to 6700k and you will get better growth. Also try adding co2 and liquid ferts and root tabs

 

[Wufghi88]

Change those to 6700k and you will get better growth. Also try adding co2 and liquid ferts and root tabs

I haven't been able to find 67k CFL anywhere. And I'm just waiting to see what the soil does first. Before ferts, I don't want a wicked algae bloom. I dose my other tanks and they do great. But this is my first soil planted tank so im being safe with the ferts because I don't know how the soil works yet. have DIY co2 and do the liquid booster as well. I guess it's just a waiting game now lol. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Fresh2o]

Nice setup. The generous moss on the DW will get larger and may provide too much shade for the DHG beneath it (in case it ends ups carpeting everywhere else but not under there).
I started a shrimp tank a few months ago and had a rocky start resulting in some shrimp deaths but found that adding cuttlebone helped. I did not test for Ca+ before adding the cuttlebone, so I did not get a baseline but the two RCS (females I believe) are eating, growing, and doing fine. Ready for more. I have a LFS that's sells them but they are pricey. Regardless of the source, I will be acclimating them via slow drip.

 

[Wufghi88]

Nice setup. The generous moss on the DW will get larger and may provide too much shade for the DHG beneath it (in case it ends ups carpeting everywhere else but not under there).
I started a shrimp tank a few months ago and had a rocky start resulting in some shrimp deaths but found that adding cuttlebone helped. I did not test for Ca+ before adding the cuttlebone, so I did not get a baseline but the two RCS (females I believe) are eating, growing, and doing fine. Ready for more. I have a LFS that's sells them but they are pricey. Regardless of the source, I will be acclimating them via slow drip.

I thought about the shade as well and want to do like a marimo moss carpet where ever the DHG won't carpet under the DW Tree.
Do you think the cuddle bone is a must have? And what do you think caused the rocky start? I was planing on getting like 30 to start with because of how easy I have read they are to keep but now I'm kinda worried.... They are super pricey at my LFS as well(I'm in Alaska and everything is expensive!!! Lol ) and I was going to order them online for like a buck each, but I'm kinda rethinking that. I may just go get a few (like 2 or 3) to start out.
I have kept Amanos with good luck and some ghost shrimp but are RCS more touchy ?

And thanks for the complement!!

 

[aluka]

rcs is super easy to keep, once u find out what they like.

I took down my low tech 2.5 gallon rcs tank ysterday because the plants were so over grown i can't see anything. No filter, no heater, no water change, just light, plants, substrate, top off with water.

Found 300+ rcs hiding in the jungle, i stopped counting at 300. This is a 2.5 gallon tank.

so yea, find what they like and they will breed like crazy rabbits.

 

[Wufghi88]

rcs is super easy to keep, once u find out what they like.

I took down my low tech 2.5 gallon rcs tank ysterday because the plants were so over grown i can't see anything. No filter, no heater, no water change, just light, plants, substrate, top off with water.

Found 300+ rcs hiding in the jungle, i stopped counting at 300. This is a 2.5 gallon tank.

so yea, find what they like and they will breed like crazy rabbits.

Nice!! lol. I hope they can find what they like in my tank.

 

[Fresh2o]

I thought about the shade as well and want to do like a marimo moss carpet where ever the DHG won't carpet under the DW Tree.
Do you think the cuddle bone is a must have? And what do you think caused the rocky start? I was planing on getting like 30 to start with because of how easy I have read they are to keep but now I'm kinda worried.... They are super pricey at my LFS as well(I'm in Alaska and everything is expensive!!! Lol ) and I was going to order them online for like a buck each, but I'm kinda rethinking that. I may just go get a few (like 2 or 3) to start out.
I have kept Amanos with good luck and some ghost shrimp but are RCS more touchy ?

And thanks for the complement!!

The marimo moss carpet might work it that situation. It looks like you are going for the tree in the savannah look...sort of iwugami-ish.

My first attempt was is April (20g long, 100w titanium heater, AC50, Coralife dual t5 NO, EcoComplete). After a week or so I detected extremely high ammonia (>8 ppm) even after daily 90% WCs over a period of a few weeks. I was planning on doing a fishless cycle but did NOT add any ammonia because of what was already present. Tap water is fine. The only stock was a few low light plants, no shrimp/snails/fish. A whitish slime developed on practically every surface of the tank including the filter. Cause was unknown so I did a complete restart.
Second attempt was a successful fishless cycle in 15 days. Started with 3 RCS and they were fine. Two weeks later added 6 more and within a week or two 7 died shortly after molting. Purchased an API GH/KH test kit and the numbers were not unusual (9 & 5 resp.). Trolled the forum for answers and cuttlebone was recommended. Tried it and the last two RCS are molting and growing (2 months now). I also suspect that there may have been differences with the LFS water and my tank in terms of hardness and pH. Will perform a very slow drip acclimation with the next group.

RCS are supposedly one of the hardier shrimp you can get.

 

[Wufghi88]

The marimo moss carpet might work it that situation. It looks like you are going for the tree in the savannah look...sort of iwugami-ish.

My first attempt was is April (20g long, 100w titanium heater, AC50, Coralife dual t5 NO, EcoComplete). After a week or so I detected extremely high ammonia (>8 ppm) even after daily 90% WCs over a period of a few weeks. I was planning on doing a fishless cycle but did NOT add any ammonia because of what was already present. Tap water is fine. The only stock was a few low light plants, no shrimp/snails/fish. A whitish slime developed on practically every surface of the tank including the filter. Cause was unknown so I did a complete restart.
Second attempt was a successful fishless cycle in 15 days. Started with 3 RCS and they were fine. Two weeks later added 6 more and within a week or two 7 died shortly after molting. Purchased an API GH/KH test kit and the numbers were not unusual (9 & 5 resp.). Trolled the forum for answers and cuttlebone was recommended. Tried it and the last two RCS are molting and growing (2 months now). I also suspect that there may have been differences with the LFS water and my tank in terms of hardness and pH. Will perform a very slow drip acclimation with the next group.

RCS are supposedly one of the hardier shrimp you can get.

You got it total iwugami-ish..... Wanna be lol. I just put the stem plants in (to the left side) to try and soak up the extra nutrients till the DHG filled in.

Mine is totally cycled, I seeded it from my 29 so it only took about10 or so days. And it's steady and ready lol. Ya maybe ill get 30 so if I loose some ill still have a nice colony. But still a little worried. Haha I just don't want to kill a bunch learning what they like and what they don't. I think my water is good for shrimp. I got 5 Amanos in my 29g a while back and they molted in the first week I had them. I don't know I Guess I'm just gonna have to give it a shot?

 

[Wufghi88]

Well I added some ghost shrimp and a bamboo shrimp today just to see how shrimp are gonna do in the tank. If they do good then RCS should be good in there as well right?

 

[jwh0818]

Well I added some ghost shrimp and a bamboo shrimp today just to see how shrimp are gonna do in the tank. If they do good then RCS should be good in there as well right?

Yes most definitely

 

[Jev12]

Yeah especially if the bamboo shrimp does well...and be careful with the ghost shrimp they have been known to prey on other smaller Shrimp

 

[Wufghi88]

Yeah especially if the bamboo shrimp does well...and be careful with the ghost shrimp they have been known to prey on other smaller Shrimp

Agreed! I have kept ghosts before and they are cannibalistic as hell! Lol so they will be going as soon as I get my RCS.

 

[LewisFreer]

Hello, I'm new has anyone tried liquid CO2 booster, I just don't want to buy it and it upset my shrimp. I have heard of the CO2 canisters causing problems so i wanted to try the liquid stuff. Thanks.I have a 38ltr tanks with 50 Cherry Red Shrimp and 4 Crystal shrimp (red and white stripes)
Thanks again

 

[Fresh2o]

I've have no experience with shrimp and CO2 supplements, but another user just reported wiping out nearly all of his shrimp colony with an accidental Excel overdose.
My advice is to use it carefully.

 

[LewisFreer]

I've have no experience with shrimp and CO2 supplements, but another user just reported wiping out nearly all of his shrimp colony with an accidental Excel overdose.
My advice is to use it carefully.

Thanks, I might ask my local petstore to contact the supplier and see if they say anything about it. I think the main thing in think is the copper amount in the supplement and also the dosage amount. I have to be careful with my brislenose catfish food that I feed them, from time to time it has copper in it. The liquid fertiliser the plant food does not seem to have any effect if the amount is correct. Thanks again.

 

[Autumnsky]

Hi,

Welcome to the Shrimpside!

Be careful about the dwarf shrimp and the Cherry shrimp.

I actually have that combo at the moment. But... it boils down to a problem with the filter feeder needing lots to filter and the shrimp preferring it pretty clean, with stuff to scavenge.

One wants the food on the ground and the other wants it in the water, and if you have both it can make for a dirty/toxic tank. So you just have to be careful.

RCS like when you don't over clean their tank. They need bio film on the glass and rocks and other stuff. Food particles to scavenge. So lots of plants /moss are excellent for "cleaning" up/using up the stuff the shrimp can't have in their water!!!

Other tips,

don't use flaked food in a shrimp tank, often causes ammonia spike when over fed.

I use Hikari Shrimp Cuisine and lately Crab cuisine. Cuddlebone. And most all other kinds of food by Hikari and a couple others I feed my fish and recently started with tiny amounts of fresh steamed veggies

Feed tiny amounts/don't over feed I was told to think of the fish/or shrimp stomach being the size of its eye. That is a very small amount. They need established tank for the bio film to establish, and also will feed of plants biofilm too. You can feed them tiny amounts a couple times a day.

Don't over clean the tank

A couple red Ramshorn snails unless you are not a snail person much, then a Nerite (although females can lay eggs in your tank). Some people dislike that very much. I have two females and they can lay a lot of eggs it is annoying at times but I like the snails more than I care about the eggs.

Get a magnifying glass to see little tiny things like eggs/berries, baby shrimp, minute shrimplet eyes when they are berries. Very fun.

Amano shrimp can be aggressive towards food and I have also had them in with my shrimp population, BUT I think the tank had a higher number of baby shrimp growing up when the Amanos were NOT in the tank...as in I think maybe they snacked on them. Just a thought.

I would get the population thriving and then add micro Rasboras (if you wanted them) or other things as many fish creatures would eat the tiny baby shrimp, and you wouldn't see a nice rise in population like in a "shrimp only" tank.

Enjoy!

 

[LewisFreer]

Thanks, I have the Hikari tropical shrimp food/cuisine and they like it quite a lot but its not they only thing I feed them, they have small algae pellets and a few peas from time to time. Thanks again