Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

So, I am really upset. I read up all about RCS and how to maintain the temperature with a heater and what moss they like and added conditioner to the water I use... I acclimated them over the time span of 3 hours and even have a little black substrate so they can shine their red.

I got 4 RCS for $20 from the pet store and brought them home. The next day, I find 2 dead, so I pulled them out in case the ammonia in the water increases. I did a 30% water change and then I found a single baby shrimp that's alive and swimming around really fast. Maybe those 2 died in labor! I had hope. Yesterday the 2 shrimps were alive and kicking; one even molted. But, this morning, I found the rest of the RCS dead. The only one left is the tiny baby shrimp that I hadn't accidentally dumped down the drain. What could have happened?! The water is fresh so it couldn'tve have been the nitrates and ammonia.... I have a lot of java moss to keep them company and happy. Before the RCS had started dying in the first place, I placed an order for $20 more RCS to come the day I got them, since I thought they would look great in a really big vase with driftwood and Java moss, flame moss, christmas moss, and weeping moss for Mother's Day.

I'm going to lose $40 worth and 29 lives! I hope someone could help me with this dilemma.

I'm not going to be of much help, since I'm in the same boat. I have just set up a new shrimp tank with a ton of plants. The water all tests out perfectly. I brought home 10 cherry shrimp a few days ago, and they have been dying ever since. No idea why.

Two possibilities:

1. shrimp sold in pet stores tend to be "pre-damaged" as they imported animals who went through a lot of stress already. Basically death candidates.

2. measure your pH and kh (because pH is dependent on kh to a degree). Your pH may be too high, which increases the possibility that you have unionized ammonia in your tank. Even in trace amounts (i.e. not measurable by hobby ammonia test kits) unionized ammonia can kill shrimp literally overnight.