CRS issue

[Jeff1192]

I've had my CRS only tank up and running for a while. I have had some significant breeding success but then things slowed down. I noticed babies in the tank and then they'd be gone. I figured out that it was planaria that seemed to be eating the babies. I dealt with the planaria and there are none left in the tank. However, I'm still noticing very small babies regularly in the tank but then they seem to disappear.

I do have a fair number of what appear to be copepods (they are small white "bugs" for lack of a better description) that flit around the tank. From everything I have read they are harmless.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas what might be going on?

Thanks

Jeff

[Shawn84]

What substrate your using and how long it has been in the tank. How thick is it?

[Jeff1192]

I'm using fluval stratum and it's between 1/2" and 1 1/2" depending on the area of the tank. The substrate might be a year old tops.  I stir it up once in a while when doing a water change so nothing builds up.

[Shawn84]

How often are your water changes? And what is your water parameters coming out of the tap.

[Slipper]

How much moss do you have growing in your tank?

[Anubias]

I've had my CRS only tank up and running for a while. I have had some significant breeding success but then things slowed down. I noticed babies in the tank and then they'd be gone. I figured out that it was planaria that seemed to be eating the babies. I dealt with the planaria and there are none left in the tank. However, I'm still noticing very small babies regularly in the tank but then they seem to disappear.

I do have a fair number of what appear to be copepods (they are small white "bugs" for lack of a better description) that flit around the tank. From everything I have read they are harmless.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas what might be going on?

Thanks

Jeff

Probably not harmless. They will eat anything.

[Jeff1192]

Sorry for taking so long to reply but summer was kinda crazy and haven't had a ton of free time.

Out of the tap ph is 7.6, nitrates are zero and TDS is 63.

I checked my TDS today and its 260 so I'm thinking that's a little on the high side. Part of the problem is it's an open top tank so when I do water changes I take very little old water out as I dont want to add too much new water. New water is treated with Prime and I leave it sitting out for a few days before adding it. I'm thinking I need to do some bigger water changes to bring my TDS down, it used to be in the low 100s.

I also currently dont have any moss in the tank (I used to but it slowly died off).

My understanding of the copepods is that they are completely harmless and a sign of good water quality.


Any suggestions of ideas?

Thanks

Jeff

[sidarnold]

I suspect your FLUVAL is exhausted after 1 year or more (no stability in water chemistry) and nothing causes shrimpet deaths like fluctuating water chemistry. In addition your TDS must be lowered - too high.

[Jeff1192]

Yes I'm trying to bring the TDS down slowly.  I did a decent sized water change the other day and I'm down to 185. Are you thinking that I need to change the substrate out? Seems like it should last a whole lot longer than a year with only shrimp in the tank. If that's what needs to be done any suggestions on what to use as there is no way I'm swapping out substrate completely from a tank every couple of years.

[sidarnold]

Fluval exhausts itself after one year - its been known for some time. I'm using ADA Amazonia which stabilizes the water chemistry for about 2 years and then I switch the shrimp to a tank that I have previously prepped with new substrate. There is nothing that can be added to your tank other than new Fluval at a cup at a time layering over the old Fluval. Any active substrate moderates the pH, gH and kH - once exhausted those parameters start swinging and CRS and CBS do not like swings in those parameters.

[Jeff1192]

So I have managed to get my TDS down to a good level (120ish) and have had some breeding again but the shrimplets never survive beyond a few days. So at this point I'm assuming my only option is to swap out the Fluval substrate for something like ADA but even then in 2yrs time I'll have to swap it out again? I'm also assuming that swapping it out is going to mess with water paramètres for a bit and probably lead to some losses. I only have the one 20 gallon tank and really dont want to have 2 running that I swap them back and forth from  every time I need to replace a substrate. Anyone had success with CRS, tap water and a regular (I'll call it inert for lack of a better word) substrate?