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WhySoCRS

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15 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

OK ladies and gents, stupid question, with the feeding bowls for shrimp, who has them? Do you just sit them on the substrate or push them into it so it's more a level with the substrate kind of thing?

Also order some Azoo Breed and Growth earlier as well, anyone used this?

 

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17 hours ago, WhySoCRS said:

with the feeding bowls for shrimp, who has them? Do you just sit them on the substrate or push them into it so it's more a level with the substrate kind of this?

I use them. And I have tried both ways. The problem is ... no one told the shrimp that they have to eat within the bowl. Shrimps like hoarding food and WILL drag food out of the bowl. However, it is better than not having a bowl where food will just fall between the substrate. 

Pushing the bowl into the substrate increases the chance of the substrate falling in. It is more stealth looking but if you have OCD (like me) about keeping substrate out of the bowl then this method is not for you.?

 

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Have you used the Azoo range of foods @jayc? Be interesting to see how the shrimp take to them, currently loving the Shrimp Crack and Kale Tabs.

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17 hours ago, WhySoCRS said:

Have you used the Azoo range of foods

No, that is one of many food brands I have not tried on my shrimp.

I have been making my own recently.

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Just an update on the tank.

Things seem to be going well, added an Ista Cree LED & feeding tube this morning.

Tank I know is looking quite bare, mainly focusing on getting all parameters right for the time being.

Looking into a reverse osmosis unit.

Have found 1 more juvi, so that’s 5 now.

Think I’ll add a little more pieces of Amazon Frog bit to the surface to block a little light out & help with water params.

Just waiting on the range of Azoo foods now, Max Growth & Max Breed.

14bd6448f912dbbad459dda82bcfc78b.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Shrimp Keepers Forum

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Just an update...

Received the Reverse Osmosis Unit I ordered yesterday, set it up this morning & got it up & running straight away.

Fill an 88 litre tub after a few hours & after taking majority of the tank water out I replaced it with the RO water.

Salty Shrimp gH+ added, added 2.5 spoons, let it all settle for half an hour & then acclimated the shrimp back into the tank.

Straight away the behaviour is a lot different, more active then usual, shock perhaps? Hoping not, but no sudden unexpected movements or jerking & jumping so I think all is well.

Tested the tank parameters using API test kits & the readings are as follows:

pH 6.4
kH 1
gH 2
TDS 121
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Temp 22c

I haven’t added any mineral powder, should I? Also haven’t put the mineral balls back in either, should I keep them out?

Dropped a small piece of Azoo Growth for the shrimp to feed on but don’t seem interested at all.

When running the RO Unit I was interested to test the water parameters that came out.

TDS from the unit was 003, the water from the waste was 323!!! Clearly doing it’s job.

Also would like to thank Ineke, JayC for information regarding the RO Unit & other bits & pieces.

Hopefully now the tank will stay a stable & healthy environment for the shrimp & will have a nice little colony in no time to sit back & enjoy.


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Edited by WhySoCRS
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Well things aren't really going my way with tanks as per usual.

Have decided to just put everything in the tank, plants and driftwood are back in there, filter is running with the same media as before, light period is 6 hours each day on an auto timer, so far all I've done is the put substrate in, again benibachi, add 3 spoons of Salty Shrimp gH+ (70l tank), now I guess just see what happens... surely this isn't meant to be this difficult... it's seriously giving me a headache.

So just let it go I guess, test parameters on the weekend perhaps.

Also have a bag of ADA Amazonia on it's way, just in case this doesn't work out...

Or, could use it to try some Cherry Shrimp maybe, who knows, that probably won't work out either.

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Your tank is back in a cycle. Don't be tempted to rush things and make wide scale changes. 

 

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  • 1 year later...

Hi all, back after a long 2 year break from the forum.

Wanted to share a photo of my 70 litre CRS tank, all going well, pretty much haven't touched the tank since setting it up, just adding plants to it and that's it after it cycled.

Have about 50 odd CRS, started with 10 I think from memory, don't seem to really have large numbers when breeding.

 

87935787_197980721291516_1448989169576574976_n.jpg

Only issues I really have are snails, since adding the frogbit I have had a load of snails in the tank, need to get rid of them, I also have some trouble with Blackbeard Algae, mainly from the LED being too close to the tank I think, need to find something to give the LED a greater distance from the tank, other than that, all is well.

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That's a lovely simple tank, I wish I had gone that route with mine!

There seem to be a few similarities having read back on the thread. I  had a wonderful tank full of taiwan bees, then the heater stuck on and cooked them. Since re-setting up the tank it has just not worked out????? I have ordered a LAST batch for delivery this week so fingers crossed that will go well otherwise I will just get some fish, dwarf rasboras? The tank has now been running about 9 months so it is now or never, I have about half a dozen shrimps that have survived so far.

I have assassin snails in all my tanks and would recommend that you get some of those if you can. You only need a few but they breed slow and are easy to catch if you end u with too many, but that won't be too often! I think snails are still advantageous to the tank and don't have any negative impact for the shrimps that I can see!

Your post has given me a bit more confidence that maybe this time it may work?

I have black algae in just the one tank, which gets day light, could that be your problem? It grows only on plastics and they are all black, with a black tank background, and there isn't that much algae so I just live with it! I see a curtain by the tank?

Simon

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@sdlTBfanUK

I had trouble with Beni Bachi, ended up going to ADA Amazonia and had no hassles at all what so ever.

I also purchased an RO system, which I swear by.

Once the tank cycled, I put the shrimp in and left all alone, just added the plants and left it as is, honestly this tank is exactly the same in looks as what it was when I set it up, it's just grown that's all.

Just try and keep things simple and try not to play too much, it's hard I know but the more you play the more you'll stuff something up.

I would how ever like to get rid of the snails.

Oh also the tank is infront of a window with no natural light coming in due to the outside being the driveway, only light this tank gets is from the LED.

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Thanks for the reply. I definitely think leaving the tank alone is the best advice, as you say, and that is what I have pretty much done since christmas after removing thee rock. Hopefully it is sufficiently run-in for a last batch of shrimps that may arrive tomorrow, or at least later this week. I have about alf a dozen alive shrimps in the tank. I admit to not knowing what caused the problems, but have a couple of suspicions, I put rock in the tank to increase the PH which may have caused the tank to 'cycle' or, I did a lot of housecleaning with cleaning products around xmas and may have put my hands in the tank without realising I had some product residue on my hands (I now use rubber gloves if there is ANY likelyhood of that at all)?

The tank with the black algae doesn't get any 'direct' light on to it from the window but is directly opposite the window, whereas other tanks don't have that black algae but are in a darker corner! I have swapped things from tanks but never has the black algae appeared in the other tanks and I can only assume it is the greater amount of daylight the tank gets that has the black algae. 

If you can get a few assassin snails I think that would sort you out, and they are quite pretty and not too big as well. They breed so slowly that I just fish some out about once a year and a friend takes them for his puffer fish!

I did have to buy a new led light for the shrimp tank and it was too bright for my liking. I have since got water lettuce (I see you have some) which obviously helps but I also used black electrical tape to cover one strip (of 3) of the leds. 

Simon

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@sdlTBfanUK

Would look into Assassins if I could but I'm 99% sure we can't have them in Australia as they are considered a pest to our environment.

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Sorry about that, you are correct, I just had a quick look and found this,

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/pests/invasive-animals/other/assassin-snail

I know Australia have some strict import laws, good for them!

IF you can get SL Aqua Z1 they say that that may kill snails (It didn't kill my assassins). It is a hydra/planaria killer but a natural product. It doesn't harm shrimps, I have used it in 2 different tanks - as I say it isn't meant to kill snails but warns on the packet it MAY so IF you can get some it would be worth a try, it is a natural product that is as easy as adding one dose (repeat may be necessary?)!

Simon

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@sdlTBfanUK

Yeah Assassin Snails would be ideal but a big no no here in Australia, I'll suss out SL Aqua's Z7 though for sure.

So you've had experience with this product and Shrimp, it's definitely Shrimp safe? Did it kill other snails?

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No SL Aqua Z1 here in Australia judging by a quick Google and look through aquarium stores online, might have to just go down the hard road of just putting a piece of vegie in the tank and taking out every few hours to get rid of the snails.

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I had no negative impacts of the Z1, I think it is just some sort of ground nut or similar natural product? If you manage to get hold of it I would use it for a few treatments as snails are bigger so it may take longer, but it is just a apply once treatment so really easy to do!

I did have a quick search whether it is available and I also did't find any in Australia??? You may be able to get some from abroad maybe but I don't know whether you can import it??? It may not kill them anyway?

This is the link to the manufacturers website,

http://www.sl-aqua.com/en/conditioner/products_z1.html

That doesn't leave many options does it? Putting food in is what I do when I want to clear mine, just leave it an hour and it will have good results. I have actually done this in the shrimp tank, sort of by accident, I put spinach in for the shrimp but they weren't interested, but it got covered with detritus worms, so I carefully remove the leaves next morning and a load of worms with them - result?

Simon

edit - I looked at the Z1 I have but it only lists ingredients as 'plant extracts'?

Edited by sdlTBfanUK
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9 hours ago, WhySoCRS said:

@sdlTBfanUK

Would look into Assassins if I could but I'm 99% sure we can't have them in Australia as they are considered a pest to our environment.

I’ve found them for sale a few times on gumtree and stuff, but it’s probably not the best idea to be owning something illegal. They are here, just not meant to be.

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@Crabby

Yeah I'm not interested in them, if they were legal I'd look into them but they aren't.

I have a piece of cucumber in the tank at the moment actually, no snails on it, couple shrimp have taken an interest, although curious I tested the TDS and is now 164.

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If fresh foods don't attract the snails (it doesn't mine either) they go after fish food wafers, algae wafers etc in my tank so if you have some of those it is worth a try in a shallow dish so it is easy to remove the food and snails after an hour etc! Fresh food worked for detritus worms but snails seem to prefer shrimp/fish food - well mine do for sure! 

That TDS has risen a fair bit, any idea why and how long that took? Do you TOP UP the tank with pure RO water (No GH+}, as it doesn't have a cover? I don't see anything that may cause that in the picture?

Simon

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Usually just do a top up with RO water, don't use any additives.

I'll have a look for some wafers, see how that goes.

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I have learned that unless you keep the level exactly the same that the TDS will fluctuate. Any evaporation is pure water leaving the minerals in the water which then increases the TDS of the water the lower the water level in the tank! With water changes this doesn't happen as the water you remove has TDS in it and the water you add has TDS in it?

Simon 

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The RO water has an almost 0 reading of TDS from the unit, just add that to the tank, I'll take some out later, have the RO unit running at the moment.

Also going to go grab some sweet potato and cos lettuce later to try in the tank for snails.

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The snails... and shrimp have taken absolutely no interest in the sweet potato and carrot I put in earlier, haha.

Looks like I'll be diving in and removing manually, this'll take some time.

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Algae wafers are worth a try, they are cheap and seem to work with my assassin snails! If you have a small dish shaped plastic lid or similar that will make removing the wafer and snails!

Unfortunately it is likely to be a  persistent problem?

Simon

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