# Oil Dri for shrimp tank



## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Hey, I'm looking to start up a new RCS breeding tank is a 20H. I'm gonna plant it with water sprites and marselia minuta(sp) and no filteration and natural sunlight. I was also wondering about using oil dri as a substrate. I bought a bag today from walmart for $3.99 or so and I came home and did a bit more research and heard that it drops the ph levels. Is that alright for the RCS? And is there any other problems with oil dri? thanks.

(also, is getting a filter that important? I'm somewhat short on cash...)
oh, also, this is a tank for breeding the rcs and growing maeselia, not really for looks. i don't think the rcs fry will go good in a endler or goldfish tank.
god, attempted cleaning it just now, but took forever so i gave up and it still looks super dirty. i think i'll just stick it in the tank and buy a filter already, lol.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

you should use a sponge filter on that tank.
you can get a small one for about $2.50 on any online store.
You just need to run a small airpump on it and you should be able to get one for under $7
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+3954&pcatid=3954
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3669+12738&pcatid=12738

Or you could use an AZOO palm filter, a HOB (red sea makes one also, depends which online store you are shopping at) for under $10 I think, but you should put a sponge or net over the intake to keep baby and smaller shrimp out of the filter.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10463/product.web
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+9821&pcatid=9821

I think if you rinse the oil dry real good and for a long time that it will work fine.

You should get some screen or an actual screen like off your house window and put it on a brick border and put the oil dri on it and rinse it with a hose for 15 to 20 minutes, really rinse it good and that will work.

Or you could use a screen type strainer like in the kitchen, but you will be limited to how much you can rinse at a time and you still need to rinse it for a good long time.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Thanks for the reply.
Yeah, I'm gonna get a cheap HOB from walmart or something. I don't want to order online since I live in Hawaii and I sort of need it fast. I have a big piece of sponge I bought from Walmart for my other HOB filter in my nano.
And I don't know if I want to spend 15-20mins of running water... That's a bit much. Do you think it'll be fine inside for a bit with the filter running? I'm gonna rinse it more, but I don't think my parents will be happy if I used that much water. Maybe I can do a WC on my 55 gallon, lol, but that'll be a pain since it's all one the 2nd floor. I'll see tomorrow.


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

I don't think you HAVE to do that much water, but it would help the substrate not to change the PH or GH of the tank, where it may play with it for a little while if you dont' rinse it that much.
If you can live with the PH and GH change for a little while, just rinse it regular, until the water runs threw it clear.
Then again, it may still play with the PH and GH if you were to rinse it more, so just do it like you planned to all along.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Alright, thanks... I'm gonna try rinse it as much as possible, then put it into the tank. Hopefully I can get the filter soon though... I think the shrimp are almost here...

Eh, I figured I'm just gonna use my 10 gal that's already set up for my shrimp tank. I'll just changed the filter from the internal to a HOBm and take out the cichlid and CAE(wtf, can't believe i bought one). I'll put those into the 20 gal, and eventually get oil dri into there.
thanks for the help!


and hopefully HC can grow in regular gravel... I spread them throughout my tanks, lol.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Is there a possibility that theres already oil in my oil dri  Thats why it could've been really dirty( though I got most of it out!) and smelled a little like oil... And theres a oil like layer on the top of the water. I put in a filter and bunch of plants anyway and some test feeder shrimp floating in a net(so they don't have them breeding with my rcs if I lose track!). Hopefully they do well for the next couple of days...


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

there seems to be a layer of oil on top the water the past couple days... My shrimp are doing alright, but I don't know what to do... I'll try see if I can scoop more out and change the water a bit.


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## Bikepainter (Sep 23, 2007)

I just setup my 29g using oildry as my bottom layer of substrate....I added a thin layer of sand over that and then applied some mulm from my outdoor goldfish pond and covered all that with an inch or so layer of regular aquarium gravel.....its been workin fine....no oily surface.....clean water from the git-go.....just remember you'll need to add some ferts if you want your plants to grow since the oildry doesn't have any minerals your plants can use for food.

PS.....I did wash the oildry by pouring it into a watergarden planting container that has slots cut in it every 1/8" or so and then hosed it down with water for several minutes....it didn't really take long to get rid of the dust. 

I doubt if a new bag of oildry has oil already in it.....mine didn't and it didn't smell like oil either, but you might keep in mind that the bags of oildry are kept in the oil section of most stores so its possible that some oil could've got spilled on the bag or something.....I dunno.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Well, I guess I'll find out when shrimp die... And yeah, I have laterite on the bottom for other ferts and I dose micros(gonna order macros soon).

And what kind of container do you use? I have no clue what you're talking about.
Thanks for the feedback.


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## Bikepainter (Sep 23, 2007)

gotcheaprice said:


> And what kind of container do you use? I have no clue what you're talking about.


Heres what i'm talkin about.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Alright, thanks. I'll go find when next time I'm at HD or something. I have a bunch sitting in a bucket that I have to clean since my grandma wants the bucket back, lol.


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