Just a couple of CRS myths

[sajica]

I've heard quite a few things from different people while I've been traveling on my shrimp journey and I'll admit I'm still green at it. For those that don't know, we've been having a typical Perth heatwave over here. I don't pay attention to the weather, but it's been bloody hot. Over 30 -35 degrees for the past week.

Now we all know that CRS don't have a high temperature tolerance, that's not a shock. So 1 CRS tank has been sitting at around 25/26- 27degrees C. Which I'm told is danger territory. To expect mass deaths, mayhem and cataclysmic tank crashes. I've been lucky in that respect.

That CRS don't breed, breed as well or frequently in hot weather. It made it sound like I wasn't going to get anything until it cooled down.

Now I'll admit that It's hot and if I had my choice, I'd have a chiller but for bog standard CRS, it's not really worth it.

With all the above points, hearsay as they may be. I now have my first berried CRS female. I won't say "Mythbusted" but from things I've been told by some people. It's a nice little suprise.

[Robert]

Everyone makes it seem like they are such a hard creature to keep yet i find them easier then keeping most fish.

My water comes straight from the tap and i have never seen a death because of it.

Regarding temperature, the higher the temperature the more activity youll get out of them but youll get to a point where it is too warm for their system to function and the enzymes within the shrimp start to denature. In months/weeks when i go on holiday i tend to drop my temperature, in the winter months let it sit at 17-18 degrees and theyll be less active but i am prolonging their life, when i want to get them breeding again all i have to do is pop a heater in the tank. Higher the temperature the more breeding youll get but they wont live as long. Its like putting their life on fast forward.

[BlueBolts]

There are several other factors associated with this. If the tank's WP, TDS/Ec, DOC...are all great, air is pumped via air stone or sponge (i.e. good surface agitation/circulation) and with weekly WC, then generally the CRS's would be OK for several days, at a high temp.

But for many new hobbyist, where WP isn't checked and followed, no water change is conducted frequently enough, over feeding etc, the sensitivity of the eco balance of the tank would just crash, or be accelerated, causing issues. If you have a new tank, where DOC is fresh and low, then the better the chances of survival.

Tap water is generally OK. I had my fist CRS success using tap water, at TDS over 450ppm.. But I did the frequent water change etc...to keep things "fresh". O2 in these situations I believe is critical. But tap water do possess many potential issues too, a break/repair in the main pipe, and/or additional mineral/chemical added during the purification (and maybe detrimental to shrimps) of our drinking water, can cause unknown and unexplain deaths.....that's why I only use RO water, so that if sorting goes array, I can eliminate the tap water.

With high grade/rare shrimps, it's just ain't worth it.

[jacet]

I have found with my CRS 10-15% wc a week light gravel clean in a small area or where it is the most flithy and only clean the front glass... As for temp i was battling it for a while but went stuff it and now I have not lost one in a couple of weeks when I did not worry to much about it... I was told that they can live up near 30 for a day or so if you have good water and good surface movement with an air stone.. I was told dont clean the tank as they like it dirty....

[sajica]

If I had REALLY fancy shrimp I'd be investing in RO units and chillers and measuring TDS, but I don't have anything that fancy or expensive to warrant that at the moment.

Just an update. Sadly the berried female died. I've tried to rescue the eggs and have them tumbling away atm, so hopefully I get something and I have my second CRS berried :)

[al4n]

Real question is will the shrimplets survive.

[Naraic]

Update on tumbled eggs saj?...