Fluval Shrimp Stratum

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Coyne

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
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1,524
Location
Carpentersville, IL
Ive recently set up what will eventually be a small shrimp tank. I let the guy at my "good" LFS talk me into using Fluval Shrimp Stratum for my substrate. The product claims to promote "neutral to slightly acidic pH" and lower the water's Hardness.
Now, my tap water is REALLY high... between 8.2 - 8.4, so I was a bit skeptical about it. Its been 48hrs and Ive just tested the tank's water. Low and behold, its now in the 7.4 - 7.6 range. Also, the GH in the tank is now a 4 (down from 10).

Does anybody have any long term experience with this product? Are there any downsides to this kind of change? How permanent/temporary are these changes?

If it keeps the water parameters stable for the long term (or even permanently) Im thinking of using this stuff in a future re-scaping of my 45 gallon.
 
I have never used it myself but I've heard that compared to other similar substrates it breaks down a lot quicker.
 
Could you be more specific about what you mean by "break down"? Like, the little balls of substrate physically break down?
 
Mine got like more muddy what I mean is that it didn't keep it uniform ball shape
 
Looking at some reviews from other sites, this seems to be an issue with select others as well. My guess is that it is designed for smaller tanks and can not withstand the weight/pressure present in larger tanks.
I have mine in a tiny 2.5 gallon, so if it goes muddy from that then it just comes down to poor quality.
Im thinking about looking into ADA Substrate for my larger tank now.

Im more curious about the pH Buffering. Does anybody know how often it would need to be replaced or how quickly the pH will swing once it stops buffering?
 
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