# First caridina tank substrate ideas



## Stacy1 (Dec 15, 2016)

Im ready to set up my first caridina shrimp tank and am wondering what most shrimp keepers here go with for substrate. Ive had ADA Malaysia recommended so far. It will either be a 10gal tank or maybe a 20gal long divided with a HMF to keep two types seperated. I know I want to get some mischlings for sure. I see that the ada aqua soils come in a regular grain and also a powder form. What do you use and why do you prefer it over the others?


----------



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

ADA Aquasoil(produces alot of ammonia will need to be cycled), Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum, Mr Aqua Aquarium soil, Controsoil

Out of those based on recomendataions my first would be Controsoil. Does not require cycling but does require charging but takes just a couple weeks. The PH that this buffers to is right around 6.5 which seems to be the good spot for caridina shrimp. Ill try and find the thread that was brought up with this soil not too long ago. 

I would stay away from the Fluval. Many have reported it turns to mud within 6 months and the buffering does not last that long with it compared to the others.


----------



## Stacy1 (Dec 15, 2016)

I plan on letting the tank cycle and age for atleast four weeks before adding any shrimp. I want to establish a good layer of biofilm and then get shrimp. I dont think I'll attempt to runco2 on my first tank. II've read its tricky trying to find balance between co2 and enough dissolved oxygen for the shrimp so I'll be planting plants that can do well without co2. Haven't really put much thought into plants yet. I know I'll have plenty of moss and mini pelia. Outside of those I'm not sure


----------



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Also want to add I would stay away from ADA Malaysia. That one buffers your PH to the mid 5's which is too low for caridina. If you want to go with the ADA go with Amazonia 1 or 2.

You typically want the 6's for caridina shrimp. Here is a breakdown of many of the substrates and what they buffer to. 

ADA Amazonia Aquasoil	6.6-6.8
Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum	6.6-6.8
Mr Aqua Aquarium soil	6.6-6.8
Controsoil	6.2-6.6(Typically 6.4-6.5)
ADA Malaysia	5.4-5.6


----------



## Stacy1 (Dec 15, 2016)

Thanks. Definitely taking the fluval off the table. Youre the second person to say its far from the best. What about the amazonia lite? Are you familiar with it at all?


----------



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Stacy1 said:


> Thanks. Definitely taking the fluval off the table. Youre the second person to say its far from the best. What about the amazonia lite? Are you familiar with it at all?


I have not used it but have heard good experiences from others. Is good because does not leach amonia like the regular stuff does. And it keeps the PH in the mid 6's which is perfect for CRS. I am assuming you will be using remineralized RO water? This is recommended for these substrates as using tap water with KH will deplete the buffering a lot faster since these substrates will strip the KH back down.


----------



## Stacy1 (Dec 15, 2016)

I will be using ro water yes


----------



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Stacy1 said:


> I will be using ro water yes


What kind of GH mineral will you use? I like and use the Salty Shrimp GH+. The reason I like it is the tds comes out a bit lower compared to Seachem and other GH boosters. To give you an example when I remineralize my half tap and half ro to a GH of 5 and KH of 1.75 with Salty Shrimp I get a tds of 105. When using regular GH boosters with those same parameters I get a tds of 125 so about a 20 tds difference. I mean either work well to be honest I just like the lower tds that Salty Shrimp gives.


----------



## Stacy1 (Dec 15, 2016)

I'm either going to use ss gh+ or a liquid called blue diamond that a fellow member recommended. I use gla gh booster for my tanks now but this shrimp tank I want to be RIGHT and I want to use the best products I can to hopefully prevent me from killing shrimp


----------



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Stacy1 said:


> I'm either going to use ss gh+ or a liquid called blue diamond that a fellow member recommended. I use gla gh booster for my tanks now but this shrimp tank I want to be RIGHT and I want to use the best products I can to hopefully prevent me from killing shrimp


Good deal. Sounds like you are on the right track with everything. The key with these guys is stability. When doing water changes make sure the water is aged and the same parameters as the tank water like temp, GH, etc. I age my water in a bin and use an airstone to help with the mixing and aging. The good thing with the Salty shrimp I noticed is it dissolves and mixes almost instantly unlike many other gh boosters. I also keep a thermometer on the bin water to know what the temp is before adding to tank.


----------



## JonRon (Jun 6, 2017)

If you are wanting a ph of 6.5 or lower I would recommend GlasGarten Environment Aquarium Soil. 

Info straight from their websight

Glas Garten Environment Aquarium Soil is an active substrate made of different fired and sterilized earths especially developed for the use in aquaria. It lowers and stabilizes the pH naturally (to 5.5 - 6.5, depending on the water) as well as the hardness of the water, and creates optimal conditions for shrimp and plants that need soft water.

This substrate has the properties to make the water crystal clear. It is rich in natural nutrients for beautiful plant growth and lush green moss. The fulvic acid it contains improves the environment for plants, animals and microorganisms from day one.

Environment Aquarium Soil is one of the Garnelenhaus products we offer under our own brand name GlasGarten. We were in Japan several times to find the best soil substrate, and we were able to find a soil manufacturer with years of experience as business partner, and he produces this supreme-quality Aqua Soil to our specifications. Environment Aquarium Soil lives up to our expectations, and, even more importantly, those of our customers, too. It is highly popular with breeders and keepers of dwarf shrimp and ornamental fish as well as with aquascapers and aquatic plant enthusiasts as it is easy to handle, gives a very natural look to the aquascape or the shrimp aquarium, and it creates an ideal environment for the aquatic plants and animals inside the tank. Therefore, Environment Aquarium Soil is an ideal addtion to the GlasGarten line, which stands for our passion for things aquatic.


----------



## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

Also look into SL-Aqua and Prodibio soils. Prodibio also has 'start up' bacteria vials.
aquashrimp powder


SL-Aqua also has a GH+ mineral that keeps TDS low. It's in liquid form, so it contains more nutrients than powders do.
https://www.discobee.com/blogs/news/18442297-cycling-a-dwarf-shrimp-tank-the-easy-sl-aqua-way


----------



## Panw (Jan 20, 2016)

Stacy1 said:


> Thanks. Definitely taking the fluval off the table. Youre the second person to say its far from the best. What about the amazonia lite? Are you familiar with it at all?




I am using fluval stratum on all my tanks, and so far they are doing great, some are over a year and still doing they job.
My only complaint is that it is a light substrate so it doesn't keep plants down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jack's Aquatics (Aug 1, 2017)

Panw said:


> I am using fluval stratum on all my tanks, and so far they are doing great, some are over a year and still doing they job.
> My only complaint is that it is a light substrate so it doesn't keep plants down.


Just wanted to second Fluval Shrimp Stratum. Im only 6 months in with it and so far its done a great job of keeping the PH at about 6.5 with drift wood and RO water. It cycled fast as well, which ive heard ADA can take awhile to get the ammonia levels down. My only complaint is that you have to be careful not to mix the substrate too much, which this stuff seems to always produce a black cloud when i do. I have to assume its just the substrate breaking down, but it hasnt caused any ill effects.


----------



## maylee (Feb 26, 2015)

I also have had luck with fluval stratum but like Panw said, it's a very frustrating substrate to try to plant with. I've had to re-plant several times with some plants until they got a some decent root structures.


----------



## Stacy1 (Dec 15, 2016)

I ended up going with the sl-aqua soil. In the time it took to get the order made for the stuff I needed I've already decided to do two ten gal tanks instead of one. I always do that lol. I'm going to start cycling tomorrow and will more than likely start my first journal to document the process. I went with blue diamond remineralizer and got some purify and magic powder to jump start the process. Already paid and reserved 10 pinto mischlings for when the tanks are ready. Super stoked. Thanks for all you guys help!


----------



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Stacy1 said:


> I ended up going with the sl-aqua soil. In the time it took to get the order made for the stuff I needed I've already decided to do two ten gal tanks instead of one. I always do that lol. I'm going to start cycling tomorrow and will more than likely start my first journal to document the process. I went with blue diamond remineralizer and got some purify and magic powder to jump start the process. Already paid and reserved 10 pinto mischlings for when the tanks are ready. Super stoked. Thanks for all you guys help!


Ok and where is your tank/s journal? Waiting


----------



## Stacy1 (Dec 15, 2016)

Hopefully today  Ended up not being able to put tanks on my fish rack where I wanted to, so had to go buy a sheving unit yesterday, and to get it looking how I want, ive got to get some spray paint today. I thought I had some and didnt grab any while at the hardware store yesterday. Originally I wanted tanks side by side to be able to use my 48 inch light. Thats not happening now either. The shelving rack I bought is too short so I have to put one tank per shelf now which leaves me shopping for lights this morning. Haven't even got a tank set up yet and already these shrimp tanks are getting expensive haha. Any ideas for lighting for ten gallon tanks?


----------



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Sorry to hear about the issues. I was using a finnex stingray for my old 10 gallon that was low tech and it worked great. In fact was going to use if I wasn't able to use the single 48". 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

Stacy1 said:


> Hopefully today  Ended up not being able to put tanks on my fish rack where I wanted to, so had to go buy a sheving unit yesterday, and to get it looking how I want, ive got to get some spray paint today. I thought I had some and didnt grab any while at the hardware store yesterday. Originally I wanted tanks side by side to be able to use my 48 inch light. Thats not happening now either. The shelving rack I bought is too short so I have to put one tank per shelf now which leaves me shopping for lights this morning. Haven't even got a tank set up yet and already these shrimp tanks are getting expensive haha. Any ideas for lighting for ten gallon tanks?


If you'd like the option of an algae farm, look into the Chihiros A series - very inexpensive for great lights. They also have a cheap addon mount (like $5) that raises the lights for ripariums, and it makes working in the tank extremely nice.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


----------

