Rcs keep dying!?

Nitrates should be at 5, 40 is REALLY high for shrimp, way more than they can tolerate. Means you need to do more frequent water changes. I would suggest 20-30% every week. Your pH is a bit high, too. Try to get it nearer neutral. they're hardy, but I dont know if they're that hardy. 80 is also too high a temp. They can live in that, but they prefer around 72, especially if you want breeders.
 
how can I lower the temp?The light is a cfl but puts off alot of heat for being a cfl and I will get some PH neutralizer tommorow
 
Don't worry about your pH,mine is the same and my RCS are fine. With your alkalinity at 300 I don't think you could move it anyway. 80 is a little high but I would worry more about the Nitrates. I keep my RCS at 77-78.
 
vwill279 said:
Nitrates should be at 5, 40 is REALLY high for shrimp, way more than they can tolerate. Means you need to do more frequent water changes. I would suggest 20-30% every week. Your pH is a bit high, too. Try to get it nearer neutral. they're hardy, but I dont know if they're that hardy. 80 is also too high a temp. They can live in that, but they prefer around 72, especially if you want breeders.
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My pH is 8.2, and mine are doing pretty well. I lost 7 from the original dozen I had, but I have enough juveniles (~15 in the tank, movement/transparency/small size make it hard to get an accurate count, at least one in a HOB, but the other HOB isn't transparent so it may have some, too) that have survived predation to more than make up for that, as well as another berried female I just found tonight. They'll adjust to the pH pretty well, as long as it's steady. I do about 25% water change every week, even though my nitrate results are the same as OP's, but my tank is larger with fish in it, too.

I do, however have the heater set at 76, and it can go as high as 80 during the summers. I don't keep the thermostat as low when we're not home.

I may miss a water change on occasion, but it's not often, and that may fix a lot of OP's issues.
 
Water changes for Nitrates. I'm not sure. Maybe a small cooling fan of some kind? If your room temp is 72 and your light heats the tank to 80 then that's a large temp swing everyday. (I assume you turn off the light at night) I bet that's part of your problem. A steady temp even if its a little high is better than an unstable temp. I would get a small heater and keep the temp within 2 deg between day and night.
 
I did buy a small heater i will put that in but will they breed if its going to be a constant 78-80?
 
there is a plastic cover that goes over the entire aquarium this may be the cause for no heat escape because there is a 3/4" hole in the front and cord slit in the back i may remove this and place something over the light so it doesnt get moisture on it and break
 
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