Tank Reset - What soil does everyone use?

[herrwibi]

Hi all,

Posted a few times with my CRS dying and it hasn't stopped. Tried to do several big slow water changes but no success.

Looking to reset the tank and start again . What soil does everyone use and what should i use to clean the glass to make sure i kill anything that's on the glass etc. Potentially looking at Bluebolt's but i'm determined to crack CRS.

Thanks. 

[sdlTBfanUK]

The substrate I used with some success is not available anywhere. When I retried with the shrimp king substrate it didn't work but I can't be completely sure the substrate was the cause of the failure, but I won't use that one if/when I try again! Here is a link to my usual suppliers active substrates so you can see what is available in the UK. I would recommend you get a different one to the one you have tried, but it probably isn't that that is the problem if it is made specificaly for shrimps and/or plants. Many active substrates require a 'run-in' period of some sort before adding creatures so you will need to bare that in mind - you can probably just do that first part in a bucket?  If unsure you could call ProSchrimp and ask what they use themselves?

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/55-active-substrate

Usually bleach would be used to clean the tank and anything else in the tank, but obviously you will need to be sure to remove all traces of that before setting the tank up again!

If you are going to start again then you should try some different GH+, one specifically made for shrimps, I use the shrimp king as below but there are others like salty shrrimp (pro shrimp seem to be out of stock of these, but you could call them). If it is shrimp specific then it will always be the perfect ph/gh/tds balance when used with RO water!

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/shrimp-king/803-shrimp-king-mineral-fluid-double-gh-4001615061413.html

Is your taiwan bee tank still doing ok? If so, are the water parameters in the usual range in that tank as you were having something throwing them out in the CRS tank if I recall correctly?

If you are getting new shrimp then try from a different source as it may be they were poor quality? ProShrimp do sell them, but if you are resetting the tank best not get new ones for a few months. If the taiwan bee are doing well and the tanks were set up the same then logically it may be the shrimp?

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/crystal-bee-shrimp/482-10-crystal-red-bee-shrimp-a-s.html

Sorry to hear you are still having problems, I just hope the taiwan bee tank is at least doing ok.

[jayc]

It might be easier if you can tell us what substrate you have access to.

We could list items that you can't buy or find.

[beanbag]

an old standard is Amazonia or the newer Amazonia 2.

[herrwibi]

On 9/29/2023 at 9:18 AM, sdlTBfanUK said:

The substrate I used with some success is not available anywhere. When I retried with the shrimp king substrate it didn't work but I can't be completely sure the substrate was the cause of the failure, but I won't use that one if/when I try again! Here is a link to my usual suppliers active substrates so you can see what is available in the UK. I would recommend you get a different one to the one you have tried, but it probably isn't that that is the problem if it is made specificaly for shrimps and/or plants. Many active substrates require a 'run-in' period of some sort before adding creatures so you will need to bare that in mind - you can probably just do that first part in a bucket?  If unsure you could call ProSchrimp and ask what they use themselves?

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/55-active-substrate

Usually bleach would be used to clean the tank and anything else in the tank, but obviously you will need to be sure to remove all traces of that before setting the tank up again!

If you are going to start again then you should try some different GH+, one specifically made for shrimps, I use the shrimp king as below but there are others like salty shrrimp (pro shrimp seem to be out of stock of these, but you could call them). If it is shrimp specific then it will always be the perfect ph/gh/tds balance when used with RO water!

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/shrimp-king/803-shrimp-king-mineral-fluid-double-gh-4001615061413.html

Is your taiwan bee tank still doing ok? If so, are the water parameters in the usual range in that tank as you were having something throwing them out in the CRS tank if I recall correctly?

If you are getting new shrimp then try from a different source as it may be they were poor quality? ProShrimp do sell them, but if you are resetting the tank best not get new ones for a few months. If the taiwan bee are doing well and the tanks were set up the same then logically it may be the shrimp?

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/crystal-bee-shrimp/482-10-crystal-red-bee-shrimp-a-s.html

Sorry to hear you are still having problems, I just hope the taiwan bee tank is at least doing ok.

Thank you , I've looked about and decided on master soil . I was tempted by ada but it's not really available in the UK or hard to come by . I have something similar called qualdrop gh + lc. Works the same as powder but its a liquid form. Salty shrimp powder is too hit or a miss and I can get accurate doses with liquid . 

I'm not sure if my issue is a bacteria infection as all parameters are fine in the crystal tank tds - 115 gh - 6 kh - 0/1 ph 5.86. I've dosed some hydrogen peroxide 3% in and the last two remaining shrimp seem to have picked up a bit. This was dosed on Friday.  I'm tempted to do another dose to are if it helps and kill anything else remaining.

My taiwan/ mischling is doing extremely well with similar parameters apart from tds is around 130 . I've never seen so many babies before .  I got more crystals from somewhere else of high quality from a breeder . I can only guess bacteria infection ? 

[sdlTBfanUK]

I shall have to try a different GH+ next time as I also used a liquid one by dennerle but I think that is another discontinued line, hopefully I have a spare so I should be ok for a while. If the taiwan bees are doing well then what you are using must be ok!

If you only have 2 crs left then it would be best not to put those in the new setup as they may be carrying something and at least then you reduce the risk of a re-occurance. The new setup will need to run a month or two anyway without shrimps. Obviously anything you will be re-using from this tank will need to be treated/cleaned as that may also transfer the problem, or just get new if you are using cheap stuff as that will be safer overall.

When the new tank is put together you can use any water chane water from the taiwan bee tank as that will help. If you are using sponge filters then IF THEY ARE NEW you can just leave (float) those in the taiwan bee tank for a couple of weeks to help seed those - do not do that with sponge (or anything else) etc that has been used in the crs tank though as that will put the taiwan bee tank at risk!

Would love to see a recent photo of the taiwan bees if you have one, and look forward to reading updates on the new setup!

[herrwibi]

I would highly recommend qual drop gh+lc extremely easy to use and all you have to do is give the water a quick stir and all is good. I could recommend the place i get my stuff from if its allowed or could send you a message.

My plan was to put them in a holding tank and see how they get on . I'm looking at no shrimp at least until December which will give it time to cycle. My plan of attack is to clean the water down with hydrogen peroxide 3%, rinse thoroughly with water after. All plants removed and discarded, as for the filters and rocks i was thinking of dipping them in tap water and refilling the bucket every 3 hours. The chlorine will kill all the bacteria or it should ? fill back up to a tds 120 and a gh around 5/6.

Nothing from the crystal tank is being put in the taiwan bee tank.   That one is running to smooth for me to disturb it. Lights should be on soon so will post once they are one. 

[herrwibi]

Hope these linke are OK.  Files are too big to upload through the website .

https://ibb.co/n3NBkFr
https://ibb.co/QKk4Bn0
https://ibb.co/GtpRhXf
https://ibb.co/Xs0HKmH
https://ibb.co/CtRX2X3

[sdlTBfanUK]

That is a fabulous tank, is it built into a wall or partition. Love the simplicity of the layout, you can see lots of shrimp - I tend to overcrowd mine with plants so don't get to see so many shrimp.

Great to hear that this tank is doing well and you have quite a few shrimp in there! Especially like the panda and blue bolt in the photos.

As you have so many crs in this tank you shouldn't need to buy any more for your reset tank so that will be great and you know the shrimp are good quality and healthy, and that will make a bit of room in this tank for the next generation at the same time? You may experience the slowing down or stopping breeding for winter, though not everyone has that?

Thanks for the photos!

[herrwibi]

1 hour ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

That is a fabulous tank, is it built into a wall or partition. Love the simplicity of the layout, you can see lots of shrimp - I tend to overcrowd mine with plants so don't get to see so many shrimp.

Great to hear that this tank is doing well and you have quite a few shrimp in there! Especially like the panda and blue bolt in the photos.

As you have so many crs in this tank you shouldn't need to buy any more for your reset tank so that will be great and you know the shrimp are good quality and healthy, and that will make a bit of room in this tank for the next generation at the same time? You may experience the slowing down or stopping breeding for winter, though not everyone has that?

Thanks for the photos!

Thank you, i enjoy a simple scape although i really need to try and take both sections of subwassertang out for a trim. They have just gone mad. 

Things are doing great in this tank, i love my red wines as well bit couldn't find any at the time of taking a photo. 

There is but i'm not sure they would breed true, i suppose it could be a project for me to breed them true but wouldn't know where to start. My other project i was thinking is just blue bolts in that tank , i love the colour. 

I also suffer from slow breeding in winter although i've never had so much success with my taiwans/mischling that i hope it continues. 

Edited October 1, 2023 by herrwibi

[sdlTBfanUK]

It may be worth holding off on the subwassertang as when you set up the new tank you can then use it in there?

I think I could see a few red wine, if they aren't full size, could just have been the light though! There are 3 half size white shrimp with a red head between the large crs in the third photo of the sponge (about half way down), they are beautiful also .They may just be crs but the photo looks redder than those, but may again just be the light!

My overall favourites are blue bolts also. I would use some of the crs though for about 3 months as a tester before getting blue bolts for the re-setup tank, you can then remove the crs. You have lots of the crs and you know they are healthy so it makes sense to use them (free) to 'test' that all is ok first, before getting the blue bolts! It will help mentally also, just think how devastated you would be if for some reason the blue bolts died because there is a problem (you won't know with them whether it was the shrimp or the setup), whereas you would still be upset with the crs dying but not as much - they were free and you have plenty of others in the other tank.

If you want blue bolts only in the tank you may well get offspring of other colour/pattern depending on the genes of the parents, but then they can be moved to the other tank. ie Blue bolt mother and blue bolt father may create something not blue bolt, depending on the genes etc. 

[herrwibi]

I've attached a small bit to the rock as the tank is currently cycling that had the crystal reds in it .

I've always been torn between blue bolts and shadow pandas but blue bolts always wins. I never thought about taking some from my other tank and using them a tester but that is a good plan, saves me getting some blue bolts and then all of a sudden i have a big issue again. Hopefully not .

That's why i am glad i have the bigger tank and also any of the lighter blue bolts can go into the bigger tank for culling.

I've attached a few more favourite. My favourite shrimp which i think this is correct is an extreme bkk . I've also got a photo of one of my many red wines. 

https://ibb.co/BVhDMMK
https://ibb.co/42Q3ZYc
https://ibb.co/gTD403T

[sdlTBfanUK]

I hope everything is going well and to plan?

[herrwibi]

Everything is going well so far. Tank was scrubbed down with hydrogen peroxide 3% and then rinse throughly with a house . Filters were left in tap water for several hours

Tank is currently cycling since the 1st . I'm shower all 3 ammonia/Nitrites and Nitrates which is confusing as its only been cycling a week and a bit . 

I'm looking tonget wome galaxy fishbones this time as I have seen them in person and are really interesting . Same parameters as caridina and there is a breeder near me .