PH tolerance through generations

[Jordan]

Hi Shrimp lovers,

I tried to google this but could not find a result, I'm sorry if this is over asked or simple.

As shrimp (for conversion sake let's say cherry) have varying degrees of PH tolerance, if you raised the female in a PH for 6.5 for example but before releasing her shrimplets you (safely and properly) acclimate her to a 7.5 or even 8, would the shrimplets be acclimated or would this shock them too much? 

I've also been told PH preference is generational so even a shrimp that is 4rd generation from a 6.5 tank great grandparent, it would not like a PH 8 even if it's direct parent lived it's whole life in the 8? (This second question seemed dubious to me but I thought I'd ask anyways)

I hope this makes sense.

 

TYIA.

[sdlTBfanUK]

My (very limited) understanding is that PH varies anyway, day and night to a certain extent and I 'believe' that shrimps can be fine outside the normal range if the variance is slow.

For instance I had hundreds of Taiwan bee shrimps in a tank that started at the ideal PH of 5.5 for nearly a year, I had (assumption) rock in the tank and over the period of over a year or two the PH went up (assuming the PH buffering of the substrate was exhausted) to over 8 without any shrimp becoming obviously ill or dying. All the other parameters didn't change much in the whole tank time. I removed the rock and was hoping to reduce the PH back to the 'BEST' range (would have taken a long time to be done safely), but before I finished that the heater stuck on and wiped out the tank occupants (gutted), but the PH never seemed to bother the shrimps even at way over their 'acceptable' range and I assume that was because it happened so slowly over a long period so they adapted? As my tank was over-run anyway, I don't actually know though whether they were still breeding normally at the high PH?

The example you mention in the post I would think cherry shrimp would be fine anyway in a range of 6.5 to 8 and as long as they are acclimated slowly enough anywhere in that range would be ok. I BELIEVE that at PH 6.5 they don't breed as much as they do at higher PH?

With my experience above, it shows that even sensitive shrimp (taiwan bee etc) may be ok outside the 'acceptable' range but it has to be done so gradually/slowly. If I bought some new Taiwan bee and had put them in PH8 they would almost certainly have died even with a days acclimating! 

I'm not surprised you can't find anything about it as I doubt anyone has tried to find out, and to a certain extent why would they (?) as it doesn't really seem to mean anything without knowing why you are asking or trying to accomplish by knowing the answer?

Simon

[jayc]

Each species of shrimp do well in a specific range.

In the cherry shrimp example, you wouldn't want to keep them in 6.5 pH, even if they acclimated to that low pH. Alternatively, you wouldn't want to keep them at 8 pH, the other extreme. They may acclimate to it and survive, but they wont thrive and will be more susceptible to diseases. What I'm trying to say is, if you are given a range where the shrimp will tolerate, try to pick the middle point and stick with it. pH stability is as important as setting the right pH.

Shrimplets born in a tank of pH 8 will be acclimated to pH 8. BUT they will do better in pH 7.2.

You didn't find many search results because no one recommends keeping cherry shrimp at pH 8, which is the upper most extreme of their tolerance. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean they wont survive in pH 8, I'm sure some one will tell me that their shrimp are doing fine in pH 8, BUT to them I say, they will do better in pH 7.2 (the middle of their tolerable range).

 

pH tolerance is just like temperature tolerance. Cherry shrimp might tolerate up to 28degC. But no one tries to acclimate cherries to 28degC. Because long term exposure to such extreme parameters will cause disease or worse, death to the shrimp.

- Long term exposure to high pH means that your KH is also high.

- High KH water means it's hard water.

- And hard water means shrimps have a harder time moulting and their eggs are harder leading to a more difficult time in fertilising and hatching. <-- so while you can change the pH of your tank, you can't change this !

[sdlTBfanUK]

You explain it much better and clearer than I could JayC!

Simon