RCS Question

[gmeredith56880]

Hi my name is George and I am relatively new to the aquarium business. I received a 10g as gift from my wife and ever since the obsession has taken off. I currently have 2 10g and 1 55g tank. I am interested in all things fish and my son loves looking at them and feeding them (he is almost 2). Thank you in advance for any help I receive! I decided to join this forum because almost every time I google a question it links to this site in some way. So anyways, heres my question:

I have a 55 gallon tank, I am getting some RCS today (should be in the mail in a few hours!!!!). I just recently added some java fern and wisteria and have had java moss in the tank for a week or so (not long enough to really grow). I have 5 scissortail rasboras (and a bamboo shrimp + 1 zebra nerite snail) in the tank (about 1.5 inches long) and they stay at the top of the tank most of the time. Do you think they will bother the RCS if I release them into the 55g tank? (they will be babies) (there is a cave type thing and a skull for hiding).

 

[Oceangirl]

Unless you have it heavily planted, and lots and lots of hides. They will be a very expensive and tasty snack. If it fits in the mouth, it will be eaten. I only have Celestial Pearls in mine. They are really REALLY tiny, half the size of your pinky nail tiny.

 

[Majbarsalona]

I keep mine in a 5 gallon until they are large enough to go into my community tank

 

[Scottyhorse]

Females should be okay, males might be another thing.

 

[gmeredith56880]

So I just ended up moving all the fish from the 10g to the 55 and putting the RCS in the 10g by themselves. I thought they would be babies but there all different ages and one is full of yellow eggs! Thanks everyone for warning me about the fish eating them!

 

[jcolon]

So I just ended up moving all the fish from the 10g to the 55 and putting the RCS in the 10g by themselves. I thought they would be babies but there all different ages and one is full of yellow eggs! Thanks everyone for warning me about the fish eating them!

A smart choice. As long as you provide a stable home, they should breed and once you have enough of them, you can experiment with a few into our 55gal.

I have RCS in my 75gal tank, but there's plenty of DW, Rocks and Plants for them to hide in.

 

[gmeredith56880]

A smart choice. As long as you provide a stable home, they should breed and once you have enough of them, you can experiment with a few into our 55gal.

I have RCS in my 75gal tank, but there's plenty of DW, Rocks and Plants for them to hide in.

Yeah. I'm going to give my plants enough time to grow out and try to add them back over time. No rush though. I'm just excited I have them. I love shrimp.

 

[gmeredith56880]

So this is my berried RCS:


She hid for about 4 days now she is always out and eating. What behavior signifies that she is going to 'give birth'? Is it even possible to tell? When I got her she was already berried so I'm not sure how long she has been.

 

[jcolon]

So this is my berried RCS:
View attachment 159662

She hid for about 4 days now she is always out and eating. What behavior signifies that she is going to 'give birth'? Is it even possible to tell? When I got her she was already berried so I'm not sure how long she has been.

That's one good healthy looking female RCS. I believe a new saddle is a good indication her eggs are within days of hatching. In some shrimp, the eggs get black like dots almost resembling little eyes ... another within days indication. I think they carry the eggs for 3-4 weeks or so be before hatching. But ... until you actually see white miniature 1mm long shrimp swimming around, it's anyone guess when it'll be.

 

[gmeredith56880]

I just wanted to post an update on my shrimp. About a week and half ago I noticed my biggest RCS was no longer berried and yet I didn't see any babies. I have a HOB filter and after online research started to fear that they had been sucked up into the filter. So a week after that, all of the sudden I saw baby RCS everywhere. I counted about 30 babies. The RCS are very active and always out and about on the java moss. I started with 7 a little over 3 weeks ago and now I'm up to 37 (and one of the females is berried)! Thanks everyone for any help you may have provided along the way!

I do have one more question. There are green eggs laying in my substrate. The filter buffets them like they would be moved around in the RCS belly. Will these abandoned eggs hatch or should I remove them? My snails haven't bothered them and they have been there for about 4 days or so. Thanks!