Doc4PC2 Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hi, I am not sure, but when I use RO water and take a TDS reading. I get ( 0001 ) When I add API Stress Coat, and API Stress Zyme, I get a reading of ( 500 ) When I add Shrimp Mineral supplement, I get a reading of ( 125 - 10x ) I am trying to get the TDS to 190 to 200 for Crystal Red Shrimp (CRS) My tap water TDS reading is 089 I use RO Water for my tank, I add Stress Coat to get rid of any chlorine, and Stress Zyme to add bacteria. I have Fluval Shrimp Mineral Supplement. My PH is 6.8 to 7.2 I am using a HM Digital TDS Meter - model TDS-EZ that is new. I have moss, moss balls, sponge filters, black substrate, and my shrimp are coming next week. I am trying to get their home perfect for them. It is a new tank that was setup 6 weeks ago, with a fishless cycle, using pure ammonia, and a little fish food. I have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, zero nitrates, and 74 degree water temp. But this TDS thing is driving me crazy. I hope I am not getting a 500 TDS reading before I even add any Shrimp mineral supplement? How am supposed to get to a 190 to 210 ready for CRS? Any good help from someone who really knows their stuff would be great and much appreciated! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
octanejunkie Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I have the same TDS meter and use SaltyShrimp GH+ to remineralize RO. I keep my tanks at 150-200 TDS and top off w 100% RO (not remineralized) only to keep TDS from rising. I use remineralized RO for water changes only. Cut back on all the supplements, keep it simple. GL Sent while on the go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Also, you don't need to use anything to get rid of chlorine with RO water. I do the same as octanejunkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
octanejunkie Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Good point Sooth, I missed that. Careful with dechlorinators, many deplete oxygen from the water. Consider using a sponge filter for added aeration and bio Sent while on the go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h4n Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Ya you don't need a dechlorlinator since your using RO water. That API additives are making your TDS reading high obviously. Also after your done using up the fluval shrimp remineralizer try using salty shrimp GH+ much "cleaner" remineralizer and you can get your GH and TDS on the SHRIMP SPOT haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpinista Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Yep, Salty Shrimp GH+ is the way to go. I use it with R/O water too. Keep it simple is my approach. The less chemicals the better. Frequent water changes and lots of plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Ironically enough, if you have a huge amount of moss, the chance of hair algae is reduced because the nutrients get used up too fast from the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Thanks everyone for the advice. That is good stuff! So, if I just use RO water with the minerals and nothing else, I can achieve the 190 to 210 TDS. So should I do a 90% water change then? and them just refill it with RO water and minerals and nothing else with a TDS of 190 to 210? So, it would be: Temp: 72 degrees TDS - 190 to 200 PH - 6.8 - 7.2 Zero Nitrites, Zero Nitrates, Zero Ammonia, Cycled Tank Sponge Filter, I have a back filter with the intake covered with a sponge I have two moss balls, and moss on the left side of the tank, about a 6" X 6" size, and plenty of hiding places for them, This will be a shrimp only tank What do you think? And Thanks for everyone's help. I am glad I found this forum. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OblongShrimp Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 If you use RO water with Salty Shrimp GH+ and bring it up to a GH of about 5 you will have a TDS somewhere around 80-100. Once you add this water to your tank and over time add food and other supplements you will likely get to the range you are looking for. If you want to add water that is 190-210 TDS then I would suggest getting Mosura TDS Up to increase your TDS or using Mosura Mineral Plus which has a higher TDS to GH ratio than Salty Shrimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hope you all are aware I'll be asking all sorts of questions and sounding like a complete 100% rookie when it comes to this stuff if I set up the 30 as a CRS or CBS tank lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 It depends how big your tank is. If you use TDS up to increase your TDS, and you have a 10g tank or larger, you are going to go through it like water and spend $$$ too. How large is your tank? If you use RO water with Salty Shrimp GH+ and bring it up to a GH of about 5 you will have a TDS somewhere around 80-100. Once you add this water to your tank and over time add food and other supplements you will likely get to the range you are looking for. If you want to add water that is 190-210 TDS then I would suggest getting Mosura TDS Up to increase your TDS or using Mosura Mineral Plus which has a higher TDS to GH ratio than Salty Shrimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I don't have a choice right now except to use what I have which is RO water and the Fluval Shrimp Mineral Supplement which was recommended by a lot of CRS keepers, but that doesn't matter, it is what I have for now, and my shrimp are coming next week, so I can't get Salty Shrimp GH+ fastest enough, but it is ordered. In the meantime, I need to know, if you think I should do a 90% water change? I did take 5 cups of RO water and added 1/4 teaspoon Fluval Shrimp Supplement and it gave me a reading of 200 TDS, which is perfect. So I figure, I have about 9.5 gallons in my 10 gallon tank which is 152 cups, so I need to add approx. 7 teaspoons of supplement for a 10 gallon tank to get a TDS of 190 to 210. But I will have to take into account if I do a 90% water change, the 10% of what is left and what that will do that to my TDS reading. When I use the API test strips, and test my RO water by itself, I get 130 GH, 10 KH, 6.5 PH with the temp at 70 degrees, when I add the supplement and nothing else, I get a 200 TDS. Again, Thanks for any help, I don't want my CRS to get here and die. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Now would be the time to change water before the shrimp get into it. Personally, I would change it out. Always better to simplify- especially if you have to troubleshoot later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
octanejunkie Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Your goal to prep your tank to be "safe" for new shrimp is admirable, however, don't drive yourself crazy. Keeping shrimp is quite simple with the right setup. Clean stable water, good filtration and mature tank with bio film, moss and a few low light plants. Use a feed dish and don't overfeed, 2-3 times a week is really enough. I have found that remineralizing RO water to 125 TDS using GH+ is fine for me and gets me a TDS in the range of 150-200 (in the tank) which is perfect for just about any shrimp; and you'll want a GH of about 4-8 for crystal shrimp. I top off my tanks with 100% RO, not remineralized, and only use GH+ for water changes; again targeting 150-200 TDS in tank. I suggest you get your tank stable and test water parameters with an API Master Freshwater kit, not test strips. If your tank is stable for a week with you should be fine. Don't over think this, your shrimp won't either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Thanks for your help. So, are you saying change all of the water? Will it take out my cycling? I've been doing a fishless cycle the past 6 weeks with pure ammonia, and testing every day until it cycled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I do have a API master kit, I just use the test strips for quickness, and master kit to get the better reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 My opinion may differ from others, but as much water as you can. The bacteria lives on surfaces, not in the water, so you should be fine. However still test after water change. Thanks for your help. So, are you saying change all of the water? Will it take out my cycling? I've been doing a fishless cycle the past 6 weeks with pure ammonia, and testing every day until it cycled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielt Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Water does not contain the nitrifying bacteria, you can change all of the water in the tank without fear of decycling it. SaltyShrimp is what I also use. Also I use bacteria suplements, the usual ones recommended for starting up the cycle. Like Sera Nitrivec, Tetra SafeStart, or the EasyLife one with each water change. It will replenish the bacteria in your tank and also provide enzymes for them to feed as shrimp will consume the biofilm they can get at.After introducing the shrimp, test for nitrites and do water changes if the test picks up even trace amounts the first couple of days.Avoid feeding them animal protein. Vegetal protein is ok. Like soya beans, hemp flour and seeds. These contain good vegetal protein.Avoid doing more than 10% water changes. Introduce the water slowly. I use an air tube to put the fresh water back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Water does not contain the nitrifying bacteria, you can change all of the water in the tank without fear of decycling it. SaltyShrimp is what I also use. Also I use bacteria suplements, the usual ones recommended for starting up the cycle. Like Sera Nitrivec, Tetra SafeStart, or the EasyLife one with each water change. It will replenish the bacteria in your tank and also provide enzymes for them to feed as shrimp will consume the biofilm they can get at. After introducing the shrimp, test for nitrites and do water changes if the test picks up even trace amounts the first couple of days. Avoid feeding them animal protein. Vegetal protein is ok. Like soya beans, hemp flour and seeds. These contain good vegetal protein. Avoid doing more than 10% water changes. Introduce the water slowly. I use an air tube to put the fresh water back. Daniels, won,t that make my TDS high if I use something like tetra safe start ? When I take a TDS reading with RO water and safe start and nothing else, I get a TDS reading of 500? Shouldn,t the TDS for CRS be around 190 to 210? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 danielt, Won't that make my TDS high is I use Tetra Safe Start, or one of the others? When I take reading with Tetra Safe Start, and RO Water and nothing else at all, I get a TDS reading of 500. Everyone has been saying don't use "anything" But, RO Water and Salty Shrimp GH+, and that's it. So, I get a reading of 190 to 210 TDS. Isn't this what the CRS (Crystal Red Shrimp) want is a: TDS: 190 to 210, Temp: 73 degrees F, PH: 6.8 to 7.2, Low: GH - 4 - 8 Low: KH - 1- 2 Use: RO Water, and Shrimp mineral supplement *Sponge filtration, *dark substrate, *some moss, and some hiding places, *weekly small water changes, *monitor water quality regularly, *8 to 10 hours of good led lighting a day, *if a person uses a back filter, to put sponge over the intake, *be a Shrimp only tank, *Feed good quality Shrimp food from companies like Mosura, and Shirakura, and, *maybe once a week, put in small piece of organic Frozen spinach - take out any leftovers after 3 hours that they haven't eaten, * make sure no food, or plant fertilizer has NO copper in it, * Do not overfeed, Above is all that I know about keeping and raising Crystal Red Shrimp, Black Crystal Red Shrimp, Yellow Neon Shrimp, Blue Velvet Shrimp, and a couple of others. So is all of this right? Or am I off base on any of it? And, again, Thanks for everyone's help, time and answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielt Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 I don't know how your TDS meter works or how much bacterial solution you used. I just did a test of what I use. In 5L of water with a measured TDS of 164ppm I've poured 5ml of Tetra SafeStart and the TDS raised to 175ppm.I don't use a whole bottle and don't follow their instructions as I'm just "topping-up" the bacteria.Another thing to note, the TDS will be higher until de bacteria is consumed or just replenishes the old population. As the bacterial population is refreshed, other components from the water are absorbed and it balances out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Good information, Thanks danielt! I have a small 2.5 gallon tank with a sponge filter in it, heater, and very small back filter that is cycled. Today I changed the water, used Tetra Safe Start, RO Water, and a little Stress Zyme. I mixed it and waited a little while, then I did a 50% water change with just RO water and some Fluval Shrimp Mineral Supplement, and I get a TDS of 198. The PH is 6.5, Ammonia - .2 GH - 8 KH - 3 Nitrite - 1 Nitrate - 5 Temp 74 degrees F There is a moss ball and nothing else in the tank right now. I will have to ammonia dose it every day until I put something in it. I was thinking about getting a dwarf Blue Electric Crayfish. What do you think? or maybe some Tiger Shrimp by themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Better yet, I will put a couple of ottos in there so it stays cycled, and leave it for a backup to my 10 gallon CRS shrimp tank, in case of an emergency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Fish are always a good idea IMO to keep a tank cycled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielt Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Or you can put a stocking with fish food in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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