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Here we are: nicknamed Noodle, Noo-boy and Noo-girl, the 3 Microphis cruentus Juliet, the Microphis brachyurus female Juliet and her Romeo, Noo-girl at the bottom Noodle, the first Microphis cruentus she caught, the smaller one (younger probably)

Put them into the tank over 2 hours ago. Turned the light on quickly to have a look, no visible corpses and they seem to be enjoying themselves picking away at the wood. Fingers crossed, no major diasters yet. I know I shouldn't have, but I tipped them in, along with the water when I was acclimitising them in. Was bloody hard to net them in the bottom of the bucket. Edit - Even in the dark, its great to final see some life in the tank ?

You're fine as you are, you want some KH! You can slowly reduce the TDS by topping up the tank with just RO water, it is ok at 252 but that is pretty much regarded as the upper level (150-250). From here in you don't need to do ALL the tests every time just use the TDS when preparing new water and I would aim for about 200-220 when mixing new water as that way you have quite a margin for inaccuracy as it will probably be difficult to get it spot on anyway with the powder GH/KH+. As you are using the salty shrimp mineraliser that means the GH will tie in with the TDS anyway. Probably do fortnightly set of tests for the first few months just so you can be sure all is well? I'll keep my fingers crossed it is all plain sailing now! Enjoy watching your new shrimps and snails. Simon Edit - suddenly realised what I wrote! YOU SHOULD ALWAYS top up with RO water as evaporated water leaves everything in the tank water anyway. To get the TDS down you can mix the new water to TDS 200-220 when you do a water change, or even use just RO water for the water change if it is very small and dripped into the tank!

Thanks. I've got them drip acclimatising at the moment, 5 shrimp and 2 nerrite snails. CO2 is turned off, will keep it off for a few days. My TDS is 253. With my soil, is it worth switching to Salty Shrimp GH+, or should I keep using the GH/KH+

A small update. I have more shrimplets than I can count and numerous berried females too, which is great. I can see shrimplets of all sizes too, which indicates they're surviving nicely. Super stoked to see the population finally taking off. I imagine switching to RO water has been partly, if not totally, responsible for the uprated breeding and shrimplet survival. The pH has slowly dropped to around 6.8 since I started using it instead of tapwater. I'd also give some of the credit to the warmer weather with the change of season, but I've been here before and never had more than a couple berried at any time, and never had large numbers of babies. I realised I hadn't put a tank photo up recently. I cleaned it out months ago to make it easier to see the shrimp. This tank is really ugly, but its practical and the shrimp like it. I even leave the algae build-up on the rear glass in case they get something out of it haha.

Those parameters are fine. I don't see KH of 2 being a problem with shrimp.

I've been asking around. Could my Tropica Aquarium Soil be messing with my KH?

Did a big water change today using the Salty shrimp GH/KH+. Followed the direction for 1 scoop for every 10 lts. PH 6.52, GH is 7, but my KH is only 2! Why is my KH so low? I was hoping to get some shrimp tomorrow, is my KH too dangerous to attempt it? I do have Seachem alkaline buffer, but I understand that'll raise my PH as well. I do also own the acid buffer. But I want to avoid confusing matters if I can

Thank goodness. You don't want to mix PRL with CBS. It's so hard getting Pure Red Lines as it is. Keep up the good work.

I am sorry for some reasons the picture did not go through the last time ? Also, I am cycling 3 more tanks for a new journey with Taiwan Bee shrimps ?

For those of you that are unsure of the differences, I thought the below might help shed some light on these products. Most Asian manufacturers do not disclose the composition of their products unlike the German manufacturers, so there is a lot of uncertainty out there as to exactly what one puts in ones tank once the packet is opened. Firstly a bit about aquatic bacteria: most aquatic bacteria are slow- growing. This means that biofilm is produced slowly. Biofilm is a gel-like mucoid substance secreted by bacteria that they live in. Biofilm in aquaria are almost always gel-like. Because aquatic bacteria is often slow growing, the shrimp outstrips the biofilm faster than it can regrow. There are biofilm promoter products and direct biofilm products and combinations thereof. Genchem Biozyme is a biofilm promoter: if you look at the ingredients, it does not contain bacteria at all. It is partially digested starch and cellulose and enzymes which are utilised by bacteria to form biofilm. Shrimp eat the Biozyme directly as well. It is basically a food source for your aquarium bacteria and is also fine enough for baby shrimp to eat directly. Mosura BT-9 appears to be a mixture of bacteria found in aquariums to supplement your contained ecosystem to prevent sludge, increase ammonia-Nitrite-Nitrogen conversion cycle and to outcompete pathogenic bacteria for food by established colonies that are present rather than growth speed. Because none of the ingredients are disclosed it is impossible to say what is in BT-9, but based on my experiments, it is the slower growing aquatic bacteria, but it does form a nice biofilm over time if you do not have large shrimp populations that strip it bare. I cannot comment on other ingredients in the product as it is not disclosed. Overdosing fouls the water. Queue the new generation products: someone asked the question wether it is possible to add an ‘artificial’ bacteria that grows fast enough not to be outstripped of biofilm faster than the shrimp can eat it? Pediococcus Acidilactici is a lactic acid bacteria that is temperature stable, grows well in pH 1 -6.2 ( grows a bit slower in high pH but still grows faster than natural aquarium bacteria) and is an ideal food source for shrimplets and the cell division rate of this bacteria is fast. It does not naturally occur in aquaria. Bacillus Subtilis is a bacteria found in nature from your intestines to plant leaves and outcompetes pathogenic fungus and bacteria for resources. It is very heavily used in agriculture like mango farming. It is not a direct food source for shrimp, but undoubtedly keeps your aquarium healthier based on controlled trials. Glasgarten Bacter AE contains both the Pediococcus Acidilactici and Bacillus Subtilis as well as amino acids, enzymes and vitamins to activate the bacteria. When used as directed, it grows lactic acid bacteria biofilm fast and greatly increases shrimplet survival as result as there is constantly biofilm available as a food source. Overdosing fouls the water. A similar product available is ShrimpyDaddy Revive Vita that definitely contains a lactobacillus. Genchem Polytase does not contain Lactobacillus, but does contain Bacillus Subtilis, so does Dr Tim's probiotic. Why is there a possible shrimp death warning on the Bacter AE container?: if you do not use an Oxydator in your aquarium and you add a large amount of Bacter AE to your tank, the bacteria will grow extremely fast and use up most of the oxygen in a poorly oxygenated tank, possibly leading to shrimp death. This will not happen if you follow instructions and aerate your aquarium well. This is only a risk if you add a very large amount of Bacter AE.