Lets talk LOWKEYS

[Amyers22]

I am considering ordering a few products for my TB tank and my Crystal tank. I don't know much about these products except for what you can read in the product description. So my questions are: Why are these products desirable or beneficial & which products would you recommend if any at all? 

 

My goal, as all of ours is, is to provide an optimum environment for my shrimp to grow and breed in. I like to use a variety of foods to provide a balanced diet and I only use minimal supplements (tiny amount of Mosura Old Sea Mud biweekly).

 

Thanks in advance

 

[jem_xxiii]

if you end up not being so sure you can always order some samples from Han.

[h4n]

Hey Amanda,

 

LOWKEYS is semi newer to USA. In the pass people have used there products here and there. But now its ready available in USA from me

 

LOWKEYS is high quality product line from Japan. And has been around since 2006? (I believe)

 

Hopefully DET Aquarium will chime in as he has basically using the whole product line. And has been exclusively feeding/using it to his shrimps in a nice manner.

 

 

But as all will tell you, you definitely want to try out the Double Speed!!!

 

i'll let other chime in that has used the products. 

 

but ya like Jem, said if you want to try some samples let me know

[Jadenlea]

so far Im not seeing any benefit growth wise from the  double speed baby food..  no faster growth.  Of course I am not feeding the recommended multiple times a day but my guess is if you feed any baby food multiple times a day shrimp will grow faster.. if they dont die from bad water quality.  I was doing a bit a day and had some deaths.  Im sure it wasnt from the food but probably nitrates. Its a small tank.    It was my carbon tank.  Ive stopped.   

 

Sorry Han, no offense. You know I worship you     

[Soothing Shrimp]

I have to agree with Jaden, but I only feed 3x a week as well.

On the flipside, my shrimp seem to enjoy it so that's a plus.

[Wygglz]

Has anyone seen good results? My tigers seem to grow SO slowly!

[Soothing Shrimp]

I hear ya. I feel the same way with my cards. I have Bee Grow I bought some time ago. It may last me another year. Heh. Doesn't make faster growth that I can tell, but again- the shrimp like it.

Maybe a protein pellet food would work for faster growth?

[EricM]

 

We've sold close to 100 bottles of Doublespeed, we set the trend that others followed.

 

Save yourself a few dollars and get a product that has even more uses. SL-Aqua Magic Powder, very similar in design as Doublespeed but also extremely useful in cycling.

no other products can match the awesome combo of Magic Powder and Purify.

 

http://www.discobee.com/blogs/news/18442297-cycling-a-dwarf-shrimp-tank-the-easy-sl-aqua-way

[Jadenlea]

Hehe I'm like you Bryce. Usually just feed 2 or 3 times a week but since the directions say multiple times a day I tried once a day but it was to much for this small tank

[mayphly]

I've been using Double Speed in a few tanks. I feed it 5 days a week once a day (tiny amounts) in my pinto hybrid tank and the pinto babies still seem like they take forever to grow. I also feed the same amount in my mischling tanks and they seem to be growing at a super fast rate. But then again maybe mischlings grow faster than pintos in general? I'm not sure. I know Lowkeys recommends feeding 3 times daily. I personally can't get myself to do that. IMO I think that any shrimp you feed 3 times a day will  grow faster.  Just my 2 cents...

[Pokeshrimp]

Aren't shrimp constantly feeding all day anyways?

[Jaykidding]

Wait so does magic powder increase the growth of babies as double speed Eric?

[EricM]

Wait so does magic powder increase the growth of babies as double speed Eric?

Like mayply stated above. You pump them full of enough quality protein and they will grow faster.

[jumpsmasher]

I think it is important to note that various shrimpkeeping "regions" have their own approach, philosophies , preferences when it comes to the varies aspect of shrimp keeping and the products come these regions reflect this.  

 

Really as far as shrimp are concern there are 3 main "hotbed"; Japan, Germany & Taiwan / SE Asia.

 

The Japanese of course are the birthplace of the CRS and been doing this much longer than anywhere else in the world and certainty before the influx of commercial products.  They are also are perfectionists & isolationists; they favour quality over quantities and many of the product they used are found locally and adapted from other industries or traditional methods.  That being said; japanese breeders use what I would call a supplement heavy approach; but one that is somewhat rooted in tradition; i.e. "secrets" & techniques are passed down from generation to generation; from master to apprentices etc;  I think it might also be that they have soft water as well so more supplements are needed.  They are not too concern about the exact make up of a product; as long as it works (or they believe it works).  For us outsiders there is a couple issues;
1) the vagueness / lost in translation of these products create a bit of "mystic" around them aka "magic bean" - especially once third parties (i.e foreigner distributors / retailers) start marketing them.
2) What is readily available in Japan and fairly inexpensive there cost quite a bit more state side.  Also it cost the breeder a fraction of what the retail price is to use; so price is less of an issue
3) The average hobbyists there only have room for a few smallish tanks so they spoil their shrimps; quality over quantities

4) They generally use strong lighting for their tanks so algae / biofilm occur naturally - no need for supplements for that.

 

Final word is; they are crazy when it comes to dosing supplements  - cheap for them / expensive for us, works for them but don't expect a detail explanation of exactly how it works. 

 

 

The Taiwanese on the other hand are very good are taking a product, reverse engineering it, maybe improve it and then mass producing it. Importing products from Japan would be quite costly so of course home-grown products would be much affordable and also a point of pride i.e.  (see sino - japanese relations).  I would say some of their product won't exactly the same as some ingredients would be more costly to get in taiwan but for the most part they do similar things. The industry is also very competitive in Taiwan; more so than Japan so everyone is always trying to come up with a new or different approach.  Breeding farms are of much larger scale in taiwan as well so we will see many techniques incorporate this ability to scale up or be more efficient.  I.e. in Japan they use lots of canister filters but in the new taiwan farms it is all about central air driven systems and instead of 5-6 different food they combine those down to 3-4 types.

I found with taiwanese products they product more specifics in terms of ingredients, research etc; I guess you can say they are a more modern & efficent take on the japanese way.

 

Last but not least, there is the Germans;  They always kinda made do with what they have already but at the same time to have a strong history in the the aquarium trade so they have lots of existing "tried-and-tested" / proven techniques and products they can draw from.  They are very good are selective breeding and crossings.  I would say their approach is more or less using what they already have for products there; although they also introduced many natural products like locally found leaves and fruits into their shrimp lines.

 

I guess we are lucky here in North America as we get to take the best from all 3.  I been using Benibachi / Mosura products since pretty much the beginning (5-6 years) and I am happy with them.  I tried a few lowkey products as well and they are good too.  For me I always to to group similar products together and just go with the one that works for me. i.e for food, i have a color food, a growth food, some natural supplement & treats type food, and a baby food.  For supplements; i have a weekly bacteria additive, something for shell developement (red & white), mineral powder, molting / growth / breeding aids.  

 

I am not too picky; if i run out of something i just grab something similar from another brand that i can get my hands on - of course now that I am a benibachi dealer is always have lots of their product but before that i just used many different brands.  

 

Can't comment specifically on Double speed but from my eyes it is not much different what i currently dose for the same purpose (Benibachi BeeMax + Bee Speed)

 

 Everyone is different and some people prefer the taiwanese approach while others like the japanese way of doing things.  I always tell people find a approach that works for you and that will help narrow down your choice of products 

[svetilda]

I have samples of ebi210! and double speed from Han (thank you, Han!).  I'm not sure about ebi because it stays hard in the water and I like food like Han's Red Pepper because it falls apart in the water and every shrimp can get a piece. So for sure I'm not buying ebi but it's my personal preferance. Double Speed is enjoyed by my shrimp but it gets same response as Mosura Bio Plus or Borneowild Bebi. Even though I feed my shrimp everyday there is no way I'm  going to feed them a couple times per day and I always rotate the food I have. Saying all this I don't see any difference in growth but only because I don't use the food as it recomended.

[DETAquarium]

Where to begin? Haha. Well I have been testing the Lowkeys product line for about a month. Unless you compare apples to apples in an experiment with two aquarium that are setup exactly the same we will never 100% know the truth. What I will tell you is from my own experience and what I have witnessed with my two eyes, please take it for what its worth.

 

If you have watched my previous YouTube video I have a regime I stick with currently, Monday- Ebi Supple(Pellet) or Ebi210!(Pad), Wednesday- Spiral or B18 Power Protein, Friday- Vitamin Kale(Pellet) or Ultra Supple(Pellet) and CSF Exclusive Series Mineral. Everyday I do feed, I have used small amounts of Double Speed within my Mini Pellia for all the babies in my aquariums. Every Sunday I have used the Amino Acid Vital Plus.

 

My shrimp seem to love the Ebi210!, Spiral, Double Speed, B18 Power Protein, Ultra Supple, and CSF Exclusive the most. The primary distinction I have noticed from feeding the Lowkeys food line is my adults density and shell thickness. It is a vast difference from the food line I was using, shells are shinier, thicker, and overall they seem much more active. My shrimplets take a couple minutes but when I leave the room and come back they seem to be all over the Mini Pellia, I usually feed the Double Speed a bit after the primary food for the adults, to allow the shrimplets to gather on their own.

 

Everyone is skeptical about change, I certainly was because I thought I found a food line prior to now that I was never changing from. I heard everything about Lowkeys and the quality behind their products, but every brand says this, regardless I tried and still am using the Lowkeys Product Line. Shrimp seem to love it, I visually see a difference in shell density and coloration, and I haven't had any problems with my shrimp such as failed molts, random deaths, etc.

 

Obviously there could be other contributing factors, but without a doubt I can say as I have said many times in this small excerpt my shrimp's shell is much healthier.

 

Thanks for reading. Ask me any questions you would like.

 

DETAquarium

[EricM]

Amazing post by "jumpsmasher"

[Lyana]

I feel like all the name brand shrimp products are about the same, from what I've tried, I haven't tried LOWKEYS yet.

But I have gotten Borenowild, MK, Mosura, Shrimp Nature and Glasgarden, my shrimp seem to like all of them. But I didn't notice any big difference as far as growth or health between the brands.

Honestly my shrimp did the best when I just fed them regular complete food for Hans and MK while using Shrimpy Daddy products for my supplements. My dad is buying me a fresh supply of Shrimpy Daddy products for Christmas and I'm going to be redoing my prl tank with that then just feed them a variety of what I have (which is a lot, I feel like I'm collecting shrimp food haha) and see how it goes from there.

[Desert Shrimp Depot]

I have only used the Double Speed from LowKeys line - none else.  The growth in my CRS with the doublespeed daily (0.15ml) has been astonishing.  I bought a bunch of CRS from Joe Chang which were added to a fairly new tank (Oct 3) that only had about 20 mystery snails (for maintaining the cycle).  These Juvies were 1/4" to 3/8" in length - perfect shipping size.  In 10 weeks they'd grown to 1" in length an already had three females release their first clutch of youngsters!!!  In addition to the double speed I feed a variety of Shrimp Nature pellets and powder daily.  The advantage of having so many mystery snails is they gladly clean up what shrimp don't eat and I get a stable level of ammonia production so I don't see ammonia spikes (but check frequently).  I'm in the 11th week of this tank and have different sized babies - 3 females that are berried for the second time already, and several other females that are berried.  I've noticed they molt frequently and it's a substantial exoskeleton.  

 

That said, although I have considerable higher education, ornamental fish hatchery, and experience in aquatic systems, - I'm a relative NOOB with Crystal Shrimp.  I've only kept CRS for 11 months total - and Neos before that.  I know some of you have years of experience and I enjoy reading your informative posts.

I totally understand that what I have is a case study - not a double blind trial  - but I believe that 10 weeks from juvie to mama is pretty remarkable....maybe I'm wrong.   My new avitar is one of those shrimp.

[jumpsmasher]

One thing I always recommend my customers is to develop a routine and to stick with it.  

Here is a quick rundown of the lowkey products i have tried and comparables

 

Food: 

 

Lowkey Ultra Supple - this is there main color food for adults, feed no more than 2x a week or no more than 20% of their diet
Good quality color enhancing food - I won't hesitant to recommend it. I am more partial to the stick type pellets as they are easier to cut up than pads. Comparable include Benibachi SP food (mini pads) and the old Mosura CRS Specialty Food.

 

Hiden No Esa (Secret Food) - this is their main growth food; it is quite soft and are like the standard stick-type pellets but they are already broken up in smaller "bite-size" pieces.  My shrimps didn't really good crazy over these but would still make them eat it.. lol  again i would recommend this one as well. Comparable includes Benibachi Red Bee Ambitious & Mosura Excel.  I won't lie, Benibachi Red Bee Ambitious is my favourite growth food of the three and my favourite food period as it breaks up into a powder and spread all over the tank so all the shrimps can get to it - but some people hate it for the exact same reason.. lol.  My shrimps had a similar reaction to Mosura excel as Hiden No Esa; i.e. they were disinterested but it is liek a kid who won't eat their Shreddies - you know Shreddies are better for them than say corn pops but of course they like corn pops more.

 

Vitamin Kale - This is their Kale supplement food - kales has lots of good stuff for their shell and boost their immune system.  Standard stick-type pellet like Ultra Supple. The comparable would be Benibachi Kale Tablets. I prefer the Benibachi one more for the same reason as Red Bee Ambitious as it is basically a powered tablet that bresk apart as it fall through the water.  Maybe i got an old batch but my Vitamin Kale pellets was really hard.  

 

Those three would be my trifecta when i comes to food.  I generally avoid staple foods.. but if you do like them there is Ebi Supple (quite similar to Ree Bee Ambitious) & Ebi210!

As for baby food, the main one is the All In One food.  

 

Supplements - those won't replace the above food but can dosed to the tank for specific things - B18 Power Protein, Double Speed & SPIRAL.  I haven't used any of them but I am a big fan of Benibachi BeeMAX & Bee Speed - they is quite similar.  Basically they will all help shrimps grow, molt, etc;  Another one that was quite popular a while back was Mosura Gravidas.

 

 

Water conditioners

Speed Sand - good product, laid down underneath the substrate during initial setup and then used as weekly additive.  I use this interchangeablely with Benibachi BeeMAX; 

Black Master II - this is their fluvic acid powder; comparable products are Benibachi Fluvic Grain / Black Control, Salty Shrimp Black Water Powder SE/Fulvin+

Speed Sand 

[d0pey]

Double Speed shows quick growth on my red rili babies and oebt. NOT my Taiwan bees though. As for spiral.. I fed it and had a death the next day.. Coincident maybe?

[jumpsmasher]

Double Speed shows quick growth on my red rili babies and oebt. NOT my Taiwan bees though. As for spiral.. I fed it and had a death the next day.. Coincident maybe?

 

hmm hard to say, for Spiral they warn to feed very small amount as it is quite concentrated. How much did you feed and how many shrimps do you have?

[d0pey]

hmm hard to say, for Spiral they warn to feed very small amount as it is quite concentrated. How much did you feed and how many shrimps do you have?

I fed half of it to about 60+ shrimps and 2 assassin snails.. I also feed b18 to them with no issue. It is also concentrated.

[jumpsmasher]

I fed half of it to about 60+ shrimps and 2 assassin snails.. I also feed b18 to them with no issue. It is also concentrated.

 

i usually feed around 1/2 of what you feed for the same amount of shrimps (so 1/4 tablet) but but like you said could have just been a coincident ... i guess continue feeding and see if there is any future issues

[Amyers22]

Hey Amanda,

LOWKEYS is semi newer to USA. In the pass people have used there products here and there. But now its ready available in USA from me

LOWKEYS is high quality product line from Japan. And has been around since 2006? (I believe)

Hopefully DET Aquarium will chime in as he has basically using the whole product line. And has been exclusively feeding/using it to his shrimps in a nice manner.

But as all will tell you, you definitely want to try out the Double Speed!!!

i'll let other chime in that has used the products.

but ya like Jem, said if you want to try some samples let me know

In my last order you sent me some samples. I'm excited to try them out and see how my shrimpies like them