Hi,
since mineral salt 8,5 in Germany is available we are more successful in breeding
C. dennerli, masapi, trimaculatus, spinata, yellow nose, white orchid, spongicola, longidigita and perhaps others.
We are still experimenting with coral sand or just sand, plants, food and other parameters.
It would be helpful to learn some tricks from others and share their experience.
Regards Gerd
Sulawesi shrimps, new experiences.
Moderator: Mustafa
Re: Sulawesi shrimps, new experiences.
Hi Gerd,
Unfortunately, there aren't that many people breeding shrimp (especially not Sulawesi shrimp) in the US, so not many people will be able to contribute their experiences. Maybe some people will chime in after some time. By the way people...Gerd is one of the best known people in the aquatic invertebrate scene in Germany, so this is your chance to actually interact with him. Don't miss out!
Anyway, my experience is that any substrate (and even no substrate) is just fine with these shrimp as long as the water is alkaline. Of course you can't use any substrate that makes the water acidic like the various plant or shrimp "soils." The Ph does *not* have to be super high. They're even ok at 7.3-7.5. Don't worry too much about ph anyway...as long as you keep kh in the 1-3 range you're ok. I actually prefer it in the 1-2 range. ph is dependent on kh anyway, so no need to obsess about ph. Keep nitrates extremely low and organic pollution non-existent. No driftwood, no leaves, nothing that could rot. And most importantly, NO traces even of chlorine and chloramines. Either use RO or spring water with some calcium carbonate rock in the tank, or use *twice* the amount of dechlorinator as indicated on the product bottle. Duckweed can help with keeping the ammonia and nitrates low. Make sure you clean your filter regularly so no gunk (= organic pollution) acculates and dissolves back into the water. Done!
The problem, of course, starts already with the fact that people purchase half-dead imported, or improperly shipped (or both) animals...no matter what you do with those, most, if not all, will die in the end.
Unfortunately, there aren't that many people breeding shrimp (especially not Sulawesi shrimp) in the US, so not many people will be able to contribute their experiences. Maybe some people will chime in after some time. By the way people...Gerd is one of the best known people in the aquatic invertebrate scene in Germany, so this is your chance to actually interact with him. Don't miss out!
Anyway, my experience is that any substrate (and even no substrate) is just fine with these shrimp as long as the water is alkaline. Of course you can't use any substrate that makes the water acidic like the various plant or shrimp "soils." The Ph does *not* have to be super high. They're even ok at 7.3-7.5. Don't worry too much about ph anyway...as long as you keep kh in the 1-3 range you're ok. I actually prefer it in the 1-2 range. ph is dependent on kh anyway, so no need to obsess about ph. Keep nitrates extremely low and organic pollution non-existent. No driftwood, no leaves, nothing that could rot. And most importantly, NO traces even of chlorine and chloramines. Either use RO or spring water with some calcium carbonate rock in the tank, or use *twice* the amount of dechlorinator as indicated on the product bottle. Duckweed can help with keeping the ammonia and nitrates low. Make sure you clean your filter regularly so no gunk (= organic pollution) acculates and dissolves back into the water. Done!
The problem, of course, starts already with the fact that people purchase half-dead imported, or improperly shipped (or both) animals...no matter what you do with those, most, if not all, will die in the end.
Re: Sulawesi shrimps, new experiences.
Hi Mustafa,
in Germany we do have very different tap water.
To prevent disappointment we recommend some of the following
rules to keep and breed Sulawesi shrimps:
Tanks with at least 20 l
We fill them with ro water and add 3,6 to 4 grams of mineral salt 8,5.
You should measure 200 to 250 micro siemens 2 days later.
Perhaps the ph is near 8.0 to 8.5.
Light should be available 10 to 12 hours/day about 0,5 watt/liter
Temperature should be 28 to 29 degrees c.
Start with shrimps not earlier than 6 weeks and change water once/week 20 %.
We use air driven foam filters.
Half a dozen medium sized snails will keep algae growth low.
In case of using coral sand or stones phosphate may occur and result in algae growth.
And now, good luck. Buy 10 Caridina dennerli and feed them very careful
with fish food in powder form once a day.
Regards Gerd
in Germany we do have very different tap water.
To prevent disappointment we recommend some of the following
rules to keep and breed Sulawesi shrimps:
Tanks with at least 20 l
We fill them with ro water and add 3,6 to 4 grams of mineral salt 8,5.
You should measure 200 to 250 micro siemens 2 days later.
Perhaps the ph is near 8.0 to 8.5.
Light should be available 10 to 12 hours/day about 0,5 watt/liter
Temperature should be 28 to 29 degrees c.
Start with shrimps not earlier than 6 weeks and change water once/week 20 %.
We use air driven foam filters.
Half a dozen medium sized snails will keep algae growth low.
In case of using coral sand or stones phosphate may occur and result in algae growth.
And now, good luck. Buy 10 Caridina dennerli and feed them very careful
with fish food in powder form once a day.
Regards Gerd
Re: Sulawesi shrimps, new experiences.
Hi Gerd,
Of course using RO water and onstituting it makes the whole setup more "idiot-proof" and is a good way to go. However, I have personally found that you can reconstitute RO water by letting the water run through a filter filled with any kind of calcium carbonate rock. Depending on how long you filter it you end up with a microsiemens reading of 100 to over 200, and the shrimp feel just fine. I have not found any issues with phosphate in coral rock so far actually. Maybe it depends on the source of the coral rock.
Of course using RO water and onstituting it makes the whole setup more "idiot-proof" and is a good way to go. However, I have personally found that you can reconstitute RO water by letting the water run through a filter filled with any kind of calcium carbonate rock. Depending on how long you filter it you end up with a microsiemens reading of 100 to over 200, and the shrimp feel just fine. I have not found any issues with phosphate in coral rock so far actually. Maybe it depends on the source of the coral rock.