Molly Malone
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- May 27, 2016
- Messages
- 11
I desperately need help figuring out how to keep my Red Cherry Shrimp alive.
I have a nano tank that's been up for about 8 months. It's approx 5 gal bowl, probably 4 with the decor, substrate. Sponge filter, heater, lots of plants. It's got 6 Chili Rasboras and 6 RCS (although I've purchased about 17 over the past 5 months I've had them in this setup).
I knew I was losing shrimp to a molting issue most likely, so I started feeding shrimp veggie sticks with calcium and dropping in pieces of the Wonder Shell to increase mineral content.
Since the tap pH was 7.6/7.8, I did put driftwood in at the beginning, but the pH would plummet after a couple days, so I finally just bagged it and left it high. The Chilies don't mind it, but I did want to lower the pH a bit closer to their breeding level, so I added peat and it's been stable at 7/7.2 since then. For the water changes, I added a verry small amt of pH regulator (regulates to ph of 7) so that the new water wouldn't be too far from the old pH.
After adding the last 6 rcs just before Christmas, and losing 2 a couple days apart (that I found) and only finding 6 total yesterday (whereas I've purchased 15-20 and there have been shrimplets at different times over the past 5 months), I thought there must be something going on with the water hardness, so I took a sample in and the gH was 17, but the kH was 3 in this tank. I bought the test kit and tested all my tanks and my tap when I got home.
Tap: pH = 8, kH = 5, and gH = 10
Shrimp tank: pH = 7.2, KH 3, and gH of 15????
(my other tanks tested at gH of 12 and kH of 5, 6, or 7, except for one that was at Kh 2 or 3 and it's also got peat in it)
So, First of all, it's weird that the kH is soo low compared to the gH.
But, since the 2 with peat in it are the ones with the softer water. I should take the peat out. HOWEVER, since that tank also has Chilis and I would really like to get them into breading condition, is there ANY way to raise the kH without raising the pH??? I hate to separate out my Chilies and my RCS because I think they look great together in their bowl! So, I'm looking for any viable alternatives?
Thanks in advance and for reading this long question, which I hope I've posted correctly, this is my first time here (I think).
I have a nano tank that's been up for about 8 months. It's approx 5 gal bowl, probably 4 with the decor, substrate. Sponge filter, heater, lots of plants. It's got 6 Chili Rasboras and 6 RCS (although I've purchased about 17 over the past 5 months I've had them in this setup).
I knew I was losing shrimp to a molting issue most likely, so I started feeding shrimp veggie sticks with calcium and dropping in pieces of the Wonder Shell to increase mineral content.
Since the tap pH was 7.6/7.8, I did put driftwood in at the beginning, but the pH would plummet after a couple days, so I finally just bagged it and left it high. The Chilies don't mind it, but I did want to lower the pH a bit closer to their breeding level, so I added peat and it's been stable at 7/7.2 since then. For the water changes, I added a verry small amt of pH regulator (regulates to ph of 7) so that the new water wouldn't be too far from the old pH.
After adding the last 6 rcs just before Christmas, and losing 2 a couple days apart (that I found) and only finding 6 total yesterday (whereas I've purchased 15-20 and there have been shrimplets at different times over the past 5 months), I thought there must be something going on with the water hardness, so I took a sample in and the gH was 17, but the kH was 3 in this tank. I bought the test kit and tested all my tanks and my tap when I got home.
Tap: pH = 8, kH = 5, and gH = 10
Shrimp tank: pH = 7.2, KH 3, and gH of 15????
(my other tanks tested at gH of 12 and kH of 5, 6, or 7, except for one that was at Kh 2 or 3 and it's also got peat in it)
So, First of all, it's weird that the kH is soo low compared to the gH.
But, since the 2 with peat in it are the ones with the softer water. I should take the peat out. HOWEVER, since that tank also has Chilis and I would really like to get them into breading condition, is there ANY way to raise the kH without raising the pH??? I hate to separate out my Chilies and my RCS because I think they look great together in their bowl! So, I'm looking for any viable alternatives?
Thanks in advance and for reading this long question, which I hope I've posted correctly, this is my first time here (I think).
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