# Water changes



## Mikee (May 8, 2006)

Hey guys i need your help with my weekly 20% ish water changes. I was going to use 100% R/O water for the water changes but found out it wasnt a good idea since it had no minerals etc. I wanted to use R/O water to reduce my PH in my 29 gal shrimp tank which has cherries and crystals because it is currently around 7.5-8.0 which is a bit high. Since R/O is not a good idea i plan to use my tap water, run it through a filter, aerate the water and let it age over night. The PH is 7.8-8.0, GH - 60-80 (soft-slightly hard), KH - 40-50mg/L. This is the water i use for my discus water changes in which they do well in. I was wondering if this way would be safe for shrimps or not?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Cherries are very rugged creatures, so I can't see them noticing even if you use liquid rock water for changes. But, I don't know about crystal shrimp.


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## Mikee (May 8, 2006)

Well only thing im worried about is if i use R/O 100% will the shrimp grow differently due to the lack of minerals and vitamins ect that they might use for their shells etc or do they get the minerals and vitamins from the food they eat?
bit confused..if R/O is a bad idea i could use the other method i suggested above and make sure all the chlorine/chloramine is out and do it the same way as everyone else although my PH will still be a problem..so not sure what ill do about that


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I think it has been shown that pH is over rated as a problem for fish or plants. In nature the pH of the water fish and shrimps live in is not constant, and they survive very well. Also, many people have found happily living cherry shrimp in places such as filter housings, discarded tanks, etc. so they certainly don't require pristine water conditions.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Be sure to add back a little iodine for their shells.


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## Mikee (May 8, 2006)

Well now i have 2 choices to continue using R/O water and add SeaChem Equilibrium to add back in the minerals taken out during the R/O process which would i believe be the cleanist and best water to lower PH or run tap through filter, aerate and let age over night. But if i did it this way would i still have to add something to get rid of chlorine/chloramine or would running it through filter, aerate and age over night get rid of the chlorine and be safe for shrimps? because if i must need to add somethin to get rid of chlorine i might as well use R/O water and add seachem equillibrium to add the minerals/vitamins back and have still a cleaner water than my tap prob but not sure which would be better  any opinions?


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## Neon Shrimp (Apr 26, 2006)

Hi Mikee, 1st choice sounds better to me. I also use RO water and my shrimp are healthy and breeding.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

#1 works best. It seems like lots of people have no problems with this RO method, and it will serve you purpose well. Plus 20% of 29 gallon waterchanges is managable.

#2 works okay, but you will still have to add the Prime dechlorinator. The work involved as you describe seems too long and tedious.

If the primary purpose is to reduce pH, why not add some CO2 to the tank. DIY will at least bring the pH down 0.3-0.5, pressurize even further. And if you aren't adding anything to this tank in terms of ferts, I'm sure you can get by with water changes every 2 weeks. That's what I do with my 29 shrimp tank.

-John N.


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## Mikee (May 8, 2006)

Okay  thanks alot guys always great help! I think ill go with the 1st choice then, using R/O water and adding SeaChem Equillibrium to add back the minerals etc in the water *(we also use this water for drinking takes a couple hours to fill up a 5 gallon bottle BUT since its every week i do water change there will be no problem since we got 4 bottles of these usually full and i only need 1 whole 5 gal bottle when i do my weekly water change)*. Neon Shrimp you say you also use pure 100% R/O for your water changes im just wondering..if you add anythin with the R/O to add back the minerals and vitamins and if so what do you use? As for the Co2 John i have been thinking about adding a DIY Co2 to it because first it would help lower PH second it would be good for the plants to grow faster. Only thing that scares me is if something would go wrong with the Co2 and kill the shrimp by adding to much or something..


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## Neon Shrimp (Apr 26, 2006)

I do not add anything but I think that the shrimp get what they need from their diet. Like I said as long as they are healthy and breeding don't need to change a thing. However, let me know if you see a difference with using the additive.


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## Mikee (May 8, 2006)

Ya, i agree with you like you said they should get what they need from their diet. But i will buy some equillibrium and try and see how it works. If i notice any changes i will make sure to tell you. I think this way is still better than using my tap.. cant trust my tap water here.. sometimes very dirty or very cloudy (must have lots of chlorine or something) and PH is really high so i still believe they will do much better the R/O way..although i havnt been using R/O for that long only 1 water change of 20% but things seem to be going fine i already saw some babies and i recently saw another 2 pregnant female cherries. CRS dont seem to be doing anything lately although i think it may be the high PH i currently have or because i only have 6..maybe they are all females or males ha ha ha.


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