# Water chemistry for shrimp tanks



## SlyDer (Jul 11, 2007)

Ok, so i finally got a new test kit, since my last one was liquid and all my test tubes broke over time, even in my hands twice?¿  i got a dip strip kit its alot harder to read so i may have goofed.

Im wondering how my chemistry is going to do with more sensitive shrimp than my rcs. I already have tigers in the mail and i want to treat them as decent grade crs since that is my end game plan.

less than 20 ppm nitrate

0 nitrite

GH 300 ppm (my tap was 150)

KH 250+

PH 8.0

So im correct is saying i have very alkaline hard water?, Is one of my rocks leaching making the gh higher?

What is considered ideal / pristine for these shrimp and whats totally unacceptable for keeping/breeding them
comments and advice are welcome, even a guide on water chemistry would be great!


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## Purrbox (Jun 1, 2006)

Unfortunately those dip strips are much less accurate that liquid tests. They should only be used as a baseline quick test for whether more detailed testing is necessary, and not for actual results.


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## oblongshrimp (Aug 8, 2006)

how long did you let your water sit before getting those readings? If it came out of the tap let it sit for 24hrs to outgas and then try the pH again.


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## SlyDer (Jul 11, 2007)

i know test strips arnt accurate but ive kept large fish in nonplanted tanks for years and im still learning the finer touches to planted tanks. So kh gh and in a way ph are all things im having to relearn. It used to be my goal to keep a steady ph and pristing waer with no ammonia or nitrite, nitrate above 5 was getting out of hand. i even built a coil denitrater. 

so im mostly looking to learn alittle and be assured im not setting myself up for a disaster with expensive shrimp. 

for my tiger tank im using inert tahitian moon sand because im afraid it will buffer the water further.


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## Kenshin (Feb 26, 2007)

I do not recommend you using the Taitan Moon Sand as substrate for your Tiger shrimps. I have heard from several people that their shrimps have died because of using this substrate.

Your pH is way too high also for Tiger shrimps. They need to be in slightly acidic and soft water (means low gH = low dissolved solvents/minerals) with pH 6.6 - 7.0. 

How long did you even cycle the tank? I can understand you do not need to cycle a tank for larger fish (from your past experiences), but you are dealing with small (way smaller than you think) and they are extra sensitive animals compare to larger fish. If you have not cycled your tank, your shrimps will surely die in a short period of time because of sudden ammonia spikes since there are no beneficial bacteria in your tank to help break down the ammonia.

You should have cycled your tank first in the proper condition before you even buy your Tiger shrimps. 

gH has nothing to do with pH.


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## SlyDer (Jul 11, 2007)

Kenshin said:


> I do not recommend you using the Taitan Moon Sand as substrate for your Tiger shrimps. I have heard from several people that their shrimps have died because of using this substrate.
> 
> Your pH is way too high also for Tiger shrimps. They need to be in slightly acidic and soft water (means low gH = low dissolved solvents/minerals) with pH 6.6 - 7.0.
> 
> ...


First off, I actually decided against the black sand b/c its too hard to clean up detritus without sucking out sand. Its good to know it doesnt go well with shrimp. thanks 

As far as ph and gh goes, thats exactly the information i as looking for here. In my experience keeping monsterfish these were not things i had to worry about so im having to learn more about water chemistry. With exception to r/o what are things i can do to lower the parimeters?

I assure you there is no need to worry about me putting livestock in a uncycled tank. My tigers are safely housed in a long established 29 gallon with my rcs and are looking well despite the high ph and gh. The ten gallon i plan on keeping them in is being cycled and is seeded with mulm from the established 29s sponge filter

I understand shrimp are very sensitive to ammonia and water chemistry, thats why im trying to get everything down now before I add anything els to my shrimp rack. I would eventually like to end up with some nice crs to finish off the collection.


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## modster (Jun 16, 2007)

From my experience, they need low ph to breed. I also keep my GH above 6 since the shrimps need calcium.


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