RCS advice - Epsom Salts, Iron, and Water Changes

[Anomander]

Hello all,

I have recently bought eight RCS for my tank which was planted c. 10 weeks ago (tank parameters below). I just have two questions that I was wondering if anyone could help me with:

1) Am I still ok to continue dosing my tank with Westlab Epsom Salts and TNC Iron (amounts listed below) - are these shrimp safe?

2) Do I need to adjust my water changes? Currently I am doing 50% once per week, but I was wondering if this would be too much of a shock to the system for the shrimp?

Thanks very much for any advice or information.

Tank Parameters

• 60ish litres
• 7.5 hrs light (regular 8w LED that came with Ciano Aqua 80)
• Hard North London water
• Ferts per week
  • 6ml TNC Complete (split into two 3ml doses)
  • 1.5-2g Epsom salts (to reach a full dose target of 3.5ppm);
  • 1ml TNC Iron (target of 0.2ppm).
• Unipac Silver Sand substrate
• Two Aquael Mini Pat filters, one in the back corner with a Venturi and duck-bill pointed towards the surface, the other in the opposite corner of the tank to create a circular flow
• Planted with various Anubias species, Java Fern, Salvinia Auriculata and some Java Moss. I have air-tubing to create a space for surface agitation and to keep floaters away - this open space is about 30% of tank's surface area and is quite choppy.

 

[Wookii]

1) Am I still ok to continue dosing my tank with Westlab Epsom Salts and TNC Iron (amounts listed below) - are these shrimp safe?

They are shrimp safe, but you ideally want to swap the TNC Iron out for TNC complete, and you are not dosing a decent number of the micro and macro nutrients require for plant growth.

EDIT: Scratch that, just seen you are dosing TNC Complete already. Both are fine for shrimp.

2) Do I need to adjust my water changes? Currently I am doing 50% once per week, but I was wondering if this would be too much of a shock to the system for the shrimp?

In a low tech shrimp tank you could happily get away with fewer water changes. Whether water changes affect your shrimp, it depends on how delicate a species they are. For RCS, they should be fine, for more delicate Caridina maybe more caution is the safer option. If you have any concerns though, just split the water change and do it twice per per week.

 

[Anomander]

In a low tech shrimp tank you could happily get away with fewer water changes. Whether water changes affect your shrimp, it depends on how delicate a species they are. For RCS, they should be fine, for more delicate Caridina maybe more caution is the safer option. If you have any concerns though, just split the water change and do it twice per per week.

Thank you for your information - I will continue dosing the Epsom and Iron.

I might change my WC to 25% twice a week as well. Ideally I would drip the new tank water back in gradually, but due to my setup I am not be able to get a container of water above the water level of the tank.

 

[bazz]

I might change my WC to 25% twice a week as well.

25% once a week will fine for low tech if you don't really want to go through with two.

Ideally I would drip the new tank water back in gradually, but due to my setup I am not be able to get a container of water above the water level of the tank.

As long as you are replacing the old water with new from the same source and if you prepare your water prior to the change i.e. leave for 24 hours to off-gas (Chlorine) preferably with agitation, bring it up to the same temp and add your MgSO4 etc the shrimp should be fine. This is what I do and my Tangerine Tigers are thriving.
Should you witness any problems with moulting etc you can always resort to plan B.

 

[Anomander]

In a low tech shrimp tank you could happily get away with fewer water changes. Whether water changes affect your shrimp, it depends on how delicate a species they are. For RCS, they should be fine, for more delicate Caridina maybe more caution is the safer option. If you have any concerns though, just split the water change and do it twice per per week.

25% once a week will fine for low tech if you don't really want to go through with two.

I think I might try the 25% once a week. Thanks both.

As long as you are replacing the old water with new from the same source and if you prepare your water prior to the change i.e. leave for 24 hours to off-gas (Chlorine) preferably with agitation, bring it up to the same temp and add your MgSO4 etc the shrimp should be fine.

Would stirring in Prime to the bucket of new water before adding it to the tank be an adequate substitute for leaving out for 24hrs (particularly as I don't have a spare means of aeration/agitation)?

I like the idea of adding the Epsom to the bucket of new water. Would adding TNC Complete and TNC Iron straight to the water (on separate days) be considered safe for the shrimp?

Thanks for all your advice.

 

[Wookii]

Would stirring in Prime to the bucket of new water before adding it to the tank be an adequate substitute for leaving out for 24hrs (particularly as I don't have a spare means of aeration/agitation)?

Yes, thats fine.

I like the idea of adding the Epsom to the bucket of new water.

You might find it easier making up a liquid solution to dose with, as the raw salt can talk a little while to dissolve.

Would adding TNC Complete and TNC Iron straight to the water (on separate days) be considered safe for the shrimp?

It will be completely fine - folks have been dosing these to shrimp tanks for decades without issue, as long as you don't dump half the bottle in, the shrimp will be unfazed.

 

[Anomander]

Thanks for the info @Wookii

 

[MichaelJ]

2) Do I need to adjust my water changes? Currently I am doing 50% once per week, but I was wondering if this would be too much of a shock to the system for the shrimp?

As long as the water you add contains no chlorine and roughly the same amount of Calcium/Magnesium (GH) and measures roughly the same EC (TDS) as the water you replace you can change as much water as you want. EC/TDS directly influences osmoregulation. Shrimps are quite sensitive to EC/TDS fluctuations (TDS/osmotic shock), but as long as you keep it stable and not too high the shrimps will be perfectly fine even at elevated EC levels.

Only things to watch out for with fertilizers (and tap water) with respect to shrimps is Copper, Zinc and Nickel. At elevated levels those metals - Copper in particular - are lethal to shrimps. TNC Complete is fine. The addition of TNC iron shouldn't be necessary, but if you add it, don't overdo it as it could potentially harm your shrimps as well.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Anomander]

Only things to watch out for with fertilizers (and tap water) with respect to shrimps is Copper, Zinc and Nickel. At elevated levels those metals - Copper in particular - are lethal to shrimps. TNC Complete is fine. The addition of TNC iron shouldn't be necessary, but if you add it, don't overdo it as it could potentially harm your shrimps as well.

Thank you for the info. I was adding the Iron and Epsom salts for the benefit of my plants, due to the hardness of London water. Would you say that, on balance, the potential benefits of these two supplements for the plants are outweighed by the potential harm it could cause the shrimp?

 

[Anomander]

Only things to watch out for with fertilizers (and tap water) with respect to shrimps is Copper, Zinc and Nickel. At elevated levels those metals - Copper in particular - are lethal to shrimps. TNC Complete is fine. The addition of TNC iron shouldn't be necessary, but if you add it, don't overdo it as it could potentially harm your shrimps as well.

So I have just added a reduced amount of TNC Iron (0.6ml) and one or two shrimp seem to be swimming vigorously around the tank practically doing laps, and sometimes swimming up against the glass. I havent observed this behaviour before and it's been happening for the last 15-20 mins. However, the other half-dozen haven't seemingly changed their behaviour.

I know TNC say that TNC Iron is shrimp safe, and I could be reading too much into their behaviour as I only got them on Sunday, but I'm also concerned that the TNC Iron has stressed at least some of them out. I haven't tried adding TNC Complete or Epsom Salts yet but now I'm concerned about adding those as well.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Would you say that, on balance, the potential benefits of these two supplements for the plants are outweighed by the potential harm it could cause the shrimp?

No, definitely not, Cherry Shrimps like hard water and actively growing plants are the best thing you can have to retain water quality.

one or two shrimp seem to be swimming vigorously around the tank practically doing laps, and sometimes swimming up against the glass.

Males tend to be fairly active, they will be less intensely coloured than the females?

.... concerned that the TNC Iron has stressed at least some of them out. I haven't tried adding TNC Complete or Epsom Salts yet but now I'm concerned about adding those as well.

Personally I wouldn't have any concerns about adding any of them.

cheers Darrel

 

[Anomander]

Personally I wouldn't have any concerns about adding any of them.

Thank you for putting my mind at ease!

Males tend to be fairly active, they will be less intensely coloured than the females?

I'm afraid I couldn't discern a distinct difference, colour-wise. They were smaller compared to some of the others, though I'm not sure if that means they're juvenile or male. My concern was the sudden bout of activity after adding the iron; they seem to have calmed down again now (i.e. in pottering about mode rather than racing mode).

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

They were smaller compared to some of the others, though I'm not sure if that means they're juvenile or male

Could be either. I've only kept "Standard" Cherry Shrimps, where even the females weren't particularly red.

cheers Darrel

 

[MichaelJ]

Would you say that, on balance, the potential benefits of these two supplements for the plants are outweighed by the potential harm it could cause the shrimp?

If your tap water is very low on Mg (especially relative to Calcium), the addition of Epsom salt will be beneficial for both shrimps and plants. Your shrimps needs Magnesium to support building their exoskeleton (Mg helps absorption of Ca). And of course, the plants appreciate the Mg as well.

As far as Iron goes you will have to overdose it quite a bit to get into trouble.

one or two shrimp seem to be swimming vigorously around the tank practically doing laps, and sometimes swimming up against the glass.

I see that in my own shrimp tank as well... there are always a couple of individuals that are hyper active that way, but will calm down after a while. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Anomander]

If your tap water is very low on Mg (especially relative to Calcium), the addition of Epsom salt will be beneficial for both shrimps and plants. Your shrimps needs Magnesium to support building their exoskeleton (Mg helps absorption of Ca). And of course, the plants appreciate the Mg as well.

As far as Iron goes you will have to overdose it quite a bit to get into trouble.


I see that in my own shrimp tank as well... there are always a couple of individuals that are hyper active that way, but will calm down after a while. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Cheers,
Michael

Thanks Michael, I appreciate the advice and reassurance. I think I'm quite worrisome about it as this is my first experience of having livestock in the aquarium.