[newt]

I plan on starting a 10 gallon RCS tank with plants.
Substrate: Flourite Black Sand
Mopani wood branch and maybe a rock in the center. >> Do RCS's need the Montmorillonite rock recommended for CRS?
Plants: Riccia, Peacock moss, HC, Blyxa japonica - a few others perhaps.
Lighting: 36 watt CF and no CO2
Food: Cyclop-eeze, Ocean Nutrition formula 2, blanched zucchini and spinach, Hikari shrimp cuisine.
Fish: Albino cory, pair of red swords, pair of variatus and maybe a betta.
Water Temp: 76F to 78F
My water is soft so I will be adding calcium and magnesium to boost GH and Alkaline Buffer to boost KH (for the plants). I can do calcium/magnesium sulfate powder or ElectroRight (by Aquarium Pharm) which is liquid calcium/magnesium chloride. Would the ElectroRight be OK? It has no potassium so I'd had to dose potassium sulfate.
Ferts: Flourish and Excel >>>> would these be OK? plus N and P powder form.

What should i use for a sponge filter in the inlet of my HOB. I will be using a Penguin 125 or a 150. The 125 has a round intake tube but the 150 has a square/rectangular intake????
I typically shop online at ThatPetPlace and DrsFosterSmith

 

[FrostyNYC]

I think the reason there's no sticky is because they're the aquatic equivalent of cockroaches.

Over the intake for my HOB, I took a sponge from an Aquaclear filter and cut it to fit over the intake. Any sponge that you can cut a hole into and then squeeze over the intake should work.

If you plan on breeding these RCS, then the only fish you should add is a couple otos. Anything else will eat the shrimp, or at least eat the babies. I've also noticed that I have fewer berried females when there are fish around. My guess is that they won't breed as readily if they are stressed by fish.

 

[GlassCat594]

Over the intake for my HOB, I took a sponge from an Aquaclear filter and cut it to fit over the intake. Any sponge that you can cut a hole into and then squeeze over the intake should work.

I do the same. Also there is a Fluval Edge pre-filter sponge that has a hole in it already.

 

[newt]

Got the message on keeping fish.

What about using Aquarium Pharms ElectroRight? instead of the powdered sulfate based products

 

[sewingalot]

The ElectroRight would be okay to use. You are fine with Flourish and Excel as well. Use small amounts of Excel. You shouldn't overdose too frequently with Excel as it is considered harmful. However, I dose 2xs the amount everyday to no effect - but I started off slowly.

RCS are pretty easy to take care of. The main problem I had was due to overfeeding. I only feed them once or twice a week now and I have close to 100 in my 10 gallon now. Good luck!

 

[newt]

Thanks for the tips. I bought a lot of the ElectroRight for the livebearer tank when it was on sale. I use it because my tap water is way soft. I would not have bought it had I known the ingredients.

That's useful info on the feeding.

I figure about 1 ml of excel per day should be about right for the 10 gal.

Thanks.

 

[Vladdy]

Sounds like a good set-up. I couldn't get mine to breed until I bought a piece of driftwood and put it in the tank. The next day, I had a berried shrimp. Now I have baby shrimp all over my tank. Shrimp love moss and marimo. I think the best temperature for them is around 75-76 degrees Fahrenheit. The substrate you are using sounds good. A dark substrate will give them a nice dark red color, but their color mostly depends on genetics. However, a dark substrate will help a lot. A way to selectively breed them for a very bold red color is to turn on the aquarium light after the aquarium has been dark for at least an hour, and then pick out the reddest shrimp and keep them in a separate tank for breeding. Red cherry shrimp show their personality better in a shrimp-only tank. Do not keep them with other Neocaridina shrimp species as they will interbreed and become "mutt" shrimp and the offspring will not have a good color but instead will become pale and will not have nice coloration anymore. Good luck!

 

[Vladdy]

I also noticed that the red cherry shrimp with green eggs tend to have less vivid coloration that the red cherry shrimp with yellow eggs.

 

[sewingalot]

Thanks for the tips. I bought a lot of the ElectroRight for the livebearer tank when it was on sale. I use it because my tap water is way soft. I would have bought it had I known the ingredients.

That's useful info on the feeding.

I figure about 1 ml of excel per day should be about right for the 10 gal.

Thanks.

Yeah, 1 ml of excel will be fine for the 10. Don't you love buying things to find out they can be made cheaply? I bought blackwater extract for years before I found out how much I could save making my own.

 

[newt]

Is EI dosing OK for RCS???

 

[roznalos]

Yes it is, but it's bad if you overdose, which might kill the shrimps.

 

[sewingalot]

Is EI dosing OK for RCS???

Perfectly fine.