[cyfan964]

I'm currently in the process of setting up a rimless 2.5 gallon which I absolutely want to stock with shrimp. I have never had shrimp before so I have to ask a couple questions. I have read a ton about them, but still could use some reassuring.

I live in Iowa and we have limestone soils here so my tap water tends to test at about a pH of 7.5-7.8 with a KH around 80 and GH around 200. I have read that shrimp tend to like water on the acidic soft side... will they tolerate my levels?

If I have a rimless tank without a lid and have manzanita sticking out of the water do I need to worry about the little guys getting out?

What are the easiest ways to cover the intake on my mini HOB filter to avoid sucking the little guys up?

What is the easiest colorful shrimp to start with?

How many should I get for a 2.5 gallon?

THANKS A TON!

 

[Steverd]

I live in Iowa and we have limestone soils here so my tap water tends to test at about a pH of 7.5-7.8 with a KH around 80 and GH around 200. I have read that shrimp tend to like water on the acidic soft side... will they tolerate my levels?

What is the easiest colorful shrimp to start with?

That sounds ALOT (almost exactly) like my water out of the tap.
I use ADA Aquasoil, to lower my PH. It also lower my GH to 75 and KH 80
I raise 10 different species of shrimp in this water.

As for the filter, I use sponge filters for all of my shrimp tanks.
For a HOF I cover the intake with a sponge from an Aquaclear filter.

Start with Red Cherry Shrimp,, it's a easy shrimp to maintain and multiply
very fastly!

Steve

 

[cyfan964]

That sounds ALOT (almost exactly) like my water out of the tap.
I use ADA Aquasoil, to lower my PH. It also lower my GH to 75 and KH 80
I raise 10 different species of shrimp in this water.

As for the filter, I use sponge filters for all of my shrimp tanks.
For a HOF I cover the intake with a sponge from an Aquaclear filter.

Start with Red Cherry Shrimp,, it's a easy shrimp to maintain and multiply
very fastly!

Steve

Yeah I was thinking about that... I already have a large amount of eco-complete though and don't really want to spend the money on aquaoil for a 2.5 gallon tank. What do you do when you have water changes? Do you think Red Cherry Shrimp would live in this water without adjusting it at all?

 

[cjp999]

That sounds ALOT (almost exactly) like my water out of the tap.
I use ADA Aquasoil, to lower my PH. It also lower my GH to 75 and KH 80
I raise 10 different species of shrimp in this water.

How long does AS lower your pH? I found it lowered mine from about 8.1 to 7.4 when I first got it, but now a year later it doesn't seem to have any affect on the pH.

 

[cyfan964]

I also have newer copper pipes in my house. I know most inverts don't fare well with copper... do you think this would be a problem? Should I use bottled water or distilled water?

 

[Steverd]

I also have newer copper pipes in my house. I know most inverts don't fare well with copper... do you think this would be a problem? Should I use bottled water or distilled water?

I have copper pipe also, but mine are just for the hot water.
So I just use cold water and let it sit over night to reach room temp.

But I have used hot/cold water if I use my python for water changes
and haven't had any problems with my cooper pipes and shrimp.

Steve

 

[Lnd]

ADA will stop buffering the water after roughly a year or year and half.

Cherry shrimp will probably adapt to your water. I have snowball shrimps in 7.5 with really high KH / GH also. Just make sure no copper.. do a water test of your water

and if the shrimp are happy.. they are less entail to jump out, all my tanks are topless and havent had any jumper in a VERY long time

 

[NyteBlade]

I have copper pipes too. On a water test (one of the little Aquarium Pharm. Copper tests), it tests as absolutely no copper. These tests probably can't get down to trace amounts, but I also run my water through RO and DI, so I can atleast be relatively sure there's no copper. If it's a concern for you, Seachem used to make a product called CupriSorb that took copper out.

I'd start with something like RCS - they're easy, adaptable, and would do fine in your water conditions. CRS, Tigers etc. tend to prefer softer water than you have. I wouldn't use aquasoil as my primary means of getting soft water though. You can't really beat an RODI filter. It's the best investment you can make instead of struggling with water chemistry to make your water softer.

RCS, however, unless in your water condiitons are extreme to one end or another (really really hard, or really really soft) I wouldn't worry too much, and yours isn't.

I'd start off with a small colony of 10-20. Mine have always stopped breeding when they reach maximum occupancy :icon_wink

 

[cyfan964]

I have copper pipes too. On a water test (one of the little Aquarium Pharm. Copper tests), it tests as absolutely no copper. These tests probably can't get down to trace amounts, but I also run my water through RO and DI, so I can atleast be relatively sure there's no copper. If it's a concern for you, Seachem used to make a product called CupriSorb that took copper out.

I'd start with something like RCS - they're easy, adaptable, and would do fine in your water conditions. CRS, Tigers etc. tend to prefer softer water than you have. I wouldn't use aquasoil as my primary means of getting soft water though. You can't really beat an RODI filter. It's the best investment you can make instead of struggling with water chemistry to make your water softer.

RCS, however, unless in your water condiitons are extreme to one end or another (really really hard, or really really soft) I wouldn't worry too much, and yours isn't.

I'd start off with a small colony of 10-20. Mine have always stopped breeding when they reach maximum occupancy :icon_wink

Thanks for the info... that's exactly what I was hoping to hear!

 

[Erloas]

I can't say much about the shrimp, but I can say a bit about the copper. I work with a potable water system, and when they do tests for copper and lead they can't flush the line at all before taking the reading, if you have a good flow of water in the pipes before testing you won't get much, if any levels of copper.
Make sure you flush the line well before taking your water for the tank and you should be fine, its also a good a good idea for things other then copper as well, not sure how the chlorine removes effect disinfectant byproducts in tap water, but flushing to fresher water will help those levels too.

Also, with fairly high pH and fairly hard water chances are most of your pipes are completely coated in deposits and there is probably little to no contact between the water and the copper of the pipes. It would be a much bigger issue if you had very low pH/acidic water.