Proper method to dose Bacter AE

[JuanSan]

Hello everyone! I have been experimenting on proper methods to dose GlasGarten's Bacter AE powder. Since I have a small tank and few shrimp atm, i dose every other day and only about a quarter of the prescribed spoon for my 15 gallon aquarium. I have tried:

 

1) pouring the powder on top. It seems that the powder takes a significant amount of time to dissolve.

 

2) Pouring the powder into my Eheim surface skimmer and let it diffuse throughout the tank. 

 

I was wondering which method was better, or if I should be doing it in another way? 

 

I appreciate you responses to my quandary. 

[sarah]

With a small tank and only a few shrimp, you're probably dosing way too much. Ignore the instructions on the bottle. I would only give a tiny amount at most once a week. You can dissolve it in a bit of tank water or DI water in a paper cup or similar, and then just pour into the tank. I believe SoothingShrimp likes to dip the tip of a damp toothpick in it, then just swirl into the tank.

[JuanSan]

15 minutes ago, sarah said:

With a small tank and only a few shrimp, you're probably dosing way too much. Ignore the instructions on the bottle. I would only give a tiny amount at most once a week. You can dissolve it in a bit of tank water or DI water in a paper cup or similar, and then just pour into the tank. I believe SoothingShrimp likes to dip the tip of a damp toothpick in it, then just swirl into the tank.

Wow I didnt realize that I was overdosing so badly! thank you for the heads up! So, wetted toothpick in some tank water, stir, mix and add to the tank once a week? I can do it after my water changes so that I remember

[sarah]

Yep... just dampen toothpick tip, dip into bacter, then dip into tank and swirl. When you have more shrimp, and especially babies, you can increase frequency.

I assume you are feeding other foods as well?

[JuanSan]

Just now, sarah said:

Yep... just dampen toothpick tip, dip into bacter, then dip into tank and swirl.

I assume you are feeding other foods as well?

I have tried multiple foods including snowflake, shirakura, and omnia pro and they arent interested in it. They seems to appreciate the bio film though

 

[Brolly33]

My shrimp seem to love the BacterAE. I use a chopstick to scoop out a tiny bit and I put it right in front of the filter outflow about once a week. It seems to mix into the water pretty well that way. The bits that float, well the shrimp just swim upside down on the surface to gobble it up.

 

Wet toothpick? I would worry about fouling my supply with tank water, but I also cannot argue with success.

[Soothing Shrimp]

Yepper.  That's the way I do it. :-)

 

Brolly33, seems like that would be a possibility, right?  When I dip my bamboo skewer or toothpick in, I shake off any water drops before dipping into the powder.  The powder clings to it because it is moist, and once all the moistness is covered, the dry powder is left behind.  All in less than a half second. LOL  No adverse effects I've seen yet.

 

I also just swirl the powder on the stick directly in the tank.  The shrimp don't care if it floats or sinks, and you'll wind up with a mixture of both until all eventually sinks (as long as you have surface tension broken with a bubbler, filter, etc.)  Just be careful if you have duckweed std you don't transfer it from tank to tank if you have a rack.

[EricM]

only thing i'd be careful of is dipping moisture into the bottle. this applies for any powder products. 

better off scooping a small amount into a cup and adding tank water to the cup to mix then pouring that in.

 

moisture is a good way to ruin any products we use. wouldnt be the first time i've heard of SaltyShrimp turning into a block from moisture getting into the bottle.