# MGOPS prep...dead amano shrimp :-(



## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Check your ammonia and nitrites before adding any more livestock.


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## sadchevy (Jun 15, 2013)

First off that is a very nice bowl of plants you have. As to prepping your soil, I never do any prep work to MGOPM. Just put it in, cap, then plant away. The problem you experienced is from your bowl going through the stage of balancing itself. Most call this cycling. When you flood soil for the first time it leaches out various substances in very high concentrations, most are fine for plants but will overtax fauna (ammonia for example). In a normal aquarium, with filters and such, we actually are driving the system to achieve balance faster(cycling). I you case you have basically a stagnant bowl of water. While your plants will do fine, fauna will suffer until the balance point is reached. A little patience and a couple water changes a week will help you on your way. Once you notice your plants growing well, you can introduce your betta or shrimp. After that, just maintain it by changing 25% or so of the water weekly. 

Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all needed to sustain a balanced system. It's the beginning of the circle of life. Without it we all would cease to exist. To much and we get sick and perish. Balance is the key.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I set up a bubble bowl with MGOPM capped wit black diamond 'sand' and planted it the same I added the substrate. I then spent several weeks keeping an eye on ammonia and nitrite (took about a month to cycle). Got a sponge filter, mini cycled it in an established tank then put it in the bubble bowl. The same time I set up the bowl I also set up a jar without soil, just sand substrate. When I moved my shrimp they all went into the jar since the bowl was not cycled yet. Finally moved shrimp into the bowl after about a month and water params reading safe levels (0ppm ammonia and nitrite) and they have done well, along with a few MTS and some pretty ramshorn snails.
Make sure you have a good cap on top of the soil, having some sort of filter (a mini sponge filter is completely shrimp safe) will help cycle the tank and change the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate.


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## loriinpd (Jun 30, 2014)

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation, as I am new to the hobby of planted tanks. I'll do the suggested water changes and wait for things to balance before adding my betta boy back in.


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## loriinpd (Jun 30, 2014)

AquaArora..Thank you for your help!!


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## Aqua nut (Jul 5, 2014)

I was kinda leery about putting red shrimp in my 1st dirted 29 gallon tank.. So I decided to get some API Quick start., added that.. waited a week then checked water parameters... My LFS had some ghost shrimp, 10 for $1. Grabbed $3 worth. There doing well


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## loriinpd (Jun 30, 2014)

Your planted tank is very nice!!.


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