# Changing substrate(Red cherry shrimp inside)



## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

I currently have a 10 gal tank with 10 red cherry shrimp inside. I have a few plants with roots but nothing big. Mostly taiwan moss. Anyways. The substrate now is white gravel. I want to change the substrate... How would I go about doing this without risking my shrimp? I was thinking just do a portion at a time.. like 1 day do the right side of the tank or 1/4 of it.. the next day agian.. etc. etc.. Take out the existing gravel and replace it with the new washed gravel....


----------



## yoink (Aug 31, 2005)

I would replace half then wait a week and replace the other half. It's also a good idea to place some of the old gravel in a mesh bag or new pair of pantyhose and place that in the tank for a few week. This should minimize your bacterial loss. Make sure you don't burry the shrimp when putting in the new gravel Good luck.


----------



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

IMO, I would remove the shrimp before replacing the gravel. I have heard of shrimp dieing if too much debris gets stirred up, plus you may bury some alive. 

After removing the shrimp I would take almost all the old gravel out leaving a thin layer of it covering the bottom. The mulm from the old gravel will help feed the plants and keep some biological filter. Then I would cover the old gravel with the new. Let any debris settle down and then add the shrimp back.


----------



## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

trenac said:


> IMO, I would remove the shrimp before replacing the gravel. I have heard of shrimp dieing if too much debris gets stirred up, plus you may bury some alive.
> 
> After removing the shrimp I would take almost all the old gravel out leaving a thin layer of it covering the bottom. The mulm from the old gravel will help feed the plants and keep some biological filter. Then I would cover the old gravel with the new. Let any debris settle down and then add the shrimp back.


THis method sounds good.

Cheers,
Pedro


----------



## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Well here is what I have done so far.

Last night, I took my spare 5 gal tank and put about 50%water (from the tank that im resubstrating) into it so its not completely full. I took out all my plants and put it in there I also took out the shrimp to put in there. 

I took out all the old gravel, but there was a lot of stuff from the stir up, I figured that this would be beneficial more than harmful, so i left all the debry in there and just put the newly washed gravel in. I planted the plants that I wanted in the tank, set it up, turned on the filter and left it over night. The filter is still running as we speak and I plan on adding the rest of the old water and shrimp back into the 10 gal tank this afternoon/evening. I think everything should be ok. I will check the parameters of the 10 gal before adding the shrimp, JUST incase the ph is off, amonia, nitrate etc.etc. is not off. 

Thanks for everyone's help!! Oh and to my surprise it seems like 3 of my cherry's are ready to be mom's! I see the greenish/yellowish patch on their backs (behind their heads). Hopefully I have a male somewhere in there.


----------



## Jane in Upton (Aug 10, 2005)

Sounds like you did the transition very well! Especially with females producing eggs, they're sensitive to water parameters, and large water changes, so I'm glad you moved them out of the "Construction Site".

I hope all continues to go well! I'm sure you have a male or two in there - they are typically less colored, and their red tends to be in streaks or stripes along their sides. They will not develop the ovary "saddle", and their antennules are longer. 

You'll know your females are ready to mate when you see the males swimming laps around the tank in an excited way. They'll mate, and then the eggs will (hopefully) be fertilized as they pass down from the ovary and out to the swimmerettes, where they'll mature. At this stage the female is described as "berried", and are even more sensitive to large water changes.

I'm glad you've done this gravel change before your females are at that stage, because they could drop the eggs in response to a lot of stress and environmental change. This way, their updated home will be settled in before they are "berried".

Best of luck!
-Jane


----------



## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Thanks for the great info! Im very excited to wait and see if my females will produce. I'm crossing my fingers in hope to have at least 1 male in there. I mean, I bought 10 from a local guy.. all 10 can't be females right? hehe..


----------



## fredyk (Jun 21, 2004)

> all 10 can't be females right? hehe..


right!!!! : )

I oughta know; I sold them to ya'. there not all ♀ and there not all ♂

There's mostly males with about 3 females.

Mark


----------



## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

oh haha. 

Hi mark,
Yeh just to let you know, i guess the 3 males are ready to produce! yay! Thanks again!


----------



## jlui83 (Apr 22, 2006)

Wow

After changing the substrate and putting my shrimp back in the tank. I noticed that 4 or 5 out of the 10 shrimps I got has eggs! not sure if their fertilized.. But there still on her back.. YAY!! I hope the males do their job and I got shrimplets!


----------

