# Poisoning my RCS?



## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

I think I may have just poisoned my red cherry shrimp. Molly had a fuzzy growth on his eye. I did a quick google, didnt see anything about RCS and malachite green, so I added a half dose (15 drops for a 30g). Later I got a bad feeling and searched a little longer and found something saying malachite green was very toxic to inverts. I replaced the carbon in the filter right away in hopes it would neutralize the MG, but it'd been in there for a few hours. Shrimp look okay so far.. Am I doomed?

What should I have used to treat the fuzziness with the RCS in the tank?
* fred krueger


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## Zook (Oct 3, 2010)

I don't know,hope not...
probably should isolate the sick to a separate "hospital"tank...like a 5gal.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

I moved as many shrimp as I could find to a new 10G I was planting and carpet-bombed the 30G with malachite green again (half-dose). The molly was looking pretty inactive. I would've moved the molly and treated it in the 10G, but I eventually planned on using the 10G for the shrimp tank, so I didn't want a lot of residual meds if it doesn't disipate. 

So what IS the best plan of attack in a tank with plants and shrimp? The malachite green info seems hit-n-miss, with some people saying its fine, and some reporting it lethal. Even the manufacturers don't seem clear. The heat-n-salt method also sounds like it would be a problem with shrimp.

I'm guessing the molly is showing symptoms first due to it being a brackish fish in a FW tank with no salt. Does a molly NEED salt? I'd always thought they would be okay in both types of water..

Thanks


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Well...if you have to medicate any fish that resides with inverts...your absolute best bet is a hospital tank. Many meds will kill the inverts unfortunately.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

James0816 said:


> Well...if you have to medicate any fish that resides with inverts...your absolute best bet is a hospital tank. Many meds will kill the inverts unfortunately.


Any idea on how much salt the RCS can take? Or how much of a temp increase they'll tolerate? I know you keep the CRS, but I don't know if you have other types. The The RCS seem okay in the 10G so far, though I'm not happy putting them in there before the tank has cycled well. I need to test it in a bit to find the parameters, but I've been sick. I also noticed one of the RCS I missed in the 30G that seems to be going along happy as a lark, so perhaps the malachite green isn't as toxic to them. I'll keep monitoring and let you all know if I find casualties. Hard to find the little boogers though... they hide really well. 

The mollie seems to have perked up a lot, so I am thinking the treatment is working. A hospital tank would be best, I know, but SWMBO would kill me if I bought ANOTHER tank so soon after the last. 

Thanks for the advice, all.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

No salt. As for temps, not sure what their peak would be. I keep several tanks sitting a 78 and have no issues.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

in the 10G tank I read
pH 7.4
ammonia 4ppm
nitrite 0.25 ppm
nitrate 40 ppm

Less than ideal :/

Moved the bio-filter stuff from the 30G (with pretty ideal params) to the 10G for the night to see if it gives it bacterial boost. 25% PWC. Shrimp are a little less active, but still kicking. The one in the 30G is still running around just fine. Tempts me to move some back to the 30G, but I hate to keep bothering them.

*sigh* I guess its only shrimp, but I like these guys. 
No casualties that I've found so far.


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