# Shrimp no longer breeding



## Mark Webb (27 Nov 2011)

I setup my shrimp tank back in Sept 09 with 6 CRS. All settled in nicely and they started breeding until I eventually had about 300! Along the way I added a few Cherries and they eventually multiplied well. However, now neither are breeding at all and numbers are dwindling. I setup another tank and transfered just 12 CRS into that last March but they have not bred at all. I started by using RO water but changed to an HMA filter. I think that this may be why they have stopped breeding? PH is 7.5 in current water so I am guessing this is too high and maybe the cause?


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## basil (27 Nov 2011)

Hi Mark,

Sounds like you had something right to start with if they were breeding and shrimplets surviving past 1-2 weeks.

I would advise thunking back to exactly what you had in the tank and how you prepared the water.

Or, it could be purely down to overcrowding in the tank? IMO both crs and rcs will slow down breeding when stocks are high.

Why did you switch from RO to HMA and what are your water parameters please as it comes out of the tap? Hopefully we can help you.

Cheers,

Mike.


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## Mark Webb (27 Nov 2011)

Thanks Mike. I switched because of the waste with RO and also the cost of remineralising for my 260 litre. Which parameters shall I check?


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## basil (27 Nov 2011)

ph and gh are the 2 most important with CRS.


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## basil (27 Nov 2011)

I can see your pH is a little on the high side for CRS although probably better for Cherries. 

Assuming you'd rather have the CRS breeding well, you could start by trying to bring this down a little. Ideal range being 6.5-6.8 for CRS. Would try natural products first before going down other route. Indian almond leaves are very good and cheap. Loads on ebay, but i tend to buy from a user called winzita she is pretty quick on delivery and is a fellow shrimper! Boil before use to remove the tannin stain and add 3 or 4 to a 260l tank.


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## Mark Webb (27 Nov 2011)

Thanks Basil. Can I avoid using RO if I reduce the ph using the indian almond leaves? Shrimp are in a 60litre.


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## basil (27 Nov 2011)

Yes, if you are only using RO to get your pH down there are certainly cheaper ways of doing this. My water as it comes out of the tap is pretty good with ph 6.8 and gh a little over 3. For me using RO would not make sense, so i use HMA to rid any chlorine and heavy metals. You may find that you also have a pretty good gh as it comes out of the tap? Do you have a test kit to measure the gh?


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## Mark Webb (27 Nov 2011)

No dont have one. I will get one to check it.


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## mlgt (27 Nov 2011)

I think its something that all shrimp keepers face eventually. I had the same issue and I just thinned out my stock and added fresh bloodlines after 6 months. 
This enabled them to start breeding again.


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## Mark Webb (27 Nov 2011)

Should I chnage substrate. Started with ADA Aquasoil which is now 26 months old?


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## mlgt (27 Nov 2011)

Soil does make a difference. I met some breeders in singapore earlier in the year and many of them swear by changing the substrate to shrimp friendly stuff every year.
But softer water and less gh etc is a must.


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## basil (27 Nov 2011)

Mark Webb said:
			
		

> Should I chnage substrate. Started with ADA Aquasoil which is now 26 months old?



It's a very complex subject and everyone has their own strong opinions - some right, some not so.

Yes, it could be that the ADA has started to loose it's buffering capacity and that your ph has crept up. It's unlikely to effect the cherries though as they are much less fussy.

I would advise getting a gh test kit first off though and getting your head around whats coming out of the tap. You might be lucky like me and not need to RO the water etc. HMA is good alround as it removes the chlorine and metals, but will not alter ph and gh.

If you like I can test your gh if you want to post me a 10ml sample of tank and seperate 10ml of tap water. Should be able to establish a pretty good idea for you from that. Otherwise your local fish shop should be able to do this for you foc?

In the mean time some almond leaves will be a quick fix to start getting the ph down a nudge.


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## Gill (27 Nov 2011)

I would also agree on Almond Leaves, Does wonders for fish and shrimp. I have plenty of this if needed, in leaf and rolled form.


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## Mark Webb (27 Nov 2011)

basil said:
			
		

> Mark Webb said:
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> 
> ...



Thats very kind of you but my LFS is very good so I'll ask them.



			
				Gill said:
			
		

> I would also agree on Almond Leaves, Does wonders for fish and shrimp. I have plenty of this if needed, in leaf and rolled form.



Thats great I would like to try some Gill. Let me know the cost?


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## Dincho (29 Nov 2011)

Its normal for breeding activity to slow down around this time of year. Is your KH reading 0? If it is then you have 2 options, Mosura Eros or Benibachi Breeding Liquid.


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## Mark Webb (29 Nov 2011)

Dincho said:
			
		

> Its normal for breeding activity to slow down around this time of year. Is your KH reading 0? If it is then you have 2 options, Mosura Eros or Benibachi Breeding Liquid.



KH is 4. Shrimp stopped breeding about 1 year ago.


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## Dincho (29 Nov 2011)

A YEAR!!!!! You need to get you kh down before you do anything else. In the wild shrimp always breed after a heavy rainfall, keeping your kh at 0 will help imitate this and promote breeding. Have you got anything in your tank that could be causing the high KH? do you use RO water?


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## Mark Webb (29 Nov 2011)

What would cause a high KH? I dont use RO but I did when they were breeding well.


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## Mark Webb (22 Dec 2011)

Okay, I am back on RO now. I have stripped out the tank in which the CRS stopped breeding and moved them into another 10L tank with Flora Base substrate and sponge filter. I have done several water changes with RO and although I added 2 large Almond leaves on 12 December (thanks again Gill) PH is still high at 7.6. GH is 6 and KH is 3. I have 20 CRS in this tank but they are all fully grown. Are they likely to start breeding again or should I add new stock to this tank? Should I add more Almond leaves until PH decreases?

In the original tank I have used Akadama and filled with RO and using a cannister filter.  PH in this tank is 7, GH5 and KH0. Added 10 Red Cherries to this tank.


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## Dincho (23 Dec 2011)

If your using RO then there is no way your parameters should be reading what they are! You must have some hardscape in the tank that is buffering the water?


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## Mark Webb (25 Dec 2011)

Dincho said:
			
		

> If your using RO then there is no way your parameters should be reading what they are! You must have some hardscape in the tank that is buffering the water?



I am using a remineriliser.


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## Dincho (8 Jan 2012)

How are your parameters now? Have they come down yet?


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## Mark Webb (8 Jan 2012)

Thanks for asking - Back to using RO since 4 December, but PH is still high at 7.5 despite adding Almond leaves (courtesy of Gill). KH is now 3 with GH at 6.

Should I add more Almond Leaves than the 2 I currently have?

Parameters are better in the newly setup tank with Akadama for Red Cherry. I am getting a PH of around 7 with KH of 1 and GH of 5


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## Dincho (8 Jan 2012)

If you are using RO and Akadama then your ph should be much lower, something is buffering it. Have you got a photo of your setup? 

What are you using to re-mineralise the water?


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## Mark Webb (8 Jan 2012)

Using JBL Aquadur Plus to remineralise


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## Dincho (8 Jan 2012)

Nice! Nothing in there looks like it would be buffering the water. What test kit are you using?


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## Mark Webb (8 Jan 2012)

Using a Vitalsine PH Meter and Nutrafin KH/GH test kit


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## Dincho (9 Jan 2012)

When did you last calibrate your ph meter? Have you tested the water coming directly out of the RO unit?


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## Mark Webb (9 Jan 2012)

Calibrated about 5 weeks ago but again this morning. RO Water is reading PH6, the CRS Tank PH7.4 and the Red Cherry PH6.8. I guess that maybe the JBL is increasing the PH?


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## Dincho (9 Jan 2012)

I have not used the JBL stuff but it looks like the case, we have eliminated everything else. Use something else to re-mineralise and ph should hopefully come down.


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## Mark Webb (9 Jan 2012)

Dincho said:
			
		

> I have not used the JBL stuff but it looks like the case, we have eliminated everything else. Use something else to re-mineralise and ph should hopefully come down.



Many thanks.


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## Dincho (9 Jan 2012)

Fingers crossed that is the issue! Come back if not, we'll start again


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## Mark Webb (9 Jan 2012)

Dincho said:
			
		

> Fingers crossed that is the issue! Come back if not, we'll start again



Many thanks for your help and interest. Can you maybe suggest a remineraliser which wont increase the PH?


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## Dincho (9 Jan 2012)

Just pm'd you with an offer of my left overs


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## Dincho (16 Jan 2012)

Any progress?


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## Mark Webb (16 Jan 2012)

Yes thanks, I have now done 3 x 50% water changes and parameters are now PH6.6, KH1, and GH5. Whether or not the CRS start to breed now remains to be seen. They are all mature adults.


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## Dincho (16 Jan 2012)

Good to hear! Keep the parameters as they are and stable, they should be acting like rabbits in no time  All shrimp have a period where they don't breed, normally a month or 2 between November and March.


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## Mark Webb (16 Jan 2012)

Dincho said:
			
		

> Good to hear! Keep the parameters as they are and stable, they should be acting like rabbits in no time  All shrimp have a period where they don't breed, normally a month or 2 between November and March.



Thanks Dane, what water change regime do you have?


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## Dincho (16 Jan 2012)

I used to do 30% a week, now i do 30% twice a week. I always drip feed the water back in over several hours, it has minimum impact on parameter changes.


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## basil (16 Jan 2012)

Some good stuff on this post!!


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