# msnikkistar: Sulawesi Cardinal 5G Mini Bowfront (11/23: Baby Cardinals!)



## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Sooooo, the story begins.....

*Tank:*
Aqueon 5G mini bowfront 
_(I got this sucker for 5 bucks at petco)
_
*Filter:*
Mattenfilter style  Rena foam, some random plastic stuff at HD, and a cheapy powerhead. Guess what is behind that foam? Crushed coral 

*Lighting:*
ZooMed 14W 6500K bulb

*Substrate:*
White CarbiSea sand

*Flora:*
Microsword

*Rocks:*
Lava


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## AlexW (Aug 3, 2008)

Looks cool, what kinda sulawesi you planning on?

Edit: Oh lol, see cardinal now 
my bad


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Exciting, can't wait! I've always wanted Cardinals, but I'm too poor and stingy. I shall watch and drool puddles.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Thanks guys! 

First attempt at a mattenfilter, and it came out pretty darn good.


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

Stitch some moss into that filter and you got yourself a moss wall.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

ugh no!


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

I'm glad you went with Cardinals. Why aren't you using the 11.4G tank for them, though?


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Cause my black tigers are gonna go in it


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

msnikkistar said:


> Cause my black tigers are gonna go in it


 
Niiccce.

Love the white sand, but I think you need more rocks.

When did you fill the tank? Which Tylo's will you get? The Orange Poso look the best (obviously), but they're all pretty cool. Like little elephant trunks. I have Orange, Yellow, Orange/Yellow/White Spotted, & Chocolate. I think Chocolate translates to "plain":icon_roll. My Yellows are fully grown & have had several babies already.
Good luck with the plants & Tylos, mine are even eating the java fern... Their favorite is duckweed though:icon_twis

Cardinals are easily my favorite, they're totally different acting than CRS or RCS. How many will you start with? These guys are so pretty, & their white kung-fu legs must touch everything! Including each other sometimes, almost like SW cleaner shrimp I've kept.
What will you feed this tank? Also, will you have sunlight hit the tank at all? I believe algae to be a Cardinal's friend.
I've put many small rock piles in addition to large, so there's lots of crevices & overhangs of all different sizes for different size shrimp. They seem to stake out a mini-territory with a coupla buddies.
Hopefully the small body of water won't be hard for you to control parameters.

I'm fairly jealous to be honest, how is your better half taking this?:flick: Black Tigers AND Cardinals? Probably not well lol... My wife tolerates & pretends she's interested when she wants something (like a new Betta:icon_roll).


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

dirtyhermit said:


> Niiccce.
> 
> Love the white sand, but I think you need more rocks.
> 
> ...



I am getting some Orange Posos from Zid Zulander. 
I just filled the tank yesterday, yes I know, WOW! But the Cardinal seller I am visiting tomorrow is going to be giving me pre-cycled crush coral, I added biozyme, and am using AmQuel+ as well. All things the seller did and advised me to do for my tank.

The tank is on a side table that is directly in front of a window.  

Small tanks aren't hard for me, I already have a 30C and know the drill.

I plan on getting more rocks. I ran out yesterday. lol

As for feeding, the seller told me they eat shrimp cuisine. These are not wild caught, but are all tank raised so a lot more stable.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

ooooh. How bout a pic without bubbles!


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

over_stocked said:


> ooooh. How bout a pic without bubbles!


Cause you asked 










I got some cloudy water overnight for some reason.


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## deleted_user_6 (Jun 19, 2010)

msnikkistar said:


> Cause you asked
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Probably that biozyme doing it's work.


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

Very nice!! Can't wait to see ur shrimp!


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

tuffgong said:


> Very nice!! Can't wait to see ur shrimp!


Me too, make a video if you can please! :icon_smil I watched them on YT and they look like they are marching!


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

I added some white rocks. Let me know what you guys think.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Looks nice, I like how it is arranged and stacked up together, but I think it would look better if the rocks were darker.


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

IMHO they look great. Some may say they don't "match" or the like, but the shrimp will love them & you'll be able to see them good the way the stones are placed. 
_Algae will even out the look as it covers everything_.

I'll say again, _love_ the white sand. It's gonna get dirty looking when the snails start pooing everywhere though:icon_lol:... They really love IAL. I let mine sit in a bucket a few days to a week to get rid of most of the tannins etc so it doesn't mess with the PH.

The Corydorus &/or Sulawesi police will hate this, but I have a school of Pygmy corys cleaning my 20L up. They're happy & comfy though & waay too incredibly cute. PH solid 8 so not too far outta their range right?  Besides they're a tool, not hoping for them to breed or anything...


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

It was between a natural color CarbiSea sand or the white. I opted for white cause I thought the shrimps would pop out more in color. 

The white rocks were an algae farm maker for me in my retired 20G Tall, so I thought they would be good for this tank. I think once they are covered in green, they will look better.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

The tank is looking great Nikki! I had a question about that biozyme stuff. Does it work? And what does it do? I've seen it at the big box stores.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

You know, I have no personal experience with this stuff until now. The guy I am getting the cardinals from told me to use this and amquel+ and that he was able to cycle tanks in 3 days by using it. He has successfully breeded his cardinals, so I am taking his advice and going with it.

It appears to be some sort of dried form of bacterium that includes both types of bacteria needed for cycling.


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

Interesting. I may have to give it a whirl on my next setup. Thanks nikki.


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## antbug (May 28, 2010)

I think the white rocks would look better under the wood and the lava rocks off to the side. It would make your wood "pop" more too. haha That just sounds wrong. Anyways you get my point.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

So got my shrimpies and they were drip acclimated and are in their new home now


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## weluvbettas (Aug 27, 2010)

Pics??? PLEASE!!!


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

weluvbettas said:


> Pics??? PLEASE!!!


Yes.

+1


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Can you count how many babies are in the breeder net?

















There are probably a good 20-30 babies in the breeder net itself


































There's about 20 adults in the tank itself.  2-3 berried females.
I will post videos on another day once they aren't so scared


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Aww nice!! I can't really see any of the babies, but they look nice in the tank! Can't wait for the video. I wish I had the moniez to have them too.

Also what Crushed Coral are you using? And how did you prepare it?


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Woo! Finally pictures


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

You know, I have no idea what crushed coral I am using. The seller let me take about 2 cups of it from their tank.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

msnikkistar said:


> You know, I have no idea what crushed coral I am using. The seller let me take about 2 cups of it from their tank.


Dang, well that's still better than buying a whole big bag and only using a bit of it and not knowing what the heck to do with the rest of it lol :hihi:


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

How is the tank doing? I'm wondering what your parameters are (ammonia/nitrite) & how the attempt at quick cycling is working out? Also I'm curious about GH/KH & how far it will continue raising with the crushed coral. I'm lucky enough to have one of my water sources coming out just right so no need to use it.

How many GPH is the powerhead? Do the shrimp mind the flow much? 

I'm sure by now you're seeing what interesting little guys these are  Much different than the other shrimp we keep. I love their manic kung-fu antics:tongue:

Have you considered an actinic light? I use mine some to help with algae growth, & it really makes the shrimp look even more beautiful. The whites jump out at you.
I always used them in SW, so it seemed a no-brainer for me since I already have them in the fixture I'm using (this tank was my last reef before giving it up for good last year, along with all my SW shrimp).
Give it some thought, it's awesome for pictures at the least.

Awesome little babies  I too have a nice mixture of breeding adults & little ones.

Coolest. Shrimp. Ever. I love em the best. :biggrin:


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

dirtyhermit said:


> How is the tank doing? I'm wondering what your parameters are (ammonia/nitrite) & how the attempt at quick cycling is working out? Also I'm curious about GH/KH & how far it will continue raising with the crushed coral. I'm lucky enough to have one of my water sources coming out just right so no need to use it.
> 
> How many GPH is the powerhead? Do the shrimp mind the flow much?
> 
> ...


The quick cycle is working really well. The AmQuel+ really does work wonders on the ammonia and the nitrate levels. Surprising really. Plus with the cycled crush coral, I have enough bugs in it.

However, I fully intend to take out the crushed coral in about a week. My parameters are fine as it is out of the tap, I just wanted it for the extra bugs for now. Then I will slowly adjust them to my tap levels  I want to be able to only just put in a bit of baking soda and be done with it. 

I forget how high the GPH is, but it was rated for a 5-10 gallon at PetSmart. They don't seem to mind the flow at all. But right now, I have a breeder net in it to hold some of the shrimp I am selling off and it is making the flow less then what it usually is. So, let's see how they deal with it after it is removed.

I was considering an antic light bulb that I saw at petco, but I opted for the 6500K bulb. Maybe I will switch it out.

They are neat little guys and are pretty darn active now after being in my tank overnight. But I don't know if they will ever pass my love for my OEBTs or Mosuras yet. lol


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

^mm/dd/yyyy


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

mordalphus said:


> ^mm/dd/yyyy


I think he's asking for an update, so PLUS 1:icon_mrgr


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

*Update: 10/07/10*









Added some trident and narrow java fern


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Coool! I really want to get some sulawesi but alas, I have too high of pH (8.2)


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## deleted_user_6 (Jun 19, 2010)

Caton said:


> Coool! I really want to get some sulawesi but alas, I have too high of pH (8.2)


That pH should be fine for sulawesi shrimps. They like high pH.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

That pH is perfect Caton


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Caton said:


> Coool! I really want to get some sulawesi but alas, I have too high of pH (8.2)


Yup it's good, now you have to look at your gH.



msnikkistar said:


> That pH is perfect Caton


What are your water parameters?  Are the rabbit snails munching away a lot on the plants?


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

I give them some spirulina flakes, so they tend to stay away from the plants. But we will see

gH is 5, pH is 8.2, and I haven't tested the kH yet.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Cool! It's weird, I was reading about the Tylomelania snails and some sites say they are plant safe and only eat dead plant parts, while some people say they eat plants like crazy!


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Tylos will eat plants, i actually feed them my extra stem plants. Nothing eats java ferns or anubias, so those are always a safe plant... Basically anything chewy they stay away from... So far they haven't eaten susswassertang, java moss or fissidens, but every stem i've tossed in has been munched immediately


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## g33tar (Jan 8, 2010)

Wow those things have got some long whiskers


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

shrimp addict for sure.


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## AlexW (Aug 3, 2008)

My tylos don't touch my plants... I've got them in with e. vesuvias, crypts, fissidens, belem DHG and a few rotala species. I do feed alot of vegetables though (spirulina flakes, vegetable sticks, zuchini and spinach)


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

I'm pretty sure some kinds of Tylomelania like to eat plants more than others. Also some prefer rocks, some prefer sand.
:fish:


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

10/20: And I got my first berried females since putting them in their 5G


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Congrats.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

Congrats nikki! This is neat departure from the softwater species and will able you to hone your "shrimp skillz" even more. Plus I'm jeoulous if you have tylo snails. I love the way they look and often think about starting a small tank for just them.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Liam was nice enough to give me some tylos for free and some blue legged posos too  So I got them in my tank


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

msnikkistar said:


> Liam was nice enough to give me some tylos for free and some blue legged posos too  So I got them in my tank


You gotta love local aquarists. That's one thing I wish I had more of. So maybe whenever I get a second of free time "as I type this I have my 2 month old daughter sleeping on my chest and I just got home tonight at 10 because I'm a car salesman" I would love to get a group going. I half heartedly tried but then the wife got preggers.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Actually, Liam mailed me them  

We have never met in person. lol


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

Well than sorry for the assumption. It always seems like your getting good deals on shrimp.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

The cardinals were from someone local here though  I just stumble on really good natured people, and the local hobbyist around my area are great too!


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Wow, congrats on the berries!! ^_^


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

The berries should be hatching soon, yes??!!


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## Finalplay10 (Jun 29, 2010)

Grats Nikki. I'm loving your shrimp farm setups you have going on. Talent galore.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Eden Marel said:


> The berries should be hatching soon, yes??!!


Babies have been hatched for about 3 days now 



Finalplay10 said:


> Grats Nikki. I'm loving your shrimp farm setups you have going on. Talent galore.


Thank you


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Woot, congrats!! They must be uber tiny!


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Very, and hard to take pictures of -_-


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Baby cardinals


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

What are your water parameters?

We have high PH water out here, but i think our gh to high for cardinals...


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Actually, my gH is 6-8, and my pH is 8.4 

I really don't do anything special for these guys. My water changes consist of tap water with water conditioner, baking soda, and Mosura mineral plus. That's it. Nothing special at all.


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

do they do well in higher GH? i think our tap gh is something like 15ish?


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

uhhh, I think 15 would be pushing it.


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## tetrabettaguy97 (Oct 3, 2010)

I have heard of using baking soda to stabilize the pH but what is the actual dosage?


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Uhhh, you know, I eyeball everything


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

EntoCraig said:


> do they do well in higher GH? i think our tap gh is something like 15ish?


I know a guy on a different forum who has them breed in water with a gH of 23! The big thing with cardinals is to keep the temperature 80+ and the ph 8+.

Try em' out dude; I've seen the blog, you got mad skillz son .


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

msnikkistar said:


> Baby cardinals


Cah ching!!!!


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

snausage said:


> I know a guy on a different forum who has them breed in water with a gH of 23! The big thing with cardinals is to keep the temperature 80+ and the ph 8+.
> 
> Try em' out dude; I've seen the blog, you got mad skillz son .


I just got some 5 days ago and it does seem like the magic gH number is 8 amongst the tank bred ones. The lake they come from supposedly only has a gH and kH of 1.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

This tank is looking great!


I really need to get on the threads I post on...8.2 pH is perfect? Awesome...I think that 15g is going to be set-up once I get a filter for it. I am thinking duetto 100 for the filter and I might go for white sand but I think it is too distracting for my taste. I prefer black or gray. Sulawesi tank here I com...wait...DANG! Those shrimp are expensive....maybe in like a year I will get them...


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

snausage said:


> I just got some 5 days ago and it does seem like the magic gH number is 8 amongst the tank bred ones. The lake they come from supposedly only has a gH and kH of 1.


What lake are you talking about? Their natural environment is actually gh 6-8. And the deeper you go in the lake, the TDS increases because the lakes were actually part of the ocean a long time ago. There is still remnants of salinity in the lakes, so it gets concentrated the further down you go. Cardinals have been found closer to the surface, and deeper as well, when the lake's TDS changes. This allows them to live in a broader range of water


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

msnikkistar said:


> What lake are you talking about? Their natural environment is actually gh 6-8. And the deeper you go in the lake, the TDS increases because the lakes were actually part of the ocean a long time ago. There is still remnants of salinity in the lakes, so it gets concentrated the further down you go. Cardinals have been found closer to the surface, and deeper as well, when the lake's TDS changes. This allows them to live in a broader range of water


Matano. I was going off the info from this thread. The poster tested the water himself, although in the same thread someone reports the same parameters on the 1st page. 

http://www.shrimpnow.com/forums/showthread.php/4613-water-for-cardinals/page3?highlight=joydiv


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Ah, that's an old thread. The very surface of the lake is 1 gH, but they have done further testing of the lakes and found that the gH and kH actually change the further depth you go in the lake. They were only testing the very surface of the water, which is not completely accurate.


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

msnikkistar said:


> Ah, that's an old thread. The very surface of the lake is 1 gH, but they have done further testing of the lakes and found that the gH and kH actually change the further depth you go in the lake. They were only testing the very surface of the water, which is not completely accurate.


That's what I was thinking. I wonder what depth the shrimp actually live at?


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## justin182 (Aug 19, 2009)

Nice cardinals. The babies are just like the parents (^O^)／


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## weluvbettas (Aug 27, 2010)

Update??


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## tinctorus (Feb 22, 2010)

What's the going price for these shrimps??
They REALLY remind me of scarlet cleaner shrimps from my reef tanks


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## v369 (Nov 14, 2010)

very nice....jealous


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