monty703 Posted August 9, 2015 Report Share Posted August 9, 2015 So I recently had to shut down my Fluval Ebi 8 gallon tank, as I felt that the Bee Soil (regular stuff) that I had in this tank was somehow causing shrimp deaths in there. I had the soil for over a year and noticed that I was losing a shrimp one a week or every other week, and some completely disappeared with no bodies. I put it down to Bacterial infection in my OEBTs, but might it have been the soil leeching some bad stuff after a year and a bit? Any thoughts would be appreciated. PS: all other water parameters were fine for the particular shrimp in this tank and I did have breeding going on but babies not surviving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHe Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 I had a ADA AS tank for over 3 years. no sign of slowing down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty703 Posted August 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 This was just bee soil though, not ADA....not sure what the brand name was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 8G tank is too small to use active substrate. In small water body environment, the amount of stuffs the active substrate leeches will be exponential. Always use inert substrate for small tank. If you want to buffer the water, just put a few grains of peat filter media in the filter. Since your tank is already 1 year old, I am suspecting is more of the waste material leeching out than the substrate itself. When is the last time you siphon your substrate? pictokid1983 and TomCruise 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty703 Posted August 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Ahh Shrimp Daddy you have hit the nail on the head. I did not syphon my substrate....actually never done that! Now that I think about what you have said, it makes perfect sense...over time, waste and other things like adding too much Salty Shrimp Minerals each water change would add to the problem. I have learned a good lesson now on this. I did not realize the impact in such a small tank, and finding out about another way to setup this size of tank with inert substrate and peat is great. I used to use just a clay based substrate for my tanks before and other than the occasional death from bad molt, I never lost any shrimps. Now with this Bee soil, I have lost a lot of shrimps over the last 16 months, and because the rest of the parameters were fine, I couldn't understand what the problem was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Ahh Shrimp Daddy you have hit the nail on the head. I did not syphon my substrate....actually never done that! Now that I think about what you have said, it makes perfect sense...over time, waste and other things like adding too much Salty Shrimp Minerals each water change would add to the problem. I have learned a good lesson now on this. I did not realize the impact in such a small tank, and finding out about another way to setup this size of tank with inert substrate and peat is great. I used to use just a clay based substrate for my tanks before and other than the occasional death from bad molt, I never lost any shrimps. Now with this Bee soil, I have lost a lot of shrimps over the last 16 months, and because the rest of the parameters were fine, I couldn't understand what the problem was. Look on the bright side. You are keeping your shrimp in a pico tank for a year plus you are using active substrate. That is already a great achievement. Even the most experience shrimp keeper will have problem with pico tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaykidding Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 It's really that bad to have a small tank with active substrate? I have a 2.5 gallon that houses mischlings, this is my most active tank too. I use ada soil and so far no shrimp deaths. But the population is growing too fast and plan to love some over to a bigger tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicpapa Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I use akadama in those liters for crs, the high of substrate is 1-2cm, after a year i add a litle akadama over the old for ph lowering. I shiphon the substrate at every change of water, specialy the place i feed them . Most people dont clean the substrate, i dont when and how begin this myth. In all shrimp tank after a year or less , i reset them ... svetilda 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaykidding Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 What if you have planted tank? Lol then you can't reset after your plants are thriving you don't want to ruin anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicpapa Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 What if you have planted tank? Lol then you can't reset after your plants are thriving you don't want to ruin anything All my shrimp tanks are planted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaykidding Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 How do u reset your tank then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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