Substrate for 10 g (ADA/Eco complete/gravel)?

[InfraredDream]

Hello,

I tried the search, but I have issues with finding everything I need, so I decided to start a new one.

I currently have my shrimps with endlers and corries in a 20 g and finally figured out how much equilibrium and alkainebuffer to add to have good parameters and have them breeding. In my atempt to downsize the number of tanks, I want to use this 20 g for some other fish (tetras, etc.), so I decided to move endlers and shrimps in a nice 10 g. So as I will start it from scratch (I will use the filter from a running 5 g that has a betta in there), I am thinking how to do it best. I read a lot about ADA and eco complete and I guess the best would be ADA. But I am not sure about the rest of the parameters. As far as I know I will need to run the tank empty (maybe with snails and 1-2 endlers to keep the bacteria) for a few days to have the cloudiness clear. What about the acid that is leaking from ADA, how long it takes for it to settle? And then, once I have everything up and running, should I use half of the amount of buffer and equilibrium as I am using for the 20 g? It has natural gravel in there. The plants will be the same in the 10g

Sorry for the long posting and thanks a lot for all the input. Haven't used anything than natural gravel so far and I don't wanna make a mistake or test the water all the time. I currently don't test anything as I know how much to add with each water change, etc. and it is nice and easy. I will just go with black gravel if ADA will cause much trouble with testing the chemistry all the time, etc.

Thanks again, looking forward for your replies!

[effox]

What kind of shrimps do you have, cherries? If you don't have crystals I wouldn't worry about the expense and hassle of cycling ADA. I just cycled my tank and it took about 2 weeks for the ammonia and nitrites to be zero with my ADA in my 15g.

If you are planning on having crystals I'd go with ADA, Fluval Stratum or Florabase. The later two don't give you the headache of ammonia spikes from what I remember. If you do go with ADA, don't put fish in, there's lots of ammonia to keep your BB colonized and well established, wait until the tank is cycled and then introduce your fish and shrimp.

Cheers,
Chris

[InfraredDream]

Thanks a lot for the reply! I tried to give as much info as possible and of course forgot the most important one! Yeah, cherries only. I have a few amanos, but I might leave the in the 20 g, will decide depending on the fish I end up with in there.
So, ADA is lots of work then... Should I just get black gravel and don't think too much about it? I can wait for a few weeks for ADA or other kind of special substrate to get ready. The thing is I don't wanna bother with testing all the time once the tank is up and running. Adding buffers and such is OK as far as I can get it stable and just add the same amount with the regular water changes.

Thanks again!

[effox]

If you're just dealing with cherries, stick with black gravel. My brother has two shrimp tanks with painted fire reds and they're doing great. I just buffer GH in his tanks.

ADA is a headache to cycle, and its unnecessary for cherries. I'd save the cash and time and blow it on something else fish related You'd definitely have to do continue tests and water changes daily for the week and a half that it takes to cycle.

Cheers,
Chris

[InfraredDream]

That was a great help! Thanks. As it is a new tank I thought it might be better to do it by the rules this time. But with black gravel (I want black as it will be easier to see the shrimps than in the natural I am having in the 20 g) I will just move the filter, media, plants and decorations from a 5 g tank and the new one will be good to go in hours.
And I really hate testing and all this. I love taking care of the tanks, but not the testing part

[effox]

No problem.

[fxbillie]

I am no expert on shrimps. But currently my fire reds are doing fine on normal gravel bottom, even bare bottom. But my 9 CRS are in a 20g with cycled ADA and I was told cycled ADA will buffer the water to the right hardness for CRS and I don't have to bother much with KH & GH. No wonder formerly before using ADA, my 2 CBS & 2 CRS died shortly after putting them on bare bottom tank. Good luck with your shrimnps.