Initial shrimp tank setup

MikeR · Post by **MikeR** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:03 am

All:

I re-read the articles on setting up a shrimp tank, but didn't see the answer to this question: How long do you wait after the leaves are in the tank before introducing shrimp?

I will be setting up a 20 gallon shrimp-only next week (you were right, Badflash; I've been converted to the invertebrate side <G>), and will be using magnolia leaves that have been on the ground since last year. I have had a sponge filter running in the fish tank for two weeks to help cycle the tank. I want to make sure that there is enough food for the 10-15 cherry shrimp I want to add.

Thanks,

Mike

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:24 pm

I pre-soak the leaves for a couple of weeks in a 5 gallon bucket to remove the tannins. You can then add these directly to an active tank, no need to wait.

I would not add un-soaked leaves to a tank at all as the color will get really dark.

It takes a week or so before the leaves really start to break down, then the shrimp get interested.

MikeR · Post by **MikeR** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:53 pm

Badflash:

Excellent! I'll begin the soaking this week.

Thanks,

Mike

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:23 pm

Use dechlorinated water and change it a couple of times a week.

MikeR · Post by **MikeR** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:59 pm

Badflash:

OK, though I had planned to use RO water and reconstitute it to moderately hard water. Our local water system has sometimes wildly variable pH and hardness due to changes in the wells they use. The water right now has about 3 deg KH, but in the fall can be as much as 12 deg, with the pH changing from 6.0 to 8.0 during the year, not always in concert. I'll be carefull to test each batch before use.

They also use chloramine instead of chlorine, which concerns me.

Thanks!

Mike

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:33 pm

For the leaves that isn't an issue. Just use Prime or Amquel+ and the chloramines are no issue. Just wait 10 minutes before adding water to your tanks to let it react.

Check with your town and see if they have multiple sources of water. Often in the spring when there is a lot of run-off they will switch supplies. In the fall they wiill switch again when the resevoirs run low.

Lately I've been "cutting" my town water with R/O to maintain a constant hardness. It save the hassle of re-constitution. My water runs around 450 ppm total hardness. CRUNCH.

MikeR · Post by **MikeR** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:50 pm

Badflash:

I checked my current water conditions the other day, and had 3 deg KH (I'm getting a general hardness kit this week...had to order it), and the pH is 7.4. I've never seen it that soft around here, but I live in a different part of town with a different water company now. It can change w/o warning, so I just stay with the RO and reconstitute so I don't have to test with each change. I have a high-capacity machine and can store the water so it's not a problem.

I won't worry about that while soaking the leaves, and it may aid in the leaching to a minor degree with the water being as soft as it is. I appreciate the suggestion about the dechlorinator as its been years since I worried about it.

Thanks,

Mike

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:49 pm

Even with R/O you need to test. Some additives, like Sodium hydroxide go right through the R/O unit. They do that when the pH tends to be acidic and the water is soft.

Bottom line is you can never let your gaurd down, sad to say. The town is only interested in people, not shrimp.

MikeR · Post by **MikeR** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:23 am

Badflash:

The idea of drinking caustic soda isn't pleasant. I make up a 40 gallon batch of reconstituted RO water and test that each time. The experience of seeing a tankfull of SW fish go belly up after a water change makes you cautious forever

.

I hear you about the town's attituted. When they switched to chloramine many years ago, all of the LFS stores protested. The response was a deafening silence.

Mike