# RCS Gone Missing



## Ugz (Nov 22, 2012)

Since I upgraded my tank to a 29 gallon, I wanted to add some shrimp to the mix. I have mainly pairs of livebearers, tertras, barbs, and bolivian rams. I bought 6 RCS from my LFS and put them in. Acclimated them accordingly. Then cam across a great deal for a dozen on eBay and grabbed them too. So within a week i added about 20 to my tank. At first they where all very active, You could see them hanging on the heater and swimming up to my floating plants to eat on the algae. They even got into my breeder box with 4 molly fry and ate what was on the bottom, which I thought was funny. Now I haven't seen them in the tank at all for 3 or 4 days. They all were really healthy looking, bright beautiful red and where very active, now they are no where to be seen and it is sad. The tank is planted really well, and has a few decorations (nothing crazy). I can think of 2 things. 1 they got eaten? I saw everyone in the tank get a bit curious and take a nip at them but nothing that was a deadly blow. And 2, maybe they are hiding in my giant decoration that is my centerpiece?

I know they don't like bad water quality, and I did a reading today and had a little bit of a spike in nitrates so I did a 30 percent change. Anyone have an experience in this and can offer some advice?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

A good possibility they became an expensive snack.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

With the fish I see in your pic, that tank is not a shrimp friendly tank at all. Shrimp can be hard to find if they die, but if you don't see any they had to have been eaten. Your now empty 10g would be a great tank for shrimp only.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I read tetras, barbs and rams. Yep expensive snack. Shrimp are food for most carnivore fishes and I am almost positive they enjoyed the hunt. The fish, not the shrimp.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

It was very nice of you to purchase your nice fish such delicacy. They patiently await for their next meal of Live *colorful, easy to see* Shrimp.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

I love my shrimp only tank. My ~ 6 RCS became ~ 100+ in 6-8 months. It's very kewl to watch them all come out when it's feeding time. Carpet of red!


Red Army.










This is a 15, low light, tank. I feed it a Plant food from bottle 2x a week, one bottle has lasted me 6 months. Plants stay alive, but don't grow much.


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## TheShrimpFarm.com (Apr 28, 2011)

The tetras would be okay with the red cherry shrimp, but some of the others would be too questionable. So, yep....they were probably eaten. I think if they died, you probably would have seen the dead ones lying around.


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## Ugz (Nov 22, 2012)

TheShrimpFarm.com said:


> The tetras would be okay with the red cherry shrimp, but some of the others would be too questionable. So, yep....they were probably eaten. I think if they died, you probably would have seen the dead ones lying around.


That't what I figured, but I haven't seen one carcass at all. But I do have some good news. Over the last few days, I have found 4 of them running around the tank!!! I am assuming they were hiding from either being scared or molting or something. I want to take them out of the tank just in case and set up a colony, but I only have a 5 g tank lying around and no where to set it up lol. Plus I would have to buy plants and set the whole thing up again. I just am going to hope these guys survive for now, and ask the girlfriend for the Fluval 7.5 Gallon Shrimp habitat that they have for Valentines Day (good luck with that one). But thanks for the input everyone!


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Never having kept freshwater shrimp , my first thought was and still is they're in that log/stump if it's hollow.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

coralbandit said:


> Never having kept freshwater shrimp , my first thought was and still is they're in that log/stump if it's hollow.


Good point...and it is hollow.


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## graybot (Apr 24, 2011)

Even a small Bolivian ram can fit an entire adult RCS in its mouth whole. All you would see sticking out would be antennae. No evidence. I witnessed it myself when moving my colony and adding some fish. I couldn't catch them all so I left a few behind for snacks. An established colony will probably survive if there are objects to hide under, but you will only see the shrimp if you turn the lights on while the fish are sleeping. Larger amano shrimp would be fine with Bolivians, if you want to keep trying shrimp with those tank mates.


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## Ugz (Nov 22, 2012)

I am starting to think they are in the stump/root decoration. It is hollow and no one goes up into it, just kinda hang on the bottom. I keep finding random numbers of males/females in my floating plants. I am going to set up my 5g this weekend and get it going so I can make it into a shrimp tank. Just gotta do some research on what to put in it and I will be set


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 2, 2011)

axlerod rasboras, celestial pearl danios, neon tetras would make good tank mates for them

Rick


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