Split/cracked back shell on RCS

L

lake_tuna

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Dec 14, 2009
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My RCS's keep getting these shell splits or cracks on their back and end up dying after a few days I find the damage. Does anyone have experience with this? Below is an image of one of the shrimp that died with the shell that's split open.

I do weekly water changes, very little feeding, and no chemical is added to the water other than the water treatment. Water parameters are very good of course.

IMG_2996.jpg
 
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Might be a molting problem, you might have a lack of Iodine that they need for proper molting.
 
I don't have a kit for Gh and Kh, but ammonia and nitrite are 0. Nitrate doesn't get very high as I have only about 20 shrimp plus two otos in this 10g. Weekly water change is done at about 30%. I have a driftwood in there that's leaking tannins, and pH is around 7 (hard to tell because I use a test strip). I feed 1 tiny Crab and Lobster Bites pelle every other day. The tank has a 10g HOB and a small sponge filter. Finally, tank temperature is at 75F.

So I've had three shrimp die so far from that shell problem. I have yet to see a CRS with that condition. I do think that all of these dead shrimp were from the same store as they all had very red coloration, and the other batch I bought were not as red.

I'm thinking that either the shrimp from the LFS were just a bit bad, althrough it's been about a month since I got them, or I just don't feed them enough nutritious food for them to properly maintain their shell. What do you guys think?
 
in terms of water parameters.. lake lives in san diego just like me and i got my water tested.. we have very HARD water with high pH..
 
gtu2004 said:
ahhhh, one of my 6 RCSs is having this issue as well :( she's fine for now but is this a death sentence? :(
Click to expand...

For me so far (3 of them), it has been a death sentence for ones that clearly had this problem. Strangely, they've all been females.
 
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