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Sounds like detritus worm and I have loads and doesn't seem to do shrimp any harm. Normally your fish would eat these so you'd never see them.


Hi Lindy
Thanks for coming to the rescue again. Much appreciated.
Thank goodness. I am always worried about the parasites.

I have noticed there is quite a few snails now. Both the type I want and the ones I dont want. In the fish tank I just dont overfeed and the buggers die off. In the shrimp tank I am not feeding and they are multiplying.
Guess I am going to be on a crunching mission now. :banghead:

Cheers
R
 
One week on and still all the shrimp are alive (assuming they are as I can see 7-8 and am guessing the other 2 are hiding somewhere).

I have switched to a regular 20% weekly water change. Which seems fine.

I have playing with the concept of raising the nano filter so the outlet is out of the water and the jet of water is not spraying but clearly denting the water surface as it goes back into the water. Its just on the edge of actually sploshing the surface. If you know what I mean.

I am thoroughly amazed that the plants are not suffering and algae is at bay so far in this Low Tech tank. Lights are on for 6 hours only. I would like to up that time as I am curious as to what the optimum time is for CRS shrimp. But am aware a longer photo period might mean more demands for nutrients and CO2 for the plants.

The shrimp are getting noticeable longer and bigger and seem all healthy. I have not fed them at all.

What's going on? I was expecting death and calamity with shrimp and/or plants. But neither have materialised. Ah ok there is something a little wrong. Snails. Lots of snails. But its hardly a problem, apart from I am not overfeeding, but clearly there is food in abundance for them to multiply

I have also taken to Youtube and done searches on CRS Shrimp to see what comes up and have been fascinated by some of the videos, from normal people, breeders and even the corporate companies who do this for a living. I did not realise how much of an industry this is in the Far East. I watched this years Shrimp contest in Hannover, Germany and watched the amazing shrimp. So now I want a second tank to house some other breeds of shrimp rather than mixing them into the one tank (I realise that some types do not mix). I would like to stick with CRS in this tank, keep it simple. Perhaps I might add some SSS grade shrimp into the same tank.

Bought some Fissendens moss on wire mesh from one of the forum sponsors, and plopped that into one of few remain open spaces on the substrate. Hoping that grows nicely over the months.

I have even found some traditional Japanese music on Spotify to play whilst watching them as I work at home!!! :happy:

Back to looking at SSS and PRL grades.
Roly
 
It took about 3 months before I started losing shrimp and it wasn't a sudden, they're all dead, thing. It was one a week kind of gradual decimation. Obviously there weren't enough of the right stuff in the water so Mosura mineral plus was recommended to me. Haven't looked back so maybe you have averted any disasters by starting out with the right stuff:)
 
I was using the Bee shrimp mineral gh+. I'm going to give this stuff another go in the wee cube to see if it was another factor. My difficulty is that to get the tds to 150/160 I have to add too much mosura m+ and the gh gets too high. I now use the mosura m+ to get gh of 5 and then use mosura tds UP to get the tds to 160. I have also found that when I replaced the active carbon in the filter I had berried shrimp within days and now all the mature females are berried so I'm going to keep up with 6week changes for that. I buy the activated carbon by the large bag on ebay as well as my filter floss/ sponge by the sheet. Much cheaper and the carbon comes with a wee bag that you can reuse in your filter. Much cheaper!
 
Lindy - Ah. Understood on the water front. Nightmare!

Interesting thought on the active carbon. Might try sneaking some into my filter at some point to see if it triggers the same.

Managed to nip into London yesterday to purchase some shrimp and the what was more amazing that I was able to drip acclimatise and add 3 PRL shrimp to the shrimp tank all without my wife noticing.

So very pleased.
The other shrimp are growing to noticeable sizes now. Very impressed.

The plan is working.
R
 
Hello rolymo, I have been reading through your very informative journal as about to start my own shrimp only tank. finally manage to convince the boss to let me start my own nano... Just purchase myself a 30l Dennerle tank - complete set... Come With pretty much all you need to start. Am considering a dsm to attach moss and start a hc carpet, also always wanted to try dsm. like yours tank will be low tech. This will be my first shrimp only tank, so is there any advise you could offer to a newby like myself... Cheers in advance.
 
Hi steveno
Thanks for reading.
Lo tech is all new to me. And I am still not sure completely about the science behind it as I learnt with the hi tech fish tank that light, co2 and circulation were king. Followed fast by plant food.

Low tech no added co2, no plant food. Hmmm

I purposely did not put HC into mine as I thought it required good co2 and circulation and hence my confusion.

DSM - not tried it. But have seen plenty of others on UKAPS so my advice would to look on the forum.

On the shrimp. I get mixed messages about how sensitive they are. Some say easy others say not. Some say the more exotic breeds are more sensitive hence start with cheaper breeds.

Me I was will to gamble some more at the SS grade as I was becoming confident the water column and tank appeared to be ok.

However I am testing the conductivity most days and anything I am not happy about I do a small water change.

I should really be monitoring the PH but the liquid test kit is open to interpretation so will look to get a PH pen. But in reality I am surviving without.

I think the big contributor is using RO water and then buying the relevant minerals to get the hardness, conductivity and pH to right levels.

Good luck.
Rolymo
 
I believe your right roly, as long as you are using Remineralised RO with the correct TDS then the ph and kh etc fall into line, consideration for hardscape that effects parameters have to be considered though, inert for an easy life :) I cant say i have ever tested anything but tds in my shrimp tank.
Using HC lowtech even after DSM when ive tried it it would always fail after about 2-3 months. Im a big advocate of Elantine as a low tech substitute for HC as it goes just fine with low light, minimal ferts etc...

Im glad its going well for you Roly, happy shrimp are very satisfying to watch.
 
Thanks Iain for the good intel. Especially confirmation on the water parameters. Also interesting on the HC. Will look at your suggested alternative.

Was also interesting to see George's PRL get snapped up in one minute flat.

Just shows the interest in shrimp is thriving.

From my limited experience I do think the UK is lagging somewhat behind Germany and the Scandinavia countries. Shame really.

Think there is a big market.

R
 
uva8era5.jpg


Yay Shrimp

Sorry have just come back from the pub after a few pints of beer.

Goodnight all.
R
 
It's the one on the left.
Got them from Freshwatershrimp. Went in personally (as I work 2-3 times in London), which is dangerous :) Because of all the stuff that you can buy.

I was in there when another couple were buying a load of Panda's and king kongs. They looked really cool. Was very jealous. Now I need another tank for those.

Now forgive me on the quality/grades as I am still learning and even now I am little confused about the different strains, styles, grades and PRL, Benibachi/C-Sky etc. etc. etc. of CRS. I thought I had it nailed, but then something else on a website throws my thinking out of the window.

So what I understood and were sold as technically PRL (low grade) SS. However 1 had no red markings below its headband (which in my limited opinion) would be SSS. The other 2 had a spec of red on there backs, but other than that solid white back part from the red band at the head. And was told do a bit a of selective breeding and the red spot would disappear in the offspring. So technically those 2 I guess would be PRL SS but if I can breed to tiny red spec out then it becomes PRL SSS?

But if you noticed last night George was shifting some of his PRL high grade :shh: stock which looked like SS style to me. So worth a watch on those.
R
 
Today was tank maintenance day.
On the shrimp tank I took my trusty toothbrush and brushed the inside of the tank.
Using an airline I syphoned off some water and at the same time sucked up detritus and surface scum.
Trimmed the plants where needed.
Pulled out a limp banana leaf.

Changed and cleaned the filter. This week I added a slice of active carbon sponge.
The filter now contains. Sponge top and bottom, floss in the front middle, a pouch of Purigen, and a slice of active carbon sponge in the back middle.

Lights have been set to come on at 11am and turn off at 22:00.

3 hours later shrimp all seem fine and active.

Query on the grading:-

C-sky, Benibachi, Ebi Ten, Yu etc are different strains some better than others. But all deliver a CRS shrimp.
PRL - Is literally good quality colour and guarantee of no white or golden offspring. So they are pure but can be different grades
Grades: A, B, C, S, SS, SSS are all different colour patterns and quality.

So if wanted to I could get some Ebi Ten PRL SSS shrimp and I would be broke, but have some kick ass looking shrimp and a nice certificate.
I could get some normal SSS and I get some cool patterned shrimp (more white than red etc as per all the charts I have seen), risk that offspring might be golden in some cases but have money left over to run the house etc.

Is my above understanding correct?

Thanks
Roly
 
Great journal! Your enthusiasm is infectious and reading through has got me smiling ... Japanese music?! lol I might have to give that a go.

I can't really help with the grading etc. but back a couple of pages you were talking about nettles and keeping them dried. I missed my nettles last winter and it was some relief when they returned in the spring, so I'm determined not to let that happen again this year. So I have a supply that I have blanched as usual, but then they went into the freezer wrapped individually in some cut up plasticbag. I also keep some dried like Lindy's so it will be interesting to see which ones turn out the best, but I'll only use it when the fresh stuff has all gone.
 
Just chucked away some more money.
Ordered a Mini oxydator. So will see if that keeps the campers happy in the tank. Will let you know how it goes Lindy, as I am guess you want the larger one?

I feel like I need to keep a watch on the snails now, to stop them shagging all the time. I have two daughters to worry about let alone worry about a tank with snail procreating all the time!! Shimps however are most welcome get jiggy with it.
R
 
Nope, I've ordered the Mini one for my 30cm cube. Just tell your girls that the snails are lazy and hitching a ride. Maybe say hitching a lift instead;) Went back to hobbyshrimp and ordered some of that beeshrimp stuff that was recomended along with a new net:)
 
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