GH/KH advise

[chrisrm]

I’ve had my shrimp tank up and running for about 6 months and everything is ok. Except I’ve noticed a fair few berried females but very few young. I read that incorrect GH/KH can affect their survival. So I brought an API test kit and got the following readings…..
My PH is 6.6
GH of 4 (71.9)
KH of 1 (17.9)
How do I correctly raise the levels to the right values?

 

[gwand]

Add crushed coral substrate.

 

[MaloK]

What kind of shrimps ? Neocaridina Davidi ?

If you have berried females, it's because they are able to molt properly. The GH is close but KH is low. If you raise your water alkalinity, do it slowly.

The first 2-3 weeks of their life they need principally biofilm and microscopic food. In a tank that is too clean it can be a concern.

 

[Colin_T]

What do you want to raise the level to?

What fish are in the tank?

If you aren't getting many baby shrimp it's usually caused by lack of food. Either the adult shrimp or fish in the tank eat the babies, or there is nothing for the babies to eat. Baby shrimp can also be sucked into filters and you want an air operated sponge filter in their tank, not a big power filter.

 

[chrisrm]

What kind of shrimps ? Neocaridina Davidi ?

If you have berried females, it's because they are able to molt properly. The GH is close but KH is low. If you raise your water alkalinity, do it slowly.

The first 2-3 weeks of their life they need principally biofilm and microscopic food. In a tank that is too clean it can be a concern.

Neocaridina (sorry should have specified) I feed Bacter AE every few days and I tend not to clean the tank feet much just the front glass. I thought the GH should be 6-10 and KH 2-5 is that about right? What’s the best thing to raise the KH? I was going to use bicarbonate of soda but read only to do that in a pinch.

 

[chrisrm]

What do you want to raise the level to?

What fish are in the tank?

If you aren't getting many baby shrimp it's usually caused by lack of food. Either the adult shrimp or fish in the tank eat the babies, or there is nothing for the babies to eat. Baby shrimp can also be sucked into filters and you want an air operated sponge filter in their tank, not a big power filter.

No fish in the tank, I feed with bacteria AE every few days plus shrimp food. Loads of moss and plants. And yes I just have a sponge filter in there

 

[MaloK]

A GH over 80 ppm is enough, a KH around 70 ppm is also enough.

You can use in my preference order: Cuttle bones, Crushed corals, Limestone, KH booster, Powder Bicarbonate.

The principal thing is to not swing anything. 10 ppm per week, no more, even at this speed it's fast for them.

It's why the cuttle bones and crushed corals are good, place the coral in a bag in the aquarium not the filter.

Test your KH every day for a while, adjust quantity, if things are too slow add a little more or fast remove it.

Once raised you will need only a little quantity from time to time or a piece of a certain size to maintain it.

It's a couple months of tweaking then it stabilize and is relatively easy to maintain.

Using pre-balanced water for changes is also a must. So the environment in the tanks remains stable.

One more thing that affects shrimps badly is one of the most difficult thing to manage in aquariums. Nitrate level... Under 20 is acceptable, Under 10 is even better, but 0 is really what you are aiming for.

If you manage to give enough food but still maintain very low nitrate level with minimal water changes.

Your colony should explode as soon as everyone's happy.

 

[seangee]

Neocaridina (sorry should have specified) I feed Bacter AE every few days and I tend not to clean the tank feet much just the front glass. I thought the GH should be 6-10 and KH 2-5 is that about right? What’s the best thing to raise the KH? I was going to use bicarbonate of soda but read only to do that in a pinch.

For my neos I always kept the tank at 6 dGH and 3 dKH because that's what the breeder recommended. But they are tolerant of a wide range. I have now changed to 3 dGH and 0 KH because I am planning to add Caradina in summer and they are less tolerant. Most of my females are berried at the moment and I have seen no ill effects. Easy for me because I use RO but you could use Salty shrimp GH/KH+. Dennerle also do one. I have now switched to just GH+.
As @MaloK says your population will explode very soon, they don't do much over winter (at least mine don't) and its nothing to do with temperature.