RCS not breeding and now dying! Please help me

**mmccarthy781** · 2nd Feb 2012, 12:38 AM

Hey everyone, well the title pretty much says it all, about 4 monthes ago I got around 60 RCS and I only have around 20 left... They have been dying, and I have not yet gotten any babys. I don't know what to do?

Here are the parameters:
Temperature: 75-78 Fahrenheit
Ammonia: 0ppm
NO2-: 0ppm
NO3-: 0ppm
pH: 6.6-6.8
Cu+: 0ppm
GH: 71.6ppm
Substrate: fluval stratum

I was also doseing fluval ferts but stopped and the deaths continued.
The one thing that I tried doing was dosing pancure-c because I thought that planeria were killing the shrimp, looking back I don't think I even had planeria...
What should I do? I'm open to any suggestions, because right now, I don't think anything can get worse.

**Navanod** · 2nd Feb 2012, 01:16 AM

Hi mmccarthy,

Do not lose heart, I'm sure this can be resolved.
What is the volume of the tank? Was it properly cycled before you added the 60 RCS?
Are the remaining shrimps eating well (their reaction to food)?

The water parameters looks perfect so something else must be affecting the shrimps. Have you taken any TDS readings?
How often do you change water and what do you use to dechlorinate?

Lastly, while we're here scratching our heads, you may want to consider adding activated carbon/charcoal in case there's any toxicity in the water from the pancure-c. Put the carbon in a mesh bag and place it in a place with good water flow.

**mmccarthy781** · 2nd Feb 2012, 01:27 AM

The tank is 10 gallons, and it was cycled.
I forgot to mention this, but there are also 5 amanos in the tank that have been fine.
When I put food in the amanos start racing around the tank like crazy, but the rcs slowly walk around until they find the food.
I don't have a TDS test kit, i'll try to get one this week.
I change about a third of the water every two weeks, and I treat it with fluval shrimp water conditioner.

**Navanod** · 2nd Feb 2012, 02:10 AM

I'm perplexed. The RCS are just as hardy if not more hardy than amanos.

As mentioned, the "shot in the dark" treatment would be to use activated carbon to remove any unknown toxins and see if things improve. That worked on a case that I encountered a few months back.

Do get back on the TDS reading while we wait and see if other more experienced shrimp keepers have anything to suggest.
*fingers crossed*

**Deep6** · 4th Feb 2012, 07:57 AM

How long have you had them?

As an experiment, you might try increasing the PH to 7.2 or higher. My cherries breed like crazy in tap water, which around here has a PH of 8+ with a TDS of >400. GH is 16. I put some yellows in a tank with CRS, and none ever berried. Not sure if it was the soft water or the lower temp of the CRS tank that they didn't like.

Other things off the top of my head:
- Do they have hiding places?
- What's the filter in your tank? Might it be too large for the tank and causing too much current stressing out the shrimp?
- Have you ever treated the tank with copper in the past? Copper is hard to get rid of and sticks around for a LONG time after use.
- Any fish that might be harassing them?
- Are you dosing CO2?
- How often are you feeding, and what are you feeding? Some fish foods have copper in them.

**gera** · 4th Feb 2012, 08:42 AM

Hi, I dont see the problem in water parameters too, but people usually ask me about same problem here. We have some answers, but they are very universal and depends on the situation, even aerosole in the room may cause this proble.
some of the answers:
- do water changes 2 a week
- start add to the prepared water sera toxivec or seachem prime + add activated carbon to the filter
- start adding the Shrimp Emergency
- stop feed them everyday and dose food every 2-3 days
- double tha aeration
--stop adding the medicals
.....
waiting for your reply on the situation in your tank and dont be upset you can easily breed the population back if do right!

**mmccarthy781** · 4th Feb 2012, 04:13 PM

I had 2 spongefilters in the tank, but replaced one with a aquaclear hob filter when they started dying. I never used CO2 or any medicines with copper. I was feeding a pinch of hikari shrimp food twice a week, but I started feeding one every two days once they started dying, I thought that they may have been starving.
I've seen one more die this week. I looked in the tank and saw him lying on his side. I nudged him and he swam around but later he was dead.

**Dincho** · 4th Feb 2012, 04:32 PM

The symptoms you explain sound like there could have been an ammonia spike, burning the gills leading to a slow death. Do you have anything in the aquarium to increase flow rate of water? (apart from sponge filters) It's a guess but i think the ammonia is not getting to the filter fast enough.