Water hardness

[Tjd2006]

Hello everyone.

I have never really tested my water hardness before and wanted to double check something.

I have about 10 Blue Dream shrimp in a 55 gallon. The hardness of the tank was measured with an API test kit.

GH - 15 drops or 268.5ppm (looks like this converts to 15.67 grains)
KH - 2 or 35.8ppm.

This seems like good water parameters for shrimp my only concern is the PH could swing easy.

My tapwater hardness reads GH - 12 drops or 214.8ppm and KH 4 - 71.6 ppm.

Could Prime be lowering the KH?

Does everyone think this OK parameters?

 

[kashif314]

Your GH is very high. For neocaridinas the GH is 6-8 but neocaridinas are not sensitive shrimps and if acclimated good they can thrive and breed like crazy in very hard water as well.

What is your ph?

This will give you an idea about water parameters of your shrimps

https://www.aquariumcreation.com/blogs/news/neocaridina-shrimp-water-parameters

 

[Tjd2006]

I specifically bought shrimp that have been bread in this level of GH. My ph is stable around 7 as long as I do weekly water changes. If I let it go more than a week ph start dropping.

 

[Tjd2006]

I'm probably going to have to switch over to RO water and then add shrimp + or something.

 

[Tjd2006]

Is there any way to raise KH without raising GH?

 

[kashif314]

If you switch to RO that would be perfect but as I said your shrimps are very hardy. They can get use to your ph easily. Mine are in 6.5 pH because I keep them with Cardinas which are more sensitive. Neocaridinas always survive and breed. I went RO because of Cardinas. When I had neocaridinas I used my tap water without any damage to shrimps. Tap water is pH 7.5 Gh 8 and KH 3 and tds 295

 

[kashif314]

Right now they are doing great in my water which is suitable for Taiwan Bees. My parameters are:

TDS 130-150
Gh: 5
KH: 0-1
PH 6.5

Neocaridinas doing great in these parameters.