# Rawr >_< why me!?!



## Splak (May 1, 2013)

Well, I noticed a week ago one of my pumpkin shrimp had a giant crack in her shell above her saddle, I knew what this meant as it happened years ago to me when I kept shrimp then. Like I assumed, dead the next day.

I tested the water:

TDS Unknown
PH 7.6-7.8
GH 9-10
KH 3
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia 0ppm

I got in my car and ran to the store for a jug of RO and did a 25% change with pure RO.

To this day no more loses yet.. that I have noticed.

After researching I saw some people saying if GH is high and they are fed a high protien diet, and molt more often sometimes they can't properly molt since water is to hard. (Hence why I changed a bit of water with RO; to lower GH)

I am just getting so fed up with these small issues I need to find an RO unit and just go the safe way with re-mineralized RO.

My next issue is, I have NO breeding going on, the only babies I've had have hatched from a person I bought berried blue dream rili's from.

For 2 months almost, I've had 25 yellow Neo's of breeding size and no berried females -.-

I feed spinached thats been blanced every other day, and sometimes shrimp cuisene or NSL pellets.
Tons of java moss and what appears to be healthy water levels.

tanks are all heated to 75f


I seriously think that I am cursed some how with my tap water, pipes are 25+ years old, so I'm sure I have some level of copper coming from them too.



Any1 got any tips of why they might be not molting properly and cracking, or not breeding?


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## deepblue3 (Jan 11, 2014)

Hmmm that is wierd. It should be easier then what you have experienced. They don't like something about the water. Well, I also have Hamilton tap water. I use inert substrate, using a sponge filter and hang on filter on each shrimp tank, lots of moss, feed the shrimp alot, do small water changes 2x a week, lots of java moss, indian almond leaves, driftwood and they are thriving. I also have crs and taiwan bees breeding and doing well in those same conditions. 
You didn't mention TDS, you can get a cheap meter from ebay. I test my tds regularly, mine is best around 200 tds for the Neos.


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## Jeff B (Jul 27, 2010)

Splak said:


> For 2 months almost, I've had 25 yellow Neo's of breeding size and no berried females -.-
> 
> I feed spinached thats been blanced every other day, and sometimes shrimp cuisene or NSL pellets.
> Tons of java moss and what appears to be healthy water levels.
> ...


Too bad yours are not breeding, I've been looking for some locally bred yellow neos. Where did you get yours?

Old pipes should be less likely to pass copper into your water than new.

I'm new to shrimp but spinach could have pesticides etc. on it despite boiling. I think I read that somewhere.

I'm in lower Stoney Creek, on Hamilton water and the TDS is usually about 165-170 ppm out of tap, but quick evaporation from a small tank can drive it up into the low 200s fast unless I keep topping it up with distilled water.


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