# To fertilize or not fertilize...that is the main question



## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

For those that keep shrimp tanks:

1.What type of shrimp?
2. Do you use DIY CO2 or pressurized?
3. Do you use ferts?
4. Tank size and parameters
5. Which ferts do you use?
6. How many times per week?
7. In your opinion, is there an advantage on using Co2 and ferts in shrimp tanks?


Cheers,
Pedro


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

1)Bee or bumble bee. Whatever are the common ones.
2)nope
3)yup
4)15 gallon. Screw in compacts. gh 12 kh 12 ph around 8 ish
5)GW
6)twice
7)I think if the plants are happy, the shrimp habitat is that much more enjoyable.


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## rain- (Dec 16, 2005)

1.What type of shrimp?
- Caridina sp. Crystal Red and Neocaridina cf. zhangjiajiensis sp. White Pearl

2. Do you use DIY CO2 or pressurized?
- DIY now, but going to go pressurized soon

3. Do you use ferts?
- Yes

4. Tank size and parameters
- 38 gallon (144 liters), pH 6,5, 4-5 dGH, 4 dKH, NO3 15-20 ppm, PO4 1 ppm, 2x70W metal halides 

5. Which ferts do you use?
- Seachem Flourish/Tropica Master Grow, Seachem Flourish Excel, KNO3, KH2PO4, bottom ferts (Tetra Crypto tablets mostly)

6. How many times per week?
- KNO3, KH2PO4 and Excel on monday, thursday and saturday, Flourish/TMG on monday, wednesday, friday and sunday.

7. In your opinion, is there an advantage on using Co2 and ferts in shrimp tanks?
- I prefer my tanks heavily planted and I do think that using CO2 and ferts are imporant in planted tanks, with shrimps or not. I haven't noticed any ill effects in shrimps with my dosing regime, but I would be cautious with smaller tanks with lots of shrimps. I also do 50-90% water changes once a week so there isn't any nutrient buildups.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

1.What type of shrimp?... Cherry's, Amano's, Neon Green's, Wood.

2. Do you use DIY CO2 or pressurized?... Pressurized on a timer

3. Do you use ferts?... Yes

4. Tank size and parameters... 20G long, 6.5 PH, KH 4-6, N03 8-10ppm, P04 1ppm

5. Which ferts do you use?... Plantex, Seachem iron/P04, Green light stump remover (KN03)

6. How many times per week?... Small amounts every day

7. In your opinion, is there an advantage on using Co2 and ferts in shrimp tanks?... Only for the plants, the shrimp could care less.


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## JerseyScape (Nov 18, 2005)

I only fertilize my main tank but not the "shrimp only breeding tank". It seems like a waste to be fertilizing plants that are basically mosses --- maybe I should give it a try and see if they grow better.


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

no one else?


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

1.What type of shrimp?... amanos and cherries

2. Do you use DIY CO2 or pressurized?... pressurized, 24/7

3. Do you use ferts?... yes

4. Tank size and parameters... 2 - 50 gals and one 10 gal. kh9, gh12; 
pH 6.9; NO3 15-20; PO4 3-4

5. Which ferts do you use?... Flourish, Flourish iron, KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, MgSO4.

6. How many times per week?... macros 2x/week; micros daily

7. In your opinion, is there an advantage on using Co2 and ferts in shrimp tanks?... If you want your shrimp to have healthy plants for them to rummage in and around and to hide from fish which might make a snack out of them, yes.


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## Pat Bowerman (Mar 18, 2004)

*copper in trace mixes*

Any concerns about this? Has anyone experienced any shrimp deaths that might be attributed to copper poisoning?


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

1.What type of shrimp?
Crystal Red Bee Shrimp and Cherry Shrimp
2. Do you use DIY CO2 or pressurized?
Pressurized 
3. Do you use ferts?
Very rarely 
4. Tank size and parameters
29 gallons, not sure of the parameters at this time, haven't tested in a long time
5. Which ferts do you use?
Only once in awhile but they would be: Kno3, kh2po4, and Flourish (less than recommended dosing)
6. How many times per week?
Mostly less than once a week, sometimes up to twice a week 
7. In your opinion, is there an advantage on using Co2 and ferts in shrimp tanks?
Only in terms of the plants, I don't think the fish or shrimp benefit from it


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## T_om (Dec 23, 2004)

Pat Bowerman said:


> Any concerns about this? Has anyone experienced any shrimp deaths that might be attributed to copper poisoning?


These type deaths normally manifest themselves by someone saying "my shrimp were all doing fine, then all of a sudden started dying off... what happened?"

Adding fertilizer to a shrimp tank is taking a risk. It all depends upon the fertilizer,the shrimp, the temperature as well as a host of other factors.

CO2 injection can lead to rapid acidity spikes and this is another thing that can kill off the shrimp colony.

My basic recommendation for shrimp keepers is to use plain de-chlorinated tap water.

If you feel you MUST use all the additives, then keep the primary shrimp breeding colony in a separate tank so when you kill off all the shrimp in the tank with all the water manipulation you will have another batch to experiment on later.

Tom


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

T_om said:


> These type deaths normally manifest themselves by someone saying "my shrimp were all doing fine, then all of a sudden started dying off... what happened?"
> 
> Adding fertilizer to a shrimp tank is taking a risk. It all depends upon the fertilizer,the shrimp, the temperature as well as a host of other factors.
> 
> ...


What about shrimp that like water to be acidic, bumble bee shrimp and others?

I have not managed to keep bumble bee alive in tanks that do not have gravel and with tap water with a ph above 7.5.

My ph does not varies more than .2ppm during day and night on my 58 G tank which has pressurized and a ph of 6.5-6.7.

I think temperature and ph will cause a higer death rate than fertilizing a shrimp tank.

Pedro


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## T_om (Dec 23, 2004)

milalic said:


> What about shrimp that like water to be acidic, bumble bee shrimp and others?


Then keep it acidic. Where did I say otherwise? What I DID say was that acidity spikes can be dangerous. Some people do not control their water chemistry as closely as you say you do... which is good for you but bad for them.



> I think temperature and ph will cause a higer death rate than fertilizing a shrimp tank.
> 
> Pedro


Um, OK. Whatever works for you is fine with me. I can only speak to my own experience and what I have learned discussing problems with shrimp-keepers and breeders over the years.

INVARIABLY, if someone is having trouble with shrimp, it is due to their fiddling with the water conditions.... either by fertilizing, shifting the pH all over the place, injecting CO2, or sprinkling in magic 'fairy dust' foisted off on them by some snake-oil salesman guaranteeing instantaneous plant growth.

When these same people that are having problems do as I suggest and return to straight de-chlorinated tap water, their problems go away...

Until they start fiddling with the water again.

If you are keeping a species of shrimp that MUST have acidic water, then of course, you must provide the correct pH. Other than that though, the fewer things you put in the water, the better.

Tom


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## rain- (Dec 16, 2005)

Well, everything can be fatal if used incorrectly. I think that only means you need to know what you are doing.  

I have kept shrimps for several years and I haven't any unnatural deaths (like many shrimps dying at close interval, young shrimps dying etc.) and I think I am adding way more ferts than most of the shrimp people. Well, why my shrimps (Neocaridina palmata, Crystal Red, White Pearl) have been living happily and breeding without problems in such conditions? I think because I know what I am doing. I don't use any products that don't tell how much copper and other things they contain. I keep KH high enough so the pH will stay stable. I do large water changes once a week, I keep lots of plants and I keep them happy so they grow fast and use the nutrients I am offering to them. 

Of course there's no need for ferts if you just want to keep and breed shrimps and only keep some mosses and ferns with them. And if you are a beginner in planted tanks, don't mess with things. Keep the shrimps safe in their own tank until you know what you are doing. But I don't think it's that hard for more experienced hobbyists who already know what affects what and how to keep the balance.


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