# TDS Reading high



## RoyalFizbin (Mar 7, 2006)

Cherry shrimp can easily handle 350 TDS. If you really want to lower the tds you'll obviously have to do water changes with lower or zero tds water. Either a reverse osmosis filter to make it or you can just buy RO water. You can also buy distilled water from the grocery store in 4L jugs for less than a dollar.


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## Nacho-bsas (Dec 2, 2014)

Overstocking increase tds. Do you have other inhabitants in the same tank?


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

I have cherry shrimp in tanks that are around ~350. As others have stated cherry shrimp are hardy as hell. If you want to lower the tds then do water changes.


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## Salvanost (Mar 30, 2014)

need 200 tds to breed properly
easier to get berried

but the best solution would bee stable water parameter


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

Well the tank sits empty I'm dialing in my water parameters for shrimp and I'd like the shrimp to breed as I'd only buy 10 or so and breed them for a colony. 

I am going to do a water change and then fill with distilled water to drop the tds a bit. 

You guys say they will be fine with that tds but they won't breed?


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

Salvanost said:


> need 200 tds to breed properly
> easier to get berried
> 
> but the best solution would bee stable water parameter


I don't find that to be exactly true, my tap comes out at around 300 and my cherry shrimp are thriving. There are literally hundreds and always many berries female. They actually breed so fast I use them as feeders for my larger fish


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

So what you guys are saying is my tds should be fine but I should try to keep it consistent and in check when they are in their?


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

That would be best. 
If you can work toward keeping it lower without making drastic water changes, that would be best. 

For example, set it up with a certain TDS, blending tap and RO. 
Top off with RO. 
Do water changes with a blend of tap and RO. 

Leave the level low enough that when you add fertilizer you are not getting it too high.


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

you cant take advice from anybody about tap water. nobody's tap water is the same. while it may work out of dumb luck for some it may not work for you.

best to start cutting down your water with RO. start with .5G once a week. that will start dropping you tds.


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

Thanks guys appreciate everything I've got distilled water on hand I can use will it offer the same result


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Distilled and RO are the same, as far as aquariums go.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Don't have TDS meter, but my tap water is used in all my tank's and comes out of the tap at 12 dgh,pH 7.6.weekly dosing of dry fertz which raises TDS .
Have scores of cherry shrimp crossed with painted fire red's.Amano shrimp as well.
Stable environment is better for shrimp/fishes than chasing some number for pH or TDS in my humble opinion.
TDS is in my view a fluid or ever changing parameter for most anything we add to the tank can affect the number's. Fertz,food's,meds,conditoner's,buffer's, chemicals for battling algae ,etc.


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

I agree with you road master, I was just trying to get that in check. I thought that I should tailor my water more towards shrimp but I suppose water is water and if I've finished the cycle then I should be fine. I do weekly water changes with tap water and dose liquid ferts once a week (low tech) micros on Monday macros on Tuesday water change on Sunday. 

Everyone else, I wanted to thank you for all of your input on this it's helping greatly. 

I need a few more plants for the shrimp to get the beneficial bacteria and such but after that I plan to add 10 red cherry shrimp and wait for them to breed.

On a side note... Almond leaves what is your thought on these guys?


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## Zoidborg (Jan 29, 2014)

I have bred Ultra Red Cherries (starting with 10) in 2 tanks with 250 and 350 tds both tanks now have 50+

I never used almond leaves as my tanks are heavily planted and have a lot of driftwood. More then enough tannins and food to graze on.


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

See that's what I'm worried about also not enough to graze on. Here is the tank as it sits.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

TECKSPEED said:


> See that's what I'm worried about also not enough to graze on. Here is the tank as it sits.


 
I have the same or similar filter (Oxygen + biofilter ) ,except mine is # 5 which only has one sponge in my 20 gal.
The shrimp glom on to the sponge and forage as well as the substrate and I feed them maybe three times a week .
I might would grab up a small piece of driftwood and attach a anubia or two to it/them and the wood would also provide micro food's /nfusoria for the shrimp to graze on along with small pellet food's.
Flake foods seem to sluff/dissolve away too quickly for my taste, and pellet's like new life spectrum for small fish work well for me.
Can't speak to Almond leaves but I have gathered large birch leaves and oak leaves in the fall and after soaking them in a tub of water for a couple day's, placed a couple three in the tank and the shrimp
s and snail's quickly set upon them.
They contain no animal proteins commonly found in commercial food's so there is little in the way of organic matter to foul the water and they can if you like,,,be left to dissolve over time.
Would take a fair amount of wood and or leaves along with time to affect water chemistry (pH) or TDS for weekly water changes are alway's gonna hold changes to a minimum.


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## TECKSPEED (Jan 2, 2013)

Ill get some cholla wood for them to crawl around on and maybe some moss for them to pick through and I should be good?


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

TECKSPEED said:


> Ill get some cholla wood for them to crawl around on and maybe some moss for them to pick through and I should be good?


 Yepper:wink:


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