High flow in shrimp tank.     12/26/17
So, my air pump broke for my bubble filter for my ten gallon shrimp tank.
<Oh no!>
So I had to find something else to filter the aquarium.
<Indeed.>
However, I also have a bamboo shrimp.
<Nice animals. Not too difficult to keep.>
So I decided to use a Fluval C4 filter I had laying around. Again, this tank is only ten gallons and the lowest flow setting is about 150 gph, so 15x turnover.
<Probably a bit much.>
I have covered the intake with a fine mesh media bag. Will high affect shrimp breeding?
<In fairness, probably not, since these shrimps do live in quite fast flowing streams.>
My bamboo shrimp loves the high flow, but I'm kind of concerned about the cherry shrimp.
<I'd see what happens! I've seen shrimp juveniles living inside filters, so I don't think they're overly bothered by high flow rates. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: High flow in shrimp tank.     12/26/17
I forgot to mention that I have a lot cover for the shrimp to refuge on. I actually plan to keep the filter on since it would replicate their natural habitat, maybe get a slightly slower filter, at max 10x turnover. My bamboo shrimp is a lot more happier and easier to feed since now I can just blanket feed. Thanks!
<All sounds ideal. All these shrimps are adapted to flowing water, so they should be fine with moderately high currents. Bamboo Shrimps are certainly demanding in terms of food, often starving to death in ordinary community
tanks. I'd be careful about overfeeding though, as high nitrate can be an problem. Cheers, Neale.>

High TDS in shrimp tank    12/18/17
Hello, this is Jinoo Kim. I want to know more about TDS. All I know about TDS is that is everything that is in the water column.
<Correct. It's another way of measuring or perhaps more accurately describing the concept we used to call Total Hardness.>
The only time I test for TDS is my Shadow Panda and Snow White Bee shrimp tank, which is usually little over 100.
<Sounds fine.>
However, I have never tested TDS on my other aquariums, including my Painted Fire Red Cherry shrimp tank because cherry shrimps are usually very hardy.
<Indeed they are.>
I decided to test one day and I got something over 500 ppm! I add 1/2 RODI and 1/2 tap, add some Seachem Equilibrium and Fresh Trace. This tank has been running for years, but the shrimp has been added only a 2 month ago. They are molting frequently, but haven't been breeding due to the fact I accidentally bought all females. However, I did add males a week ago. My research shows that optimal range is 150-300, 400 at most.
<Which is a pretty wide range when you think about it!>
Here are what my other parameters look like:
gH: 12 (A little bit higher than usual, which is 10)
kH: 5
pH: 7.4
Nitrate: >10 (ammonia and nitrites are obviously 0)
<All sounds fine for most of the common Neocaridina and Caridina species.>
I think it's because of my high gH (even though it's in the range that cherry shrimp prefer) that my TDS is high. Every shrimp is still kicking, even though the TDS is really high.
<I wouldn't worry about it. Bear in mind some species occur in slightly brackish environments, and all of the Caridina species (I believe) have a marine planktonic stage. These shrimps are definitely not sensitive to water chemistry. Water quality and temperature are probably more important.>
Are the shrimps just that hardy?
<Some species, yes. Others are more delicate, but provided the water chemistry isn't too soft and isn't too hard (5-15 degrees dH, pH 6.5-7.5 is fine) most species will thrive in clean, oxygen-rich aquarium that are well maintained and receive frequent water changes.>
Or is there something about TDS that I don't know? I would like to know more before I panic because I do like to keep my water this way.
<If your shrimps are breeding, they're fine! Relax; enjoy yourself, and your pets. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: High TDS in shrimp tank    12/18/17
Oh and does high phosphates affect TDS?
<Not directly. Phosphate normally accumulates as a result of biological decay, so high phosphate tends to be a result of high stocking levels or too-few water changes.>
Is it detrimental to shrimp?
<Possibly, since phosphate compounds can partially change into a certain amount of phosphoric acid, which lowers the pH. Low pH (anything below 6.5) isn't good for most shrimps.>
My phosphates are probably due to Seachem Neutral Regulator, so I can grow algae as a food source.
<Indeed, phosphoric acid is widely used in aquarium buffers, where it does the opposite to calcium carbonate. In and of itself this phosphoric acid isn't dangerous, but do use such products carefully, as instructed by the manufacturer. Cheers, Neale.>

Birth of baby shrimps 05/06/08 Hi, My daughter is 7 years old and she is curious to know how are baby shrimps born. <Many different ways. Depends on the shrimps. Is this a school project or simply out of curiosity. If the former, that's not something we're here to help with. If the latter, the short answer is this: most shrimps produce eggs that float away in the plankton. After a while the eggs hatch and the "baby" shrimps pass through a series of larval stages until they become miniature shrimps that settle down onto the substrate. Although the details are different, the basic idea of a larval versus adult form is similar to the way larval butterflies (caterpillars) are different to the adults. Some shrimps, mostly freshwater ones, do not do this. The mother carries a few large eggs under her swimmerets and protects them. When they hatch, the newborn shrimps are perfect miniatures of the adults, and immediately walk about the bottom just like their parents. If you get some Cherry Shrimps from a pet store, they breed easily if kept well, and you can watch this at home.> Can you provide us the answer with pictures or video clip attached? <No.> Thanks, Esther <Cheers, Neale.>

Calcium in Crab & Shrimp Tanks     6/2/16
Hello,
I keep a few crustaceans (Panther crabs, Rainbows crabs, Geosesarma crabs, Crayfish and Cherry Shrimp). I know that calcium is important for the proper development of their shells. I have looked all over the net and can't find any definitive information on how much calcium and how often it's needed, so I'm hoping you can help.
I bought some small calcium tablets (1" long by .5" wide), but I haven't put them in the tanks yet. I need to know how often I should be giving my crustaceans calcium and how much. So far they've been doing good but I want to make sure they have the best care possible.
Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.
Kind Regards,
Suzanne
<As with humans, it's the "bio-available" Ca that is important; and for freshwater organisms this takes the form of both dissolved and macro-sources. Unless you have a Calcium concentration test assay, I'd rely on "hardness" as a measure here; and aim for "medium hardness" (measured in various ways: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_water
AND I would use the small calcium tablets you mention (or softer sea shells, cuttle bone) as an exogenous source these animals can/may pick on.
Bob Fenner>

preparing a freshwater shrimp tank   8/10/14
Hello you WWM peoples, hope you're having a great day!! I'm pretty sure I've read everything you have on freshwater shrimp and I did learn quite a bit, thanks for that.
<Cool.>
However, I am looking for information on a particular topic and didn't come across it on your site, shocked, I know...I'm looking for specific information on setting up a freshwater shrimp tank from the beginning. Can anyone guess what I'm about to do? Huh, can ya, huh, huh, can ya?.Oh!
No!......You were so close!..I'm setting up a 5 gallon Fluval Spec V (with a sand fall) freshwater shrimp tank from the beginning - using distilled water because I my water comes from a well and has way too much iron coming straight from the well and I've read too many times not to use artificially machined softened water.
<Indeed, but make sure you buffer the DI/RO water before use. Pure H2O will be lethal to shrimps. To be fair, the farmed shrimps are very adaptable animals -- some even thrive in/prefer brackish water (Red-Nose shrimps, I'm looking at you) but very few/none come from truly mineral poor waters.>
Yes, I do have all the necessary items to re-introduce back into the water what the distilling took out (pH, minerals, etc.).
<Good. Realistically, marine aquarium salt mix will probably do, around the SG 1.002 mark, unless you're keeping something especially finicky. Do recall that most of these freshwater shrimps are very closely related to marine species, and many have marine stages to their life cycle.>
So, I'm about to setup a freshwater shrimp tank from the beginning and don't want to make any mistakes as I foray into this new species! Is it just like setting up a freshwater fish tank and I could do fishless cycling with some ammonia?
<Yes.>
I'm asking because I cannot for the life of me find hardly anything on the internet about it, and the few things I have found on the internet are using special freshwater shrimp products that I've seen (and can be
purchased) on the breeders websites, go figure.
<Indeed.>
We're talking about special bacterial powders, old mud powders, mineral powders, etc.
<I always think this approach overkill. Gravel from an undergravel filter, established sponge media from a canister filter, even decent sized clumps of floating plants will all jump-start the cycling process, easily enough to allow you to add a few small fish or shrimps from the get-go.>
If you read the descriptions of all these special shrimp products your shrimp WILL IMMEDIATELY DIE if you're not using them to get your tank to the right pH, GH, KH, calcium levels, etc.
<Meh. Depends on the shrimps. Some, like Cherry Shrimps, are astonishingly hardy provided not overtly poisoned with copper. Others, some of the Bumblebees for example, are more delicate.>
I have to admit, I have purchased a few of the more general products but I'm not sure how specific I need to get. I know taking care of shrimp is going to be different than taking care of my ADF's but is it THAT MUCH different?
<Hardly at all. The two coexist quite well, even (assuming the frogs don't take any tiny/hatchling shrimps as food).>
Keep the water clean and chemically balanced, don't feed them too much and enjoy them.
<Pretty much.>
Could you please let me know the proper way to set up my tank so my freshwater shrimp will be happy and not stressed when they enter the tank and so that they won't all die within a day of going into my tank.
<Not going to happen if you start with Cherry Shrimps or some similar tough species. Would highly recommend adding plants first, especially floating plants (long, feathery roots are covered with "good" bacteria as well as infusoria for shrimps to eat). That'll provide enough bio filtration for the tiny amount of waste shrimps produce.>
Your advice is much appreciated by myself and my future shrimps...Stacy
<Most welcome, Neale.>

Using Copper (for snail control) and then Adding Shrimp (BobF, may need to review/correct my comments on Cu in aquaria)<<Ok>>       2/20/14
I am setting up a tank (currently only gravel, one fish, basalt, plants, wood, aquatic moss).
<<Biota and wood, mulm... will absorb a good deal of Copper... NEED to employ a test kit... NOT simply pour in and hope>>
Very recently (less than two weeks) contracted snails in my aquarium and bought some copper sulfate on sale to try and combat it (can't stand snails for whatever reason or another). Still haven't added it, and I'm hesitant to due it because upon reading around I discovered it
would be harmful to shrimp, and I had been planning on keeping some cherries and hopefully having them breed once I got my hands on some.
<You are right to be cautious. Copper compounds are extremely toxic, not just to snails but to fish, plants, you! While they do kill most types of snails quite quickly, you're then stuck with a bunch of rotting snail carcasses in the tank, and the more dead snails, the worse water quality will become. Other types of management are usually best, not least of all manual removal if the number of snails is small.>
Reading on your site in the marine section I heard of people managing to get rid of the copper enough to keep shrimp using several products, most notably CupriSorb which I also ended up buying.
<Yes.>
Now others are telling me using any copper will just muss it up any shrimp keeping plans completely.
<There is that risk. Essentially, copper is absorbed by various sorts of non-organic <<And organic>>  materials in the tank, as well as being dissolved into the water. Quite quickly copper in the water can be diluted through water changes or removed using Cuprisorb, but the copper that's been absorbed by, say, calcareous rocks and shells in the tank will leach out slowly over time. If you have fresh Cuprisorb in the filter for a long time thereafter, then all well and good because that'll remove any carbon that leaches out of the rocks and shells, but remember that Cuprisorb needs replacing <<And testing for free cupric ion>> and of course gets clogged up with bacteria and detritus quite quickly as well, reducing its usefulness.>
I also read something about chelated copper and ionic copper being more or less harmful in a tank, and about using chelated in freshwater so it doesn't bind, or something along those lines.
<Not aware of this, but generally we have less calcareous material in the freshwater aquarium than the marine aquarium. Let me direct you to Bob's Copper FAQ, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/copperfa.htm
In a nutshell, if you choose to use copper, best to remove as much material as possible from the aquarium, even the rocks and gravel. <<Yes>> The emptier the tank, the better the copper will work and the less potential for absorption of copper by rocks, gravel, etc. Obviously you can wash gravel under a hot tap to remove snails, and do likewise with rocks and ornaments. Plants are trickier, but can be dipped in dilute potassium permanganate solution to effectively kill snails and eggs (such potions are sold in aquarium shops and reasonably safe to use, though KMnO4 is extremely toxic so handle with
care, especially around children). Run the tank "empty" save for the water, filter, and heater for as long as recommended with the snail-killing potion you have, then do a series of water changes, use the Cuprisorb, and once Cu ion concentration reaches zero (use the test kit sold for marine aquaria) reassemble the tank. It would be easiest to have the fish (and plants) in a QT/hospital tank while all this is going on, but not essential unless your fish are notably copper intolerant ones such as loaches, catfish, most oddballs and some of the more delicate tetras, cichlids and such. If you aren't using a QT tank, then I'd still keep the plants out of the tank while all this was going on, perhaps in a container of water somewhere sunny for a couple (no more) hours a day (a cheap plastic goldfish bowl would be ideal). Sound like a faff? Yes indeed. The use of copper is a pain in the backside in freshwater and marine aquaria, and to be honest, there are almost always safer ways to tackle problems we used copper for in the past.>
So should I go ahead with copper and Cuprisorb? Would I be able to keep shrimp after doing it?
<If you do as described, you'll have minimised the risk of copper remaining in the system. So yes, the maintenance of shrimps should be doable.>
Will chelated or ionic copper make some sort of difference?
<Nope.>
Or should I quickly get used to the site of shells in my tank?
<I do. Do read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
<<Yes; or employ other means of control>>
Snails generally become a pest in tanks where one or other parameter isn't balanced; too much food, too much algae, too much waste accumulating on the substrate. I think of them like miners' canaries: if the snails are troublesome, then there's something amiss with the tank. Not always, but usually. A few small snails doing their thing in a balanced, healthy planted tank will generally do no harm and perhaps some good, particularly the Malayan livebearing snails and little Physa species which aerate the substrate and consume algae respectively. You can also add non-breeding snails, Nerite snails, that will remove algae and keep down the populations of other snails by removing their food, or even add carnivorous snails,
Assassin snails, though the jury's out whether these also eat small shrimps too. Some of the big snails are good "uber-competitors' too, the Tylomelania species especially, and by letting them loose in your tank, you'll go a long way towards suppressing populations of other, less attractive snails.>
Thanks a ton!
<Most welcome, Neale.><<RMF>>
Re: Using Copper and then Adding Shrimp (BobF, may need to review/correct my comments on Cu in aquaria)     2/21/14
Hello!
I just wanted to write back and thank you both for your time and effort in answering my question. You have both helped me very much, and while I still haven't chosen my route yet I'm glad I finally have some good information to base it off of (oh, and I apoligise for not inserting a hello in the beginning, I must have been sleep writing :) ). Thanks again, and have a great day!
<Most welcome and good luck with the aquarium. Neale.><<RMF>>

FW Shrimp, Iodine Dosing - 12/23/2012
Hi folks
<Hi, wait - Gord?  Again?  Lovely!  Sabrina with you this evening.>
I've got a 12 litre cherry shrimp tank underway with my first brood of young shrimp.
<Fun!>
I got some iodide to add to the tank but it's not the Kent product I've seen the advice about. It is Salifert Natural Iodine. The marine dose is 5ml per 100 litres. The label states that 10 drops is 1ml. .
<The Kent product suggests 5mL per 50 gallons....  Why on Earth do we persist in using Metric and "Standard" measurements in combination like this?  5mL per 190 Liters is too elegant, perhaps?  Too sensible?  Sigh....  Well, 50 gallons works out to about 190 Liters, so were I in your shoes, I'd probably start out at a drop or two per ten gallons (37-ish Liters, I do wish we'd just switch to Metrics already!) per week, as I have done (and would do) with the Kent product, and see how things go....  Adjust as necessary and feel safer going a bit over that as your Salifert product seems to be half-ish the "strength", if we go by the recommended doses for marine use.>
I work that out to be 5 drops per 10 litres at marine dosage rates. The advice I've seen on WWM is 1 drop of the Kent iodide per 10 gallons (I assume US).
<Sigh.  The Metric system is so, so much better, more useful....>
Am I safe enough to add one drop per week or do I need to get it lower by making a dilution?
<I think you're safe, and can fudge on the side of going over a bit.>
I've no experience of dosing iodine so if you could give me some advice I'd be grateful.
<Mostly, you're just aiming for healthy shrimp.  If your shrimp are currently reproducing successfully, you may not need to dose at all - but I don't honestly think it would hurt.>
Cheers
Gord
<Best wishes, and enjoy those gorgeous critters!  -Sabrina>
FW Shrimp, Iodine Dosing - II - 12/24/2012
Hi Sabrina
Aye, me again! You’ve only got yourself to blame, well you and the rest of the Crew. If you didn’t have so much on here for me to read I wouldn’t have so many questions!
<Heh!  Yes, we do it to ourselves, I suppose.  *grin*  We're glad of the well-thought-out questions you've brought.>
That is a relief, I had been dosing at 1 drop per 10 Litres, having misread the one drop per 10 gallons. A bit of a schoolboy error, I know. I stopped dosing about 6 weeks ago, when I realized my mistake, and finally got round to asking the question.
<I see.  Well, we all make such errors.  If we'd only all switch to all Metric, all the time....  Sigh.>
Hopefully, breeding these little shrimp is going to pay for the fishes food, help with algae in the other tanks, provide a *very* occasional snack for the carnivores and be a lot of fun in their own right. I’m also fantasizing now and again that I might get a chance mutation that I can breed from and have my very own signature shrimp. 
<Possible, through selective breeding.  Just like guppies, only cuter.>
I also have 6 Amano shrimp in another tank, on algae cleanup duties. It’s a 70 litre so I’ll give them 2 drops per week. That’s the next breeding project when I’m comfortable with the Cherry Shrimp.
<Caridina multidentata are no easy undertaking when it comes to breeding!  That's a very difficult project, but one with which you would surely have fun and learn much.>
Sexing the Amanos is a flaming nightmare for me though.
<Oh!  Not too terrible, once you get used to looking at them.>
I *think* I’ve got six males but so, so hard to be sure.
<Well, breeding with six males is not going to be easy.>
Actually, since I’m writing, maybe you could give me the benefit of your experience on Amano sexing, if you would be so kind? I can just about recognise the body shape differences from watching the Cherry Shrimp, I’ve looked in the shops and at photos but I cannot discern a saddle on any Amano, even when it is ringed in a photo. I’ve also read that the females have more of a striped bottom line of markings and the males are more spotted, but that was a single source from a hobbyist website.
<I've seen males and females both with "more striped" and "more spotted" lines; I go just by the shape of the animal.  When a female is not carrying eggs, when she is at rest, the pleopods will be entirely shielded by her carapace.  The sides of the "shell" will extend far enough down that the pleopods do not "hang" below unprotected.  This serves to have more of the eggs more well protected when the pleopods are covered in them.  Of course, when they're covered in eggs, much of the pleopods will be exposed.  But if you look at the males, you'll see that their pleopods, just normally at rest, are much more exposed than a female's (although still well protected).  If you get a chance to look at a whole mess of them at a shop, you'll start to pick out the differences quickly.>
I know about the brackish water requirement and that the larvae need near marine conditions, but I have not read much beyond that.
<Not many folks have bred them due either to the fact that it's not economical, or that there are few folks who have the passion, interest....  So you won't find much to read on it.  In fact, if you are successful, you'll have far more to contribute to the great lack of information than is currently out there right now.>
I’m saving that up for when two conditions are met: Having a verifiable female and when I can persuade my better half that we could squeeze another nano in somewhere, since my planned breeding tanks have now been overtaken by single female Bettas from our failed sorority attempt.
<Hee!  Female Bettas aren't always as friendly as the books indicate, are they?  I've had a couple that were worse than any male.>
I couldn’t agree more about Metric vs. Imperial or Standard, especially since it is hardly rare to be speaking to someone from across the pond nowadays.
<A very strong pet peeve of mine.>
I just use Metric as matter of course, but I think that’s probably from too much time spent in science.
<As I am currently employed in the scientific research industry, my already strong preference for Metric has become even stronger.>
I still estimate distance in feet and inches and weight in pounds and ounces, though
<The worst for me is still temperature.  I can't get my brain out of Fahrenheit, except for the small temperature range at which we house our fish.>
and was taught both systems in school.
<Us, too.>
Crazy.
<Oh yes.>
Thanks for your help.  It is very much appreciated by my better half, our fishes, shrimples and I.
<And your thoughts, sharing, and discussion are much appreciated by us!>
Cheers
Gord
<A very happy holidays to you all.  -Sabrina>

Bamboo Shrimp; sys., nutr., I2   11/24/11
Hi Crew,
<Laura>
Just a few questions. First though, I love this site. The crew is truly amazing in their knowledge content and their willingness to share it with those of us who lack that knowledge.
<Our pleasure as well>
This question is directed at Sabrina since she is the shrimp-obsessed one.
<Ahh, will send to her in the hope that she will see, respond, as well as try to do so myself here>
I have recently acquired two Bamboo shrimp. They are in a well established
75G tank with 3 Danios, about 6 glow light Tetras, 3 glass cat fish, two Cory catfish, 1 Otocinclus, and two rather large Angel Fish. I have an ornament in the tank that looks like a stump. It sticks up far enough that the shrimp can get in the current of the outflow from the filter. That is how I feed them. I squirt the Kent's Microvert into the outflow and they get it. I crumble up flake fish food and put it in the outflow and they seem to eat that way too. I also put in three or four algae wafers for the car fish and the shrimp should they want to munch on them. Is this way of feeding ok and how often should I give the Microvert to keep them healthy?
<Yes and yes>
I do not see any of the other fish pestering them and when I turn off the light at night they go inside the stump to hide. I read several of your posts where you state to put in Kent's Iodine for the shrimp. At my LFS all I could find was Kent Iodide, is this the same thing or a comparable substitution?
<Any commercial aquarium iodide/ate solution will do and is advised>
Do I need to see if I can find Iodine instead of the Iodide?
<Not Iodine... too toxic... though commercial prep's are often (wrongly) talked of as such, this valence state of elemental I2 is not safe, nor very useful for "getting into" the animals we'd like. A fave line here:
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/ReefIodide.html>
Is the dosing the same for Iodide and it is for Iodine (1 drop/ 10 gallons)?
<Half-doses for freshwater (from products intended for marine use) is about right...>
I read on a one other website that the shrimp only have that white line down their back if they are upset or stressed, is that true?
<Not always in my experience. Seems this presents itself when they are excited period... when very happy as well>
Both of my shrimp always have that stripe. One is a nice shade of red and one is a wood brown color, which I think is what they are supposed to look like.
<I as well>
Thank you for your time and knowledge,
Laura
<Again... Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Bamboo Shrimp, Sab chimes in     11/24/11
Hi Crew,
<Laura>
Just a few questions. First though, I love this site. The crew is truly amazing in their knowledge content and their willingness to share it with those of us who lack that knowledge.
<Our pleasure as well>
This question is directed at Sabrina since she is the shrimp-obsessed one.
<<Who, me? Shrimp-obsessed? Yes, I think that's a fair description.>>
<Ahh, will send to her in the hope that she will see, respond, as well as try to do so myself here>
<<I see and respond.>>
I have recently acquired two Bamboo shrimp. They are in a well established 75G tank with 3 Danios, about 6 glow light Tetras, 3 glass cat fish, two Cory catfish, 1 Otocinclus, and two rather large Angel Fish. I have an ornament in the tank that looks like a stump. It sticks up far enough that the shrimp can get in the current of the outflow from the filter. That is how I feed them. I squirt the Kent's Microvert into the outflow and they get it. I crumble up flake fish food and put it in the outflow and they seem to eat that way too. I also put in three or four algae wafers for the car fish and the shrimp should they want to munch on them. Is this way of feeding ok and how often should I give the Microvert to keep them healthy?
<Yes and yes>
<<I think what you're doing is fine. They'll learn quickly that you feed sinking foods and will probably start to go for that more than anything. General rule of thumb is, if they're fanning into the current, they're hungry. My best success with fan-type shrimp was with Atya gabonensis and the (now non-existent) Marineland sinking foods, but really, any sinking foods are great. You might try something in a very small pellet form that they can search around the substrate for. It's possible that the boisterous cories might outcompete them for food, so maybe consider feeding sinking foods in two very separate locations at the same time.>>
I do not see any of the other fish pestering them and when I turn off the light at night they go inside the stump to hide. I read several of your posts where you state to put in Kent's Iodine for the shrimp. At my LFS all I could find was Kent Iodide, is this the same thing or a comparable
substitution?
<Any commercial aquarium iodide/ate solution will do and is advised>
<<As Bob said - but with one important exception; do NOT use anything labeled "Lugol's Solution". This is FAR too concentrated for any freshwater use, and will cause more harm than good. The Kent Iodide is fine, and what I use and recommend.>>
Do I need to see if I can find Iodine instead of the Iodide?
<Not Iodine... too toxic... though commercial prep.s are often (wrongly)
talked of as such, this valence state of elemental I2 is not safe, nor very useful for "getting into" the animals we'd like. A fave line here: http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/ReefIodide.html>
Is the dosing the same for Iodide as it is for Iodine (1 drop/ 10 gallons)?
<Half-doses for freshwater (from products intended for marine use) is about right...>
<<Less than that, even. Just a drop or two per ten gallons every week will suffice, unless you have hoards and hoards of shrimp breeding....>>
I read on a one other website that the shrimp only have that white line down their back if they are upset or stressed, is that true?
<Not always in my experience. Seems this presents itself when they are excited period... when very happy as well>
<<Agreed.... And in some, it's constantly present.>>
Both of my shrimp always have that stripe. One is a nice shade of red and one is a wood brown color, which I think is what they are supposed to look like.
<I as well>
<<Some are greenish, some red, some brown, some orange.... Quite a rainbow of possibilities, and sometimes they'll change color, too, possibly due to foods, water chemistry, dominance....>>
Thank you for your time and knowledge,
<<And thank you for your thoughtfulness and care for your animals.>>
Laura
<Again... Cheers, Bob Fenner>
<<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>>

FW shrimp tank   11/3/09
Hello All Knowing crew:
<Gosh!>
I so much enjoy this site and had a question for you.
<Fire away.>
Essentially, is my tank still cycled? Here's the situation. My 10 gallon has completed cycling (been up for 8 weeks).
<Should be cycled by now, assuming there's been a supply of ammonia from somewhere. Simply running a tank with water but no livestock won't cycle the tank without a source of ammonia. The easiest way is to add a pinch of flake every couple days, just as if there were fish in there.>
I've decided to make this tank a shrimp and fry tank.
<Nice.>
It will be heavily planted with lots of nooks for hiding. Due to my need to redecorate (for the shrimp to show up better, etc), I removed 3/4 of the gravel (which was 1 1/2 inch deep) and put 1 inch of another finer-grained gravel on top.
<Okay.>
I have an 8 week old sponge filter and a bio-wheel filter whose intake is covered with a pre-filter sponge. These have been running since the tank started. I originally smooshed the sponge filter into my larger
established tank to get the good bacteria going.
<Just to be clear, adding bacteria from another tank is great, but the bacteria will die back without "food" in the form of ammonia.>
I want to add Amano shrimp but wondered whether this tank is still cycled and safe for them.
<Assuming proper cycling, then yes. Shrimp are actually quite hardy, and I've stuck Cherry Shrimps into comparatively young, even new, aquaria and found they positively thrive. They produce very little ammonia themselves, and if the plants are healthy and growing, a balance establishes itself very quickly.>
I know the shrimp are sensitive and prefer an established tank.
<Not kept Amano Shrimps myself, but would assume they're comparable to Cherry Shrimps.>
Is my tank still safe? Any other things I should consider? By the way, the shrimp are on their way.
<Good luck!>
Thank you for considering my question.
-Janet
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: shrimp tank   11/3/09
Thank you for your very quick answer.
<You're welcome.>
I was worried that because I took out so much original gravel (and the good bacteria) I would have to start cycling again.
<Just to be clear here. Gravel from tanks with undergravel filters is a good source of bacteria, but from tanks with other types of filters it is much less useful. Only the very top layer of gravel from such tanks will
have the nitrifying bacteria we want, because they're very sensitive to low oxygen concentrations, and so can't live more than a few mm into gravel beds without undergravel filters. So while taking a handful of gravel is better than nothing, it's not as good as taking live media from a mature canister (or whatever) filter and putting it into the new filter.>
I cycled with 2 fish for the 6-8 week period.
<Should do the trick!>
Thanks from all of us!
<Cheers, Neale.>

Nerite snails and shrimps  10/15/09
In a previous message I asked about the compatibility of Bolivian Rams and Neon Dwarf Rainbows for a 30 gallon aquarium that we're converting from cold water to tropical.
<Indeed.>
I asked what else we may want to add and Neale suggested shrimps or Nerite snails. However, our water tends to be very soft and I'm wondering if this would be a problem for these critters. Hardness is 50 ppm and alkalinity is under 80. One pH test indicated 6.8 but another test indicated 7.1.
<So, we're talking neutral rather than basic water. Fine for both species of fish, but would tend to harden it a little.>
Our LFS says they mix some crushed coral (or something like that, I think)
with the gravel in their tanks. Is this an adequate solution?
<Can be, but tends to be unpredictable in efficacy. By all means try it and see what happens. A half-cupful, placed in a media bag, should do the trick. Obviously, as it becomes covered with silt and bacteria, it will dissolve less, and so you do need to be removing and thoroughly cleaning this crushed coral under a hot tap, likely monthly.>
if so, how much needs to be added? My concern with this is that the water we add during water changes will be the softer water. Will this be too much of a shock to the fish?
<No, it'll change the pH slowly, as it dissolves. No worse than acclimating fish from the pet shop to your home aquarium.>
We have maintained this aquarium for several years by performing a 40 to 50% water change every 2 weeks. (It seems to require that much in order to vacuum all the gravel completely.) On one hand, we hate to fix something that ain't broke, but I understand the Bolivian Rams may be more sensitive than the types of fish we've kept in the past (goldfish for the past couple of years and Congo and other tetras before that). What would you suggest we do?
<By all means try out the crushed coral route. Me, I prefer to add something to each bucket of water. If you look here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2oquality.htm
You'll see there's a Rift Valley salt mix. If you added one-fourth the dose per bucket of water, that should harden the water significantly and in a totally consistent way. You might up the dose to one-half the quoted amount. Either way, this mix adds general hardness (the Epsom salt) and carbonate hardness (the baking soda) and together these create water conditions that will suit the species you're after.>
On another note, we've had trouble finding test kits for hardness and alkalinity. Our LFS doesn't seem to have anything for fresh water, they just have marine test kits. All we found was a 5-in-1 test strip.
<These are adequate for freshwater fishkeeping. It's ball park figures you're after here; precision isn't critical. In terms of water chemistry, a pH test is essential, and a general hardness and/or carbonate hardness (sometimes called alkalinity) test kit are both useful.>
Can you recommend any reputable online aquarium supply dealers where we might find the test kits we need? And what should we look for? (Brands, names, etc.)
<I guess the Tetra Tests are well regarded, but they're all much of a muchness, using very, very basic chemical tests. So get whatever's available and to your budget.>
Thanks, Jeff
<Cheers, Neale.>

Help (Shrimp; maintenance, species unknown!) 3/17/09
Hello Crew,
Awhile back, at a show I purchased a small terrarium with a tiny popcorn shrimp. The water has been evaporating and getting low. I do not know what kind of water to refill it with and or how to open the enclosed box terrarium. I do not want to hurt the little guy.
Please help. Thanks
Clueless
Mary
<Hello Mary. I have no idea what "popcorn shrimp" are beyond those frozen McNugget-type things made from reconstituted fish-style petroleum products fried in crispy starch-based breadcrumb-type foodstuffs. So I'm going to assume it's something like a small the Halocaridina shrimps supplied inside those self-contained glass aquarium globes. This being so, evaporated water should be topped up with deionised water, as opposed to tap water or mineral drinking water. That said, if it's possible to do so, the water should be replaced, at least in part, as per any other type of aquarium or vivarium. The tricky bit here is you probably don't know if the water is freshwater, brackish water, or salt water. Obviously, you'd need to replace old water with new water of equivalent chemistry and salinity. The manufacturer should know, and you could find out from them, perhaps via their web site. In the meantime, do have a look at the excellent Pet Shrimp web site; they have a section on Halocaridina shrimps and the glass globes they're sold in. The site owner is clearly skeptical about them, and it's probably true that most of these supposedly self-contained globes eventually do fail. So you may learn something useful there, and perhaps think about ways you can improve the habitat you've got in such a way the shrimp lives a longer, healthier life.
http://www.petshrimp.com/hawaiianredshrimp.html
When it comes to pet shrimps, I'm a big fan of Cherry Shrimps; they're easy to keep, and when happy, breed readily. Watching the baby shrimps develop is absolutely fascinating.
Cheers, Neale.>

Triops, water quality, and cycling  9/21/08
What a wonderful website and resource.
<Thanks for saying so.>
After many years away from the hobby (like 40), I decided to get back in in a small way -- I got a Triassic Triops kit and started a batch of 20 eggs in a larger tank (3 liter) than the one supplied with the kit (1 liter). I used distilled water, and followed the instructions, adding the detritus "teabag" and watching the 3 Triops that hatched grow rapidly.
<Good.>
The teabag really was a very effective dried infusoria culture, as I was able to spot paramecium with a high powered magnifying glass within 24 hours of putting the bag in the tank.
<Not heard of this method before, but sounds great!>
I kept temps between 20 and 24 C without a desk light (as suggested in the instructions), but in a windowsill -- I liked the idea of a natural day/night cycle for light levels and temperature swings. Algae wouldn't be a problem as it's edible to Triops, and their stay in the hatching tank was only going to be a week.
<All agreed; these animals be definition are adapted to clear, shallow water where temperature varies rapidly and algae grows profusely.>
When they were about a cm long, I moved them to a 5 gallon aquarium I had set up a month before with quartz gravel, and a plant I got from a small pond I dug in my yard. The plant looked a lot like watercress (the pond is spring fed and volunteered water plantain and duck potato the first year, along with a great variety of other plants).
<OK.>
I had also added temporarily some Blacknose Dace from a stream on my property. They stayed in the newly set up aquarium for about a week before being returned to their collection point a little fatter than they started. At this time I knew nothing of cycling an aquarium, but accidentally had initiated it, I think. The aquarium had no filter and no heater.
<Do always take care returning pet fish to the wild; there are restrictions on doing so in many places because of the (very real) risk of carrying diseases and parasites into the wild. Much damage has already been done in equivalent ways through fish and freshwater invertebrates escaping/being released from fish farms and ponds. If in doubt, destroy captive fish rather than release them to the wild.>
After a month, algae had formed on the tank walls in a thin coat and partially died back, and had also formed on the plant, which wasn't looking as healthy for it. I checked the water pH and it was near 8, which surprised me as the tap water (from a natural spring) is 7 and soft. And I didn't think quartz gravel would alter the pH.
<It shouldn't.>
Although Triops are supposed to prefer some alkalinity, I decided to change out 70% of the water and bring it down to 7.5.
<With invertebrates it's almost always best to make small water chemistry changes where possible. If anything, I'd be recommending 10-20% water changes per week here, and leaving the Triops to adapt (as they should) to any minor variations in between.>
I didn't know about ammonia or nitrite testing at this time and only checked pH.
<Elevated pH can come from ammonia, so that's definitely an issue.>
I then acclimated the Triops to the new water over a few days by doing partial water changes in the hatching tank, adding the larger tank water. I didn't want to shock them going from near distilled water to normal tank water in one jump.
<OK; in general though these animals do seem to prefer soft, neutral to slightly acidic water similar to that in an ephemeral pond.>
Finally the Triops were added to the larger tank, and happily attacked the algae, detritus and some Cyclops seen swimming there. The Triops really took off and doubled their size in a couple of days, I started adding regular TetraMin flakes (maybe 4 or 5 at a time, crunched up) once a day. Then disaster struck. The largest Triops started swimming poorly and died within 24 hours. Then another died overnight. The smallest finally also died -- all within 48 hours. None had reached egg laying maturity, though the largest was about 2 cm and probably would have been shortly.
<What's filtering this tank? My guess is you're adding a lot of food, and without some means of filtration the ammonia itself could cause problems. An air-powered sponge filter is ideal.>
So, I started reading, and found this site. As a guess maybe the tank had cycled, but there was a bacteria bloom and die off since no fish had been maintained in the tank after the initial group. I think there was also partial algae die off, and the plants weren't looking as good. pH rose because of the several die backs?
<Maybe; all comes under the heading of "unstable, immature aquarium conditions".>
Also, because of no filtration, no aeration, and introduction of rapid waste making machines (Triops) eating everything and shedding every day, I think the system couldn't respond quickly enough -- maybe there was enough oxygen for the Triops, but not the ammonia and nitrite bacteria to act?
<Well, like anything else, Triops need a balanced tank.>
Also maybe the Triops needed iodine for shedding? And there were two occasions where tank water went to 18C overnight so temperature may also have played a part. I've also considered that the tank harbored toxic (inedible) algae, pathogens, or something else introduced from the wild plants and fish.
<Nope.>
Well anyway, I am trying again. Tank and gravel were bleached, and run under a continuous flow of spring water outside for 2 days in case of former introduced pathogens. Tank chlorine was then checked at zero.
<Do cycle the tank this time round using a filter.>
I've bought an under gravel filter with bubbler, pump, 50 watt heater. Also, Kent Iodine. I will add one drop to full tank when finished. This time I am also fishless cycling the 5 gallon tank with household, unscented, ammonia. I now also have the various N compound test kits for that.
<Great!>
Question: other sites have said to cycle with tank water at 3-4 ppm tested ammonia content. And on this site in cycling FAQs you suggest 1 ppm.
<Anything above even 0.5 ppm is redundant; if you think about what's going on, you'll understand. The ammonia you detect is the ammonia the bacteria aren't using. So provided you detect ammonia at all, that means the bacteria have taken all the ammonia they can use at that moment.>
What is confusing is that my test kit translates (with a chart) the ammonium ppm to free ammonia ppm using the pH value. So my question is, is the suggested 1 (or 3-4) ppm figure the total ammonium figure, or is it the free ammonia figure?
<Don't worry about it. Here's your goal: minimise the ammonia reading as far as practical, and don't consider the tank cycled until the ammonia returns to zero.>
At pH 7.5 I'd have to add a LOT more household ammonia to reach even 1 free ammonia ppm than I would for total ammonium. In fact, so much that I believe my test kit can't measure it on its limited scale.
<Don't do it this way. Just cycle the tank by adding either enough ammonia to maintain 0.5-1 ppm ammonia, or else add little pinches of flake food every couple of days. Every 2-3 days measure the ammonia. Provided it goes up and then back down to zero, you're fine.>
I've assumed you meant total ammonium, and brought that figure to 1 ppm -- figuring I can always raise it if you say that was wrong.
<Don't.>
I've also bought to Cryptocoryne species from the LFS in hopes they will work well with the Triops tank, and assist with bacterial inoculation. I haven't removed the mineral wool from the roots -- should I? If so should I leave it in the tank anyway for awhile?
<The plants will only marginally help mature the tank, but they will have other positive benefits over time.>
If this time I'm successful with a Triops Longicaudatus generation, I hope to try Triops Australiensis, next.
<All good fun.>
Can you shed any light on the probably water quality requirements for this last type? If possible in terms of, GH, KH, pH, (maybe mg, too) and also temperature? I mean for the adults.
<The best site for Triops info is probably:
http://www.triops.at/
It's run by a scientist who sells them on the side of his work.>
The young, I know need high osmotic pressure, and high water purity, and 25 C temps, but I'm sure water quality changes in the sinkholes and clay pans they are found in as time progresses. Any info on any of this?
<Juveniles certainly won't hatch until they experience the equivalent of a shower of rain forming a puddle. But beyond that, not much is known about optimal conditions. It's trial and error, really. Numerous forums and Yahoo groups for these animals, so would recommend joining/communicating with other hobbyists.>
Thanks for putting up with this long letter, about what my LFS laughingly referred to as glorified sea monkeys -- just after I picked up the ammonia test kit. I suppose I should have owned a discus.
<Much more fun than Discus; have kept, reared these animals, though admittedly only got one to maturity. Because the eggs are cheap, half the fun is to keep trying different methods until you find a system that works for you!>
Best Regards,
Steve
<Cheers, Neale.>