Shrimps in high tech: how to do water changes and dose fertlisers

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have been following tropica's instructions as per the app as well as green aquas suggestions to add snails and shrimp to prevent algae.

I'm a massive fan of "tank janitors". At the moment I have <"Asellus">, <"Crangonyx"> and <"soft water tolerant snails">. If I had harder water <"I'd add Cherry Shrimps"> back in .

This is <"about how big"> and pale my Ramshorn Snails (Planorbella duryi) get, before shell attrition gets them.

cheers Darrel

 

[MichaelJ]

This is <"about how big"> and pale my Ramshorn Snails (Planorbella duryi) get, before shell attrition gets them.

Yes. One of my tanks that I run at ~3 GH (<1 KH), and only keep soft water fish (and Ramshorn snails), I definitely see this phenomenon (shell deterioration).

The simple answer would be to stop keeping Cherry Shrimps and hard water snails. Personally that is what I'd do, it just cuts out a lot of mucking about.

I agree - especially to keep things simple and not on the bounds of what may or may not work.... My shrimp tank runs at ~5.5 GH (<1 KH) with no signs of shell deterioration... Now, in this tank I also feed the shrimps mineral sticks that the snails get their fair share of. I suspect (and often read this) that even with a lower GH both the shrimps and snails would thrive as long as they have readily access to food sources containing plenty of Calcium especially. However, I feel safer just keeping the water moderately soft and supplement with minerals as opposed to just relying on minerals in the water.

I also suspect the role of pH might be of lesser importance as long as the water is not very acidic (<5.0 pH). There are plenty of testimonials from people keeping dwarf shrimps (Neocaridina in particular) in waters that routinely gets down to the lower 5 pH range (especially injected tanks). That said, the conditions the shrimps was bred under plays an important role as well in terms of the ranges they can adapt to.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I suspect (and often read this) that even with a lower GH both the shrimps and snails would thrive as long as they have readily access to food sources containing plenty of Calcium especially. However, I feel safer just keeping the water moderately soft and supplement with minerals as opposed to just relying on minerals in the water.

Diet definitely makes a difference, but if the pH regularly dips below pH7 <"shell attrition is inevitable">.

I just keep away from snails from hard water.

cheers Darrel

 

[neofy705]

Just an update.

No more loses since I started this thread.
I have my first berried shrimp... and it's actually a crystal red shrimp! (Also 2 berried amanos but they don't count)

I'm expecting some low grade juvenile cherry shrimps.

As for the water changes I'm doing 30% matching tds kh and gh and I bought a water pump which I can adjust to flow. I refill the tank over 2h.




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[neofy705]

Whoever is struggling with the same problem it seems that 30% water changes with aged water with the same kh gh and tds added slowly seemed to work for me.
No more losses, amanos berried, crystals berried and cherries berried. Unsure on the survival of the shrimplets but so far it's looking good


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[Blacksheep1]

I’m really glad you’ve solved the issue for your shrimp ! I just wanted to add be careful with bacter ae, if you dose at what it tells you on the tub it’s massively over dosed in my opinion.

I dose a 1/4 of what it recommends and it’s still more than enough. I only dose when setting up a shrimp tank or I know I’m about to have new shrimplets to up the biofilm. I’m not saying this was your issue but just a side note for thought 😊

 

[neofy705]

I’m really glad you’ve solved the issue for your shrimp ! I just wanted to add be careful with bacter ae, if you dose at what it tells you on the tub it’s massively over dosed in my opinion.

I dose a 1/4 of what it recommends and it’s still more than enough. I only dose when setting up a shrimp tank or I know I’m about to have new shrimplets to up the biofilm. I’m not saying this was your issue but just a side note for thought

Thank you. Yes I figured. The tank is quite big for shrimps and the feeding dish doesn't really help as the cories have been conditioned to go there and eat.

So what I do is add a bit of bacter ae like a tiny spoon once a week directly on the diftwood. Shrimp dinner broken into smaller pieces scattered all around and cory cat food in the feeding dish.


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