Bacteria colony helps break down ammonia into nitrite/nitrate.
Nitrate and Nitrite easily absorbed by plants to be converted into food.
In a shrimp tank ammonia/nitrite/nitrate must 0 or very close to it.
This is a very good answer on yahoo = http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...3142946AAgL3QR
Hope this helps. Good Luck!!
Cheers
Acit
I see! So Acit, I can buy commercial bacteria from any LFS, right? Just tell them & they know what it is, right? Or do you have any LFS you can recommend to me?Originally Posted by acit
Seems like the popular ones are C328 n NA? Any recommended LFS in the East with reasonable charges?
Thanks for your help!
Where are you located exactly.
In the east, got so many places to go...in bedok/tampines/pasir ris.
The farmways in Pasir Ris also sell these stuff.
They are very common actually, tell the LFS, they will recommend a few for you...ask them how to use as different products have different formula.
My parents live in Sims Drive [Near Aljunied Mrt] I go to the 2 LFS there very often.
Good Luck!!
Cheers
Acit
Woo!! I stay in Aljunied too! =) So, maybe I can go to the LFS u go often. Can I have the name of the shops? Can roughly tell me how much are these things or not? Sorry for troubling you!
Hi Mike,Any photos to show the progress of your new set-up.
Cheers
Not yet, I hope to start on my tank as soon as possible! I will go buy the things first. But because I'm getting married soon, need to repaint my house, so will be able to start my tank about 1-2 weeks later.
I will post picture after I do that. =)
Can't wait to start!
Last edited by dessertwine; 27th Mar 2009 at 19:02.
Hi,
if you set up the tank and let it cycle for 4 weeks, the water parameter should be fine. Be carefull of ph lower than 6,5. I wonder about the Chloride (Cl) which is not used in Germany. If that's a problem perhaps other Singaporean folks can tell. In general, the water is very good to set up a tank!
Cheers,
Imke
Hi Imke, glad to hear that.
I think I have gathered enough information to know what to buy for the tank. Thank you to all the kind forummers who are so helpful and answered my queries.
I'll post my tank after it's ready...
Hmmm I hope I won't ruffle too many feathers by saying this but I prefer gravel when it comes to Cherries.
The problem with soil is that when you first use it the pH may really dip i.e. water become too acidic. Red cherry shrimp - as with most other neocaridinae - while tolerate pH below 7 does better at pH in the alkaline range. In water that is too acidic they can die. I will only use soil with CRS.
I use gravel for Cherries and they are breeding like crazy. And I would add old sea mud
oh dear, in that case, is there anyone one else who feel the same way for soil with cherry versus gravel with cherry? the reason why i chose to start with cherry first is because it is cheaper than crystal red. i want to learn how to crawl first before i start to walk! cherry is at least cheaper than crystal in that sense.
the two lfs at aljunied, if i'm not mistaken, are at Sims Place - one opposite block 48 and the other behind it. near the market.
as for soil, many people have differing views. yes, if you use soil like ADA, the pH might dip low when you first start. i had that issue too. need to be prepared to wait and cycle the tank properly, then when it's stable, you won't have an issue. the lfs opposite block 48 sims place uses nisso custom soil for a few small set ups, and the boss said that he put in the shrimps/fish after only 3 days. but i have not used this soil myself.
Hi beetroot,
I think I'll listen to the forummers' advice of letting the tank mature for at least 2 weeks to 1 month before I introduce shrimps into the tank. I do not want to cause casualties... Will feel very sad every time a shrimp passed away...
Thanks for the locations of the shops.
What do most of you use to condition your water? Since there's chloramine in the water supply there, I'd imagine you'd have to use something to remove it like Prime, since it won't dissipate on its own over time like chlorine will.
You might want to add a chloramine remover to your list as well dessertwine, depending on what others advise. Also, depending on the type of filter you buy, you might want a sponge to fit over the intake to keep the shrimplets from getting sucked up.
Are you using ADA soil or gravel ? If you are using new ADA soil, remember to change 50% water afew times to get rid of the acidity during your tank cycling period. If you cycle your tank for 1 month, every week do a 50% water change and by the time your tank is cycled, I hope that the PH will rise above 6.5. You can add in some coral chips to raise the PH/GH as cherry still prefer alkaline water.
oh yes Czyne, thanks for the reminder on the type of filter I need as well as the Chlorine remover!
Hi Trevally, I'm advised by
Brightsp@rky and Luc Tango to use GEX soil as it's finer. Do I still have to do a 50% water change every week for that soil?
Heya
May I add that using under gravel filter system together with canister filter is a good idea.
My set ups running this way...under gravel filter also helps mature tank faster, helps develop bigger bacteria colony under the gravel for biological filtration.
Good Luck!!!
Cheers
Acit
P.S. I think it would be good if you show us photos when setting up....so that we can give you further advise before you pour in the water
Heya
Ah Seah...the boss of Aquatic Connection is a friend of mine.
Since he is not breeding, he does not mature the tank. He is an experienced aquascaper and uses mature water with the nisso custom.
In fact he does not even have a filter system for some of his shrimps, which is amazing.And his shrimp tank are soooo small!! Keeping the shrimps alive in such a small water volume is an ART on its own.
However for newbie breeders and shrimp keepers, I would encourage patience and wait at least 1 month for the tank to mature. 2 weeks are for the experienced breeders who have had formulated their own regiment for maturing tanks.
Newbies should use bigger tanks when possible, 3 feet and up....2 feet minimum. The bigger body of water will help stabalise the tank, avoid PH/KH/GH fluctuations, which will lead to happier and healthier shrimps.
I have only kept shrimps for a year , and I still wait 1 month before introducing shrimps to my tank.
Ha ha ha
Just realised that I am nagging too much, kills the fun in keeping shrimp. He he he, sorry for that. Wish you best of luck and success.
Cheers
Acit
P.S. When you are at his shop, take time to admire his planted tank...some nice shrimps in there too
I currently have a small tank (14" by 8.5" by 9") so I think it's quite hard to have such a good system? As I have space constraints...Heya
May I add that using under gravel filter system together with canister filter is a good idea.
My set ups running this way...under gravel filter also helps mature tank faster, helps develop bigger bacteria colony under the gravel for biological filtration.
Good Luck!!!
Cheers
Acit
P.S. I think it would be good if you show us photos when setting up....so that we can give you further advise before you pour in the water
ok, I'll post picture of the tank before I pour water for further advice.
Later i'll be heading down to the lfs in the evening to take a look at the things I need to buy. Need to set aside a budget first before my hubby start grumbling at me again... ha ha
hey dessertwine, not really recommending GEX because its finer. lol. i am recommending it because i am using it as well. my cherries are in "ketapang water", probably having a PH lower than 6 and they are still breeding.
it is important that you read up on drip acclimatising, it is a good way to introduce sensitive fauna to the tank.
@Acit
Nag too much is okay man, better to kill the fun than kill the shrimp. lol.
Oops, I should mention clearly that BrightSp@rky's colleague recommend it as it's finer and you are using it...
Yes, I'll be using the drip acclimatising method. Actually,
1 & half years ago, I keep cherry before but because I didn't read up enough, I ended killing a huge amount! :'(
In the end, just when a bunch of them start to settle down and start growing bigger, my mum accidentally killed them. I was devastated.
Every time 1 died, I felt very sad. When I reared them, can you believe that I actually stop eating prawns??
So I totally agree with you that it's better to kill the fun than to kill the shrimps...
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