Water changes in a CRS tank

[Rony11]

I'm really interested to know how often hobbyists change water in their CRS tank?

I change 15% everyweek 100% RO but reminerlize it.
I check my tank TDS and reminerlize the new water so that the TDS is nearly the same as the tank water.

I add the new water by using the drip method.
It takes about an hour or so but, I dont mind as long as my shrimps are happy.
I have CRS grades A,S,SS,SSS and Snow white.

My water parameters are TDS 215, PH 6.6, KH 1, GH 5 Temperature 23-24 degrees 4 Jebo cooling fans on temperature controller.
Outside it is 30-32 degrees we're in spring during summer it goes upto 40-42 degrees in shade!
I have a 15W cool light which is just fine but the T5 10W emmersed light raises the water temperature.
I have to remove it from the tank. May be I need to add an air stone to oxygenate the water which will help during sumer.

[Fdsh5]

I do a 30-40% change every week and use just Seachem Prime and tap water. My CRS and CBS are just fine. They either adapted to it or I just lucked out and have good water. I have a friend about 20 miles away in a different town that cannot keep CRS alive in his tank. It's an older water system though so who knows what comes through those pipes.

[supert]

I have not change my water for ~1 month already. Using 80% RO and 20% tap water which will bring my water to 100-125 TDS. I'm planning to keep it that way until the TDS reached to 200. So far my shrimps are happy and have several berried shrimps.

[Fdsh5]

I know I change mine too often but I'm OCD that way.

[GeToChKn]

So you're saying you test your water and then remineralize to that TDS? Is it different all the time? You're going to get TDS creep and with evaporation and not topping off, your TDS is going to be higher. If you start off on Monday with 170TDS, and then poop, evap, etc push that to 180TDS by Sunday, do you mix new water to 180TDS?

Most people shoot for a standard TDS, say 150 and always mix their water for water changes to that to try to keep the TDS there, so if it creeps up, you do a change with lower TDS water, it's going to lower the overall TDS.

As for the standard, there is none. Some change every week. Some every 2weeks or once a month. Some never change and just top off with pure RO water. Others top off with a low TDS to keep some minerals back in and keep the TDS without changing any. Some dump it in. Some drip it over hours.

In nature, they are subject to huge TDS swings as the weather dictates. They are in a pond of water, dry season hits, half their water evaps, their TDS would almost double, rain comes which is almost 0 TDS water and cuts it in half. More rain than expected comes and even lowers the TDS more.


Myself, I top off with RO water usually and sometimes mix in some minerals for a low TDS (like 60-70) and use that to top off just to get a bit of fresh minerals in there. Do a water change every 2-4 weeks with around a 150TDS water and just dump it in over my driftwood to not hit the substrate but dump it as fast as I can holding a 5gal jug over the tank gets heavy, especially when you're on your 8th tank dumping water into. lol.


A question like this is going to get as many different water change methods/ways/etc as posts.

[Rony11]

I forgot to add I have an automatic system that compensates for the water that has evaporated.
The TDS of the water added is the same as that of the tank. My water level never drops from a certain level.
Before changing the tank water I disconnect the system.
LOL I dont have 8 tanks, hats off to you GeToChKn. I dont think I can manage TDS in so many tanks.
I have an american cichild tank, A hi-tech planted tank, 1 CRS tank, 1 CBS+Rili Tank and another Black mollies+Bridgesi snail tank at home. I have 2 nano tanks at my office 100% tap water but I have hardy shrimps there.

[GeToChKn]

Originally Posted by Rony11

I forgot to add I have an automatic system that compensates for the water that has evaporated.
The TDS of the water added is the same as that of the tank. My water level never drops from a certain level.
Before changing the tank water I disconnect the system.

Ok, that explains how you do it then.

The bottom line is if your shrimp are breeding and happy and you're not having failed molts or deaths and getting lots of babies living, then go with what you're doing and don't worry about what everyone else is doing.

This is the bottom line of shrimp keeping in general, at least to me. There is a million sites with do this, add this, dose this, change this much every this amount of time but it comes down to your shrimp and how they're doing for you.

[Rony11]

Yes they seem to be happy, most of the time grazing the females are pregnant and have babies as well.
Mine is a well planted tank so its difficult to tell how many babies are born every time a female gives birth.
The males start their dance once a female is ready sometimes I see them in action.
The next day the female is pregnant. There are molts too the oldies die but no tragic numbers.

I read that many dont change water for 2 weeks after the babies are born. I don't know when they are born

[wicca27]

im a bad shrimp keeper i change about 50% once a month and have done well with the baby shrimp i had and with luck soon to have second batch of shrimps

[Rony11]

I think it works differntly in each tank surely depends on the substrate, filtration system, aeration, temperature, minerals, plants+mosses, etc.

Also it depends your shrimps health this means good genes, food, clean water, well-balanced tanks, etc.

[GeToChKn]

Originally Posted by Rony11

I think it works differntly in each tank surely depends on the substrate, filtration system, aeration, temperature, minerals, plants+mosses, etc.

Also it depends your shrimps health this means good genes, food, clean water, well-balanced tanks, etc.

Yup. Every tank is different in small subtle things.