# Beginner CRS CBS HELP!



## YumiChi

Hello Everyone,

I am new with keeping Shrimpy as pet and recently I have purchased 2 CBS and 4 CRS.
After I hooked up on my HOB filter, 2 or 3 of the shrimps kept swimming towards the current (HOB waterfall). 
I am thinking the splash is too strong but it was already in the lowest power on the HOB filter.
I was worried last night that the filter splash will stress my shrimp and kill them, so I have placed a tiny net and clipped on the edge of the tank
to lower the waterfall distance. The water seems to go down so gently without continuously dropping and slashing.
Will that also affects the CO2 and O2 within the tank and will my shrimp suffers? It still create some tiny bubbles but not as
big as before.

Should I get an Indian Almond Leaf?

*Tank Setup*

10g Tank
Florescent Light bulb (6-8 hours per day)
Christmas Java Moss
Java Moss Ball
1 Small Driftwood
1 HOB filter
RO Water


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## Bobsidd

The flow from an HOB filter shouldn't be too much for the shrimp in a 10 gallon unless it's a particularly large one. I tape half a plastic cup at the outflow of my HOBs to disperse the water a little, but more so that it doesn't drill a hole in my substrate rather than for the sake of the shrimp. If you are worried about gas exchange, add an air stone and/or a sponge filter. Oxygen levels are key to shrimp survival and it's important to keep them high, especially as we head into summer. 

Indian almond leaves are great. They can help bring down ph, provide surfaces for microorganisms to grow on and also food for the shrimp as they breakdown. Just add them slowly, not too large an amount at a time, as they can alter water parameters. 

What are you remineralizing your RO water with?

Hope this helps,
Rob


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## YumiChi

"What are you remineralizing your RO water with?"

What do I need for remineralizing?

and for feeding wise, I am feeding them with fish pellet and trying to feed them with frozen zucchini after boiled.


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## HashAsh

if you're using RO water, you have to mineralize gH and kH 
indian almond leaves are great since they take awhile for them to eat it up. But I feel like it doesn't have to strictly be almond leaves. I put blueberry leaves and etc, but I think there was a leaf that you shouldn't put....I may be wrong though.
and for feeding, you can get shrimp food, or if you wanna go cheap, you can get algae wafers


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## Jousters

RO water has no minerals.Tap water has a reading about 20 TDS in the Burnaby area.You are looking to be around 150 to 200 TDS for Crystal Red Shrimp.I suggest you get yourself a TDS meter.I also use a GH booster because our water here is soft.Pat at Canadian Aquaticss has them for about $20.


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## KLS

CRS/CBS don't like strong current in the tank unless you have a lot of plants or some wood to break down the strong currents. A small sponge filter is better for shrimp as it provides both aeration and filtering, and there is no strong drop-down flow like a HOB filter will give you. There is a member Ludmila in North Van who I bought some shrimps from and he likes to use RO water for his shrimps. Perhaps you should message him about what you need to add to the water or not. Whatever you do feeding the shrimps, since you only have 6 shrimps, feed them very small amount first and don't let too much left over to corrupt the water. If you feed fish pellets and they break up in a mess uneaten, it is bad for water quality. You can use a siphon turkey baster from dollar shop to suck out the excess left over.

Here is a good link to FAQ for beginning shrimp keepers:

Petshrimp.com -- All about shrimp


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## Jousters

I use Nutrifin chiclid conditioner or Fluval shrimp conditioner whatever is available.I know of some shrimp keepers do not use anything but tap water and just monitor their TDS.For feeding I use algae wafers Hikari brand and Mulberry leaves.If your water parameters are good they should be all over it.Be careful to not over feed with only 7 shrimp in tank.Shrimp can go without feeding for a few days and they will also feed off the algae from your moss.


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## YumiChi

Thanks everyone,

After I have read from all the replies.
I would need the following.
Increase gH and kH and TDS.
Reminerializing my tank.
A sponge filter.
TDS Meter and PH/KH/GH meter?

quite abit of things to get, but I guess I need to get them seperately. 
What would be the first priority from the list? 

Another question is what do I need to boost up my TDS? Tap water? Spring Water or.....


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## Jousters

I would get the TDS meter first to see what your parameters are.I would not do anything drastic to shock the shrimp at this point.Has your tank gone though the cycle already?Do you have another tank?


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## Bobsidd

You can boost your TDS with any GH booster. There are shrimp specific ones like SaltyShrimp GH+ and generic ones like Seachem Equillibrium. There is debate about whether the shrimp specific ones are worth the extra money but I use SaltyShrimp and am very happy with it. The minerals in the GH in your tank water aid the shrimp with exoskeleton formation after a moult. Without sufficient minerals in the water, your shrimp won't last very long. 

I'd say that is the priority for now. But make any changes to water parameters very slowly. Don't just dump a spoon full of GH booster in your tank hoping to create the perfect conditions in an instant. Stability is key and slow changes should be the only types of changes to make. A TDS meter will help you keep track of the amount of dissolved stuff in your water. RO should have a TDS of close to 0. CRS and CBS like 150-200 TDS as Jousters mentioned above. A meter and a GH booster should be on your shopping list.


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## Jousters

I forgot to ask if you have a sponge on your intake so the shrimp don't get sucked in particular shrimp babies.That will also slow down the strong flow from your filter.


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## YumiChi

Thanks for your reminder,

I have already thought of that and brought the filter intake spongey.
This seems easier to figure out and the chemical stuff is giving me a headache lol since
I never passed my chemistry long ago.


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## Jousters

Well said Bobsidd.


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## ami

When did you set up the tank?


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## YumiChi

The tank, filter was given to me by one of my friend having 2 angel fish for years.

I have only found Nutrifin chiclid conditioner. my local store or home depot doesnt sells the STD meter. My friend gave me his pH tester and Its those drop into the test tube. The pH result is 6. ~6.4.

I have just dropped 0.5 ml of those Nutrifin chiclid conditioner but its requires 5 ml for 10g, but i guess its better to add Nutrifin chiclid conditioner slowly.

The staff at the local pet store was advicing me to get the master kit tester, but i am not so sure if i needed atm with RO water.

I am hoping someone lives near me can give me a hand. I told the pet store staff the shrimp get stressed out easily but right now I am stressed up too lol with all the chemical testing for settling them down. 

I just keep observe them and hope the shrimpy tells me what they want lol.


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## YumiChi

Actually, my friend cleaned the tank and I just set it up for a day or so. The person who sold me the crs n cbs gave me a huge bag of his tank water and some of his plants. I have only added the driftwoods and grave after that and RO water... the water took me about 2 days to slowly adding them into the tank. And I started the filter on that night.


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## Jousters

J and L sells the meter for $32.50.If the person that sold you the shrimp gave you lots of water his water should be fine.I would not get the master kit.I would get the TDS meter.Any reason the tank is not filled?I suggest you have some regular tap water ready in a bucket sitting for 24 hours to remove chlorine in case you need to do a water change.The only thing that worries me is that you don't have enough biological media in your filter.Try not to mess with the water too much they don't like drastic change.


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## YumiChi

Thanks for your advice,

Would it be safer to get more RO water instead?
I have just placed an order with the site for the TDS meter! Hopefully I can get them by this week.

What would I need to look for after the meter arrives. I read the description its like checking the ppm. Is there something I need to be aware of? 

Praying that my shrimpy will make it through... till my meter arrives.
Should I still add anymore gH in? cause I have only added 0.5 ml and the instruction said 5 ml for 10g.

Oh those white little rock In a net bag. I took them out the other day cause I wasnt sure if the shrimp isnt happy with it or the water fall.
(I will add them back in quietly and see how they react)

Heres the whole family, is any of them looks not health? I have seen lots of ppls mention that if their colour fades its means theyre in stress.

I thought they would hide under the driftwoods or... moss but theyre all out staying alittle calm later today.

Between the average temp is 23~24 tonight.

Best Regard,
Chi


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## Jousters

I would not add anymore RO water until you get the meter.RO water will lower your TDS and the conditioner increases TDS.Total disoled solvents.i do not use RO water because we have soft water.It is easier to increase TDs rather than lower.The conditioner increases your TDS more than you think and you can easily overdose.Once you get the meter you want to stay between 150 to 200 TDS.Water from the tap varies around 20 TDS in our area.The shrimp you have do look a bit pale but hopefully will Color up over time.Do not be discouraged if you lose some shrimp because everyone loses some during the learning process.


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## YumiChi

Thanks you for all your advice. I dont actually know how to fill the tank with tap water. Do i need to keep them for 24 hours before usage. Another question if I have some bottle spring water does that works even better with the STD? 

Kinda worried dont really have a clue what causing them pale.
I just hoping they get well soon. :-(


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## HashAsh

So wait, I'm confused. So you're tank is only give and take a day old? Id get the master kit unless your filter was previously cycled and set on your tank right away. If there isn't any bacteria in the filter, I'd want to closely monitor the NH levels and such, just to be positive 

For chlorine, you can put tap water in a container (like a well rised milk bottles) and wait till chlorine evaporates. I usually wait 3 days or until the scent's gone


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## YumiChi

Sorry for the confusion, its not a new tank. My friend just brought his angel fish to his work place so his tank was empty after being used for years. He just cleaned it and gave it to me for my shrimpy. I've checked this morning before I head out to work I saw 3 of them are doing a little walk. (morning exercise) 

I will try find a bucket and get some tap water, but I am just afraid the place I am living it is quite old and they have done some construction outside might affect the water source?
Have anyone tried bottle spring water?
Should I wait for the TDS meter before adding anymore water in?


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## maximusfish

I am not a shrimp expert; we started up a shrimp tank in December and it's going well. We got a lot of great advice from Pat at Canadian Aquatics (mykiss on this forum) and he also carries all the products you would need at great prices, if you are able to get out to southwest Richmond he is definitely worth a visit.

He advised us to keep a 5 gallon pail, fill with tap water, add one or two almond leaves and bee shrimp mineral GH+. Run a bubbler in the pail (I made a hole in the lid for the tubing) and use this water to top up and for water changes. No need to add dechlorinator if you wait a day before using it. Shrimp can be sensitive to chemicals. Shrimp also like a bit of almond leaf in the tank, conditions the water and they will eat it too. 

Tank temperature should be 22 to 24 C. I needed to add a small heater. If your tank was full you wouldn't have the splashing problem. I fill mine to the top so that the hob output stream is just a smidge above the water level. I find I have to rinse the sponge pre-filter at least once or twice a week to ensure it isn't clogged. You can tell by the reduced flow on the filter. I used a bit of the pre-conditioned water to rinse it.

I change the water once a week, but only about 15%, and top up as needed. I made a gravel vacuum and use this once or twice a week and to remove uneaten food, if any. I bought a length of 3/8" tubing and inserted one end into a plastic straw to hold it straight. Suck on the other end to get the siphon going. This allows me to vacuum the sand, around the plant roots and along the edges of the tank and rocks without removing very much water. I siphon into a white bucket and carefully inspect for shrimp before dumping.

I have a bit of water Lettace floating on the top. Shrimp seem to love hanging on the roots, it sucks up nitrates and traps small particles for the shrimp to eat.

I am in Glenayre. I can give you some cycled media and water Lettace if you need some.


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## YumiChi

Thanks you so much for the setup, 
The gravel vacuum part sounds scary. I haven't done any water change so far... or any top up yet.
I would love to... add some water lettace.. and cycled media..


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## maximusfish

It is very easy because the tube is so narrow the siphon is not too strong or fast and not much water goes out. I will show you. I pm'd you with my number and address.


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## indefine

HashAsh said:


> if you're using RO water, you have to mineralize gH and kH
> indian almond leaves are great since they take awhile for them to eat it up. But I feel like it doesn't have to strictly be almond leaves. I put blueberry leaves and etc,


i have recently started trying alder cones, and these seem to work pretty well also. read that they release anti-toxins to help against diseases and stuff as well as tanins to lower ph. i dont have scientific proof, but they can also be an alternative. besides, the shrimp seem to be grazing on them constantly after they have been in the tank for a couple weeks too.


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## indefine

i've never used RO water for any of my tanks so i can't comment about remineralizing it. one comment however, is to try to keep things constant in your tank, whatever method you choose. shrimp typically will acclimate within their acceptable ranges. its best to keep find the easiest way to keep this constant. if always messing with parameters by tweaking this and changing that, you risk causing a spike or shock in something and can have die-offs. 

in my tanks personally, i take water from the tap, dechlorinator dosage as recommended, 10-15% weekly or even bi-weekly. almond leaf(s) and/or alder cones are always present. and that is about all i do. no adding this, adding that to try to get the parameters "perfect." RO water however, i imagine to be more finicky.

regarding the HOB, definitely have a sponge prefilter on the intake tube. i have an AC20 on a 5gallon and even on its lowest setting this one has too much flow buffeting the shrimp around in the lower regions of the tank. however, to reduce flow, the trick i use is to prop up the intake tube. the idea is to get the part where the intake tube U's back onto the impeller and raise it up just a smidgen so the motor doesnt create as much suction through the intake. less suction through intake = less outflow.


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## KLS

I have heard that using ADA substrate will automatically take care of the water parameters for shrimps and you don't need to add this or that to condition the water. That may be a better investment than spending on other stuffs.


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## HashAsh

yes, adding substrate helps with ph but the only problem you'd have with adding soil now, is the ammonia. and pof course, if there's ammonia, you'll have to buy the master kit as well


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## YumiChi

I have just took a bucket and filled with tap water. The water looks bluelish in a white bucket. Not sure if its a good sign... but will leave it overnight and see what it looks like. I am waiting for my tds meter and will do a ph check tomorrow to see ifs my tap is good. Between is there a way to test if theres other harmful stuff in the water like copper from an old apartment? 

I wont mine putting alittle more investment on it but it doesnt have to be the top graded or any fancy stuff. I just hope they get healthy and breed .

Its fun to watch them grow and happy. 

Cheers.

P.S. Oops my bad i realized i accidently turned the hot water knob and start to frizziling , but even if its.. cold it looks bluelish. Its normal for tap water? I failed my chemistry hehe.

I think both of my CBS are trying to molt. I guess its too late :-( might found dead shrimpy tomorrow if they cant get out.
Both tails trying to point foward *same direction as their head* 
Added some indian leaf in and little bit of gH... I afraid more of them start to molt soon.


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## YumiChi

Please help!
Most of my shrimps are trying to molt. I did a wc and got the TDS to 82 which is still too low. I wonder what should I do now. Should I add 0.25 ml of the African Cichild Conditioner every 1 to 2 hours to slowly boost my TDS up?

Is there a time frame that within a period of time not able to molt they will die?


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## Chiumanfu

"DO NOT PANIC!" When people panic is when they make big changes and that is the death nail when it comes to shrimp.

What makes you think they are trying to molt? If they are just "bending" it is usually not a molt attempt. They are just cleaning their pleopods.









In my experience, a shrimp that is having a failed molt is more dramatic. They will flail around aimlessly, popping up and jumping for no reason. The shell is too hard and they can't get out. I've never had a low TDS situation but from what I've read in the forums, they have no problem getting out of the shell but they are missing legs or antenna and die quickly because the shell is not hard enough to protect them from even the slightest bump.

Here's what I would do (which is pretty much the same that everyone else is saying).

Don't feed anything. You don't know if your HOB is cycled and an ammonia spike will definitely kill them. 6 shrimp in a 10G isn't a huge bio-load so it might cycle by itself if it isn't already. Remove dead plants and shrimp immediately to prevent ammonia build-up.

Stop doing any water changes unless you see ammonia in your water tests. Slight changes in temperature due to changing water is going to induce molting.

Bring your TDS up slowly. Take one gallon of your tank water out and add your GH up until the tds is 160. Slow drip it back into your HOB output over 24 hours. By the end, the TDS in the tank should be about 90-100ppm. Let things settle for one day then repeat this process. It should take you about a week to get up to a TDS of 160ppm. Monitor things as you go, if things are happening too fast, stop the drip and give a day to settle.

Be patient and DO NOT PANIC!


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## Bobsidd

This is excellent advice!


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## Jousters

Great info !


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## YumiChi

Thanks you very much for the advice! They are still alive so far. 

TDS 162
gH 4-5
pH 6.8
kH around 1


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## Chiumanfu

Great! Glad they all survived. Keep your parameters stable and top off with RO or aged tap water only. Do not use GH+ in your top off water. With so few shrimp, your water changes can be small and very infrequent unless you are over feeding. Monitor TDS and NitrAte levels to determine how often you have to water change as your colony grows.

As soon as they settle in you might be lucky enough to get berried shrimp. Then begins the next panic! Impatient Parent Paranoia, Multi Tank Syndrome and Additive Addiction are common shrimp keeper ailments


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## YumiChi

Thanks you so much, 
They're still alive as today and last week I found one of my CRS went into the HOB tube! but I have already covered the intake with a sponge. The only way to get it was the waterfall. That little guy still alive so far I guess he's just too jumpy.

I will try top off some RO water today and observe longer.


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## mysticalnet

Good luck in your shrimpy venture!


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## YumiChi

I have brought 5 new CRS and some Xmas moss.

I placed the bag into the tank to let them sit for 15 to 20 mins to adapt the tempurature. Meanwhile I have added my Xmas moss in then i gently place my shrimp into a bowl and slowly add a cup of my tank water into the bowl every 15 to 20 mins for 5 times. Then I have placed my bowl into the tank water and gently sliding them in and they swim off. They are the really low grade ones and now they are meeting new friends but seems 3 of them going crazy with my HOB water current. And one of my old CRS died for unknown reason, so I have done a small water change like 5 to 10% with RO water. Today those 3 new CRS are still going towards my water current.

Its still an unknown reason for my old pretty CRS death. 

TDS 156
pH around 6.8
gH 6
kH 1

I have noticed a new molt shell before the death of my CRS. Could be one just didnt get through the molting process. God knows, but I hope the rest will keep on living peacefully.

Another thing is the new CRS doesnt seems to be too friendly with my OLD CRS. 3 molting shells so far with 1 death. :-(


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## 118869

What size were they when you got them? I notice some adult size shrimp dont acclimate that well... i prefer to buy juvies as they seem to have higher survival rate.


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## YumiChi

The one that died, I dont think its an adult size.


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## Chiumanfu

Your acclimation procedure doesn't sound right. Maybe I just read it wrong. If you take the bowl out of the aquarium, the temp is going to drop fast. You have to float the bowl in the aquarium water to stabilize the temp as you slowly add water one cup at a time. Also, you should never dump the bag water into your aquarium. You risk adding any pathogens that may have been in the bag water.

Here is my acclimation procedure that I have really good success with.
1 - Dump the bag into a container (about 4 cups) and float it in the water. My container has a handle that can hook to the aquarium edge. Add subwassertang for shrimp to hide in.
2 - Fill a 1/2 gallon container with tank water and put it on top of the hood.
3 - Add an airline with a air control valve on the end. Start a siphon. Drip water into the floating container at about 2 drop per second.
4 - When the float container is almost full, I dump out half the water and continue dripping. I do this for 3-6 hours depending on the difference (TDS and pH) between bag and tank water.
5 - Net the shrimp out and gently release into the tank.


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## YumiChi

I am trying to figure out the amount of Salty Shrimp Mineral gH+. At first i filled my bucket with tap water and added the mineral in till my TDS hits 150. However the gH seems so high... 8 gH, so I tried to fill the bucket completely full with my tap water and TDS went down to 104 and gH at 5 or 6. I am not too sure how should I do this. Anyone got a clue? Is my current bucket is good enough for WC.

*WC Bucket*
pH 6.8 
gH 5 to 6
kH 1
TDS 104

*Shrimp 10g Tank*
pH 6.8
gH 5 to 6
kH 1
TDS 160lish.


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## JTang

YumiChi said:


> I am trying to figure out the amount of Salty Shrimp Mineral gH+. At first i filled my bucket with tap water and added the mineral in till my TDS hits 150. However the gH seems so high... 8 gH, so I tried to fill the bucket completely full with my tap water and TDS went down to 104 and gH at 5 or 6. I am not too sure how should I do this. Anyone got a clue? Is my current bucket is good enough for WC.
> 
> *WC Bucket*
> pH 6.8
> gH 5 to 6
> kH 1
> TDS 104
> 
> *Shrimp 10g Tank*
> pH 6.8
> gH 5 to 6
> kH 1
> TDS 160lish.


gH match. I say that's perfect. TDS will go up in your tank as water gets dirtier. My crs tank is at 6 as well. Tds is 220 since I havent done wc for a while. Lol


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## YumiChi

JTang said:


> gH match. I say that's perfect. TDS will go up in your tank as water gets dirtier. My crs tank is at 6 as well. Tds is 220 since I havent done wc for a while. Lol


Thanks!  My TDS still at 160 it hasn't gone up much... I don't really feed them too much foods maybe 3 times a week.
When I do feed them I don't even know how much should I be putting in "zucchini" or how long they should be chewing on.... They're like a beasty shrimpy, never stop eating till i take it away from them.


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## YumiChi

I have absolute no idea what is going on with my CRS.
Now I found another dead one and I can't really find the reason what killed it.
I am going to remove my gravel and the gap in between the gravel are holding lots of brownlish fluffy stuff.
Could it be holding too much waste which causing Ammonia? I might just try no substrate shrimp tank with plants and driftwood. 
While I do my weekly water change, the tiny tube I uses to remove the waste on the bottom are not really working well due to the large white gravels....
Any advice?

pH 6.8 - 7
kH 2
gH 5
TDS 156


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## Chiumanfu

Did you test for ammonia? What about Nitrates? A little bit of mulm is normal, it's just more noticeable with white gravel. Maybe post a picture if possible.

Sometimes shrimp just die of old age.


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## YumiChi

Arg I forgot to take a picture, but it looks like a bunch of dirty and dust in the bottom under the gravel. I scooped the gravel out did a water change .around 4 litre... and added a new almond leaf.

When i saw the dead shrimp it was torn apart. Like a redish piece left which I cant tell wheres the head and tail.

I am thinking should I get a snail to clean the tank? Any advice?
I am not planning to put new substrate in anymore will looking forward to add another piece of driftwood maybe more plants.

Its only a CRS CBS tank without any other species.... too


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## JTang

Sorry for the loss. I have lost at least 20 CRS/CBS when I first set up my 8g 2 months ago. I couldn't even find any dead bodies. I finally realized that the cute kuhli loach is a shrimp lover. Took him and the 2 small BNP out and haven't lost a single shrimp since. 

You water parameters look pretty good imo. How do u fill the tank during WC? Do u just dump the new water in? How often and how much do u feed them? I only feed them small amount every other day now. Hope you can figure out what the problem is soon...


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## YumiChi

JTang said:


> Sorry for the loss. I have lost at least 20 CRS/CBS when I first set up my 8g 2 months ago. I couldn't even find any dead bodies. I finally realized that the cute kuhli loach is a shrimp lover. Took him and the 2 small BNP out and haven't lost a single shrimp since.
> 
> You water parameters look pretty good imo. How do u fill the tank during WC? Do u just dump the new water in? How often and how much do u feed them? I only feed them small amount every other day now. Hope you can figure out what the problem is soon...


I thought my water parameters looks fine too, that's the only reason got me thinking about the waste below the big white gravel.. might be causing ammonia which I don't really have a test kit for. I am thinking of keeping the tank as simple as possible.. only having lots of plants, driftwood and almond leaf to keep the water stable.
I don't dare to do anything fancy till I know how to settle everything down... 
When I do the water change... I just gradually pour it in from the HOB filter and let it flow down slowly...
I feed them maybe 2 to 3 times per week..


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## ami

what do you mean by "scooped the gravel out"?


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## YumiChi

ami said:


> what do you mean by "scooped the gravel out"?


Sorry if I say it in a weird way. I meant "I took out all the gravel" from my shrimp tank. If you check the picture I have uploaded on "page 1".
I don't really have much gravel on the bottom and I wasn't able to clean them with my vacuum.. so I rather take them out.

Now I just brought another piece of driftwood "with some branches" nothing fancy...


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## Chiumanfu

Some people do bare bottom shrimp tanks but I think its a bad idea. The shrimp don't have anything to grip on the floor when they walk and it looks stressful. Also, it leaves them nothing to graze on. Most of the time your shrimp will be picking at the micro organisms in the substrate.

A big trend right now that people are experimenting with is half bare bottom tanks. Half the tank has substrate for pH buffering and grazing and the other have is bare where you can feed and do a complete clean up. 
http://www.shrimpspot.com/index.php?/topic/1044-half-bare-bottom-tank-setup/

Also, removing substrate is a HUGE change in an aquarium. You can stir up lots of bad stuff, release ammonia pockets and you loose a big portion of beneficial bacteria which can cause a mini cycle. It's best done by vacuuming the gravel out of the tank and in small portions at a time.


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## YumiChi

Chiumanfu said:


> Some people do bare bottom shrimp tanks but I think its a bad idea. The shrimp don't have anything to grip on the floor when they walk and it looks stressful. Also, it leaves them nothing to graze on. Most of the time your shrimp will be picking at the micro organisms in the substrate.
> 
> A big trend right now that people are experimenting with is half bare bottom tanks. Half the tank has substrate for pH buffering and grazing and the other have is bare where you can feed and do a complete clean up.
> Half-bare-bottom tank setup - General Discussion - The Shrimp Spot
> 
> Also, removing substrate is a HUGE change in an aquarium. You can stir up lots of bad stuff, release ammonia pockets and you loose a big portion of beneficial bacteria which can cause a mini cycle. It's best done by vacuuming the gravel out of the tank and in small portions at a time.


Thanks for the advise, I didn't really just scoop everything in one day. I remove some every 2 days... but there are still a few hanging around on the bottom and I was being aware of the ammonia.. so I did vacuum the area where I removed the gravel and did a water change...

i don't really know if it's a good idea but I might be planning to add a few more plants in so they can just "ignore" the bottom since the driftwood took around 2/3 of the room in my tank


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## ami

Plants with shrimp is a good idea, but without substrate make sure you pick ones that can feed from the water column and will attach to your driftwood. Try java fern and/or anubias.


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## YumiChi

ami said:


> Plants with shrimp is a good idea, but without substrate make sure you pick ones that can feed from the water column and will attach to your driftwood. Try java fern and/or anubias.


Thanks for your advice, I wish we had a Shrimp hobbyist group.. gathers up for a coffee and talks about shrimps *shrimp talks* :lol:


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## JTang

Any updates? How are the CRS doing?


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## YumiChi

JTang said:


> Any updates? How are the CRS doing?


I was quite busy lately. I couldn't get a chance to keep up with the water change.
There were another dead CRS in between but... the remaining ones are mostly fully grown.. "adult size" comparing from the size when I have purchased them. I guess it's the substrate that I stirred up the ammonia, but now seems they're more settled.
I am hoping they do breed soon tho


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## Chiumanfu

Read this thread to see if it can help you get your shrimp to breed. If they haven't breed by now, then there is probably a parameter that is off.
Are your Shrimp not Breeding Anymore? A Checklist


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## JTang

YumiChi said:


> I was quite busy lately. I couldn't get a chance to keep up with the water change.
> There were another dead CRS in between but... the remaining ones are mostly fully grown.. "adult size" comparing from the size when I have purchased them. I guess it's the substrate that I stirred up the ammonia, but now seems they're more settled.
> I am hoping they do breed soon tho


Yeah I hope so too. That's most shrimp keepers' ultimate goal. I just noticed 3 of my mama shrimps are berried last night. Can't wait to see some baby shrimps! Good luck to both of us!!!


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## YumiChi

I kinda of gave up with bare bottom. I've added a tin layer of Fluval Shrimpy Soil


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## YumiChi

recently I did a water change and found 2 or 3 of these little guy crawling on the glass. Is this some sort of bad bug hanging in the tank.

I have researched on the website some people had the similar thing and they guessed its a ram snail or something. I dont have a clue what is this.... :-(


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## barvinok

Ramshorn snail and it never come along


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## Chiumanfu

Just crush any you find. Your shrimp will love the snack.


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## YumiChi

Chiumanfu said:


> Just crush any you find. Your shrimp will love the snack.


Sweet! It sounds like popcorn. "crushed"


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## YumiChi

I kinda research abit more... and found out that....during the cold months... i had my heat on... could be the main reason it fried my shrimps...

I mainly aiming at my media for more bacteria... more plants do help to get rid of the bad stuff... wc with the right water parameter....and the tempature

I guess i got the hang of these little bugger... gonna grab a usb fan soon for the summer... xD


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