So, I have a planted 10 gallon that I've had running for about a year now. For most of that time, it had an otto (he's still there), various snails (still there), and some guppies. Recently I took the guppies out so I could convert this to a cherry shrimp tank. The cherries didn't make it. Despite acclimating them overnight (temperature controlled, drip @ ~ 1 drop per 2-3 sec), none of them made it. I had previously added a few cherries a week or so ago, and none of thosee made it either. Did a water test to check things:
pH 7.5, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate ~0, kh 6, gh 21, no copper, 78 deg F
This tank has a mix of mineralized topsoil and organic potting soil (the one recomended for walstaad tanks) capped by eco-complete, black gravel, and black sand. Too many plant species, all doing well as far as I can tell; mix of epiphytes, rooted, and floating. I have a diy yeast co2 generator hooked up to this, @ about 1 bubble per 2-3 seconds. Aeration @ night via a small internal filter with return above water level. Small canister filter with purigen. Water changes are usually every 2-3 weeks, about 20%, with seachem prime. I don't normally add fertilizer, maybe a ittle flourish when I remember.
The only other thing I can think of is that I had previously tried feeding the fish small amounts of live blackworms and tubifex worms. After about a week of that, I stopped. Some did make it into the substrate.
Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm stumped. Maybe the change in water quality is too vast. pH is a little high, but all my tanks have been like that (for some reason) for at least a few years now.
pH 7.5, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate ~0, kh 6, gh 21, no copper, 78 deg F
This tank has a mix of mineralized topsoil and organic potting soil (the one recomended for walstaad tanks) capped by eco-complete, black gravel, and black sand. Too many plant species, all doing well as far as I can tell; mix of epiphytes, rooted, and floating. I have a diy yeast co2 generator hooked up to this, @ about 1 bubble per 2-3 seconds. Aeration @ night via a small internal filter with return above water level. Small canister filter with purigen. Water changes are usually every 2-3 weeks, about 20%, with seachem prime. I don't normally add fertilizer, maybe a ittle flourish when I remember.
The only other thing I can think of is that I had previously tried feeding the fish small amounts of live blackworms and tubifex worms. After about a week of that, I stopped. Some did make it into the substrate.
Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm stumped. Maybe the change in water quality is too vast. pH is a little high, but all my tanks have been like that (for some reason) for at least a few years now.