Do u have to have substrate?

[Doc4PC2]

If u have a lot of drift wood, and 3 or 4 sponge filters, and a HMF, do u really need to have substrate?

Isn't,t there enough with the wood, and sponges, so u don,t necessarily have to have substrate?

If I can keep my ph at 6.4 to 6.6, and 0 to 1 KH, and 6 GH, and 135 to 150 TDS, can,t I go with a bare bottom tank?

[Subtletanks91]

If you can keep your parameters that strong and steady without a buffering substrate and much work you don't need a substrate. But you should at least have something to buffer the water in a sump type set up

[randy]

A friend of mine tried this, HMF, very tiny bit of inert substrate, and he could breed CRS in there no problem. However, it might be more work than the $15 worth of substrate for a 10G tank for 1-2 years as you need to monitor the water more closely. Maybe after a while you'll get more experienced but the cost saving isn't worth it alone.

 

I am trying this though, but my plan is to set it up and forget about parameters, and hopefully come up with a line of bee shrimps that can do well without active substrate. The vol 2 of Shrimp Breeders and Keepers has an article about this, so it's not like it's a new idea. One breeder uses no active substrate for bee shrimps and he has been very successful. He does say that he tried without RO and eventually admit defeated and agree RO is the only way to go.

[Soothing Shrimp]

I often have said that shrimp have to be bred hardier.  It has to be taken in steps though, not all at once.  Evolution is a wonderful thang, but rarely does it happen instantly.

[Doc4PC2]

Yeah, I would agree with that statement, Soothing Shrimp. It doesn't matter how much time and research you do. No matter what, once you start

with them, you will continue to learn, and experience on your own, and then change with that knowledge.

[chibikaie]

Little bit of clarification wanted ... This was primarily aimed at caridina shrimp which are known to require acidic water with a particular hardness and alkalinity, is that correct?

My understanding has always been that neocaridinas will do well in tap water that is within their posted range of tolerance, if acclimated properly and if parameters are stable and nitrogenous wastes are not allowed to build up.