CRS + Dutch Aquascape

[Qwedfg]

Looking for some advice on keeping CRS in a dutch aquascape. My tank is a 60p ... I use CO2 and EI fert dosing. Since switching my aquascape from a nature scape with seiryu stone to a garden style scape my kh is 0 and my gh is ~5-6 (tds ~150). I have aquasoil and use RO water and remineralize with CaSO4 and MgSO4.

I have 3 otos and about 150 or so cherry shrimp in the tank now. The cherry shrimp seem unaffected by my CO2 levels (7.2 degassed - 5.8 lights on). Since removing the seiryu stone about a month and a half ago my cherry shrimp haven't been breeding I'm assuming from the big drop in kh and gh ... my TDS was ~300-350 by the end of the week with the stone. Most of my population is peewee sized shrimp though so I am hoping when they get to sexual maturity they will start to breed again in the new conditions.

Since my kh and gh are more in line with CRS now I was hoping to add some to my tank. Will I have success with this set up in a high tech EI dosed tank? I change approximately 60% of my water per week and front load my macronutrients in my water change water then dose micros every day via an autodoser. Are CRS more sensitive to CO2 than cherry shrimp or would it be reasonable to assume that if cherry shrimp are active during the day with high CO2 the crystal shrimp would also be fine?

Thank you

 

[hamfist]

If your pH is swinging between 7.2 and 5.8 within a one day photoperiod, I'd say CRS will generally struggle. I assume your soil does not have the greatest buffering qualities. I can't say from personal experience (because I have never used CO2) but general internet "wisdom" is that keeping CRS with CO2 is asking for trouble. Some do seem to succeed, if it is used minimally and carefully in the right system, but it seems they are in the minority.
I am an experience RCS keeper who has recently set up a CRS tank and having done a lot of extra reading recently I think I am up with the latest thinking. My personal approach may be of interest to you. I have gone with an inert substrate but have a small amount of active buffering substrate in a bubble-driven box filter that sits in the back corner of the tank. It is keeping things rock solid with the KH at 0-1 and pH at 6.4 and the shrimp seem to be thriving. I do not use CO2 but the tank is well planted and with reasonably high lighting (for a non-CO2 tank) I am getting excellent plant growth.
Maybe adding some better buffering active soil somehow and absolutely minimising your CO2 usage might be things to consider.

 

[Qwedfg]

If your pH is swinging between 7.2 and 5.8 within a one day photoperiod, I'd say CRS will generally struggle. I assume your soil does not have the greatest buffering qualities. I can't say from personal experience (because I have never used CO2) but general internet "wisdom" is that keeping CRS with CO2 is asking for trouble. Some do seem to succeed, if it is used minimally and carefully in the right system, but it seems they are in the minority.
I am an experience RCS keeper who has recently set up a CRS tank and having done a lot of extra reading recently I think I am up with the latest thinking. My personal approach may be of interest to you. I have gone with an inert substrate but have a small amount of active buffering substrate in a bubble-driven box filter that sits in the back corner of the tank. It is keeping things rock solid with the KH at 0-1 and pH at 6.4 and the shrimp seem to be thriving. I do not use CO2 but the tank is well planted and with reasonably high lighting (for a non-CO2 tank) I am getting excellent plant growth.
Maybe adding some better buffering active soil somehow and absolutely minimising your CO2 usage might be things to consider.

7.2 is my degassed ph my tank never fully degasses overnight so the drop is more like ~1 ph but I thought I had read ph change associated with co2 is not as bad as changes to kh.

I use ada aquasoil and ro water that has a tds of 0 so I set my kh and gh using CaSO4 and MgSO4. I have been using water with a 0 kh and 5-6 gh for water changes. I have been doing some reading and it seems some people have success with CRS in a high tech tank but the production of new shrimp is slowed down compared to lacking co2. An interesting post by Tom Barr claimed he ran some trials on how ferts affect the reproduction of CRS and he found that ei levels of ferts don't affect reproduction of ~S-SS grade CRS but CO2 reduced how often they reproduce.

I think I am going to try some S+ shrimp and see how it goes.

 

[hamfist]

7.2 is my degassed ph my tank never fully degasses overnight so the drop is more like ~1 ph but I thought I had read ph change associated with co2 is not as bad as changes to kh.

I use ada aquasoil and ro water that has a tds of 0 so I set my kh and gh using CaSO4 and MgSO4. I have been using water with a 0 kh and 5-6 gh for water changes. I have been doing some reading and it seems some people have success with CRS in a high tech tank but the production of new shrimp is slowed down compared to lacking co2. An interesting post by Tom Barr claimed he ran some trials on how ferts affect the reproduction of CRS and he found that ei levels of ferts don't affect reproduction of ~S-SS grade CRS but CO2 reduced how often they reproduce.

I think I am going to try some S+ shrimp and see how it goes.

Yup, I think get some and see how it goes. Its the only way to really know as each individual system and batch of shrimp is unique anyway.

Best of luck !