CRS setup. Is there anything I have forgotten?

[Jason Burk]

Here's what I do:

- I have a moderately densely planted nature aquarium - say 1 is no live plants and 10 is very densely planted - mines about a 6/7
- Obviously you should add more or less of the fertilisers depending on how densely planted the aquarium is, you wont want to dose a full dosage for just a few plants.
- I always assume that the dosage instructions you are given by a manufacturer is for a very densely planted tank


Okay, for the trace elements: (Micro nutrients)
- Dosage says you should add 1tsp of the mix into 500ml of water and leave to dissolve overnight.
- Now obviously being cautious about how the shrimp would handle the minute amount of copper, I did two things: Firstly, I used 600ml of water instead (this meant I would dose less trace elements in a dosage than you would with 500ml) and secondly, only half a teaspoon of the mix.

Over time, since the shrimp were all fine, I've steadily increased the dosage to now what the recommended 1tsp dose is - but i, still using 600ml of water. And as you can see from my profile picture, all are still happy and well (ive been dosing for about 5 months now). I wouldnt recommend starting with the full dose however, just take it slow and see how things progress, shrimp and plant wise

- It then says dose from this - you dose 10ml per 50litres of aquarium water, 3 times a week.
- Now my tank is a 94 litre - but taking into account its volume after all the rocks and substrate and all placed - its really only about 70-80 litres.
- So I'll be adding 15ml 3 times a week - lets say monday, wednesday, friday.

I find its best to use a syringe to do this, so you can really fire the mixture into the best area of water flow in the tank, rather than pouring it onto the surface.

(If you have some powerheads or a strong filter, something that increases flow and distribution then brilliant)

 

[Piotr Markiewicz]

how long you use fertilizer??usually takes up to 2 months when wrong additives and low quality of food make impact to shrimps.

 

[Jason Burk]

[quote="Piotr Markiewicz,
40-50% water change can cause more problems than restart of tank in full.

Many people I know do 50% weekly changes, with a mature tank and correct method of changing water (e.g dont throw a bucket in, do it slowly) its fine, restarting a tank will kill everything, anyway, I do 50% changes weekly, have been for 6 months and my shrimp are happy healthy and breeding like nobody's business

 

[Jason Burk]

how long you use fertilizer??usually takes up to 2 months when wrong additives and low quality of food make impact to shrimps.

Have been for 5 months, by the way im using correct additives and good quality food and vegetables

 

[Piotr Markiewicz]

I just add water when its evaporated and change 10% every two weeks - but i need to know your secret to have shrimps

breeding like nobody's business

- because really selling around 100 shrimps a week i need to improve i dont make advert for shrimp product sellers but if you use Mosura line (food + aditives) wth BWS shield and enlive thers no problem with plants or shrimps

 

[Jason Burk]

Okay: Macro Nutrients
- I bought these on ebay

- Monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4)
- Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)

For this I use the same method of getting it into your tank, with the syringe, strong water flow ect

So, same principle, 3 times a week - say Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday in conjunction with the trace elements. (sunday is water change day, woohoo!)

I use 600ml of RO water, like with the trace elements - but the macro nutrients go in a different 600ml container. Both macro nutrients I mix in the same 600ml container.

I personally add to the 600ml:
- 8tsp of KNO3
- 2.5 tsp of KH2PO4

Now with this, I add to the tank 28ml a week - so thats 9/10 ml every dosage day.


Please keep in mind that this is for a 94 litre (call it about 70-80 litre due to rocks and stuff)

So if you did look to use my method then youd have to dose weekly what is suitable for your tank. It was someone like 3.5ml a week for every 10 litres - so thats why im doing 28ml a week for 80 litres

 

[Piotr Markiewicz]

we go more to planted tank rather than shrimp tank in 375 i fertilize with this salts and other but CO2 is crucial

 

[Jason Burk]

I just add water when its evaporated and change 10% every two weeks - but i need to know your secret to have shrimps - because really selling around 100 shrimps a week i need to improve i dont make advert for shrimp product sellers but if you use Mosura line (food + aditives) wth BWS shield and enlive thers no problem with plants or shrimps

Of course if your 10% change every two weeks is working for you then keep up the good work I would however recommend you do at least a 20% change every week - with only a 10% every two weeks you are at quite a risk of ammonia or nitrite spikes, no one wants that I always recommend to customers a 30% weekly change, it just keeps everything nice and fresh and your shrimp will likely do better my friend

 

[Jason Burk]

we go more to planted tank rather than shrimp tank in 375 i fertilize with this salts and other but CO2 is crucial

It is yeah, I mean I use co2 injection and EI, which many people are concerned about with keeping shrimp, of course you should find what works for you - if youre concerned about anything its best just to place your main focus on you pr shrimp

 

[Piotr Markiewicz]

if additives doesnt reduce ammonia 20% every week is fine - just put in tank lowkeys tile under soil and it will make work

 

[Piotr Markiewicz]

CO2 is safe for shrimps like for fish if it doesnt be overdosed - but you didnt mention it

 

[Jason Burk]

CO2 is safe for shrimps like for fish if it doesnt be overdosed - but you didnt mention it

Yes I know, people who aren't sure about it are the ones who get concerned, and rightly so, you dont want to put in anything thatll harm the shrimp.

Levels of co2 over 30ppm are shrimp harmful, as with fish

 

[Piotr Markiewicz]

lets add that CO2 helps to keep pH lower and prevent soil to (i cannot find the word now) be useless and doesnt keep pH at demanded level - its important for reset shrimp tanks less often than a year - hope that we will help Jason to other shrimp keepers with our discussion

 

[Jason Burk]

lets add that CO2 helps to keep pH lower and prevent soil to (i cannot find the word now) be useless and doesnt keep pH at demanded level - its important for reset shrimp tanks less often than a year - hope that we will help Jason to other shrimp keepers with our discussion

Haha yeah exactly, I hope we're not annoying Jim with all our replies! Yeah my co2, substrate and RO water help me keep to a nice 6.8pH

 

[X3NiTH]

If your water is remineralised RO (pH6.5ish) and your KH is near 0 and you're not buffering the pH upwards via additives or substrate then having a pH of 6.8 after injecting co2 means it's not making it into the tank. For a planted co2 injected tank if it were 5.8 I would say its a start!

 

[Jason Burk]

If your water is remineralised RO (pH6.5ish) and your KH is near 0 and you're not buffering the pH upwards via additives or substrate then having a pH of 6.8 after injecting co2 means it's not making it into the tank. For a planted co2 injected tank if it were 5.8 I would say its a start!

Could you explain further please? My drop checker at the bottom of the tank says co2 of usually about 28ppm - also I have a ceramic diffuser where the co2 bubbles are constantly pushed downwards to the plants by two powerheads. My plant growth was non existent before I added the co2

Thanks

 

[Piotr Markiewicz]

If your water is remineralised RO (pH6.5ish)

RO water is always pH7 (indifferent- thats what google says as translation) - if not sth is wrong

 

[X3NiTH]

Are you sure your drop checker isn't being fooled by having free co2 swept into the bell by the power heads. If you look at the pH KH Co2 charts then 28ppm of co2 in 0KH is somewhere way way below pH6. If you add biologic processes you see in a planted tank it could be even lower.

My planted tank (with RCS in it) is RO/DI remineralised to TDS180 with BShrimpGH+, there is 0KH (not adding any). My co2 injection method gives 100% co2 dissolution (crystal water, no bubbles) so my drop checker cannot be fooled by free floating co2 bubbles, before injection in the morning my pH is stable for a couple of hours of constant aeration at pH6.7/8, once injection starts to get a green drop checker I need to drop the pH down to 5.45, for yellow down to 5.30 (shrimps start hanging out near the surface before the fish start heading there).

RO/DI can be lower than 7, mine reads 6.8 after raising the TDS from 0 to 180

 

[Lindy]

My drop checker at the bottom of the tank says co2 of usually about 28ppm

Drop checkers are just measuring ph are they not so if you have low ph your drop checker would be green all the time. To accurately measure your co2 impact you need to measure ph to see what drop you get when co2 comes on. The ph in my big tank is around 6 so it takes the addition of very little co2 for my drop checker to be a lovely lime green Yet co2 levels are still quite low and I have some algae.

 

[Lindy]

I would however recommend you do at least a 20% change every week

Most shrimp breeders I know change 10% every week. I 'd be surprised to see an ammonia spike in a mature shrimp tank unless you added 30 adult shrimp all in one go to an unfiltered tank.