# Acclimating shrimp option



## Aqua360 (6 Jun 2019)

Hi all

Quick question on acclimating shrimp to new conditions, in a nutshell I have some Caridina types, including pinto, fishbone, etc, in my Scottish tapwater, of approx 063 TDS (not sure kh and gh). 

Seeing limited breeding, so my shrimp breeder pal has convinced me to go RO and remineralise, which I should probably have done from the start. 

In acclimating these guys to slightly different conditions, I have two options:

A) take them out into a tub, empty tank, fill with remineralised RO; slowly drip shrimp back to brand new conditions. 

B) do very small 5% water changes frequently with RO remineralised water, slowly but regularly introducing the new water conditions. 

Gut tells me to go with option A, as too many moults with fluctuating conditions can cause deaths, but thought I'd ask here first!


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## alto (6 Jun 2019)

Unless there is some known issue with your tap water, why not just add the shrimp minerals to tap?

(I’m rather assuming that water parameters are as “expected” given the 63 ppm TDS - check with your water supplier for comprehensive analysis, also if it’s subject to change without notice)

I’d just go with option B and I’d likely do 10% every few days (is there a rush?) feeding lightly through the process

Even though you drip with A, it’s still a lot of change in a short time
Despite having “received and tanked” a couple thousand shrimp the other day with no losses (open bag, pour gently into bucket to suss _which_ shrimp, net and add to tanks - only “match” attempt is suitable TDS using Seachem Equilibrium) I’m not convinced this change from previous to new conditions is best done abruptly ... while a drip is gradual over hours, there is no time for biochemical adaptation by shrimp

Of course depending on your colony breeding (inbreeding) your shrimp may be (more) delicate
Given the cost/rarity of fishbone etc, I’d err on the side of caution

If you go on shrimp forums, there are proponents for both sides


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## Aqua360 (6 Jun 2019)

alto said:


> Unless there is some known issue with your tap water, why not just add the shrimp minerals to tap?
> 
> (I’m rather assuming that water parameters are as “expected” given the 63 ppm TDS - check with your water supplier for comprehensive analysis, also if it’s subject to change without notice)
> 
> ...



Cheers alto


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## alto (6 Jun 2019)

If your pal has tanks/success you’d like to emulate, go with his advice 
- especially if he’s on similar water system and similar shrimp types

But I’m rather conservative so I’d just do one tank to start


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## tam (6 Jun 2019)

I'd do B because you can do a much slower transition. If you are dripping then I'm guessing you are thinking hours/a day to do the change. If you do it with water changes you can spread it over a couple of weeks and don't have to catch out the shrimp. I'd mix a bucket full of new water and then just take a cup/jug (depending on tank volume) out the tank each day or twice a day and add a cup/jug of new. Use the TDS pen to monitor the change.


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## dw1305 (6 Jun 2019)

Hi all, 





tam said:


> I'd do B because you can do a much slower transition.


"B" for me as well.





alto said:


> Unless there is some known issue with your tap water, why not just add the shrimp minerals to tap?


That would be my suggestion as well, your tap water is actually already pretty close to RO. 





Aqua360 said:


> 063 TDS (not sure kh and gh).


Both dKH and dGH are going to be low, 63ppm TDS is ~100 microS (µS) conductivity, so there aren't a lot of ions present of any description. 

Most of the ions present are likely to be calcium (Ca++), bicarbonate (HCO3-) and sodium (Na+), but we can't actually tell what ions are present from the conductivity values.As @alto says you should be able to get a break-down from your water supplier.

*What do TDS or conductivity values actually mean?*
I find it quite hard to visualise conductivity, or TDS values, as actual amount of compounds so I usually think about in terms of teaspoons (and grains) of salt (NaCl). 

You need 0.491g (491mg) NaCl L-1 (so basically 1/2 gram of salt in one litre of DI water) to give a 1000 µS standard. 

You have tap water at 100 µS, so that is equivalent to ~0.05g (50 mg) in one litre of DI water. A grain of salt <"weighs about 0.1 mg">, so your TDS value is about what you would get if you dissolved 500 grains of salt in one litre of water.  

A quarter of a teaspoon is is about <"10,000 grains of salt">, so it is quite a small amount of ions.

cheers Darrel


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## Aqua360 (6 Jun 2019)

Thanks guys, this has reassured me


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