Introduction (skip to chapter 1)
Wednesday morning and I'm still sick. This is what happens when you focus on the forcast highs and ignore the lows. So after a long weekend of parties and bbqs in nothing but a T and shorts, I'm wishing I was in bed rather then at work. Oh well, might as well make the best of it. I'm comfortable right now, sitting at my desk with a cup of hot korean grapefruit tea typing this long overdue tutorial. A mellow, drowsy, numbing kinda comfort.
I've been contemplating how to approach this tutorial and what I can share with everyone. I've come to a simple fact. My primary goal is to just keep everything transparently simple and comprehensible. The more information there is out there the more complex something simple can become. I will try my best to inform you what method I use for a specific purpose and explain to you the reasoning and basic grade 5 science behind it. That is all. Simple enough I hope. Keep in mind from time to time I might not be perfectly accurate, as this is also a learning experience for me. That is why I hope the senior hobbyists on this forum will contribute and help create a welcoming learning environment for all members. If you guys have any topics you'd like me to cover just PM me.
The first few chapters will focus on water. It regulates many of the crs behavior such as molting, metabolism, breeding, ect. This is the most crucial element in keeping crs so topics such as water parameters, temp/O2, bacteria, filtration, and maintenance will all be covered.
Let's begin.
Chapter 1
The Silent "KH"iller
My only tank currently is a 30 gal long crs tank.
Breeding rate is high and the shrimps are always grazing and swimming about. ALWAYS. That was until last week. I noticed that about 50% of my crs were still, and partially grazing. Then in the corner of the tank one of my teenage crs had died. Something was wrong. I started the usual process of elimination. This way you can narrow down what problem your tank is having. It usually starts with a recollection of what I fed them during the past few days. I've learned from many breeders that feeding too much meat products leads to molting problems (Mosura excel, shirakiku food/special, blood worms, hnb crab bites, are all meaty foods with high amount of proteins, which can trigger early molts) I've cut down to feeding meat based food twice per week and spinach the rest of the time (If you are having random crs die offs and your water params are perfect I highly suggest you try this) I recalled that I had not fed much meat during the past few days nor had I introduced any new foods. Check. Nothing new had been added to the tank. Check.
- Temp 23C.
- Ammonia 0ppm.
- No2/3 0ppm.
- PH 6.6.
- TDS 144ppm
- gH 5
- kH 0
kh was 0 (it should have been around 2). Which means you can't get an accurate ph reading and it can swing freely. (Kh is a buffer which keeps the ph steady) thinking back I recall that I set the tank up with R/O water which is also what I top it up with. It was something I had always assumed would be there. The one param I never bothered testing but it was such an important one.
So with everything checked and narrowed down the possible problems were:
a)0 kh which can causes ph swings
b)bacteria problem
I remember reading a thread on mosura old sea mud and how it increases kH so I tried it, but 150% over the recommended dosage. (Never dose a param changing product directly into tank as shrimps can get a shock and die, always dilute it in a cup of tank water first then add slowly/evenly over the entire tank) It didn't work, the Kh was still reading 0. I wanted immediate results without killing my crs with the sea mud. The next step which I wanted to avoid (for those of you whose read 101 will know I avoid tap water at all costs) was to use tap water. I primed a 9 liter bucket and dripped it into my tank. With'in half a day the crs went back to normal and I haven't had a death since. The ph is stable at 6.6 and the kh is up to 2 now with a combination of aged tap water and old sea mud. I also threw in an ada bactor ball just in case it was the bacteria issue. Regardless of the cause of death I didn't feel comfortable having a tank with 0kh. It's been more then 10 days now and my tank is flourishing. I see new babies everywhere ranging from new borns (1mm-2mm) to juvies (1/2") which is usually the size where it's safe to assume they will survive and not "disappear")
If you are having random deaths use the process of elimination to determine the exact problems. It sounds like common sense but we usually skip steps and make assumptions resulting in unnecessary water changes or wrong additives. Throughout the past 2 years of keeping and breeding I've personally discovered a few key elements which I will only bullet point and discuss further int eh near future.
*Water Stability is crucial. I cannot repeat this one enough, yet it seems to always fall on some deaf ears.
*Mild over feeding can kill more crs then not feeding at all
*It's exponentially easier to keep/breed crs in larger tanks then smaller ones(stability issue) If you were my best friend in the entire world and had the space I would not suggest anything under 25gal. If you lived in a tiny bachelor 480 sqft condo, I would say "keep them at the very least in a 20gal, any smaller then your just keeping them as decorations and there's no point" But that's only if your were my BFF and had the benefits of my personal experience. If your a random person, new to this hobby asking me, I'd probably say something along the lines of "yeah, I guess your 10 gal is fine for now"
*Filtration. Ideally you want a canister filter that can hold as much medium as possible so you can grow as much beneficial bacteria as possible.
*In my opinion I would say 90% of keeping/breeding a successful CRS tank is water related. Atleast for a new-moderate level hobbyist.
This is video was taken roughly 5 hours after I discovered the problem and as you can see the crs are much more active.
Chaper 2
"To buy or not to Buy"
Shrimp keeping can be both very inexpensive and pricey depending, in proportion to how much success and fun you have with this hobby. Make no mistake, keeping/breeding crs can become very addictive as with any interest you invest both time and energy into. It's easy to get caerried away with all the latest crs products and buy things you don't need or know how to use. Knowing what to buy and when all comes down to how much experience you have with the hobby. Different skill levels require different products to be a successful crs keeper/ breeder. For example a seasoned CRS hobbyist would not use a non crs specific aquasoil, just as a brand new CRS hobbist wouldn't use a TDS meter or canister filter. This is why I've put together a list of the appropriate products required at each specific skill level of the hobbyist. The financial aspect is marginally incrimental, meaning you can start with very little and upgrade slowly over time depending on; how comfortable you are with this hobby, how successful you are(an indication of when to advance to the next level), what specific challenge you want to overcome (eg. Upgrading Larger tank =better water stability)
Beginner Level
- >5 gallon tank
-small pack of fluval EBI substrate (red package)
-mini aqua slim filter
-sponge intake cover
-Mini light
-thermometer strip
-organic baby spinach
-R/O water
-Java Moss/duckweed
-Ammonia/no2/no3/ph test kit
Conversion Level (for those with exsisting fish/shrimp tanks)
-Small pack fluval EBI substrate / 9L ADA aquasoil (5-10gal / 10-20gal)
-javamoss/duckweed
-Organic baby spinach
-R/O water
-Replace filter media with 1/3 sponge 2/3 bio media
-Sponge intake cover
Intermediate Level (keeping crs >6months)
- >20gal
- CRS baby food
- Liquid mineral (raise tds and gh)
- good lighting (plants health is related to crs food supply)
- Gh/kh test kit
-Single meat based food (Mosura Excel, Shirakiku)
-double sponge intake filter
-Indian Almond leafs
Advanced Level
-TDS tester pen
-ADA aquasoil / Netlea
-Javamoss, Duckweed
-Canister filter with 100% bio media (eheim subtrate pro)
-Mineral rock
-Partitioned tanks for selective breeding
Professional Level
-UGF. Setup
-UGF dense shrimp soil (eg. Benibachi,Gex)
-Nursery
-Home made CRS food
-Mutilple canister filers
-Personal secrets and techniques(unknown)
Wednesday morning and I'm still sick. This is what happens when you focus on the forcast highs and ignore the lows. So after a long weekend of parties and bbqs in nothing but a T and shorts, I'm wishing I was in bed rather then at work. Oh well, might as well make the best of it. I'm comfortable right now, sitting at my desk with a cup of hot korean grapefruit tea typing this long overdue tutorial. A mellow, drowsy, numbing kinda comfort.
I've been contemplating how to approach this tutorial and what I can share with everyone. I've come to a simple fact. My primary goal is to just keep everything transparently simple and comprehensible. The more information there is out there the more complex something simple can become. I will try my best to inform you what method I use for a specific purpose and explain to you the reasoning and basic grade 5 science behind it. That is all. Simple enough I hope. Keep in mind from time to time I might not be perfectly accurate, as this is also a learning experience for me. That is why I hope the senior hobbyists on this forum will contribute and help create a welcoming learning environment for all members. If you guys have any topics you'd like me to cover just PM me.
The first few chapters will focus on water. It regulates many of the crs behavior such as molting, metabolism, breeding, ect. This is the most crucial element in keeping crs so topics such as water parameters, temp/O2, bacteria, filtration, and maintenance will all be covered.
Let's begin.
Chapter 1
The Silent "KH"iller
My only tank currently is a 30 gal long crs tank.
Breeding rate is high and the shrimps are always grazing and swimming about. ALWAYS. That was until last week. I noticed that about 50% of my crs were still, and partially grazing. Then in the corner of the tank one of my teenage crs had died. Something was wrong. I started the usual process of elimination. This way you can narrow down what problem your tank is having. It usually starts with a recollection of what I fed them during the past few days. I've learned from many breeders that feeding too much meat products leads to molting problems (Mosura excel, shirakiku food/special, blood worms, hnb crab bites, are all meaty foods with high amount of proteins, which can trigger early molts) I've cut down to feeding meat based food twice per week and spinach the rest of the time (If you are having random crs die offs and your water params are perfect I highly suggest you try this) I recalled that I had not fed much meat during the past few days nor had I introduced any new foods. Check. Nothing new had been added to the tank. Check.
- Temp 23C.
- Ammonia 0ppm.
- No2/3 0ppm.
- PH 6.6.
- TDS 144ppm
- gH 5
- kH 0
kh was 0 (it should have been around 2). Which means you can't get an accurate ph reading and it can swing freely. (Kh is a buffer which keeps the ph steady) thinking back I recall that I set the tank up with R/O water which is also what I top it up with. It was something I had always assumed would be there. The one param I never bothered testing but it was such an important one.
So with everything checked and narrowed down the possible problems were:
a)0 kh which can causes ph swings
b)bacteria problem
I remember reading a thread on mosura old sea mud and how it increases kH so I tried it, but 150% over the recommended dosage. (Never dose a param changing product directly into tank as shrimps can get a shock and die, always dilute it in a cup of tank water first then add slowly/evenly over the entire tank) It didn't work, the Kh was still reading 0. I wanted immediate results without killing my crs with the sea mud. The next step which I wanted to avoid (for those of you whose read 101 will know I avoid tap water at all costs) was to use tap water. I primed a 9 liter bucket and dripped it into my tank. With'in half a day the crs went back to normal and I haven't had a death since. The ph is stable at 6.6 and the kh is up to 2 now with a combination of aged tap water and old sea mud. I also threw in an ada bactor ball just in case it was the bacteria issue. Regardless of the cause of death I didn't feel comfortable having a tank with 0kh. It's been more then 10 days now and my tank is flourishing. I see new babies everywhere ranging from new borns (1mm-2mm) to juvies (1/2") which is usually the size where it's safe to assume they will survive and not "disappear")
If you are having random deaths use the process of elimination to determine the exact problems. It sounds like common sense but we usually skip steps and make assumptions resulting in unnecessary water changes or wrong additives. Throughout the past 2 years of keeping and breeding I've personally discovered a few key elements which I will only bullet point and discuss further int eh near future.
*Water Stability is crucial. I cannot repeat this one enough, yet it seems to always fall on some deaf ears.
*Mild over feeding can kill more crs then not feeding at all
*It's exponentially easier to keep/breed crs in larger tanks then smaller ones(stability issue) If you were my best friend in the entire world and had the space I would not suggest anything under 25gal. If you lived in a tiny bachelor 480 sqft condo, I would say "keep them at the very least in a 20gal, any smaller then your just keeping them as decorations and there's no point" But that's only if your were my BFF and had the benefits of my personal experience. If your a random person, new to this hobby asking me, I'd probably say something along the lines of "yeah, I guess your 10 gal is fine for now"
*Filtration. Ideally you want a canister filter that can hold as much medium as possible so you can grow as much beneficial bacteria as possible.
*In my opinion I would say 90% of keeping/breeding a successful CRS tank is water related. Atleast for a new-moderate level hobbyist.
This is video was taken roughly 5 hours after I discovered the problem and as you can see the crs are much more active.
Chaper 2
"To buy or not to Buy"
Shrimp keeping can be both very inexpensive and pricey depending, in proportion to how much success and fun you have with this hobby. Make no mistake, keeping/breeding crs can become very addictive as with any interest you invest both time and energy into. It's easy to get caerried away with all the latest crs products and buy things you don't need or know how to use. Knowing what to buy and when all comes down to how much experience you have with the hobby. Different skill levels require different products to be a successful crs keeper/ breeder. For example a seasoned CRS hobbyist would not use a non crs specific aquasoil, just as a brand new CRS hobbist wouldn't use a TDS meter or canister filter. This is why I've put together a list of the appropriate products required at each specific skill level of the hobbyist. The financial aspect is marginally incrimental, meaning you can start with very little and upgrade slowly over time depending on; how comfortable you are with this hobby, how successful you are(an indication of when to advance to the next level), what specific challenge you want to overcome (eg. Upgrading Larger tank =better water stability)
Beginner Level
- >5 gallon tank
-small pack of fluval EBI substrate (red package)
-mini aqua slim filter
-sponge intake cover
-Mini light
-thermometer strip
-organic baby spinach
-R/O water
-Java Moss/duckweed
-Ammonia/no2/no3/ph test kit
Conversion Level (for those with exsisting fish/shrimp tanks)
-Small pack fluval EBI substrate / 9L ADA aquasoil (5-10gal / 10-20gal)
-javamoss/duckweed
-Organic baby spinach
-R/O water
-Replace filter media with 1/3 sponge 2/3 bio media
-Sponge intake cover
Intermediate Level (keeping crs >6months)
- >20gal
- CRS baby food
- Liquid mineral (raise tds and gh)
- good lighting (plants health is related to crs food supply)
- Gh/kh test kit
-Single meat based food (Mosura Excel, Shirakiku)
-double sponge intake filter
-Indian Almond leafs
Advanced Level
-TDS tester pen
-ADA aquasoil / Netlea
-Javamoss, Duckweed
-Canister filter with 100% bio media (eheim subtrate pro)
-Mineral rock
-Partitioned tanks for selective breeding
Professional Level
-UGF. Setup
-UGF dense shrimp soil (eg. Benibachi,Gex)
-Nursery
-Home made CRS food
-Mutilple canister filers
-Personal secrets and techniques(unknown)