# No Shrimplets from CRS



## pawslover (Feb 22, 2006)

I added a baker's dozen CRS to an established 12 gal tank back in the spring. After having them awhile, I decided I couldn't stand the natural colored substrate and did a switch out. They handled that fine although it was nerve wracking on me! I have lost a couple here & there with what appeared to be a bad molt. The remaining group has good color, seems happy. I see berried females, but never any shrimplets  

My tap water is soft and slightly acidic. I have tried adding some crushed coral to the tank but just did that recently. Filtration is a sponge so no losses there. No fish in tank.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

nice to have acidic water from the tap but since you just added crushed coral than wait untill you see if the molt problem have imporved or not. Bad mold normaly is a Ca problem but no baby shrimps?!?! How about using that white clay that Japanese was using?


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

check the filter...


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## catfishbi (Sep 4, 2008)

what's your water parameters, what's kind plants do you have in the tank what temp do you have? any fish in the tank? we need to know all these to find out.


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## pawslover (Feb 22, 2006)

No fish in tank. Some common pond snails, a few ramshorns.

Filter is a sponge.

Plants - java fern, anubias, water sprite, corkscrew val, subwassertang, red sword, pygmy chain sword, some crypts. Some moss which has been overtaken by hair algae. Sorry the pic is not better, from camera phone.

Temp - 74

pH - guessing 7.8 or 8.0. Darker than the test kit shows.
ammonia - .25, comes this way out of the tap
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5
KH - 10
GH - could not get a reliable reading on this, never changed to initial color, much less final color

They get fed usually 2x a week. Once with Shirakura and once with Crab Cuisine.

Since my pH & KH are much higher than from my tap and possibly too high. I have removed some of the crushed coral. I also have some ammo chips in there which apparently need to be replaced.


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## Thorald (Aug 8, 2009)

Hi,

I'm don't have much experience with keeping CRS yet, but I've read a lot about them. Most sites recommend keeping them in water with a pH of 6.5 to 7.2. The adult ones will survive in higher pH, but it's not really what they like.

Maybe you should feed them smaller amounts daily?


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

My shrimp are in straight up 6.0-6.2ish ph water from the tap. No deaths except for one that got sucked up into the filter when they were shrimpy shrimlets :^(
2 months later, knock on wood they're kosher.

If your ph is stable who cares, they will be alive, they will breed and act like a shrimp. They will adapt to the different level of ph as shrimplets. Ph levels change the quality of shine/thickness of a shell.

If you take an adult shrimp used to 7.0ph and put him into a 6.0ph there may be issues. But what do I know, my shrimps are only 3-5 months old
Unless you are getting SSSSSSSS lol grade, just keep things stable in the tank. Change the ph of your water slowly if you want, but see how things go with the tap water.


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## tex627 (Nov 2, 2008)

your water is too hard. its the KH that causes the pH to be so high. keeping the KH under 5 will keep the pH down if you use aquasoil.

If you watch your shrimp and if they stay in one spot and not move at all for more than 3 seconds then there is something wrong. They should always be moving.

When I first started keeping CRS, I had some rocks in the tank to raise the KH but the CRS were not very happy and were not moving much. within a month after I took the rocks out to lower the KH and pH again, i had 9 berried CRS in a starter colony of 15 and about 200 babies a month after that. CRS just need soft, acidic clean water and they'll be extremely prolific.


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## pawslover (Feb 22, 2006)

tex627 said:


> If you watch your shrimp and if they stay in one spot and not move at all for more than 3 seconds then there is something wrong. They should always be moving.


Interesting. I always thought it was the opposite. I thought they scrambled around when stressed and were content when still.


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## tex627 (Nov 2, 2008)

luckily, I've never seen what stressed shrimp look like before. your water is definitely too hard and pH is way too high. using aquasoil will help.


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## pawslover (Feb 22, 2006)

My tap water is soft & right at neutral. I had some crushed coral in the tank which has been removed. pH & kH are coming down.


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## tex627 (Nov 2, 2008)

what substrate are you using?


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## pawslover (Feb 22, 2006)

Flourite Black.


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## catfishbi (Sep 4, 2008)

pawslover said:


> No fish in tank. Some common pond snails, a few ramshorns.
> 
> Filter is a sponge.
> 
> ...


First you need to take care the PH make it around 6-6.5. use Discus buffer if you can find in the store or use pure RO water when do water change.
Ammonia needs to get to 0. RO will take care of it. 
KH is high make it to 4 again RO will take care of it.

once you done all there you should be fine. remember doing weekly water change of 25%. when doing water change doing slowly don't stress the shrimp.


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## catfishbi (Sep 4, 2008)

personally I don't like to use AS II but I have no choice since no one in US selling shrimp soil


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

My shrimp are in 6.0 tap water, already at least 3 of them are berried. I'm not sure if there are more since its a forest on one of the sides of my tank.


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## tex627 (Nov 2, 2008)

aquasoil is the key. with aquasoil, all you would need to do is raise the GH. It definitely makes life a lot easier. I prefer aquasoil 1 over 2 as it lasts longer, wont get crushed as easily, darker in color and doesnt lower the pH too much.


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## feiyang (Jan 27, 2007)

Crashed coral will raise your GH, KH, and PH.

Your current PH and KH are too high. With a high KH, you cannot easily lower down your PH.

I never tried, but heard bad experience with chemical to lower down PH.

The way to have a best water condition is to use ADA aquasoil I, as tex627 mentioned, it will lower down PH and stablized it around 6.5 for you easily. You don't need to worry about water at all, and you can even put in some crashed coral to raise GH.

CRS breed well in acid water. You have to bring down your PH.


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