GH, KH, and pH for Neocaridina

[LexiRae]

Hello all,

 

I am new to the forum and to keeping shrimp and have some water chemistry questions. I recently purchased ten neocaridinas (five red sakura, two red unknown, one sky blue, one dark blue, and one yellow) and am now left with only four reds and the sky blue. The shrimp remaining are swimming around, feeding, and displaying nice coloration. I would like to purchase more but I don't want them to meet the same fate as the ones that did not make it! Any help on the matter is appreciated.

 

My tank set-up:

2.6 gallon, cycled

Fluorite substrate

Planted (marimo moss balls, hornwort, crypt, myrio, chinese ivy)

One large piece of dritwood

Four apple snails

No fish

 

My water parameters:

Nitrates: 10

Nitrites: 0

GH: 75 (soft)

Chlorine: 0

KH: 300+ (super high)

pH: 8.4- 8.8

 

I have well water that runs through a water softener, and thus seems to produce very soft yet very alkaline water. Does low GH but high KH/pH affect shrimp? Is there anything I can or should do to raise GH and lower KH/pH? Will these changes encourage the shrimp to thrive and breed (I know my snails would appreciate an oomph in the GH!)? Is there anything else I might be doing wrong? Thanks for all the help!

 

 

[Mr. F]

Yes, they prefer much lower alkalinity and higher GH. 300 ppm * 0.056 dKH/ppm = 16.8 dKH ! Wow! Most prefer 2-5 dKH. 17.86 ppm/dKH so ~35-90 ppm for KH. For GH that would be between 6-8, although I find it to be more like 4.5-8. So GH is between ~80-142 ppm. Consider remineralized distilled or RODI water for shrimp tanks. Lots of new members find this page useful. http://www.discobee.com/blogs/news/17030569-dwarf-shrimp-water-parameters it lists GH and KH in degrees, so use the conversion 17.86 ppm/degree of hardness or 0.056 degree/ppm.

[Soothing Shrimp]

My best success had been

 

TDS- 300s

GH- 6-9

Ph- 7s

[zodiac]

high KH doesn't affect shrimp,snails,or fish directly ,but it makes that high ph.

if you use ro/distilled with saltyshrimp GH/KH+ and go for 8 dGH you'll get 4 dKH,which will make the ph lower and stable.

[LexiRae]

Okay I will pick up some distilled water today and work on my water chemistry. Thanks so much for the help!