FAQ on Cherry, Sakura, Whatever Shrimps

Originally Posted by globalcookie

Your pH is a bit on the low side. Cherries are more comfortable on the higher side, at abt 6.8-7.0pH. I am not saying it has to do with your situation where pregnant shrimps are staying high on BW but you may want to look at the pH

thanx, i'll look into the ph level as well. i suppose one way is to add coral chips into the tank rite? add piece by piece until the pH reaches the desired level? and constantly monitor the pH level to ensure that the coral chips are still functioning?

[globalcookie]

Are you using soil? Soil lowers pH. If you are keeping cherries, you can do without much soil. But than again, if your tank is mature, it is not good to change it's base directly, unless you re-setup.

Coral chips can work quite fast. I would rather put it into my aging tank (whatever storage you use for aging, eg bottles). This way, it is easier to control pH. Adding CC directly into tank is ok, but if you add too much and the pH shoots up, you have to bring it down again.

I had brought up e pH in my new tank (no shrimps as of Saturday), from pH 6.5 up to pH7.5 within 1 day (a tub of CC). When I realised the pH was on the high side, I remove the CC and did a partial WC (abt 10%). This is to bring e pH back down a little. I can do that b'cos there is no shrimps when I was adjusting pH. This tank doesn't use any soil.

I just released some yellow shrimps into the tank yesterday (after adjusting pH). They appeared to be doing fine this morning.

Originally Posted by globalcookie

Are you using soil? Soil lowers pH. If you are keeping cherries, you can do without much soil. But than again, if your tank is mature, it is not good to change it's base directly, unless you re-setup.

Coral chips can work quite fast. I would rather put it into my aging tank (whatever storage you use for aging, eg bottles). This way, it is easier to control pH. Adding CC directly into tank is ok, but if you add too much and the pH shoots up, you have to bring it down again.

I had brought up e pH in my new tank (no shrimps as of Saturday), from pH 6.5 up to pH7.5 within 1 day (a tub of CC). When I realised the pH was on the high side, I remove the CC and did a partial WC (abt 10%). This is to bring e pH back down a little. I can do that b'cos there is no shrimps when I was adjusting pH. This tank doesn't use any soil.

I just released some yellow shrimps into the tank yesterday (after adjusting pH). They appeared to be doing fine this morning.

i'm using gravel. so the soil problem does not apply in this case. but in terms of adjusting the pH level, it will be a big problem for me. cos i'm currently using those indicator (those that you hang on the wall, and observe colour changes), so whatever pH flucuation will not be reflected immediately. i suppose i'll kill my shrimps this way.

so just to confirm, will adding cc raise the pH level indefinately? as in the more cc i add, the higher the pH will become? or will it reach a saturation point where the pH will not go up any higher, and the cc will just slowly dissolve away (the more i add, the longer tank can maintain the pH)?

[globalcookie]

I think, for a start, you may wana add CC into your aging water container to increase pH there. Than, after you add e aged water into the tank, observe if e pH had been altered (tank).

You may want to use a small amount of CC in the tank, but have to be watchful. The change in pH will reach a 'limit' instead of continue rising. On the long run, the CC may loose it's effect and you may need to change new CC. Not sure of e lifespan tho

thanx, i think i'll try out in a smaller tank 1st before changing my main tank. thanx alot