As you may know, I have just started up a 60cm tank. I don’t have the expertise or lots of tanks to worry about so although I read JayC’s article of DIY remineralizing with great interest, I don’t think at this early stage I will try becoming an industrial chemist!

Tap water here is naturally soft GH around 3, KH 0, TDS 40, pH 6.6. Using Amazonia II substrate and cycling still. I am planning on trying CRS as they seem more foolproof even though perhaps what I can achieve is closer to other shrimp preferences. 

My question is, which mineralizer do you experts prefer? I saw Salty Shrimp mentioned, but the only one I have found is Salty Shrimp Sulawesi. There are so many other ready made ones that I am not sure which, or if I should buy one?

5 hours ago, DKC said:

I saw Salty Shrimp mentioned, but the only one I have found is Salty Shrimp Sulawesi. There are so many other ready made ones that I am not sure which

yeah, not sure what's up with the stock of Salty shrimp in Aus. What other brands have you found. If you list it we can give you guidance.

 

You want a GH only remineralizer. Not sure whats available in AU though...

 

Sulawesi not desired. You might need something to bump up TDS as well.

The two I can see on the shelf are API Aquarium salt and Seachem replenish. Online, I see Fluval mineral shrimp, Mosura mineral plus, Techden aquarium salt, Bee shrimp mineral from Salty shrimp, Shrimp mineral GH/KH from Salty Shrimp, Borneo wild GH up....

not sure if all available in Australia.

5 hours ago, DKC said:

Mosura mineral plus, Bee shrimp mineral from Salty shrimp, Borneo wild GH up

These are the ones you want to get.

The others are not suitable for CRS.

Thanks!

 

Edited February 24, 20197 yr by DKC

Oops...realised I typed CRS. Meant RCS...red cherry shrimp, or yellow or blue...

With buffering substrate, you still want GH only minerals.

Like Salty Bee Shrimp GH only (without KH) presumably.

You could also use Seachem Equilibrium, but I don't like it because it doesn't dissolve well.

wait... How did you get GH3 TDS 40?

14 hours ago, DKC said:

ops...realised I typed CRS. Meant RCS...red cherry shrimp, or yellow or blue...

Well that changes things.

But you have used Amazonia II for your substrate. You will just be fighting the pH lower qualities of the substrate with each water change. And the constant fluctuation between trying to get ideal conditions for RCS vs the substrate is just going to cause loads of stress on the shrimp.

Too late now, unless you plan on removing the ADA soil or start another tank. Just go with CRS or TBs.

Ok......

@jayc any pointers on where to source CRS or Tb’s from? I see some online stores but unsure of quality?

@beanbag, I don’t know about how GH3 and TDS 40 occurs. I tested tapwater...3 drops of the GH fluid therefore GH 3 right? And my TDS meter reads 40 ( or 38 or 44). .....what’s wrong with those numbers?

each GH is worth a minimum of 18 ppm

I think that (over here anyway) that 3 drops of GH means 2-3, ie more than 2 but up to 3, that either makes sense to you or not.

IF you want to get a nearer GH reading then double the water (probably 10ml) in the test-tube thereby each drop will be half a GH (You can even use 4 times the water in the test-tube which each drop will be a quarter of a GH, but that will use/waste a lot of drops). I always do this double the water, but you can just do it the once as an experiment . I expect you will get 5 drops which will thereby be 2 - 2.5GH and the TDS pen may be a little inaccurate but not to the extent you need to worry about it - they are cheap and mass produced so you can't really expect 'laboratory' quality results from it? I have 2 of  these pens and they always read different but not enough to worry about?

Hope this helps!

Simon

1 GH = minimum 17.86 aka "18"

If GH is 3, then TDS should be around 54. Maybe the TDS meter needs to be calibrated?

 

Or, as mentioned, maybe the GH isn't 3 but close to 3? Granted, around 40 TDS would suggest closer to 2 GH.