Jump to content

Winter Water Changes & Temperature


BlueBolts

Recommended Posts

Shrimps are sensitive to water parameter changes, and temperature is no exception. As the temperature drops, and winter approaches, I trust this thread will assist us with ideas/alternatives of techniques for WC (water changes).

Boss Aquaria has documented Automatic 24/7 Water within his rack system, and no doubt the advantages of this system in terms of water quality is phenomenal (i.e. zero nitrates …etc). No/minimal temperature fluctuation …. BUT for the rest of us….

1. RO/DI Water – Numerous hobbyist are now using RO/Di water, stored within drums/containers, and used when required. The best “manual†system I’ve seen is a tank, used solely to store the RO/DI water, aerated, with Indian Almond Leaves (IAL), heated to required tank temperature, and TDS/Ec balanced. This set-up ensures minimal WP fluctuations.

2. RO/DI Water – Stored in drums/containers, used as required, and temperature balance with hot water (filtered tap water). This is the system I’ve used, BUT extremely weary of the water quality (WQ) of my tap water (extremely high TDS – 350 +). Depending on whether it’s used for top ups or WC, I balanced the TDS/Ec accordingly.

3. RO/DI Water – Using the drip system, no temperature adjustment required due to the gradual introduction. Patience & time required here !

4. RO/DI Water – Time Lapse system, depending on the size of your tank, WC can be done by directly pouring into the tank over several “top upsâ€â€¦i.e. 5 liters is siphoned, and 1 liter per 15/30 minutes is poured into the tank, till completed. I occasionally use this if the RO/DI water & Tank Temp is within 0-2 degrees.

The above applies to hobbyist utilising tap water, with perhaps the use of a dechlorinator too. No doubt our QLD hobbyist, would not necessarily have these

Please add your comments, and share your experiences, as I’m sure there are numerous, and/or a combination of techniques used by us….

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great post BB. I keep my RO water in a container outside (with lid!) and so far temperature difference hasnt been an issue, but i drip in all my top up/ wc water anyway :encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member

I keep my water stored in smaller containers in the shrimp room. This summer I've had no problems but can see during winter my containers will fluctuate quite a bit. I usually boil a kettle of RO water and then mix it in with the few litres I need for water changes to within a degree or so then pour small amounts in over an hour period. I have small tanks and only small water changes so that works for me but it would be an issue if I had bigger tanks and more of- err 120 wasn't it BB. Great write BB made me stop and think! Will invest in a water drip system to make certain i don't shock my babies:encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ineke, I bought this bucket thing for dripping water. It's 6l and has a tap on the bottom. It also has grooves on the bottom so it sits securely on the corner of the tank. Might be somethign to consider? Mine has been invaluable so far, ive even used it for acclimitising new shrimps :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member

Where did you get that Torface? I'm having a bad seniors moment and can't think what the bag thingy that controls the drip rate is called and me an ex nurse DUH. I would be interested in something like yours but it may be too big for my little tanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I store my RO water inside as it would freeze if I left it outside here.

I don't worry about trying to heat the water as it is normally only a couple of deg cooler than the tanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i just pour my bucket in always have and never had any problems :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member

can anyone tell me what the plastic bottle drip controller water changer thingy is called- I know a lot of you use them and it's doing my head in trying to remember the name. It's like an intravenous bag

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi torface..would love to see a pic of this "bucket thing"...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member
i just pour my bucket in always have and never had any problems :)

I think as you get more sensitive shrimp a sudden water temperature change can cause problems but as I haven't had my shrimp over winter I don't really know. If the temperature between the 2 is not great it wouldn't do any harm but a bucket of cold water into a warm tank might cause a problem. Not too sure I want to take a chance but then I'm home with plenty of time to play so I don't mind adjusting the temp to suit.:encouragement:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member
Hi torface..would love to see a pic of this "bucket thing"...

yes so would I like to see a picture.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's the Up Aqua "Buffer Barrel". I use it for all my water changes and top ups. It sits nicely on the corner of my small tanks or my sump.

bucket1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some hobbyist use the intravenous from hospitals

4A5DBC23-5D4C-4F33-A98F-0173A5CDBDCB-14208-00000F97CB8E460C.jpg

Then there's this...

67B327B9-5BF2-4CC8-828F-0BFBB0437B55-14208-00000F97A74FAAB9.jpg

Aquakitz, forum sponsor sells it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member

Thanks BB I went on their site and couldn't see it but didn't know what to call it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks BB I went on their site and couldn't see it but didn't know what to call it.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE SWEETIE!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member
Thanks BB I went on their site and couldn't see it but didn't know what to call it.

Going to my vet now to pick up a giving set so I just need to put that into a bottle and set the drip rate ooooo just like going back to nursing white coat syndrome coming out again!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member
AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE SWEETIE!

oi who you calling sweetie little old ladies suffering seniors moments are anything but SWEET:victorious:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it is called a roller clamp. there is also a version called a slide clamp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I pierced a small hole in the bottom of a 3 litre milk container and stuck a T valve in the hole with alittle bit of airline to drip into the tank

i have it dripping 3 litres over about 18hrs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Durro68....wouldn't know that !

I pierced a small hole in the bottom of a 3 litre milk container and stuck a T valve in the hole with alittle but of airline to drip into the tank i have it dripping 3litres over about 18hrs
Nice simple DIY.....Thanks for sharing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So how do we send shrimp in winter now that overnight temperatures are dropping to 5degrees?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member

I've just bought the intravenous giving set- my memory came back:victorious: - from the vet and have a hole in the top of a 2 litre soft drink bottle which it fits into very nicely. The giving set slide roller allows you to set the drip rate at almost any rate you like. There is a little filler chamber at the top and you count the drops per 15 seconds (then multiply by 4 to get drops per minute) to set the rate easy peasy!! Just need to find some thing to suspend the bottle higher than the tank .

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...