Well, my RCS experience has only been successful in softer water (3KH & 4 GH or vs versus) & a temp of 68F-ish. But here in a high pH, similar softish water & similar temp much less so...but no sudden deaths, just no breeding...I think there must be another factor. Copper issues?...something else maybe.
New tank! Finally!
- Thread starter Tifftastic
- Start date
Copper did come to my mind as well. I was also concerned about the water being so acidic, but it is also really hard out of the tap as Glasgow is in a calcium carbonate watershed. But I thought that it wouldn't cause deaths that quickly, would be more like trouble molting and no breeding.
I was told the pipes in my building were recently updated, but I don't know with what. I think we have a copper test at work, I'll bring in a sample. I think the techs are getting impatient with me not taking the kilis lol, but I'm not comfortable yet until I know what's happening.
If there was a contaminate from the sand or something in the tank, would it have taken 3 days to kill them? Or would it have been more instant? I'm getting worried at this point that I need to take it all apart. But then a friend of mine used the same sand in her tank and her pH was up at 7.6 the day we went to the shop. So, I'm guessing its not the sand. I've never had pH issues before, so while I understand the theory, putting it into practice is kinda freaking me out.
I was told the pipes in my building were recently updated, but I don't know with what. I think we have a copper test at work, I'll bring in a sample. I think the techs are getting impatient with me not taking the kilis lol, but I'm not comfortable yet until I know what's happening.
If there was a contaminate from the sand or something in the tank, would it have taken 3 days to kill them? Or would it have been more instant? I'm getting worried at this point that I need to take it all apart. But then a friend of mine used the same sand in her tank and her pH was up at 7.6 the day we went to the shop. So, I'm guessing its not the sand. I've never had pH issues before, so while I understand the theory, putting it into practice is kinda freaking me out.
What about the moss ball? I haven't tried 1 but I know they can "hold" stuff...Did you squish & rinse it a few times?
My current house has not much, if any copper, it's mostly PEX. Could the sand have had meds of some kind used with it? There's more than copper that isn't shrimp-compatible...Is it all from the same sand "disposal area" at your work? I'm just guessing too...
My current house has not much, if any copper, it's mostly PEX. Could the sand have had meds of some kind used with it? There's more than copper that isn't shrimp-compatible...Is it all from the same sand "disposal area" at your work? I'm just guessing too...
Ya, all the plants were rinsed, and the moss balls were squeezed out a few times before I put them in. All the sand did come from the same place, it had been inside inside a couple of plastic bags in a bucket for at least 6 months. It was completely dry. I rinsed it to get rid of, at least some of, the dust and put it in the tank. I also rinsed the driftwood in hot water to get rid of any dust from the shop.
Do you think it's worth it to use a pH buffer or some aragonite to raise the pH a bit. I'm worried that 6 is a little low. If it was like 6.5 I wouldn't worry, but 6 seems really acidic.
Do you think it's worth it to use a pH buffer or some aragonite to raise the pH a bit. I'm worried that 6 is a little low. If it was like 6.5 I wouldn't worry, but 6 seems really acidic.
At my MA house I used a small amount of crushed coral in the filters to keep the KH from zeroing out & pH crash, maybe 2 Tablespoons for a 75g (maybe a teaspoon for a 10g). I did smaller WCs too, maybe 30-40%. GH is also important to inverts' healthy molting. Did the shrimp look white? Sometimes moving them makes them molt. Maybe you can buy just a little from LFS African cichlid tank. I bought a lifetime supply for me & everyone I'll ever know, lol.
If there was something in the sand it might not be instantly toxic but over a couple days? I don't know...Did you test the shop water they came in? Here there can be big differences even within the same city...& some lfs salt their water or never change it. I can't imagine Scotland is so different in that regard...but what do I know? Also getting juvenile shrimp is supposed to make their adjustment much easier. Just brainstorming, ya know. How about the heater, was it new? Hopefully not the old evil clamp on style but I don't have a clue as to Scottish electrical standards, stray voltage was killer, but with submersibles, stuck on or off seems to be the worst of them (very bad, but nothing like getting zapped, lol).
I'm a slow acclimater but not always a good tester. Big changes can, of course, cause problems. My experience is limited to very happy heavy breeding RCS over several years in MA & non-breeding "mutt neos" survivors here in CA.
I hope you can get your tank stable before you need to bring the killies home, this should be a fun tank not a source of stress!
If there was something in the sand it might not be instantly toxic but over a couple days? I don't know...Did you test the shop water they came in? Here there can be big differences even within the same city...& some lfs salt their water or never change it. I can't imagine Scotland is so different in that regard...but what do I know? Also getting juvenile shrimp is supposed to make their adjustment much easier. Just brainstorming, ya know. How about the heater, was it new? Hopefully not the old evil clamp on style but I don't have a clue as to Scottish electrical standards, stray voltage was killer, but with submersibles, stuck on or off seems to be the worst of them (very bad, but nothing like getting zapped, lol).
I'm a slow acclimater but not always a good tester. Big changes can, of course, cause problems. My experience is limited to very happy heavy breeding RCS over several years in MA & non-breeding "mutt neos" survivors here in CA.
I hope you can get your tank stable before you need to bring the killies home, this should be a fun tank not a source of stress!
Sorry to hear about the shrimp.
Shrimp (adults in particular) are sensitive to changes and really should go into a more mature system IMO.
But let's not worry about the shrimp or the killis yet, let's focus on the water. You've tested right out of the tap, what about aged 24 hr tap water (not in the tank)? If you think the wood is lowering the pH simply remove the wood, keep it wet in a bucket, do a big water change, test water and then test again in say 24 hrs. This would isolate the wood factor leaving the water and sand as the next culprits and a 24 aging test on the water should isolate the water factor leaving the sand.
When the tank is 6.0 what is the Kh and GH? What is it out of the tap?
How did you cycle the tank again? I forget.
Shrimp (adults in particular) are sensitive to changes and really should go into a more mature system IMO.
But let's not worry about the shrimp or the killis yet, let's focus on the water. You've tested right out of the tap, what about aged 24 hr tap water (not in the tank)? If you think the wood is lowering the pH simply remove the wood, keep it wet in a bucket, do a big water change, test water and then test again in say 24 hrs. This would isolate the wood factor leaving the water and sand as the next culprits and a 24 aging test on the water should isolate the water factor leaving the sand.
When the tank is 6.0 what is the Kh and GH? What is it out of the tap?
How did you cycle the tank again? I forget.
We have all sorts of crushed aragonite in the cichlid rooms that I can snag a little bit of without having to buy a big bag, so I'm covered on that end.
The heater should have been find, we have to have all electrical devices that are in the insitute tested every six months. The heater is a bit older, Hydor, but its fully submersible and was test a few months back and came out fine. So, I doubt its that. The shrimp were very red, I don't think it was anything to do with molting yet. I didn't test the water from the shop, maybe I should have, as things can change drastically within a few miles here.
I haven't done any aged water yet, I'll do that today. I'll have to go and get a bigger bucket to be able to pull out the wood. Both pieces have plants attached so I'll need to make sure they are fully submersed. I've got the worst flu right now, so I'll have to do that in a few days when I'm up for a walk to the corner shops.
I've not got a kit that I can test Kh and GH with, but I'll look around and see if I can find one. Its never something I've had to worry about, so was hoping here would be the same. . .
I did talk to a few people that have lived in the same end of the city I do, and they said the water is notorious for being around 6.5 out of the tap after gassing off. So, hopefully I'll get an answer there.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll update as soon as I know something =)
The heater should have been find, we have to have all electrical devices that are in the insitute tested every six months. The heater is a bit older, Hydor, but its fully submersible and was test a few months back and came out fine. So, I doubt its that. The shrimp were very red, I don't think it was anything to do with molting yet. I didn't test the water from the shop, maybe I should have, as things can change drastically within a few miles here.
I haven't done any aged water yet, I'll do that today. I'll have to go and get a bigger bucket to be able to pull out the wood. Both pieces have plants attached so I'll need to make sure they are fully submersed. I've got the worst flu right now, so I'll have to do that in a few days when I'm up for a walk to the corner shops.
I've not got a kit that I can test Kh and GH with, but I'll look around and see if I can find one. Its never something I've had to worry about, so was hoping here would be the same. . .
I did talk to a few people that have lived in the same end of the city I do, and they said the water is notorious for being around 6.5 out of the tap after gassing off. So, hopefully I'll get an answer there.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll update as soon as I know something =)
