New Shrimp, Any Females?

[kookyxogirl]

On 2/6/2020 at 5:14 PM, DreamBlueVelvet said:

Hello I have recently purchased 7 Dream Blue Velvet Shrimp. The source where I have received them claims they send young adults and that they should be ready to breed. I’ve been trying to find out if there are any females but they all look the same besides some size differences and some not as saturated in color as others. I’m not sure if they are all males, or maybe they are too young to identify their sex or if I’m not experienced enough to tell the difference. Any input will be appreciated, thank you.

Beautiful shrimp!

[Crabby]

37 minutes ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

What is a good way to lower KH?

Well if you are doing water changes with RO water then simply remineralise with a GH increaser only. That should make it naturally drop. Be aware that dropping KH will also cause your pH to drop. 
If you want to use a chemical to reduce KH, I’ve heard seachem acid buffer works. Otherwise simply use some Indian almond leaves, which you should do anyway for food, and your driftwood slowly degrading should soften the KH a bit.

[DreamBlueVelvet]

47 minutes ago, Crabby said:

Well if you are doing water changes with RO water then simply remineralise with a GH increaser only. That should make it naturally drop. Be aware that dropping KH will also cause your pH to drop. 
If you want to use a chemical to reduce KH, I’ve heard seachem acid buffer works. Otherwise simply use some Indian almond leaves, which you should do anyway for food, and your driftwood slowly degrading should soften the KH a bit.

If I do a water change with the reverse osmosis and use the GH increase, how would I control the TDS?

My tap water is 12 GH 10 KH 390 TDS

Edited February 8, 2020 by DreamBlueVelvet

[Crabby]

Wow! That is some seriously hard water! Was the tank filled up with tap or RO to begin with?

In terms of TDS I have no idea. I dose ferts, and that will come up in a tds test so I just don’t bother measuring that. Inaccurate data is nearly as bad as no data. The mods can probably help you with that one.

Another way you could do your water changes is 25% dechlorinated tap, and 75% RO remineralised with GH only. That should get you a good mix going into the tank. Not sure how much it’ll help for dropping it immediately though.

As Simon always says, if it’s working, don’t change it! There’s no use chasing the perfect parameters if your shrimp are doing fine. Stable but slightly off parameters are still better than constantly changing ones.

Edited February 9, 2020 by Crabby

[DreamBlueVelvet]

I was using all tap during cycling, before I got my shrimp a few days ago I drained maybe 35% and filled with reverse osmosis to get my tds down to 200, I’ve had 2 successful molts. I’ve heard stable parameters are the most important but if I can control all the parameters using reverse osmosis water then I would love to do it that way as long as I can keep it stable. I just don’t know that route as in chemicals, which parameter to match first ect

[jayc]

4 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

What is a good way to lower KH?

Reverse Osmosis water, rain water, a mature filter will naturally lower pH as well. Lots of driftwood, dried leaves (eg dried Indian Almod Leaves or Katappa leaves, Oak). Anything organic like wood and leaves will reduce KH and pH.

 

4 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

Would you recommend any products to buffer reverse osmosis water to get my desired KH and GH levels?

As Crabby mentioned, you want something that buffers GH only. Something like

Salty Shrimp GH+, 

Shrimp King Bee Salt GH+

GlasGarten Liquid Mineral GH+

Borneo Wild GH+

They are pretty much all the same. But these are specific to shrimp, you can get stuff like Seachem Equilibrium, which isn't designed for shrimps, as it lacks the appropriate Calcium content. When you get confident enough, I have a DIY recipe for making your own RO remineraliser in the "Water Parameters" section of this forum. If you can get the ingredients, it will save you some money.

 

4 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

And what would be an easy way to get my correct TDS?

A TDS pen !! Measure your change water, add enough of the remineraliser as required to bring it to the ideal TDS level for your type of shrimp.

 

4 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

Also based off of my KH and GH I should have the correct PH right? 

KH impacts pH. GH measures how much Calcium and Magnesium is in your water. 

So KH affects pH more.

 

4 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

Basically it’s hard for me to understand how to get TDS, PH, GH, KH all perfect. Which do I work on first or what is your process/products?

All very good questions, and should be asked by anyone new and starting out in shrimp keeping.

This can be a complex question to answer, and there are multiple ways of answering this, and multiple correct answers.

The easiest way to influence all these parameters so that you get it in the ideal range for your shrimp is to use RO or rain water and remineralise it.

It's like starting from a clean sheet of paper to write a letter. 

RO water will reset all these parameters, and remineralisers will bring it back to the right level with the aid of a TDS pen. Remineralisers only put back what is needed for a living creature to survive in pure water.  So TDS, GH, KH and pH will be at the ideal range.

If RO water or rain water is not an option, than lowering KH first is key, as it brings down pH. GH is a close second. The catch is how you lower these parameters ... you still need RO or rain water. 

Keep up with the questions. We are here to help. SKFA are a bunch of helpful people from all around the world.

Hope that helps.

[jayc]

2 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

I was using all tap during cycling, before I got my shrimp a few days ago I drained maybe 35% and filled with reverse osmosis to get my tds down to 200

Tap water is great for cycling the tank. Wait until you are certain the tank is cycled and can process ammonia into Nitrates. Then change out 99% of the tank with RO water remineralised to TDS 140-150. All your parameters like GH, KH and pH will fall in line as well. 

 

2 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

stable parameters are the most important but if I can control all the parameters using reverse osmosis water

Correct. And RO water + remineralise + TDS pen is the correct way of doing it. 

 

2 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

I just don’t know that route as in chemicals, which parameter to match first ect

Match TDS measurement. Aim for 140 - 150, that will suit almost all shrimps, unless you are keeping Sulawesi type of shrimps.

[sdlTBfanUK]

I thought your shrimp may have problems moulting but if they aren't and all is going well don't rush into anything.

From the above I would just carry on with doing your planned normal maintenance/water changes regime. Use RO water plus GH/KH+ and remineralise to 200ish from here onwards for the new water as that is the same as the tank (as JayC states). What you will in affect be doing is removing water of KH6 and putting water of KH 3 or 4 in the tank so it will gradually go down. You could speed up the process by buying just GH+ (as per Crabby) which will mean you remove KH6 and replace with KH0 but that will mean buying that product as well which will be a bit of a waste long term as GH/KH+ is the one for cherry shrimp with RO water, and if everything is going well and you have no problems at present then adjusting too quick or too large/often may actually cause a problem!

Topping up from evaporation should be RO water only.

The commercial products for GH/KH+ will all be balanced to produce GH and KH to a ratio of 2:1 so using these products you only need to mix it with RO water to a desired TDS and forget the other tests when mixing the new water.  The GH+ obviously doesn't have any KH in it but will be balanced for TDS and GH suitable for bee shrimps using RO water. Both also help get the desired PH for the shrimp they are designed for.

I'm not sure how you are getting RO water but in USA there is a ZEROWATER filter jug (I use it here in UK) available everywhere (Walmart and probably direct via a website etc) as it is an american product? The filters may not last very long with such hard water and such a large tank but it is certainly the easiest (and in USA probably cheap) way to get RO water from tap water! Often it comes with a TDS pen. Other makes of filter jugs don't remove everything!

Also as mentioned by others, dried leaves are good, especially Indian Almond leaves.

Simon

[DreamBlueVelvet]

Ok great, I thought it would be more difficult than that. I’ll buy the remineralizer and I’ll test all my tank parameters as well. I’ve heard KH is one of the most important parameters for shrimp so I will have to change it slowly. How slowly would I change the KH down, I heard 1-2 KH per week max?

I have a TDS pen and I get reverse osmosis water for 27 cents a gallon from Walmart.

If I have all my parameters set and the water is at 150 TDS when do I do a water change if my nitrates stay at 0? I have a lot of the Frogbit plant and I believe my bioload is low enough for the plant to process it. I believe I would change the water when the TDS gets to a certain number correct?

Thanks for the help 

[DreamBlueVelvet]

10 hours ago, jayc said:

Salty Shrimp GH+, 

Shrimp King Bee Salt GH+

GlasGarten Liquid Mineral GH+

Borneo Wild GH+

Would I add one of these and then use a KH product as well if I want to stick to only RO water?

To match GH I can just use the TDS pen but for KH I would have to use the API KH test kit correct?

Thanks

[sdlTBfanUK]

I wouldn't change the KH that quickly? If you can cope with it (it is a large tank) I would get the GH/KH+ and change 20% each week for a month (then check where you are etc, tank should be APPROX Gh4.8 after 4 weeks by my maths-roughly .3 each change), mixing the new water to the same TDS but putting the new water in gradually/slowly (dripper or similar fine tubing, if you have it). This would just be to alter the KH as such a large tank with so few shrimp you probably don't need to do any water change/maintenance at this stage? Shrimp have a low bioload anyway.

Hopefully by a month you may even have baby shrimps?

If you want to reduce the TDS to 150 do the same and the GH/KH will reduce a bit quicker but all this is slow enough that I wouldn't bother testing the tank too often, maybe after 2 weeks if you really want to? Just measure the TDS of the new water and the remineraliser is already BALANCED for PH/KH/GH!

It doesn't make a lot of sense to get GH+ and then get KH+, you might as well buy the GH/KH+?

When up to normal you can probably do a water change once a month of 20% and even that may be unnecessary in reality but probably a good idea to do anyway. Unless you get a lot of evaporation the TDS in such a big tank is unlikely to fluctuate much! Top up between should just be RO water!

Simon

[DreamBlueVelvet]

Ok thanks, I purchased the GH/KH+ which should arrive by Feb. 14th. I tested my water parameters and they are 

GH 8

KH 7

PH 8

Nitrate 0

TDS 204

Today I will drain 10% and refill with only RO and then when the KH/GH+ comes in I will match the TDS and change out 20% per week correct? Instead of using the dripper method can I put in maybe 2 gallons per hour at a time in a 3 hour period?

Thanks

[sdlTBfanUK]

That sounds like a good plan.

You can use a bucket and if you have some airline or similar and just let the water flow through to the tank from the bucket which would be easy to set up IF you can put the bucket on top of the tank?

Simon

[DreamBlueVelvet]

What would be a good GPH flow rate?

Also I just bought an extra 10 gallon tank today that will be a glass bottom when I cull the light colored shrimp. What is a good ratio of females to males for the main tank if I want maximum breeding?

Thanks

[Crabby]

You would probably want an even mix of males to females, preferably more females though. Don’t need an exact ratio. 
In terms of GPH I usually try to do at least 4-5 times of the tank per hour, but you don’t have to do it that way with shrimp. Maybe 2, 3 times the tank’s size? More if you can but as it’s with shrimp only it really isn’t necessary. What type of filter are you looking at?

[DreamBlueVelvet]

48 minutes ago, Crabby said:

You would probably want an even mix of males to females, preferably more females though. Don’t need an exact ratio. 
In terms of GPH I usually try to do at least 4-5 times of the tank per hour, but you don’t have to do it that way with shrimp. Maybe 2, 3 times the tank’s size? More if you can but as it’s with shrimp only it really isn’t necessary. What type of filter are you looking at?

Oh I meant when I’m putting new water in with low KH how slowly would I introduce that water so I do not shock/hurt the shrimp using the acclimation method for water changes

[Crabby]

Oh sorry that’s my bad, I didn’t understand what you meant by that. If you have a spare airline tube, maybe just drip from a bucket into the tank for that. If you want to do it slowly. Maybe try to space it out over half an hour to an hour, and do some other stuff while it’s filling up.

[DreamBlueVelvet]

New setup, now just waiting on my GH+/KH+

[Crabby]

That looks really nice!

[DreamBlueVelvet]

Another successful molt today ?

I saw a male and a female there earlier today, but she is not berried. Not sure if the male molted or if the female is still forming her eggs. Today was the first day that I saw shrimp swimming around my tank, so maybe the female did molt but is still premature

On 2/9/2020 at 6:30 PM, Crabby said:

That looks really nice!

Thank you ?

Picture of the female I saw earlier where the molt occurred 

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by DreamBlueVelvet

[DreamBlueVelvet]

Actually it was this one, they look the same lol

[jayc]

It all sounds like it is going well @DreamBlueVelvet

Test the TDS of your RO water so you know what TDS it is. Always goo to know the parameters of your source of water.

[DreamBlueVelvet]

19 minutes ago, jayc said:

It all sounds like it is going well @DreamBlueVelvet

Test the TDS of your RO water so you know what TDS it is. Always goo to know the parameters of your source of water.

I checked it a few days ago, only checked TDS and PH

TDS 24

PH 6, the lowest color on my API test kit(maybe I can check this one again because I thought it should be 7)

And the shrimps I have received from seller the PH was 6.6 TDS 195, luckily my TDS was spot on in the tank. It’s been 5 days and all 7 have survived, I acclimated them for 2 hours

[jayc]

1 hour ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

TDS 24

PH 6, the lowest color on my API test kit(maybe I can check this one again because I thought it should be 7)

TDS 24 means that the manufacturer's system is in need of a filter change. It's very common that bought RO water is not TDS 0. So keep that in mind when remineralising.

pH6 is normal for RO water. No need to worry there.

 

1 hour ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

And the shrimps I have received from seller the PH was 6.6 TDS 195, luckily my TDS was spot on in the tank. It’s been 5 days and all 7 have survived, I acclimated them for 2 hours

Isn't it so much easier with a TDS pen? Survival rates are always better when you have the right tools to match water parameters. Good luck, hope you get lots of shrimplets.

[sdlTBfanUK]

13 hours ago, DreamBlueVelvet said:

What would be a good GPH flow rate?

Also I just bought an extra 10 gallon tank today that will be a glass bottom when I cull the light colored shrimp. What is a good ratio of females to males for the main tank if I want maximum breeding?

Thanks

If you are using a small diameter airline to get the water from the bucket into the tank you can probably just let it run straight through as you are using such a big tank, if it looks too fast some people tie a knot in the line so it drips but usually they are much smaller quantities of water in much small tanks. 

Great photos!

The ratio of around 3:1 would seem to be a good ratio as obviously the males role is brief and he can go on to the next one. You don't need to get too many females though as they have 30 babies a month each so within a few months you will be amazed, and the babies will also have babies after 3 months as well? In fact I wouldn't even think of getting any more at this point, let it run for a couple of months and concentrate on doing the gradual water adjustment?

 Simon