# Questions!



## Trey Lanier (9 May 2015)

So I was just hoping that a few of my questions could be answered. I would prefer it if you only answered one of you had experience with doing it or what not.  
So really my question is I have a 60gallon that I plan to stock with fantasy blue shrimp and blue panda shrimp. This is really my first time with quality shrimp, so please bare with me lol.
First off here is a pic of the tank. I dry started it with blended mini fissidens moss, it will be planted in the next week. 



Do I even need to feed them to start with if their is only 12 shrimp total? I'm giving the tank a month before stocking to allow for bio film to build up. 
In your experience, how do they do in pressurized stable co2 lvls? I plan to have co2 on during the day and off at night with an air stone. Right now my water parameters are
Tap water
Ph-7.2ish
Gh- 8 
Kg- 1 
Tds-? I plan to get a meter very soon.

Since the tank has Aqua soil I believe that the ph will probably go down to around 6.5 ish. 
I plan on adding ether Cardinal tetras or green neons tetras. I have seen people with the green neon Tetras but not the cardinals with shrimp. 

I plan to use the ei fert method. 
Any info is much appreciated!!!!! Thanks! 


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## Lindy (9 May 2015)

I don't know about fantasy blue shrimp but do keep taiwan bee/shadow shrimp including pandas. The pandas will require a tds of between 120-180ish and everyone tends to play around within this parameter to see what works best for them. Pandas require a low ph and are usually kept on an active substrate to buffer to the desired ph of 5.5-6.5. Some people have success while using pressurised co2 but most folk that keep shrimp to breed don't use co2 . Again some people have shrimp with ei ferts but they can lead to rising tds and shrimp don't like fluctuations or the large water changes involved in high tech tanks. Any of the small fish will eat baby shrimp so if breeding is your aim fish are a no no. You might be best waiting until you have measured the tds of your tapwater before deciding on which shrimp unless you are willing to cut with ro or rainwater. 
The surface agitation desirable in shrimp tanks is not great in high techs as it off gasses your co2. 
I keep my taiwan bees at tds 160, gh6, ph 5.5 - 6. I use remineralised rain water for waterchanges. You may find the facebook page 'freshwater shrimp' very helpful as there are a number of breeders on there breeding every type of shrimp and also shrimp keepers from beginner onwards. Many have the blue shrimp you are talking about.
I hope this is of some help.


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## Trey Lanier (9 May 2015)

It would be nice if they bread but to be honest I'm not really worried about breeding them. I just want the colors and just love how they wander around filtering through the moss. If they did breed, great more shrimp, but I'm not in it to sell them or what not. I will get a tds meter this week and tell you what it is! Since I'm using the Ada Aqua soil I'm sure the ph will go down a lot. I would also test the water when the co2 is on and then when it's off to see what the difference is. I'm probably going to keep the co2 lvls a little over that deep green everyone desires. 


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## Lindy (9 May 2015)

Have you successfully kept other shrimp before?


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## Trey Lanier (9 May 2015)

yes i have had great luck with the ghost shrimp. That is the only other shrimp i have had, but i have had no problems with it in my tank with neon tetras and pygmy corys and also it had eggs, but since i had to move her and her two boys over to a different tank she ended up dropping all of her eggs in the process =/. I think what i am going to do, is use my what i believe is a 20Gallon long tank and put my extra ada aqua soil in it and add some moss and maybe a couple rocks and keep that tank within the specks for breeding the shrimp, and as they become adults ill add them into the main tank? If i do this, is it ok to use a hang on the back filter? Also one other question, how do you keep your tank temps so low like 74* F? My house is at 77 typically and the lowest the tank temp gets is 76.5 ish F


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## Lindy (10 May 2015)

Trey Lanier said:


> as they become adults ill add them into the main tank?


Add shrimp while they are still quite small ie 8 - 10 mm as they are far more adaptable at this age. 



Trey Lanier said:


> is it ok to use a hang on the back filter


Yes these filters are fine. I use air driven sponge filters with a jet lift for my tanks and the surface movement is excellent but hob filters give great movement too.



Trey Lanier said:


> how do you keep your tank temps so low like 74* F? My house is at 77 typically and the lowest the tank temp gets is 76.5 ish F


Haha, I live in Scotland in a drafty old house. In my shrimp room under the stairs the tanks sit around a balmy 19*C lol. It is only that warm because there are some heated fish tanks keeping the heat up in there. .

I would suggest starting with the fantasy blue because by all accounts they are very hardy. Once they have settled in you would hope to see berried females. I would only add Pandas once the fantasy blues are looking happy and berried females.


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## Lindy (10 May 2015)

Also remember your ada soil is going to leech lots of ammonia initially so lots of big water changes and lots of plants. I have used ada amazonia and africana with great success.


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## Trey Lanier (10 May 2015)

Alright thanks! I will do as you said and start with just the fantasy blue shrimp ! Yea I read up on the ammonia spikes Ada soil gives. I plan to do two 50% water changes for the first two weeks. How does this sound? My only problem at this point is, idk how much frets I will have to add to make up for it since I'm using ei ferts. Any good calculators or what not that can help with that? 


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## Trey Lanier (10 May 2015)

Oh and what do you mean 19* is hot lol!!!!! That freezing hahha I wish my room could stay that temp :,). I live in Florida (USA) and it's already hitting upper 80* f if not 90* during the mid day! My house temp is set at 77* f and my fish tank will not get lower than like 76* f. I'm not sure how to cook it down more. 


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## Trey Lanier (10 May 2015)

:,)


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## Lindy (13 May 2015)

I would do 100% water changes a couple of times a week for the first 2 weeks and then 50% wc's after this. With ei 50% wc is really the minimum to change a week. It takes around 3 weeks for the ammonia to settle, helped by large wc's, but you won't have livestock so no worries. Look in the other forums for ei advice as I don't use it. 




Trey Lanier said:


> Oh and what do you mean 19* is hot lol!!!!! That freezing hahha I wish my room could stay that temp :,)


It's the warmest place in the house in the winter. I go in there just to warm up lol. We only have the heating on for short periods morning and evening....


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## Trey Lanier (14 May 2015)

Well here is the update. It's been two and a half weeks and the moss is not only fully rooted, it's also grown a good amount! I am going to Flood the tank today and turn the lights out for the next full week and do 50% water changes to help with the ammonia from the Ada Aqua soil since I have so much of it.( lowest point in the tank has 3inches of soil and highest has 7inches). After this I will be planting hopefully next week if the plant end up coming in, waiting on the distributor to call me back with info on if he will have everything in stock for the shipment since I ordered it two weeks ago. I plan to just do like two or three 50% water changes once the plants are planted and do this for like two weeks at most the. Go to one water change a week. Probably not going to dose half the ei ferts since half them are already rich in the Ada soil. 



 not going to lye I think I ordered way more plants then I truly needed :,)!!! Now that my emersed setup have been kicking for four weeks now I really only needed half of what I ordered, but it's w/e just more plants to put in emersed setup . 




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## Trey Lanier (14 May 2015)

Oh also wanted to thank of groomer for the good info ! This is my first planted tank so, mistakes will happen but research can prevent most of them I hope! Researched for 8months to this day slowly buying items until now!!!! Now it's time for the fun parts to happen XD 


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## Lindy (15 May 2015)

You don't need to turn the lights off.
And you are welcome.


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## Trey Lanier (15 May 2015)

I thought that if I had the lights on that the algae would be everywhere since their is no plants in the tank other than moss? How long would you put the lights on for ? 4hours? 


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## Lindy (18 May 2015)

Can you reduce the intensity if it is mega watt lighting? I was forgeting this was high tech....When will you set up co2? I'd get it on and play around with co2 and flow to hit all spots of the tank.


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## Trey Lanier (18 May 2015)

The lighting is 3 of the kesssil  a160we tuna sun lights. I don't no the exact par lol for where they are at but I would guess about 60-70 par at any point of the tank. One thin I am kinda worried about is the stump being so close to the top of the water that it might get to much light causing algae growth? For my filter it is a hydor 450 which is rated for a 75-125 gallon tank so I have plenty of filtration I think, and in fact I had to close the outlet ball valve a little to slow down the flow because it was trying up the substrate making large dips in it. I also have the surface skimmer which is on the opposite side of the outflow on the back side so that it is making a large oval flow around the whole tank. Also I plan to plant this week or next week. Still waiting for all the plants...... 


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## Trey Lanier (18 May 2015)

Won't let me post a video -_- 


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