Jump to content

New nano set up.


Sonnycbr

Recommended Posts

I don't know if the aquarium shops have calibration solution.

 

What I do know is that it's usually recommended to calibrate the meters using the same brand as the meter. I have an HMZ EZ TDS meter and HMZ calibration solution that's at 342 ppm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks again zoid.  I googled how to calibrate my TDS-3 meter and it involves turning a small screw in the back of the meter. I’ve checked the meter and there’s no screw in the hole. I’m going to return it and try the new meter. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If there is a hole, then usually there is a tiny screw. It's the ones without holes that can't be calibrated. At least, that has been my understanding.

 

An eye glass repair kit should have a screw driver or flat head small enough to turn the screw that is used inside of the TDS meters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve just watched a video on YouTube showing the exact meter I bought.....and it’s a fake! There are a few differences, the main one being the missing screw for calibration. I’ve contacted the ebay seller to see what they say. I’ll buy the TDS calibration solution and take it from there. Thank you again for putting me on the right track. ?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good old ebay, I don't use it any more!

I would take the other to the shop and see how it compares with theirs, almost guarantee they will have one and go from there! I have never had to re-calibrate one ever so I wouldn't waste money on that until you KNOW it needs it, I am sure the one that came with the zerowater is fine?

Simon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers Simon. It never crossed that mind that the meter could be anything but genuine. I agree, the one that came with Zerowater will be reliable but I will check it against the aquarium shops one.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, tank has finished cycling and I'm almost ready to do a complete water change with mineralised RO water. I've got a few questions before I do though.

I have Dragon rock in the tank and I believe that's the reason my TDS is so high, currently around 350ppm. Will the rock always give me a high TDS reading? Must I remove it to have any chance of keeping shrimp? I like the arrangement at the minute and I'd prefer to keep it if possible.

When I'm using the RO water and I add the minerals, do I go by the reading on the TDS meter, say at 150ppm, or do I measure the GH/KH and stop when they reach an acceptable level? 

I have, or had, 3 guppies in the tank, I now have 8! I'd like to keep a few as long as they won't decimate my shrimp population. What do think would be the maximum amount of small fish to keep in a 30L tank with cherry shrimp?

The tank looks beautiful only a month after setting it up. The plants are growing like the clappers, I've pruned quite a few already but as I planted the tank heavily in the beginning I've no room to transplant them so they're supplementing my Cichlids diet, win win.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Sonnycbr said:

Will the rock always give me a high TDS reading? Must I remove it to have any chance of keeping shrimp?

Yes, as long as the rock in in the tank, it will release carbonates, unless the pH goes above 7.0. But that means your shrimp will be living in sub par parameters. If you keep the rock in there, you will constantly be battling TDS, and the constant fluctuation of TDS going up and down is what will stress out your shrimp.

 

6 hours ago, Sonnycbr said:

go by the reading on the TDS meter,

Go by the TDS meter. Much easier than measuring GH/KH.

 

6 hours ago, Sonnycbr said:

What do think would be the maximum amount of small fish to keep in a 30L tank with cherry shrimp?

It depends on your bio filtration. If you have a massive overkill external filter with lots of bio media, maybe 20 guppies in 30L.

If you don't, no more than 10 in 30L of water.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

JayC has this covered!

Cherry shrimp I would aim for a bit higher TDS, 180-200 though.

You will be ok with fish as the tank is so heavily planted the fish won't get all the babies but guppies explore every  part of a tank so they will get a good few new born shrimp. The flip side to that is you shouldn't get over-run with shrimps? I used to have endlers with my cherries in a densely planted tank, obviously the more guppies you have the more the shrimp babies are at risk? The 8 you have now should be fine but best to decide on a limit early on?

Simon 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, jayc said:

Yes, as long as the rock in in the tank, it will release carbonates, unless the pH goes above 7.0. But that means your shrimp will be living in sub par parameters. If you keep the rock in there, you will constantly be battling TDS, and the constant fluctuation of TDS going up and down is what will stress out your shrimp.

 

Go by the TDS meter. Much easier than measuring GH/KH.

 

It depends on your bio filtration. If you have a massive overkill external filter with lots of bio media, maybe 20 guppies in 30L.

If you don't, no more than 10 in 30L of water.

That's all I need to know, I'll take the rocks out and maybe use a bit more wood for the Java moss. I'm only using a small corner filter so I'll have to limit the guppies to 10, and that's fine as well.

I got a replacement meter from the Ebay shop I bought the dodgy one from and it's exactly the same as the last one....I've asked for a refund.

Thanks for the advice. I need all I can get.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as figuring out your remineralizing schedule.... I would recommend going by GH and KH *FIRST*. Get it to the parameters you want, then measure the TDS.


After that, you can go by the TDS and the GH and KH should be within range, as long as the TDS meter is clean and calibrated. ?

Edited by Zoidburg
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Join Our Community!

    Register today, ask questions and share your shrimp and fish tank experiences with us!

  • Must Read SKF Articles

  • Posts

    • beanbag
      Update to say that after a few gravel vacs, front wall scrub, moss / floating plant trim, that the condition seems to have improved.  My current theory is that it is due to waste / debris management, where "stuff" like that brown mulm accumulates in the substrate and behind the HMF filters.  Maybe some tanks can somehow deal with it, but mine can't.  Also another experienced shrimper suggested that maybe those "shell bugs" don't just live on the shrimps but also in this debris.  Maybe this is the reason some tanks fail due to "old tank syndrome" where all they need is a good gravel vac? Also, I am guessing that plant trim helps too because now more of the nutrients and light go into growing algae instead of more plants? Well anyway for this tank I will try weekly water change and monthly gravel vac / plant trim.  For my next tank, I'm thinking of something like an under-gravel system where this mulm can fall down and I vac it out.
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Good to have an update and good to hear you are getting shrimplets, so hopefully your colony will continue and you may not get to the point where you have to cull some to stop over population. These type of shrimp only live 12 - 18 months so the adult deaths may be natural? If you have the time I would do weekly 25% water changes, adding the new water via a drip system and do some vacuuming clean of the substrate each week, even if only a different bit each week! See if that helps in a few months and if it does then stick with that regime? It should help reduce any build-ups that may be occuring!
    • beanbag
      Hello again, much belated update: The tank still has "cycles" of 1-2 month "good streaks" where everybody seems to be doing well, and then a bad streak where the short antenna problem shows up again, and a shrimp dies once every few days.  I am not sure what causes things to go bad, but usually over the course of a few days I will start to see more shrimp quietly standing on the HMF filter, and so I know something is wrong.  Since I am not "doing anything" besides the regular 1-2 week water changes, I just assume that something bad is building up.  Here's a list of things that I've tried that are supposed to be "can't hurt" but didn't prevent the problem either: Dose every other day with Shrimp Fit (very small dose, and the shrimp seem to like it) Sotching Oxydator Seachem Purigen to keep the nitrates lower Keeping the pH below 5.5 with peat Things that I don't do often, so could possibly "reset" the tank back to a good streak, are gravel vac and plant trim, so maybe time to try those again. One other problem I used to have was that sometimes a shrimp would suddenly stop eating with a full or partially full digestive tract that doesn't clear out, and then the shrimp will die within a few days.  I suspected it was one of the foods in my rotation - Shrimp Nature Infection, which contains a bunch of herbal plant things.  I've had this in my food rotation for a few years now and generally didn't seem to cause problems, but I removed it from the rotation anyway.  I don't have a lot of adult Golden Bees at this point so I can't really tell if it worked or not. Overall the tank is not too bad - during the good streaks occasionally a shrimp will get berried and hatch babies with a 33-50% survival rate.  So while there are fewer adults now, there are also a bunch of babies roaming around.  I guess this tank will stagger on, but I really do need to take the time to start up a new tank.  (or figure out the problem)
    • jayc
      If that is the offspring, then the parents are unlikely to be PRL. I tend to agree with you. There are very few PRLs in Australia. And any that claim to be needs to show proof. PRL genes have to start as PRL. CRS that breed true after x generations doesn't turn it into a PRL. Neither can a Taiwan bee shrimp turn into a PRL despite how ever many generations. I've never seen a PRL with that sort of red colour. I have on Red Wines and Red Shadows - Taiwan bee shrimps. So somewhere down the line one of your shrimp might have been mixed with Taiwan bees and is no longer PRL. It just tanks one shrimp to mess up the genes of a whole colony. 
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Sorry, missed this one somehow! The PRL look fantastic and the odd ones look part PRL and part Red wine/Red shadow in the colour. They are still very beautiful but ideally should be seperated to help keep the PRL clean if you can do that.  Nice clear photos!
×
×
  • Create New...