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Hi I have been cycling my caridina shrimp tank for about 3 weeks now. There isn't still any nitrite or nitrate popping up yet and was wondering if maybe something has stalled it? I dose ammonia but controsoil is leaching ammonia to 1 ppm. I also dose seachem stability and also use a same sponge pre filter that I have on my other tank filter intake. I currently have a goftball size java moss and some giant duckweed in the tank. My lastest test this morning is A: 1ppm / Nitri: 0ppm / Nitra: 0ppm Substrate: Controsoil PH: 6.5 GH: 6 KH: 0 Temp: 83F

Hi all. Its been a while since ive been on here. Im going to set up a 55 gal for all my taiwan bees. Does anyone have an idea on how much brightwell i would need to buffer 55 gallons? Also what type of substrate should i use under the brightwell for good plant growth? Thanks

Brown, Extra-fine-particle (~1mm) Fired Volcanic Ash Base Substrate Overview Natural volcanic ash with beneficial properties for aquatic plant growth and long-term care of fishes and motile invertebrates requiring slightly-acidic, low-GH water conditions. Ideal for use as a substrate in shrimp biotope aquaria. Binds elements that contribute to hardness, lowering GH and resulting in a slight acidification of alkaline water to a pH of less than 7. Used as a primary substrate, forms the basis of a stable growth medium for rooted aquatic plants by: 1. Permitting development of strong root systems. 2. Encouraging nutrient-uptake through roots via increased interstitial water circulation (relative to higher-density substrata) and acidic pH environment. 3. Allowing roots to remain sufficiently oxygenated to maintain plant health Sizes 5 lbs. | 15 lbs. | 25 lbs.

Currently own two 60 gallon freshwater tanks and a nano saltwater reef, now want to try a nano/micro shrimp tank! I got a 3 gallon cube and sponge filter with an LED light etc. Everything except shrimp, plants and substrate. So I have a few questions. I want a planted tank with some amazon sword or hair grass with plenty of java moss and maybe an anubias attached to a small log in the center. But what substrate is best for Neocardina shrimp? I want to keep blue velvets or blue dreams and know I would need darker substrate for better color on the shrimp. But whats best for the plants? Will all active substrates used for "growing aquarium plants" change the water chemistry or are there brands that don't? Should I just go with black sand? I bought some root tabs for the substrate when it comes time for planting. Im using RO water and plan on just remineralizing it to the correct levels for the shrimp. That leads to my next question. Are there any good liquid mineral supplements you guys use for Neocardina? I feel that liquid supplements would be much easier to get the water to the correct levels for water changes and such. I watched a video Flip Aquatics did and mentioned using Fluval shrimp mineral supplement but looks like you cant get that anymore, and from what I've research Neocardina will do fine in water with KH levels at 0? So if I used RO water and remineralized the GH to the correct level would the water be good to start cycling and good for shrimp? Really interested in shrimp and would love to make a micro ecosystem they can thrive and breed in! would love to hear your guys feed back on anything to help give me more knowledge on the hobby, thanks! 🦐

I am comparing ADA New Amazonia soil with Fluval Stratum in very similar 20G long tank setups. I intended to compare Amazonia with Controsoil, but Controsoil was not available when I planned the comparison. I will add plants and rocks and turn the light on after ammonia levels become undetectable. One interesting initial observation is that nitrate levels were very high in Fluval Stratum tank, but ammonia levels were low, and high ammonia levels in Amazonia tank (as expected) but low Nitrate levels. Day 1 (July, 21, 2015) 1. Install Hamburg Mattenfilter (black 45 PPI foam from swisstropicals) in each tank 2. Use 500 g Fluval Biomax bio rings behind filter in nets. 3. Add 75 Watt submersible heater (Aquatop) set to 26C/80F to promote bacterial growth. 4. Add substrates 8kg/17.6 lbs of Fluval Stratum in right tank and a comparable volume of ADA New Amazonia in the left tank. 5. Slowly ad water (50% RO, 50% tap) containing Aquasafe Plus (Tetra) water conditioner behind filter section. Start 20G Whisper Aqua Pump (Tetra). 6. Take pictures 10 minutes after addition of water to the right tank. The Amazonia tank was filled before but was more cloudy. Day 4 (July, 25, 2015) Measure water parameters: pH TDS Nitrate Nitrite Ammonia Amazonia 6.46 160 2 0.4 4 Stratum 6.75 180 30 0.1 0.25 Add water from well-washed air filter foam from established tank and small amount of substrate (Amazonia) from established tank to jump-start microorganism communities. Day 7 (July, 27, 2015) Measure water parameters: TDS Nitrate Ammonia Amazonia 190 4 4 Stratum 200 40 0.2 Higher TDS is due to evaporation. - 90% water change in both tanks with remineralized (Salty Shrimp Mineral GH+) RO water Day 10 (July, 30, 2015) Measure water parameters: pH TDS Nitrate Nitrite Ammonia Amazonia 6.2 230 2 0.25 2 Stratum 6.35 180 5 0 0 - 90% water change in both Amazonia tank with remineralized (Salty Shrimp Mineral GH+) RO water - Replaced 20G Whisper Aqua Pump (Tetra) with ActiveAqua Airpunp (AAPA7.8L/3 watt). Water flow is much increased now.

INTRO: The Fluval Shrimp Stratum is the ideal substrate for your aquarium. It's ideal because in addition to providing the plants with all the necessary nutrients and minerals, it promotes healthy root growth as well. A substrate is a base for the aquatic plants in an aquarium and is an important requirement if you are aiming for the aquatic life to flourish. This substrate is a derived from volcanic soil. And if you have wondered why Hawaii is blessed with its lush fauna, that is your answer right there. People who are interested in growing plants have hailed volcanic soils as their elixir as there is no soil that measure up to it. Volcanic soils are rich in minerals and nutrients and the plants love them. So adding a substrate to your aquarium of that high-profile quality is definitely the right thing to so. So in order to understand better about this product, here are some few important features of the Fluval Shrimp Stratum: FEATURES: 1. VOLCANIC SOIL: The Fluval Shrimp Stratum is derived from volcanic soil. As most people are aware of it, volcanic soil is rich in minerals and nutrients that are vital for the growth of plants. This also makes it a perfect biological environment for the plants to grow as it provides the aquatic plants with all the nutrients needed. The addition of this substrate to the aquarium ensures that the plants are provided with the complete set of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients. The minerals from the volcanic ash in the substrate makes it rich in minerals like iron, sodium, potassium, etc which are all important for the lush growth of plants. So, the inclusion of the Fluval Shrimp Stratum to an aquarium is always a safe bet. 2. POROUS SURFACE: This brand of substrate is excellent for the plants to grow as the surface provides the perfect base. It's porous enough for the roots to grow in with plenty of space and freely. It gives enough room for the roots to ‘breath’ and this cause the healthy growth of the aquatic plants. The texture of the soil is also light and helps to cycle the water out easily. Because of this particular fish, it allows the nitrogen cycle to run successfully. Fishes release their waste which usually contains carbon and the heterotrophic bacteria present in the soil assimilate the waste. After that is done, it will convert waste into biomass which then can be used as nutrition by the plants. All in all, the usage of this substrate allows for the perfect system of recycling and reusing. This fact makes it the nitrogen cycle of water successful. It does not take long for the water cycle to come into full circle which is a plus point. 3. PROVIDES GREAT ECOSYSTEM: The substrate will provide a neutral to a slightly acidic pH level. This makes it perfect for the growth of all the species of plants. If you want to make it a complete ecosystem, then it's also important to note that the substrate is suitable for tropical fishes and shrimps as well. One can rear new born shrimps in the Fluval Shrimp Stratum as it provides the perfect shelter to them and protects them from predators. The shrimps can emerge out after they are grown enough to look after themselves. Overall, this product is ideal for maintaining the perfect system of aquatic life because of its properties. 4. PREVENTS DISCOLORATION: The Fluval Shrimp Stratum is an attractive substrate that has no added chemicals. And this is why once the substrate is added to the water; there is no discoloration of the water at all. When the substrate is added, one can expect some fogginess in the tank. But that is only momentary as the soil settles. Once the water settles, the water gets clear again. Even if the water is dirtied from the beginning, the presence of bacteria and a working tank cycle ensures that everything is scrapped off. A tiny and successful ecosystem is created through this substrate. The other attractive quality about this brand is that there is no additional cleaning of the substrate required. It does not dirty the water as well and also controls organic discoloration as well. So the points have been put out there and to make this easy to understand, let us have a look at the pros and cons of usng the Fluval Shrimp Stratum in your aquarium. PROS: The first and foremost point that makes this substrate a great product is because of the fact that it's a volcanic soil. This reason makes it highly beneficial for plants as it's high in all the minerals necessary for the luxuriant growth of plants. The substrate is rich in iron, sodium, magnesium, potassium and oxides. As a plant grower, one will know that those are the vital elements for the proper growth of plants. The substrate causes no discoloration to the water and does not dirty the water as well. The texture and the surface of the surface provide the right environment for the free growth of the roots. This enables the plants to receive the right amount of nutrition which leads to a healthy growth. CONS: The substrate is more expensive than the other products that provide the same features. The soil can make the water soft. This may prove to be problematic as the water pH levels must be maintained. CONCLUSION: Besides the small issues like the substrate being a little expensive or the soil removing the harness of the soil, it's still a solid product. It's a quality product that provides an aquarium with all the necessary components. The fact that it provides a good water cycle, and that it's made from volcanic soil is enough to get people rushing to purchase this product. As no product is perfect, this is almost close to perfection as it's all that you could expect from a substrate.

Hello. I am brand new to this forum so I apologize if I didn’t tag my post right or do something wrong. But I need some insights/help on my new shrimp tank. I am keeping raccoon tiger shrimps in a temporary 2 gallon cycled acrylic QT tank until my real shrimp tank finishes cycling. (Yes I bought the shrimp before I matured my tank 🙄 too late) i read that my raccoon tiger shrimp need a PH in range 6-6.5 but the LFS and their current QT tank are at ph 7.5-7.6 kh 3-4 Gh 7-8. The shrimp have been in the QT tank happily for a little over a month now and have been full grown but no berries or babies yet I decided after contacting other successful raccoon shrimp breeders and reading online that it would be best if I tried to lower the Ph down Around 6.2-6.5. I have pre cycled Ada Amazonia aquasoil that no longer leaches ammonia and I swapped the substrate out of the cycling tiger shrimp tank (with no shrimp in it yet) and switching from “salty shrimp Gh/kh +” remineralizer to “bee shrimp Gh+” and it’s now at ph 6.0-6.2 kh 0-1 Gh 6, which is great but the issue has been lowering the Ph in the separate raccoon tigers QT tank so I can acclimate the shrimp to the new parameters slowly over a few weeks. I started doing 10-25% water changes with the new “bee shrimp Gh+” remineralizer (at TDS 150—QT tank is currently at TDS 200) every couple of days on a SLOW drip line (takes up to 3-5 hours to refill the QT tank so the switch is easier on the shrimp) and adding teaspoons of cycled aquasoil Amazonia and some peat moss balls to the QT tank so when the KH drops the ph will be buffered. I have done three or four of these drip water changes to the new water parameters(kh 0-1 gh 6) and keep checking the ph, Gh and kh of the QT tank twice a day and they aren’t lowering down at all. It seems very weird to me. Before the switch the parameters were ph 7.5-7.6, kh 3-4, gh 8-9. I thought for sure it would be lowered down to atleast kh 2 and Gh 6-7 (halfway between the old water and the new water parameters) atleast but no changes have happened. Here is some info about the QT tank that I am trying to lowering the ph in: 2 gallon acrylic QT tank airstone and sponge Mignon 60 hanging filter Small mossy lava rock cholla wood Lots of floating plants and hornwort java ferns soiderwood pieces cattappa, guava and oak leaves Shrimp mineral balls high quality foods from Han aquatics, Dennerle, betaglucan, Bacter AE, nettle etc. very matured environment With visible micro organisms and happy shrimp. No deaths. Tank temp between 70-73 cooled by fans several small RO water top offs every day I will continue doing water changes until I see any changes but it seems odd that after changing 50-60% change by now and see nothing different when I use my test kits. (new, non expired kits and shake the bottles violently before use) any advice or ideas for me out there? I am trying to avoid any sudden rapid changes in their tank since the raccoon tigers cost me around $130 and don’t want any deaths although they do seem pretty hardy so far. The shrimps breeder is local and I found out they do use buffered substrate and low ph so the switch should be good for them.

I have been using UP Aqua Shrimp Sand 1mm size for years with great success. Perfect product for me. However... I recently bought some from guppysaquariumproducts.com.au (Australia). It was a larger size, about 2-3mm, and looked a little different. It came in a vacuum-packed bag, instead of loose in a regular bag. I figured it's just the larger size that I have heard about, but that it would be basically the same. Not! Within 90 days most of it has disintegrated to dust. Stirring up the substrate produces dense, heavy clouds of 'smoke' - the disintegrated material. It's a disaster. Also the water chemistry is not quite the same. OK, but not perfect like before. Has anyone else experienced a change in this product, or know whether there is a fake version around? (I can't ask guppysaquariumproducts because their web site is erroring.) Do any Australians here know where to buy the good 1mm UP Aqua Shrimp Sand, in the ordinary (non-vacuum) bag? Thanks.

What i'm hoping to do is make a shrimp tank for 27.05 USD. i have a gift card to pet smart for that amount (from returning something). I already have a 5 gallon tank a hood (no bulb) and a filter housing ( no sponge or cartridge) a net That's all i have. What i think i have enough money for pre filter on the intake (~4) (only biological and mechanical filter in the tank) one marimo moss ball ($8)(they have fake ones that do grow moss and are a couple of bucks cheaper. are these ok?) Declorinator (like $8 for 3 oz) Light (~4.50)(will this provide enough heat in house that gets down to 65f at night?) however many ghost shrimp i can get with leftover + $2 in change Will they be able to survive ~2 months until i got get more money? Also would it be necessary to buy a thermometer for this set up?

So thought I'd do a journal so you can see the progress as we start a tank just for our shrimp we want to prepare for Novembers contest. The tank is approx 10 gallons, the perfect size for a selection tank. Here is the first week of setup. First steps: May1st SL-Aqua Nature Soil powder. Next, add 1 spoonful of SL-Aqua Magic Powder Then I added 1 spoonful of SL-Aqua Milione Adding just enough RODI water to cover the soil, then adding SL-Aqua Purify. I used approximate 200ml.

hi guys im new in here and wanted to see if someone could help me. i have research but still haven't decided on which substrate to use, i want to start 4-6 new 10 gallon tanks for taiwan bees and crystal red/black shrimp. wich substrate should i use? i have only used fluval substrate but my shrimp haven't breed yet so i want to try something new??

I am planing to acquire some crs and crb. I am wanting to raaise the ph of the tank to about 6.4 - 6.7 to get optimal conditions for the crystal shrimp. The tank is currently at a 6 possibly lower ph I can only see so much with an API test kit I have ada Amazonia soil which buffers the ph Down, how would I maintain a stable ph of 6.4 - 6.7 along with keeping a low ph. Also I have fire red cherrys stocked so any changes would have to be as steady and subtle as possible. I was also thinking of weaking the buffer but idk how to go about that with shrimp inside idk what to do at this point.

I just got some Brightwell, attracted by its "no ammonia spike" reputation. It only seems to buffer down to a pitiful 6.4 pH, however. I use RO water. I want a healthy bee tank and presumed a 5.3-5.5 was optimal. Am I going to be forced to use something that I'll have to cycle for months to then hope for a buffering time window of 9 months, or am I looking at this all wrong? Thx,

https://buceplant.com/products/controsoil?variant=23339321601 We have controsoil available! Used by many shrimp breeders in Taiwan for its buffering capacity and keeping water parameters ideal for Taiwan bees/CRS. Works well for planted aquariums without the heavy initial ammonia leeching. PM us if you have any questions!

Hi, I'm trying to look for white sand for my 20G tank and I don't know what brand is good and i'm scared if I buy it, it's not going to be inert. I plan on getting green jades after it cycles. Does anyone have any recommended brands or links? Thanks

First of all, I wanto to introduce myself, Im Camaron, Im new on this forum and I'd like to learn to pet (and maybe breed) some shrimps! I've tried once to breed 5 RCS but I failed, since I wasnt well informated and I didnt ask someone more expirienced, this time I dont want to fail again so I looked for a shrimp forum and make some questions to poeple who know about this topic. I want to start again, I just cleaned my tank (a 30 per side cube) [26liters - 6.5 gal] with just water and cleaned the sand (black inert silica sand), let the sand dry with the sun and packed it on a bottle. I have two filters, one is a cascade canister filter (185l/h) and a submersible filter (200l/h). Also I have a LED ligth lamp (http://www.amazon.com/Lemonbest-Bright-Aquarium-Lighting-Fixture/dp/B01533LOY4) I'd like to start a "planted" RCS tank, but I think I need to change my substrate in order to grow some plants, I want to grow low requirements plants and some moss, or should I go just for moss? I wanted to ask you guys which substrate should I pick and where can I buy it (hopefully not super expensive). Also my LED light will it work? or it sucks? Which plants/moss do you guys recomend me to start with. Thank you for your time guys and hope we can get along.

Hi All, I have a 20L dirted shrimp tank that is fairly heavily planted. I was just wondering how many others have gone the dirted route, and what pros and cons might come my way? Here is a recent pic of the tank: And some of the shrimp:

Hi, So I'm starting a fluval Spec 3 for neo or OEBT. Haven't completely decided. Some of my plants came in today so I'm setting it up tonight. I added a little layer of of Benibach mineral powder, then about cm of Tropica Plant Substrate (which is not supposed to alter ph, merely a clay substance that absorbs nutrients and can be used under gravel/sand) and then I added 2 to 3 cm of National Geographic black sand (also not supposed to alter PH). I used RO water and RO/DI. Well my PH is showing at over 9!!! I'm not happy. Even my plants won't survive in that and with shipping it's not cheap! I was going to plant it then add seeded media in the next couple days and run it for a couple weeks to a month before adding shrimp. Will my PH go down or should I just start over again?? Thanks

So in another thread I was having issues with National Geographic black sand and I am going to scrap it in my fluval spec 3 that I am setting up. I can either order and get in the city when I go next weekend a limited choice of substrates. I probably want OEBT but I want to have a choice to go with neos too. I have ADA on hand but I know that won't work. I need some help with which of the following would work best: Tropica Aquarium Soil/Powder (which supposedly lowers PH & KH but I have no Idea how much???) Does anyone know? Fuval Stratum Flourite black sand and I think Flora Max I don't want to use gravel and I would prefer dark to black. I'm really curious about Tropica but cannot find out what ph it buffers to. Thank you

Hi! Nice to be part of this forum. I am starting my first shrimp only tank. Its a small tank and I know bigger is always better but this is being done at my place of work. I have never used aqua soil before. I set it up on Feb 3rd and used some seeded media from my betta tank, which I trust. I read that aqua soil would spike the ammonia levels but wow! They rose to way over 4. I did water changes with RO water that I buy from a local store. I even went in on the weekend once to do a WC. Unfortunately when I tested TDS on the RO I got a reading of about 25. I live in small town British Columbia Canada and I am very limited with what I can buy here. My tap water is like liquid rock! Anyway I have been practicing using Salty GH to bring the RO water to a TDS of about 120-130 when I water change. I checked the GH/KH once and it was 6/1. My plants came in this past Friday, big water change after planting. My fingers are crossed that my mini eleocharis makes it. I think the moss, star grass and s. repens should be okay, The light isn't that strong so...maybe??? Going low tech so I wanted to plant heavy. I tested my ammonia today (monday) got 2ppm and 0 nitrite so I left it. Sorry after all that I will get to my questions: I am wondering if because the the ammonia spiked so high and with some crazy ph swings, if my seeded media got blown? Is it recommended to run the tank for at least 6-8 weeks anyway because of possible leaching from the soil? Is my RO water going to be okay as long as I check each batch I get and then add Salty GH accordingly? Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you

Hi all, Recently, almost everyone who was asking for my help has a common pattern. It is the tank has Controsoil as substrate. Just yesterday alone, there are 3 cases and today there are 2 cases. Not saying Controsoil is problematic, but it is similar to last time with ADA AS, when more people are using it then the challenges will start to surface. As such, I am starting this thread for people who are facing problem with their tank that is using Controsoil to share their problem. In this way, we may able to find out the pattern and maybe learn how to use this substrate in a better manner. If you are facing problem, please tell us what problems you are facing and starting when (how long the tank is setup). For those who does not have a problem, please refrain from posting. If possible, let us know when did you buy the Controsoil so that we know which batch is it. Thanks. ^^ Shrimpy Daddy

Hi This is my first post so I apologise if it was covered in another post/part of the forum. I am going to start a new tank soon a 13 gallon tank using stuff from my current tank(first shrimp tank that i need to disassemble due to not having to much space) I am from Europe so I will use mainly products found in here easily so for substrate I choose Shirakura Red bee sand. My question is:can I use the current substrate in the small tank(2 months ago) (Glassgarten Environment soil )to kick start the bacterial cycle or it would have any substances build up in it that can be dangerous for Crs? Thank you

does anyone know where i can find controsoil in the NYC long island area? i know amazon has it but i kinda need it ASAP.

Hey All, Friday I broke down (2) 20G tanks and set up a new 45G rimless tank. The substrate from the established tanks was UP Shrimp Sand and over a year old, so I started the 45 with a new bag of Controsoil and seeded it underneath with a couple very thin layers of the established Shrimp Sand and a sprinkled layer of BioPlus underneath on one off the layers. I was also running an Eheim 2215 on one of the old tanks and a Cascade 700 canister on the other and I moved both to the 45G so it has 2 established canister filters running. Added 1/4 old tank water and filled the rest with RO water re-mineralized with SS GH+ to a TDS of 135. I also moved the established driftwood and cholla wood to the new set up. Sunday: 0 ammonia 0 nitrites 0-5 nitrates TDS 136 PH 5.9 I added my 15 DBV's that I already had that I was holding in my Ebi and released them in the 45G on Sunday night. All seemed healthy and happy. I also had an order of 10 DBV's that arrived yesterday afternoon and drip acclimated for at least 2 hours and placed them in the tank last night. All good. Checked PH, TDS and PH still holding at 5.9. I added an air bubbler last night but the PH was still 5.9 this AM. I recalibrated my PH meter although it tested fine. I also noticed one of the smaller DBV's died late this AM. 2 water testings today showed 0 Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0-5 Nitrates 5-6 GH 0-1 KH 136 TDS What should I do? I plan to add CRS eventually but I feel this PH should be raised to a happy medium for both DBV's and CRS. Something more around 6.4 or so. Currently there are 2 berried DBV's, one of which looks like she's due any day as the eggs have turned darker. I really want these little guys to survive. Any advice? Crushed coral? If so, how much? Or should I just leave it alone? Thank you!

I use it for my neos tanks with great results. Dirty cheap, $3.95 50lbs Just rinse with tap water, bake it in the oven for overnight. it's ready to use.