Getting started with cute CRS. Need help!

[skysky]

oh dear ...brought some CRS back.....they are so beautiful...when cherry is beside them then i reaslise CRS are so pretty...and cherry are so humble looking


Looks like i am going to invest on a chiller but can i seek expert advise how can i lower PH level consistently.
1) add ada now => likely to cause ammonia spike
2) ketapang leave => ugly water...what is the point when shrimp are beautiful but water are brown?
3) add lowering PH dosing => cant keep PH constant...will stress shrimp

So i am at a lost how to make my present cherry shrimp suitable for my CRS
Appreciate any expert advise.

[PLee]

i think it is best you take time and reset the tank. Might be painful but safer

[bridge]

skysky,

Have you tried to measure your current pH level in your tank?

[skysky]

hi, my PH=7.2

[Aquaculture]

When I was using lapis as my substrate, I used peat in my filter, driftwood and CO2 to lower the Ph. My ph then was about 6 to 6.5. But when my CO2 is turned on, it would go slightly lower but never 5.5 which some breeders say is the ideal ph for breeding.

[richietay]

i would go with what Plee suggest!

[leeruisheng]

Is yours also a planted tank? maybe get CO2 supplement.

[silane]

Looks like i am going to invest on a chiller but can i seek expert advise how can i lower PH level consistently.
1) add ada now => likely to cause ammonia spike

So i am at a lost how to make my present cherry shrimp suitable for my CRS

It is not alway true that adding adasoil will cause ammonia spike. You can add small amount at a time without raising the ammonia level with the help of good biofilter.

Use Africanna, by nature, it has very low ammonia, Amozonia has quite a bit of ammonia, but still safe to add into your tank, little by little.

Is yours also a planted tank? maybe get CO2 supplement.

yeah, this method should work, his is 7.2, just need to bring down a little more to 6.8 or 6.9. Use pressured CO2.

[skysky]

It is not alway true that adding adasoil will cause ammonia spike. You can add small amount at a time without raising the ammonia level with the help of good biofilter.

Use Africanna, by nature, it has very low ammonia, Amozonia has quite a bit of ammonia, but still safe to add into your tank, little by little.



yeah, this method should work, his is 7.2, just need to bring down a little more to 6.8 or 6.9. Use pressured CO2.

hi guys thanks for your valuable advice. i am definitely getting africanna ada but as i am really a newbie in this, small amount each time ..i suppose 2 or 3 spoonful for my 2 ft tank ? ( of track a little, how do you guys decide to use africanna or ammzonia ada when setting a new tank?)

And CO2 supplement means those co2 tank complete system or tablet is adequate?

i am also adding some driftwood as it helps in the long run to lower the ph. will my crs die in the short run before the ph hit 6.8 and below ?

regards

[PLee]

I have one tank using ADA ammazonia, Another using Africana, so to me the same only color different.

Africana will release less ammonia

[Aquaculture]

When you guys use CO2 to bring the ph down, do you on it 24/7 or is it over our normal lighting hours for it to last till the next?

[PLee]

to be frank I did not use any CO2 at all.

[leeruisheng]

When you guys use CO2 to bring the ph down, do you on it 24/7 or is it over our normal lighting hours for it to last till the next?

CO2 on when lights on. But I'm using pH controller.

to be frank I did not use any CO2 at all.

That's because your ADA soil lowers the pH thus no need for CO2.

[paranoid]

Hi,

I had done this experiment. I switch off my CO2 for 3 days and observed that without CO2 my pH rose to 7.1 to 7.2.

Then I pump in CO2 at 1 bps for 8 hrs during photoperiod. The pH drops to 6.8. This fluctuation from 6.8 to 7.1 is it considered too much for CRS? my tank is 4ft x 1.5ft x 2ft.

I had also observed that my CRS are "happier" WITHOUT the CO2. Happier meaning eating better and active. With CO2 they seemed lethargic (idle at one spot or hiding under plants) and do not eat much. But they still stay alive .

But my plants may need the CO2. KH at 2.

So any expert advice for me?

[leeruisheng]

Not sure but maybe if you could supply CO2 everyday, the fluctuation will not be wide. But being active swimming around may not necessary mean that they are more happier. If you see it in another way, maybe the lots of movement could mean that they are unease and that water parameters are not suitable. I'm not saying that CO2 is a must, but it helps in the photosynthesis of plants and thus producing more oxygen for the crs, so they are more relaxed and calmed. Just my view.

[ranmasatome]

I'm not a breeder or anything but my personal opinion is that if i was seriously into breeding high grade CRS..then i would not Co2. It is not true that you need Co2 to get a beautiful planted tank (wait for my updated pictures on my 2ft)...furthermore, if anything screws up with the Co2.. you could loose an entire population of shrimps.
chiller, ADA aquasoil and maybe if i really wanted..some peat.. would be my setup choice.
I suggest that if you want to do something for real, then do it well right from the start... don't half half here and half half there.. in the end you end up having the same results but spending more time and money and maybe more heartache also.

[leeruisheng]

Again I've got nothing against ADA soil. I'm restarting my tank using them. But I find it troublesome cause you do know not how much ADA soil is needed to achieve the required pH. And after sometime, the soil will start losing its pH lowering effect and then you will need to rebuild a new tank. Though some say you can add small amount of soil to lower pH, but there's a limit. How long can it sustain. But however if one using inert gravel and have CO2 supplied, it will be easier cause there's no need for changing the soil. I intend to switch to using used ADA soil for better contrast. But when the pH starts to increase, then I will supplement with CO2 to control pH rather then adding new ADA soil. Just my view.

[PLee]

nice discussion here and informative. I am only about 6 months into CRs keeping so do not know so much about the problem. But for me only ADA soil and works well for me so far

[leeruisheng]

wah only six months and your crs are so chio.

[ranmasatome]

Actually ADA is not magic soil.. what makes it lower your ph is the peat that can be found in it. So when it starts to loose its ph lowering effect.. just use peat.