KapAquatics Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Hello all, new to the forum! I am getting ready to buy my first crystal shrimp and wanted to get some input from y'll to see if I am missing anything major. I have kept neos for years (painted fire reds and recently blue velvets) and have had no issues breeding them like rabbits in my local tap water. I am now ready to dip my toes into keeping my first buffered water shrimp! This is what I have setup for now: 4 gallon rimless nano (I know this is much smaller than ideal, but this is the best I can do for now) Fluval Plant & Shrimp Stratum 1.5" layer RODI water (TDS 0) reminelarized with SS GH to 125 TDS (need to get GH, KH, PH tests to confirm but not anticipating any issues - if anything may need to up to 150 TDS?) Azoo mignon filter with foam prefilter 10-15 Catappa leaves Lightly planted with some crypts and mosses and has been running for 6 weeks now. I have been letting the biofilm develop and have been dosing some bacter ae to help it along. In order to minimize any temperature fluctuations in such a small volume of water, I will be investing in a temperature controller and fan setup (before the shrimp show up) to make sure my tank stays at 72-74 F. I have some shirakura ebidama and some shrimp king samples to start off with for when the shrimp get here. Any thoughts on what I could be missing to help ensure that this venture is a success? (Please do not start with the tank size... that is a restriction that I am working with and I believe I have the experience and have taken the precautions to mitigate that) Thanks in advance for all your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClownPlanted Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 125 tds with the SS should put you right about 6.0 to 6.5 GH. I know as I did many tds tests to find the exact level that gives me exactly 5 GH. 95 tds puts me at exactly 5 GH. 115 tds gives me exactly 6 GH. I test to the .25 GH by using 4 times the amount of test water so 20ml instead of 5. Then 4 drops equals 1 GH. 150 tds would in my mind be a little too high probably around 7-8 GH or so. Mine do really good right at 5 GH(95tds). With your buffering substrate and not adding any KH your KH will be 0. Also with that substrate it will put your PH right at 6.6-6.8. Those are good levels and you should have no problems. Make sure and prep the water about 3 days or so before adding to the tank. Remember a RO/DI unit will not filter out the gasses and what helps off gas the water is letting the water sit with an airstone. I do this for about 4 days before adding during water change. As far as the tank size what makes a larger size better is less of a chance for huge fluctuations due to water changes. However as long as you ensure the water you add is close to the water in the tank you should have no issues. Just be extra careful with the temp and water parameters. If you do that you should be fine. My buddy has a few shrimp tanks that are between 4-5 gallons and he follows this routine and his shrimp thrive. Shrimporama and KapAquatics 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClownPlanted Posted October 25, 2017 Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Also want to add be careful about adding too many catappa leaves or other such as aldar cones that alter the PH. Too many can cause the PH to go down sharply for a few days. What you want to do is add 1-2 at a time and let those sit in the tank for a few days before adding more. This ensures it will not cause a large fluctuation in the tank. Shrimporama and KapAquatics 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KapAquatics Posted October 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Thanks for the insight on SS... I will shoot for 95 TDS then. I have a storage system that I will be using to mix water change water where it will mature for a week before being added to the main tank. Fair point on the catappa leaves, I am getting the pH test kit to keep an eye on this. Appreciate the input! ClownPlanted 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KapAquatics Posted November 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 Update... tank is 2 months old and shrimp will be arriving this week. Waterchanged a week ago and in tank readings are 100 TDS & pH 6.2. I've added a nice piece of cholla wood and removed some of the catappa leaves and the pH seems to be holding steady. Also splurged on a reefkeeper lite and a small usb fan which is keeping the tank steady at 72-73.5 throughout the day. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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