Setting Up A New Crs Tank

Hello all! I’m setting up a 5 gallon Cobalt tank that will be CRS, nerites and assorted mosses on driftwood. My water at work (my tank will be at my desk) is quite soft as it is treated because I work for a brewery. The GH takes 2-3 drops to change to green with the API test and the KH is like 9-10 drops. What would you recommend to be the best way to bump that GH up to like 6-8 and not substantially raise my KH? Thank you.

 

How many nerite snails are you planning to get? A 5-gallon will only be able to handle a few. Also, how are you going to decorate it?
As for the PH I don't know the best way to buff it. Have you researched using crushed coral? It delivers minerals into the water, in small amounts, and buffs the PH higher.

 

How many nerite snails are you planning to get? A 5-gallon will only be able to handle a few. Also, how are you going to decorate it?
As for the PH I don't know the best way to buff it. Have you researched using crushed coral? It delivers minerals into the water, in small amounts, and buffs the PH higher.

Hey there. 2-3 nerites. I have them in my 15 gallon planted and I’m going to take a few else. I am using 2 pieces of spiderwood and one I’m going to tie Christmas moss to and the other java moss. I’m using black diamond blasting sand. I also have a small piece of driftwood I will attach a jave fern to. I’ve heard about crushed coral and seems like it works! Here’s my 15 gallon planted tank.

 

It looks great! I love the Danios.

 

It looks great! I love the Danios.

Thank you very much! They are absolutely stunning I also have two sparkling gouramis

 

My advice? Don't use the water at work. That KH is way too high for CRS (Crystal Red Shrimp).

Either buy distilled water or RO water and remineralize it yourself with something like Salty Shrimp GH+. Preferably you want your KH to be lower than 2, GH between 3 and 6, and pH around 6.5 to 6.9. TDS optimal ranges are 120 to 180 for crystal red/black shrimp. Also, an active substrate will help keep your pH stable and the KH low.

HOWEVER...

In the chance you meant RCS (red cherry shrimp) your parameters might be fine, you can raise your GH using Seachem Equilibrium or Salty Shrimp GH+.

 

Thank you Fahn! Sorry for the confusion. I did mean RCS! I will also be adding some of minI tourmaline balls to add calcium and some alder cones to hopefully drop the ph a little. It’s around 7.4 . What would aI'm for as a target for my GH?

 

Never mind you already said the gh range

 

Thank you Fahn! Sorry for the confusion. I did mean RCS! I will also be adding some of minI tourmaline balls to add calcium and some alder cones to hopefully drop the ph a little. It’s around 7.4 . What would aI'm for as a target for my GH?

IME mineral balls/stone are unnecessary with cherry shrimp. I even had Mark from Mark's Shrimp Tanks tell me to remove them in an older cherry setup I had because they were raising my hardness too much. They are more for Caridina setups where the water is very soft and acidic and act as mineral supplementation for the shrimps' diet.

Alder cones will be fine, but don't expect them to alter pH unless you use a lot of them. They are a good source for biofilm to grow on and your shrimp will enjoy picking through their nooks and crannies.

Don't fiddle with your pH either. I keep my cherry shrimp at 7.6, 7.4 is just fine.

 

Thank you very much Fahn! You’ve been a huge help

 

IME mineral balls/stone are unnecessary with cherry shrimp. I even had Mark from Mark's Shrimp Tanks tell me to remove them in an older cherry setup I had because they were raising my hardness too much. They are more for Caridina setups where the water is very soft and acidic and act as mineral supplementation for the shrimps' diet.

Alder cones will be fine, but don't expect them to alter pH unless you use a lot of them. They are a good source for biofilm to grow on and your shrimp will enjoy picking through their nooks and crannies.

Don't fiddle with your pH either. I keep my cherry shrimp at 7.6, 7.4 is just fine.

Actually I tested my well water at home and I’m going to use that! pH of 6.7 gh 6 drops to turn green kh is 1-2! Seems like I’ll be good to go!

 

Actually I tested my well water at home and I’m going to use that! pH of 6.7 gh 6 drops to turn green kh is 1-2! Seems like I’ll be good to go!

If those are your tap water conditions it might be easier for you to keep caridinas such as crystal reds than cherry shrimp.

 

If those are your tap water conditions it might be easier for you to keep caridinas such as crystal reds than cherry shrimp.

What numbers are ideal for cherry shrimp?

 

What numbers are ideal for cherry shrimp?

Amano Shrimp
Very Easy Upkeep
pH 6.0 to 8.0
KH >1+
GH 2+
TDS 100+

SulawesI Shrimp
Very Difficult Upkeep
pH 7.8 to 8.4
KH 8 to 12
GH 10 to 16
TDS 300+

All Neocaridina, C. Babaulti, Some Tiger Shrimp
Easy to Moderate Upkeep
pH 7.0 to 7.8
KH 4 to 10
GH 6 to 12
TDS >300

Crystal Shrimp, Some Tiger Shrimp
Moderate to Difficult Upkeep
pH 6.4 to 6.9
KH 0 to 2
GH 3 to 6
TDS 130 to 180

Taiwan Bee Shrimp, Fancy Tiger Shrimp
Difficult to Very Difficult Upkeep
pH 5.7 to 6.5
KH >1
GH 2 to 4
TDS 90 to 110

Almost all prefer cooler water in the low to mid 70s, SulawesI being the exception.

This being said, I have a cherry shrimp currently doing well in caridina conditions. They just don't breed readily in acidic water.

 

Amano Shrimp
Very Easy Upkeep
pH 6.0 to 8.0
KH >1+
GH 2+
TDS 100+

SulawesI Shrimp
Very Difficult Upkeep
pH 7.8 to 8.4
KH 8 to 12
GH 10 to 16
TDS 300+

All Neocaridina, C. Babaulti, Some Tiger Shrimp
Easy to Moderate Upkeep
pH 7.0 to 7.8
KH 4 to 10
GH 6 to 12
TDS >300

Crystal Shrimp, Some Tiger Shrimp
Moderate to Difficult Upkeep
pH 6.4 to 6.9
KH 0 to 2
GH 3 to 6
TDS 130 to 180

Taiwan Bee Shrimp, Fancy Tiger Shrimp
Difficult to Very Difficult Upkeep
pH 5.7 to 6.5
KH >1
GH 2 to 4
TDS 90 to 110

Almost all prefer cooler water in the low to mid 70s, SulawesI being the exception.

This being said, I have a cherry shrimp currently doing well in caridina conditions. They just don't breed readily in acidic water.

What a helpful post, out of curiousity where did you get all this information. I am asking because I appear to have ideal water for SulawesI shrimp, and I may be interested to try them.

Op- Hope you don't mind me asking.

 

What a helpful post, out of curiousity where did you get all this information. I am asking because I appear to have ideal water for SulawesI shrimp, and I may be interested to try them.

Op- Hope you don't mind me asking.

Just different shrimpkeeping boards, shops, and personal experience.

Don't try sulawesI shrimp if you're not experienced. I also would not trust tap water and would rather use distilled or RO water remineralized with buffers. That way you get more consistent and ideal water parameters for sensitive, expensive shrimp like Cardinals.

 

Just different shrimpkeeping boards, shops, and personal experience.

Don't try sulawesI shrimp if you're not experienced. I also would not trust tap water and would rather use distilled or RO water remineralized with buffers. That way you get more consistent and ideal water parameters for sensitive, expensive shrimp like Cardinals.

I've kept neos for a while. May look at branching out. Other sources I've seen for sulawesI list a lower tds and Gh than you've listed, which is why I was interested. Thanks for the info though.

 

I've kept neos for a while. May look at branching out. Other sources I've seen for sulawesI list a lower tds and Gh than you've listed, which is why I was interested. Thanks for the info though.

Those sources may be correct, I was going based on memory. Internet is slow and pages won't load today.

 

Fahn thank you very much. In my 40 gallon at home I have about 15 Amanos and I love them.

 

Tank is set up and I loaded the filter with a seeded sponge from another tank and added some well established bio media. Added a small platy from an existing tank to jumpstart the cycle. Shrimp going in later in the week.

 

Hey Fahn. My updated number are looking good! Ph is 6.9 Kh is 5 and gh is 7. Already getting measurable nitrates.

 

My advice? Don't use the water at work. That KH is way too high for CRS (Crystal Red Shrimp).

Either buy distilled water or RO water and remineralize it yourself with something like Salty Shrimp GH+. Preferably you want your KH to be lower than 2, GH between 3 and 6, and pH around 6.5 to 6.9. TDS optimal ranges are 120 to 180 for crystal red/black shrimp. Also, an active substrate will help keep your pH stable and the KH low.

HOWEVER...

In the chance you meant RCS (red cherry shrimp) your parameters might be fine, you can raise your GH using Seachem Equilibrium or Salty Shrimp GH+.

I updated my numbers what do you think? TDS is 176

 

I updated my numbers what do you think? TDS is 176

Sounds perfectly fine for raising cherries

 

Sounds perfectly fine for raising cherries

Thank you!