brand new tank... fluval shrimp stratum?

[jameshill247]

I'm picking up a 2ft bow front tank that I managed to get for £10!! Not sure how many litres it is but it's better then the 15litre tank my cherries live in

So I have very hard tap water so high ph gh and kh I want a substrate that won't take long to cycle is pretty cheap so I can get 2kg of fluval shrimp stratum for £8 has anyone used this and would it be okay?

I currently use black sand but I think that's why my ph is 8.2 cos my gold fish tank has the same ph? My tap water is 7.7

I'm gonna put some smashed up lava rock in it too as to give a good area for bacteria

[GeToChKn]

I find the fluval is ok if you have soft water and want to lower it a bit. Expecting the fluval to bring very hard water down and keep it there for a long time doesn't work out well. I would look for ADA soils or something better instead or stick to a species of shrimp that won't mind your water like neo's.

[mordalphus]

FOr cherry shrimp, the fluval would be perfect

[jameshill247]

Yeah I only have cherries so I don't think it's too bad so would you say get cheap sand again and not worry they are breeding well and se
Happy as it is

[acitydweller]

for your situation, i'd go for the Fluval shrimp stratum or any inert gravel will do.

[NeverEndingProject]

The Fluval Shrimp Stratum would work great for cherries. Although I've never had this problem I've heard that some people have had trouble with the 2nd generation of baby shrimp in the same tank as this substrate.

[jameshill247]

So would you say that the fluval stuff will make enough difference to my water to be worth the money or should I just get some decent sand or something?

The sand I have has gone kind of grey and it was black when I got it

Is this normal?

I'm gonna go to the shop tomorrow and see what they have

I know I could use r/o or something but I want to keep maintenance to a minimum as its only the cherry's and one bumblebee

[wicca27]

i like fluval shrimp stratum it took my water that is almost ph of 8 out of the tap to a ph of 6 and can drop lower been almost 5 one time when i didnt do a water change for a while

[Bananariot]

Akadama is good for lowering to sub7 ph which would be fine for your cherries, might be easier for you to get since your England and not the is.

Akadama double red line. It'll also open your possibility for more exotic shrimp at lower pH

[Kunsthure]

Keep in mind that all buffering substrates will quit buffering after awhile and will need to be replaced.

Where did you get the sand you have now?

But with your tap water, I'd get any inert substrate. I'm looking at lava rock or Flourite. Your tap pH is good for cherries.

-Lisa

[jameshill247]

Yeah I'm gonna take a look and see what I can find today

I got the sand from the aquatic section of the garden centre where I get all my tank stuff it shouldn't make a difference to ph but I find it strange that the goldfish tank has the same ph so it seems like the sand is the common thing

[Kunsthure]

The sand could have some sort of calcite in it which is raising your params.

That's cool that your garden center has aquatic stuff. I don't know if they have it in the UK, but a lot of us use pool filter sand. It's totally inert and my plants have grown great in it. The only drawback is that, at least what I could find, was light colored, not the best for bringing out the color of shrimp.

-Lisa

[acitydweller]

Substrate will always look darker when wet. This is normal. I would not rely in FSs to buffer your water. The material is actually quite light and delicate if you've never seen it in person. If the local shop has it on display, see if you can run your hands through it, of course with permission first :p

Honestly, had i done this, i would have completely skipped fSS all together. I have been using it for a few months now and its okay but i wouldnt get it again for any tanks that have plants or anything other than shrimp... Just too soft and fragile IMHO...

Again, it comes down to personal preference. It does look pretty. And it's a perfect size for shimp...

[jameshill247]

Yeah most garden centres here have some sort of aquatic section
Both I went to today though had no substrate other than plain sands all different colours including the black I already have and normal gravels which I don't like anyway

So I think I will stick with some black sand fss would be nice but if it's too fragile and is going to crumble after time that just adds to the maintenance I guess

Yeah this sand though has got lighter over time could the dye have worn a little?

[acitydweller]

see if you can order some akadama substrate. its limited in the states but you may have better luck there...