Restarting My Crystal Red Shrimp Tank

[vicker03]

I have restart my CRS tank, using a new sand for shrimp, it's called RED BEE SAND. I bought from NA and I was told it's better than ADA as ADA soil contain ammonia which need 1 to 2 months of water cycling before shrimp can be introduced. I have update the 1st day information in my BLOG.

http://www.nanoaquarium.blogspot.com/

[skysky]

hi vick, you mean NA sell you half a bag of soil ? also this red bee sand will it affect the PH ? also i didnt know we are suppose to use strong air pump to filtrate the soil.

So how long are you going wait for the cycling process before intro your CRS ?

[vicker03]

Hi Sky,

Yes, the owner sell me half a bag, but I pay a bit more lah. The RED BEE SAND will also lower the pH of the water (similar effect as ADA soil) but there is no ammonia in this soil. ADA soil is more for plant and if you want to add shrimp, you need to cycle at l;east 1 to 2 months.
I am using strong pump since I already have one avaiable, the idea is to have a larger area for the good bacteria to cultivate in my filter to remove the Nitrate in the water. Of course less water change.

I am going to add driftwood, moss and mini nana into the tank before I buy any CRS. Watch out for my update! Cheers!

[zeloc87]

hi there bro vicker!

I’m not sure if a total lack of ammonia is a good thing, I can agree that ammonia in a tank without a matured filter is bad, however, when the filter is matured, they readily convert ammonia into a less toxic form.

I read from Red Bee Magazine, that some experts even add new ADA soil into their CRS tank regularly. They said it will provide the tank with necessary nutrition. My understanding is that if the bio-load of a shrimp tank is low; the activity level of bacteria in your bio filtration medium is low. If we do not have a continuous and yet mild source of ammonia to keep the bacteria count high, they will not be able to response to when there is an upsurge of ammonia in tank, due to dead shrimps or over feeding.

So a soil totally without ammonia is not as good as you may think bro = ]

[Quixotic]

I’m not sure if a total lack of ammonia is a good thing, I can agree that ammonia in a tank without a matured filter is bad, however, when the filter is matured, they readily convert ammonia into a less toxic form.

Ammonia is converted to nitrite in the first stage, and nitrite is equally toxic to faunas. Nitrite is then converted to nitrate, which is non toxic in low to moderate levels.

The only reason why I see them adding the ADA soil regularly, is because it is a planted tank. Nutrition in the form of ammonia is only necessary for plants, faunas don't benefit from them.

How does adding ADA soil regularly be any different from over feeding if they are actually introducing ammonia to the tank?

In an established tank, the waste from the shrimps and whatever rotting organic material in the tank should be able to sustain the colony of bacterias in the tank. Unless you are talking about mass death of shrimps, one or two dead shrimps shouldn't affect an established tank. And aquarists should know better than over feeding, because it won't matter, the established bacterias would not be able to cope with the sudden ammonia spike.

Sorry if I don't quite understand the rational. Maybe something is lost in the translation.

[zeloc87]

I read from a crystal red shrimp magazine, that they are doing this- 'this' refering to the regular adding of ADA soil- with beneficial effects on CRS. Perhaps the process of giving nutrients to plants by regularly adding ADA Soil makes for a healthy planted tank, which ultimately, is good for CRS?

And I do suppose there is a difference between the two processes of ‘over feeding’ and ‘adding ADA soil’ to increase the nitrogen source. Namely, overfeeding results in organic waste besides ammonia, In the long run, these organic waste will be converted to ammonia ultimately, but will remain harmful to shrimps, especially sensitive species like CRS, and even more so to high grade CRS.

Also, it is always good to note that in low pH, there is little ionic form of ammonia or ammonium which is not toxic to life stock.

I hope I make better sense this time around >_< , and look forward to this meaningful discussion

[vicker03]

Good discussion! That's how we benefit by sharing!
My tank main focal will be CRS and not plant, I will only grow some mini nana and spike moss tied on a driftwood, so no rooted planted for me.

My Tank pH now is quite low, it's around 5.0 to 6.0!
Kh is only 1 to 2.
Do you think this condition is ok for the CRS?

Vicker

[leeruisheng]

Think your kH is alright. But i think optimum pH should be around 6.6. Lets hear what others have to say.

[Quixotic]

Perhaps the process of giving nutrients to plants by regularly adding ADA Soil makes for a healthy planted tank, which ultimately, is good for CRS?

Sorry, but I just don't buy this. It just sound like they are "dosing" soil instead to get good growth. Dose fertilisers if you want plants to be healthy, plants will take NO3 if there is no NH3 and is far less lethal.

And I do suppose there is a difference between the two processes of ‘over feeding’ and ‘adding ADA soil’ to increase the nitrogen source. Namely, overfeeding results in organic waste besides ammonia, In the long run, these organic waste will be converted to ammonia ultimately, but will remain harmful to shrimps, especially sensitive species like CRS, and even more so to high grade CRS.

Well, yes, fish food has ash (waste) which may pollute the water. However, the point in question is about NH3, so regardless of where it originates from, it is lethal to shrimps.

The other thing that needs to be pointed out is this excerpt from http://cobweb.ecn.purdue.edu/~piwc/w...monia/nh3.html

In turn, one important problem with the presence of reduced nitrogen in waters is that its oxidation may impose an oxygen demand by these nitrifying bacteria (otherwise known as a nitrogenous oxygen demand , or NOD), which might then deplete the available dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration to a level which imposes stress on aquatic life.

All in all, I am not convinced of any benefit in "dosing" ADA soil regularly. If I want my plants to grow well, why not do it the simpler, safer and cheaper way by using liquid/powder fertilisers? If I am worried about the depletion of nutrients in my already existing soil, then yes, I may probably add ADA soil but not at regular intervals.

The only benefit that I can think of is that there are other nutrients (not NH3) that come with ADA soil which benefits the shrimps.

[skipjackies]

I have once added a few hand full of ADA soil in my 2 ft tanks after it was stablise. My idea was not to increase anything benefical for the plant but was just to increase the substra thickness level. Well to my surprise after two days everyday there was at least one shrimp died and after few water change my shrimp stop dying. Have to be the substr that was adding in the first place.

[leeruisheng]

Because adding of new ADA soil will increase the nitrate. Thats why users of ADA soil will need to cycle their tanks for quite sometime so that the level of nitrate is lower and safer before introducing crs. Another discussion from another forum http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=283556