CRS questions

[Nanokid]

i have been thinking about setting up a little 12 gallon rimless for CRS. im wondering what some basic's are before i jump into them. i want them to breed. my water out of the tap is about 8 PH. is this too high to expect breeding? if so - whats the best way to lower it?

what are some essential "tools" for raising them ? any tips or tricks that promote success?

thanks

[plantedinvertz]

8 is wayy to high;; they will likely die in that ph. The ph needs to be lowered. There arent many tricks to raising them but great water paremeters and lots of plants will ensure success

[effox]

If you're dealing with CRS, I would get some ADA Aqua Soil, that will lower it to about 6.5ish and get the proper buffer that you require for breeding. Just watch out for summer, smaller tanks can get really hot a lot easier than larger tanks (all my CRS\CBS died).

Definitely don't try this without the ADA soil.

[Nanokid]

if the ph is THAT much of a problem ; i could go with R/O water. i have a hard time beliving that the soil can drop my ph that much.

does ADa have any REAL benifits other then the ph? or is it just the name brand im paying for?

would the fluval substrate be the same thing? what a bout floura base?

i do want this to be a high quality tank and dont want to cut any corners; i dont mind spending 50$ a bag if its REALLY worth it... but if theres other alternatives i wouldnt mind saving a bit.

[effox]

I tried Flora base as well TBH, but it's just not quite the same. Not only do you want to watch for the PH drop so they'll breed, but you want to ensure that the water buffer (General Hardness) is relatively good so that they'll molt without problems (they'll die during molts otherwise, which is a HUGE shame at $4-$20 a piece). You might get off lucky if you have African Cichlid Conditioner and a KH\GH test kit, that'd be a good way to cheap out without them dying on you, which I learned the hard way. Trust me on this, it's not my advice, I learned this from a good friend Sherry (fraggalrock).

I had about $300 of CRS A-S Grades in my 10g tank when summer hit, and I didn't control the temperature with ice cubes or a chiller, and it wiped them out. They are MUCH more sensitive then cherry shrimp. If you're just starting out I'd recommend Cherry Shrimp and Red Painted Shrimp, they're much less demanding.

[Nanokid]

i have had cherry shrimp before.... and bred many many many fish. i guess ill go with Ada. i would like to have B-A grade (i dont like the S - SSS grades) and i dont want to loose hundreds of dollars worth of shrimp.

what is there ideal tempature? slightly lower then average tank temps?

and if i use ADA should i use my tap water (8ish) or should i still use R/O water?

[CRS Fan]

Does ADa have any REAL benifits other then the ph? or is it just the name brand im paying for?

would the fluval substrate be the same thing? what a bout floura base?

I dont mind spending 50$ a bag if its REALLY worth it... but if theres other alternatives i wouldnt mind saving a bit.

The Fluval Stratum or Ebi Substrate is a very good substitute for ADA I or II. It is easier to find and costs about the same price (volume wise). ADA I is soaked with Ammonium as a food source for plants. ADA also has tendency to get bacterial and algae blooms when initially set-up. ADA substrate also has more debris (wood fragmants and other organic matter) in its substrate. The CRS will show up on the Stratum the best (as it is the darkest of the bunch). You won't get nearly as good of a contrast using the light brown Florabase. With that being sais, I find the Fuval substrate the easiest to set-up and use (although I do use ADA I and II with excellent results).

All of these soil based substrates do have a tendency to get muddy or break down (epecially when the tank is planted with heavy root feeders or quick growing stem plants).

Hopefully that helps.

Stuart

[fan4guppy]

An alternative to this situation may be using Peat Moss to adjust your Ph from 8 down to the desired ph level.

Many aquarists including myself used Peat Moss in regards to keeping ph sensitive fish in the 60s and 70s long before Reverse Osmosis water was around ....

For more information click here http://www.ehow.com/about_6576092_pe...-aquarium.html

[tang daddy]

Peat moss sitting in a bucket will lower ph however it may take a week or more,

Its too bad your water in Vic has such a high ph, is it well water? unfortunately crs do prefer softer water, you can use any type of substrate you want even sand aslong as the ph is 6-6.5 but keep in mind that the shrimps eat soil aswell, That's why ADA is prefered. They will are like hungry mice and basically eat any thing they get their little fiddlers on. wood, plants, sponge filter, poop whatever...

[Nanokid]

yes im on well water. the benifit of that is free water - and the high PH is perfect for cichlids. victorias well water is usually just below 7.

so - Ada or fluval ?

should i use R/O water? i have a machine used for my reef so its not like it costs me very much. the ph would be low... and is pretty much a clean slate as for devolved nutrients.