# What do you use to boost GH of your RO/DI water?



## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Mosara mineral plus or fluval mineral supplement is what I use. I think some have said Kent increases TDS more or raises pH or it does something anyways. lol.


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## moosenart (Feb 18, 2012)

I use Fluval minerals.


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

Shirakura Ca+ (17 drops per gallon to get me to GH 5)


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I use Kents RO right in my 50 gallon, and have recently switched to Shirakura CA+ in my shrimp tanks. Both work great (my 50 gallon is just a high tech tank that happens to have some cherry shrimp and CPO in it).


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

Seachem equilbrium. Gonna try out greenleaf aquarium's GH booster in comparison


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

i use what has been called Tom's GH booster. cheap and works fine. it does add more K than others but i keep my tanks heavily planted anyway so its aborbed quickly. just add powder till TDS gets ~ 140-150. tried mosura but it got pretty expensive with 12 tanks to do water changes on. been using gh booster for several years now.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

GeToChKn said:


> Mosara mineral plus or fluval mineral supplement is what I use. I think some have said Kent increases TDS more or raises pH or it does something anyways. lol.


Yeah, I hit 200 TDS and only get a GH of 3. I haven't gotten it up to 5 yet and would be afraid to see what the TDS is at that point anyways. I'll be switching to something a lot cleaner (Mosara Mineral Plus) as soon as I can afford it. I just lost my income and I have lots of bills and expenses not including my shrimp tanks, so...I'll have to keep making dirty water for awhile I guess.


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## randyl (Feb 1, 2012)

mordalphus said:


> I use Kents RO right in my 50 gallon, and have recently switched to Shirakura CA+ in my shrimp tanks. Both work great (my 50 gallon is just a high tech tank that happens to have some cherry shrimp and CPO in it).


Hi Mordalphus, have you used Kent's RO Right for shrimp tanks? Someone said the main ingredient in that is NaCl (salt), I'm looking for experience of shrimp tanks and this product. The product page does say it increase KH too which is my main concern. I use RO mainly to reduce the KH in my tap, adding KH back seems to defeat the purpose.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

randyl said:


> Hi Mordalphus, have you used Kent's RO Right for shrimp tanks? Someone said the main ingredient in that is NaCl (salt), I'm looking for experience of shrimp tanks and this product. The product page does say it increase KH too which is my main concern. I use RO mainly to reduce the KH in my tap, adding KH back seems to defeat the purpose.


I use it. I find that it does NOT raise KH however I cannot get my GH above 3 and even when I get it to that point, the TDS is a bit high at around 200. I use it in RO water that has a TDS of 3 and KG/GH of 0.


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## randyl (Feb 1, 2012)

Nubster said:


> I use it. I find that it does NOT raise KH however I cannot get my GH above 3 and even when I get it to that point, the TDS is a bit high at around 200. I use it in RO water that has a TDS of 3 and KG/GH of 0.


Maybe that is because of NaCl in it that causes TDS increase but no GH increase? I'll test it today after work, adding salt to my RO to see if that's what happens (TDS up and no GH increase). I'm pretty sure salt doesn't increase GH since it's just NaCl, and likely Na+ will increase the conductivity hence the TDS increase.

I'm not sure high concentration of Na is good for shrimps though.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

crap, I wish I knew kent's had salt in it, I got some from a friend and just used a bunch in conjunction with my water change. Thee fish seemed a little stressed


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

It doesn't have enough salt in it to do any damage to anything. Think of it as electrolyte, it's not going to make your water saline, unless you keep dosing it without changing your water.


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## D3monic (Jan 29, 2012)

I use brightwell aquatics remineraliz ...and just about any other product of theirs i can find for sale online.... still haven't any place selling the florin volcanit rio escuro (substrate)


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## jczernia (Apr 16, 2010)

Where do you guys buy *Shirakura CA+* ? Liam do you sell it?
THX


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I do, it sold fast after this thread though, so I am awaiting a shipment before i post for sale again


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

I've recently switch from Mosura Mineral Plus Ultra to this stuff.

http://www.alphaprobreeders.com/bee-shrimp-mineral-gh-1-000-grams/

A few WC already and everything is great. The 1000g is like $50.00...the 1000g tub will probably last me a couple of years. It was developed by C. & F. Logemann (www.garnelenhaus.de) some pretty well known German breeders.


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## Michiba54 (Nov 24, 2011)

What per say do you like about it an does it list the ingredients? I've been looking at the different mixes to re-mineralise RO water an it kinda reminds me of Mexican food... rice, cheese, meat an tortilla = 10 different food items with the same ingredients :eek5:


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Michiba54 said:


> What per say do you like about it an does it list the ingredients? I've been looking at the different mixes to re-mineralise RO water an it kinda reminds me of Mexican food... rice, cheese, meat an tortilla = 10 different food items with the same ingredients :eek5:



No ingredients listed. What do I like about it?

1) It's economical. I was chewing through a bottle of MMP every 2-3 months @ $30.00 a pop. This $50.00 bucket will last me a couple of years.

2) I was looking for a replacement, but it had to be developed by shrimp keepers so I know the product ingredients is designed for shrimps. I didn't want to use a general purpose GH builder. They also design the "Salty Shrimp" product that lots of Sulawesi Keepers are using for their Sulawesi tanks with good success.

3) Most importantly it hasn't killed any of my Benibachi or TTs. In fact, my TTs look more orange now BUT that could be due to the new tank they're in with 8000K light vs 10000K. No losses so far since I've switched over and many new berries.


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

Great news. I have been waiting for someone to test out the Salty Shrimp remineralizer/GH+ product.


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## Michiba54 (Nov 24, 2011)

shrimpnmoss said:


> No ingredients listed. What do I like about it?
> 
> 1) *It's economical*. I was chewing through a bottle of MMP every 2-3 months @ $30.00 a pop. This $50.00 bucket will last me a couple of years.
> 
> ...


Seems like two really important tidbits. Personally, I was leaning towards Brightwell's Remineraliz-P because I can get it at my LFS an it seem to have a lower TDS/per gallon then other mixes which I assume is good as far as shrimp keeping goes? 

Anyways, Can you show us how big the bucket is? I can't wrap my head around what 1000g (1kg?) looks like... half a bag of sugar? lol


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

This is 1000g of Kents, I figure it would be about the same as 1000g of the other stuff....


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

dhavoc said:


> i use what has been called Tom's GH booster. cheap and works fine. it does add more K than others but i keep my tanks heavily planted anyway so its aborbed quickly. just add powder till TDS gets ~ 140-150. tried mosura but it got pretty expensive with 12 tanks to do water changes on. been using gh booster for several years now.


This will be the cheapest and a good target range.

If you seek to reduce water changes and still have good plant uptake etc, then emergent type growth, paludariums etc should be considered without CO2/Excel dosing etc.

The higher priced stuff likely has a diluted form of most of these products, K2SO4, CaSO4, MgSO4. 

It's not likely they use the Cl anions of these cation groups.

You could also use Potassium bicarbonate for K+ and some KH booster.

Realize that the shrimp, like us, get a plentiful supply of Ca and Mg from the Food they eat, vs abstracting it from the water.

Same with Snails and most FW shellfish.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

GLA has the cheapest source of GH booster I've seen soon far. 5 dollars for 1 lb, not including shipping. Don't know how good it is though


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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

shrimpnmoss said:


> I've recently switch from Mosura Mineral Plus Ultra to this stuff.
> 
> http://www.alphaprobreeders.com/bee-shrimp-mineral-gh-1-000-grams/
> 
> A few WC already and everything is great. The 1000g is like $50.00...the 1000g tub will probably last me a couple of years. It was developed by C. & F. Logemann (www.garnelenhaus.de) some pretty well known German breeders.


i was looking for this stuff some time ago but wasnt sure whether it is quality product..Salty Shrimp..hmm  but u basically got the information behind so i will go for it. i can get it for 30 Euros. how much of this stuff u put in water to get desired GH? thanks


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

triscene said:


> i was looking for this stuff some time ago but wasnt sure whether it is quality product..Salty Shrimp..hmm  but u basically got the information behind so i will go for it. i can get it for 30 Euros. how much of this stuff u put in water to get desired GH? thanks


It was a 1.5 scoop and it got my TDS meter to 130ppm for about 4 gallons.


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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

looks very promising, worth a try then 
thanks


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## Soothing Shrimp (Nov 9, 2011)

takadi said:


> GLA has the cheapest source of GH booster I've seen soon far. 5 dollars for 1 lb, not including shipping. Don't know how good it is though


Do you have a link (I hope?)


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Soothing Shrimp said:


> Do you have a link (I hope?)


here you go http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html

o A mix of essential macro and micronutrients.
o Use to provide Calcium and Magnesium.
o Use to boost the general hardness (GH) of soft water or RO (reverse osmosis) water.
o 1 lb

The Ultimate GH Booster Contains:

o Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4)
o Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4)
o Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4)
o Iron Sulfate (FeSO4)
o Manganese Sulfate (MnSO4)


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## randyl (Feb 1, 2012)

Sounds promising and lowest cost so far I think. Thanks for the information.



acitydweller said:


> here you go http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html
> 
> o A mix of essential macro and micronutrients.
> o Use to provide Calcium and Magnesium.
> ...


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

shrimpnmoss said:


> It was a 1.5 scoop and it got my TDS meter to 130ppm for about 4 gallons.


How much is a 1.5 scoop? comes with a spoon?


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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

according to the description next to the item, scoop is included 

there is also estimate: 1000 g (ausreichend für ca. 6660 l)

so for many years


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## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

shrimpnmoss said:


> It was a 1.5 scoop and it got my TDS meter to 130ppm for about 4 gallons.


How easy is to get mixed with water. Are there still particles left after mixing it?


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

plamski said:


> How easy is to get mixed with water. Are there still particles left after mixing it?


Nope. It's not like Equilibrium with white bits after you put it in. It dissolves instantly.


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## Soothing Shrimp (Nov 9, 2011)

acitydweller said:


> here you go http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizer.html


Excellent info! Thank you.

Now if only I could find low cost TDS powder/liquid.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

GLA's booster is great stuff but I've heard that it contains unnecessary nutrients for shrimp. So I use GLA's booster for my 95G(planted) and for my 11.4 shrimp tank I use fluval mineral. Probably switch to something like Mosura to give it a try.


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## Gulfcoastguy (Nov 4, 2011)

shrimpnmoss said:


> It was a 1.5 scoop and it got my TDS meter to 130ppm for about 4 gallons.


Curious if you tested the PH after you added the 1.5 scoop to the 4 gallons of water? I have tried a few different forms of the dry powder GH boosters and found that they would also raise the ph of the water I was adding it too unlike mosura mineral plus that just effects the gh and tds. I like you am trying to find a less expensive way to reminalize r/o water.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

No effect on Ph as far as I can tell. Last time I tested it was still in the 5's

I use Africana (1st layer) + Amazonia (2nd layer) and the tanks are relatively new so the soil is still buffering like crazy. Only use Africana if you want to drive your Ph down into the 5's with RO. I started a new tank last night with only Amazonia, that tank will be in the 6's because I want the option of keeping Tigers.


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## vincent201089 (Jan 16, 2012)

I'll try this 1kg gh booster nect time when i run out of mineral plus. I set the tank with just new amazonia and it always stays at 5.0 even lower. I think every batches are different.


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## Gulfcoastguy (Nov 4, 2011)

shrimpnmoss said:


> No effect on Ph as far as I can tell. Last time I tested it was still in the 5's
> 
> I use Africana (1st layer) + Amazonia (2nd layer) and the tanks are relatively new so the soil is still buffering like crazy. Only use Africana if you want to drive your Ph down into the 5's with RO. I started a new tank last night with only Amazonia, that tank will be in the 6's because I want the option of keeping Tigers.


 
My question is did you test ph of the water in the bucket BEFORE you added it to the tank. For folks that dont have buffering substrates if it raises the ph of the new water you add to the tank with no buffering substrate then you are left with something that raises the ph. Could you test the water in the bucket before you add the gh booster and then again after you add it before its poured in to your tank?
Reason I ask is because I have wasted money on other products that raised the gh but it also raised the ph as well.

Jeff


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Gulfcoastguy said:


> My question is did you test ph of the water in the bucket BEFORE you added it to the tank. For folks that dont have buffering substrates if it raises the ph of the new water you add to the tank with no buffering substrate then you are left with something that raises the ph. Could you test the water in the bucket before you add the gh booster and then again after you add it before its poured in to your tank?
> Reason I ask is because I have wasted money on other products that raised the gh but it also raised the ph as well.
> Jeff


I will run that test for you next time I do a WC. You should expect an increase in pH when you increase hardness though. I think that's just how hardness and water and pH works. Any Chemistry Phd people here?


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## Gulfcoastguy (Nov 4, 2011)

I know that when I tried kent r/o right it raised the ph and tds far more then it raised the gh as did a couple other powder forms of GH booster I have tried but liquid gh boosters like mosura mineral plus had no effect whats so ever in the ph it only raises the gh and tds. I didnt wanna waste more money on another product that raises more then just the tds and gh like mosura does. lol I have a large container of kent r/o and Equilibrium which I wasted money on thats just sitting on the shelf rotting now lol.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Gulfcoastguy said:


> I know that when I tried kent r/o right it raised the ph and tds far more then it raised the gh as did a couple other powder forms of GH booster I have tried but liquid gh boosters like mosura mineral plus had no effect whats so ever in the ph it only raises the gh and tds. I didnt wanna waste more money on another product that raises more then just the tds and gh like mosura does. lol I have a large container of kent r/o and Equilibrium which I wasted money on thats just sitting on the shelf rotting now lol.


That's why I decided on this product, because it was designed for shrimps by shrimp breeders. Kent R/O and Equilibrium was not designed with shrimp keeping in mind when they formulated the product. This stuff hit both of my decision criteria. 1) Economical 2) Designed for Shrimps

There's always the SnS for your unused stuff...some one will need it for Discus and Plants.


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## lipadj46 (Apr 6, 2011)

shrimpnmoss said:


> I will run that test for you next time I do a WC. You should expect an increase in pH when you increase hardness though. I think that's just how hardness and water and pH works. Any Chemistry Phd people here?


Depends raising KH generally will raise your PH where raising GH will not. That is why many don't like combo products that have carbonates/bicarbonates along with Ca and Mg sulfates and "non hardening" ions like Na+ and Cl-.

I used to make my own GH booster with plaster of paris and epsom salts. I found my last box of plaster of paris had too much Calcium Carbonate in it so I just bought some of the borneo wild GH up and also am trying the Mosura Mineral Plus .


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## kuro (May 21, 2010)

why not just used calcium sulfate and magnesium sulfate if you worry about KH? That what i do with RO water, the water has zero KH though but my fire red is breeding and there baby everywhere and my crs is doing great for now but they to young to start breeding, i just add a spoon full of CaSO4 and half a spoon of MGSO4 per gallon (I think the spoon is 1/16) till my tds around 70 that usually give me around GH around 5-6. Sometime i add spoonful of seachem equilibrium for potassium for my moss during water change. I have a scale i used to measure the chemical in the spoon the first time and just mark it so i know how chemical weight per spoon. 1lb of CaSo4 is only like 2-3 dollar and MgSO4 you can get at any market for 2-3 dollar for couple lbs. It will last forever.


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## shrimpster (Jan 31, 2012)

I believe the Salty Shrimp Bee Shrimp mineral does contribute some kH as read here: http://www.alphaprobreeders.com/bee-shrimp-mineral-gh-230-grams/. This does help stabilize pH, but so does the buffering substrates. Don't know if it raises pH on its' own or not

I don't like the idea of having to adjust the pH after/during water changes either. If you're using buffering substrate and add-back water slowly it may self-adjust as you go tho.

I use akadama in my "expensive" shrimp tanks and it seems to pull all the kH out (always reads 0-1kH after a day) anyways so I gave up adding it.

I have just been trying the Shirakura Ca+ gH booster and it takes about 3ml to give me 4gH in 5gal of ro/di water. My meter reads @80ppm so it's very clean unlike the Equilibrium I was using previously which would read @110-130ppm randomly. 

It cost 16bucks for a bottle. Mr. Fancy Pants :tongue: carries it.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

kuro said:


> why not just used calcium sulfate and magnesium sulfate if you worry about KH? That what i do with RO water, the water has zero KH though but my fire red is breeding and there baby everywhere and my crs is doing great for now but they to young to start breeding, i just add a spoon full of CaSO4 and half a spoon of MGSO4 per gallon (I think the spoon is 1/16) till my tds around 70 that usually give me around GH around 5-6. Sometime i add spoonful of seachem equilibrium for potassium for my moss during water change. I have a scale i used to measure the chemical in the spoon the first time and just mark it so i know how chemical weight per spoon. 1lb of CaSo4 is only like 2-3 dollar and MgSO4 you can get at any market for 2-3 dollar for couple lbs. It will last forever.


I'm sure there are many ways to raise GH, but I'm weary of non test by products that different salts might generate. Does CaSo4 generate a sulfur by product? I don't think sulfur is good for shrimps.



shrimpster said:


> I believe the Salty Shrimp Bee Shrimp mineral does contribute some kH as read here: http://www.alphaprobreeders.com/bee-shrimp-mineral-gh-230-grams/. This does help stabilize pH, but so does the buffering substrates. Don't know if it raises pH on its' own or not
> 
> I don't like the idea of having to adjust the pH after/during water changes either. If you're using buffering substrate and add-back water slowly it may self-adjust as you go tho.
> 
> ...


I'm not using the Salty Shrimp for my Bee tanks. I'm using the Bee mineral GH+ version. I looked at the Shirakura Ca+ too. That bottle will last 166 gallons, if it is 100ml..so 519 gallons for $50.00 worth of remineralizer. Cheaper than MMP but this $50.00 tub should last about 1000 gallons. Also, when I asked Mordalphus about it a while back he didn't try it on his own tank yet so I don't like to test on my own shrimps.


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## shrimpster (Jan 31, 2012)

I guess I thought the name brand was salty shrimp:help:. Never-the-less their bee mineral gh+ version does add kH. I guess that was really my point :icon_smil.

I considered buying it as well and may still, but for now I don't want to deal w/kH in the mineralizer. This way I can raise the gH to whatever I want w/out simultaneously raising the kH. I use a few coral chips for kH instead. I feel it gives my control freek nature more control :hihi:.

MgSo4 also contains sulfur btw. As does kale, spinach, broccoli, and kelp all in large amounts. Most dark green veggies are high in sulfur. Kale, spinach and kelp are all common ingredients in a lot of shrimp foods. I personally would rather not put manufactured bulk minerals in my tanks as they vary in purity and believe in ingestion instead to get needed nutrients.


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## Alpha Pro Breeders (Jan 26, 2010)

I've been using Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ for the past couple of months and couldn't be happier with the results. A little goes a very long way and the shrimp are breeding better than ever. It does raise the Ph, but only slightly.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

subscribed...


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## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

Probably Donna - DKshrimporium have to start selling her stuff :icon_mrgr
I'm sure that she has something already.
Donna????:icon_mrgr


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## dj2606 (Mar 27, 2009)

Alpha Pro Breeders said:


> I've been using Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ for the past couple of months and couldn't be happier with the results. A little goes a very long way and the shrimp are breeding better than ever. It does raise the Ph, but only slightly.


what effect if any does this product have on the KH?


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

For those dosing liquid supplements, do you use a syringe or something more accurate than just measuring the threads inside the cap...?


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## Alpha Pro Breeders (Jan 26, 2010)

dj2606 said:


> what effect if any does this product have on the KH?


To be honest with you I very rarely measure GH or KH unless their is some kind of problem. I check Ph fairly often and TDS all the time. Been doing it the same way for several years so I doubt if I change any time soon


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## dasob85 (Feb 4, 2012)

to clarify, do you think ph is more important than gh? or is just because you've already reconsituted so much you know where the gh should be.


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## lipadj46 (Apr 6, 2011)

shrimpnmoss said:


> I'm sure there are many ways to raise GH, but I'm weary of non test by products that different salts might generate. Does CaSo4 generate a sulfur by product? I don't think sulfur is good for shrimps.


I would bet that every single shrimp GH+ product on the market is composed of mainly CaSO4 and (to a lesser extent) MgSO4. The SO4-2 ion just stays as SO4-2 and adds to the conductivity, it does not react. If a product increases KH at bit it probably has some Calcium Carbonate in it.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

dasob85 said:


> to clarify, do you think ph is more important than gh? or is just because you've already reconsituted so much you know where the gh should be.


I think they are both important. pH because swings can stress and kill the shrimp and GH because if it's too low that can cause molting issues which will also kill the shrimp. Not sure what happens if it's too high though.


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## genetao (Jun 25, 2008)

*What About Increasing pH???*

I'm using Fluval Shrimp Mineral Supplement with RO that's at 6.0 pH and TDS at 4. The pH f water may actually be lower since the lowest the API test kit can read is 6.0.

I use 25 drops per gallon to achieve a GH of 4 and a TDS of 150, but the pH is still at 6.0.

So what do I do to increase the pH without increasing the GH nor TDS and is shrimp safe?


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## Soothing Shrimp (Nov 9, 2011)

My ph raises from the air going through my sponge filter. May be something to try?


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

shrimpster said:


> I believe the Salty Shrimp Bee Shrimp mineral does contribute some kH as read here: http://www.alphaprobreeders.com/bee-shrimp-mineral-gh-230-grams/. This does help stabilize pH, but so does the buffering substrates. Don't know if it raises pH on its' own or not
> 
> I don't like the idea of having to adjust the pH after/during water changes either. If you're using buffering substrate and add-back water slowly it may self-adjust as you go tho.
> 
> ...


Any problems you could tell me about because using equilibrium ?
Anyone?


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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

Alpha Pro Breeders said:


> I've been using Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ for the past couple of months and couldn't be happier with the results. A little goes a very long way and the shrimp are breeding better than ever. It does raise the Ph, but only slightly.


r u using recommended dosage of 3grams for 20 litres and does it achieve GH 6 or 200-+50microsiemens?
receiving 1kg package of it this Saturday and really curious.
usually i hear that 4-5 GH is fair enough.
no effect on pH as stated?
thanks


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

As I'm keeping pricey shrimpanzes I switched to mosura products. They are way more hungry now.


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## jweis (Jan 31, 2011)

I just bought and started using Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ with my RODI water (just installed a new RODI system). I am also concerned about PH swings. 

I use a PH controller/monitor (target level 6.8) on two of my heavily planted high tech tanks. In my 37g I have guppies, tetras and RCS. In my 11g tank I have chili rasboras, RCS and CRS.

I have three other low tech 5.2g tanks that only have shrimp. These tanks are also heavily planted with low light, a sponge filter, and no CO2. I have OEBTs and Pumpkins in one tank, Green Baulties and Snowballs in in the second, and Tangerine Tigers and Blue Pearls in the third. 

So, I am hoping as I gradually do water changed to lower the TDS (I'm on well water and the TDS in my tanks was at 350), the shrimp (especially the CRS) will do better. However I am concerned about the potential of pH swings due to the little KH. 

Am I being overly concerned? Others in my local aquarium club (GWAPA out of the DC area) seem worried that I wasn't addressing KH by using the Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+. However, most of them don't raise shrimp.

So, I am hoping this group will let me know if I should be adding something other than the Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ to my RODI water.


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

In my opinion, anything that's powder is a pain in the @ss to use. The liquid shirakura Ca+ for example, I add 17-19 drops per gallon and it brings the TDS above 100 and my GH is at 5. Simple and easy to use. If you do not want to count out drops then just use milliliters (a milliliter has 20 drops). So you can pretty much add 1 ml per gallon. If you don't know how to measure out a milliliter then get a "pipette" from ebay which has the measurements on it.


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## jweis (Jan 31, 2011)

hedge_fund said:


> In my opinion, anything that's powder is a pain in the @ss to use. The liquid shirakura Ca+ for example, I add 17-19 drops per gallon and it brings the TDS above 100 and my GH is at 5. Simple and easy to use. If you do not want to count out drops then just use milliliters (a milliliter has 20 drops). So you can pretty much add 1 ml per gallon. If you don't know how to measure out a milliliter then get a "pipette" from ebay which has the measurements on it.


I don't mind the powder so much. I disolves very quickly. I am just hoping for advice on the lack of KH.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

jweis said:


> I don't mind the powder so much. I disolves very quickly. I am just hoping for advice on the lack of KH.


Generally for shrimp tanks, kH will be very low (~0-1) as pickier shrimps will have buffering substrate to maintain a stable pH. If you're using an inert substrate you might need to use peat or IAL to keep the pH steady. But low kH isn't an issue.


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## jweis (Jan 31, 2011)

diwu13 said:


> Generally for shrimp tanks, kH will be very low (~0-1) as pickier shrimps will have buffering substrate to maintain a stable pH. If you're using an inert substrate you might need to use peat or IAL to keep the pH steady. But low kH isn't an issue.


In my 11g I am using AquaSoil and in the three 5.2g shrimp tanks I am using Fluval Stratum. So.... I think those tanks would be OK.

My 37g has AquariumPlants.com's clay based substrate, which is relatively inert. Should I add something else to the 37g with the clay based substrate?


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## triscene (Apr 7, 2012)

jweis said:


> I just bought and started using Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ with my RODI water (just installed a new RODI system). I am also concerned about PH swings.
> 
> I use a PH controller/monitor (target level 6.8) on two of my heavily planted high tech tanks. In my 37g I have guppies, tetras and RCS. In my 11g tank I have chili rasboras, RCS and CRS.
> 
> ...


GH+ shoud be adding KH a bit and anything higher than 0 should avoid pH swings...i guess...


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## jweis (Jan 31, 2011)

It's me again. It is about 6 weeks after I started using Bee Shrimp Mineral GH+. I have a high tech (high light and pressurized Co2) planted tank in which I keep shrimp (CRS and RCS) and a few fish. I have hard well water (TDS 350+). So, I have recently begun using RO water and I purchased Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ to mineralize the water. I started mixing in the Bee-Shrimp Mineral GH+ to get the TDS to around 200 (I didn't want to change the water's TDS too quickly) and now I shoot for a TDS of 160.

Two weeks ago the pH dropped quite a bit. It was 6.7 and it is now at 5.4 (same value in both my tank with AquaSoil and my tank with a clay based substrate from AquariumPlants.com). From a plants and fish perspective I would think the pH should be higher -- in the mid 6's. However, I have read lots of information online and much of the information is contradictive. 

Another concern is that I use a pH monitor to control the amount of Co2 that goes into my aquarium so I won't over dose the Co2, so having such a low pH doesn't allow the controller to kick on to dose Co2 (it only goes down to 5.5).

I have read that adding SeaChem Alkaline and Acid buffers will help with raising the KH, which would then raise the pH. I am nervous about adding more chemicals, but I am also nervous about such a low pH and my plants not getting enough Co2. What do you suggest? What is the right balance of KH for shrimp/fish/plants in a high-tech tank?

Here's a picture of my tank. Some of the plants are recently planted after buying them at my local club's (GWAPA) auction. The water in the picture is a tad cloudy because I had just planted the UG.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

There's a fine line between having a high tech tank and keeping sensitive inverts. Ideally it's best to do one or the other. Going high tech is already a balancing act in itself. It would be difficult to say what works from one tank may not in another.


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## jweis (Jan 31, 2011)

jczernia said:


> Where do you guys buy *Shirakura CA+* ? Liam do you sell it?
> THX





acitydweller said:


> There's a fine line between having a high tech tank and keeping sensitive inverts. Ideally it's best to do one or the other. Going high tech is already a balancing act in itself. It would be difficult to say what works from one tank may not in another.


Thanks for the reply. I agree it is easier to have shrimp in a low tech tank, but I want it all. 

I have used Seachem's Alkaline and Acid boosters to get the pH up to around 6, so now I can more effectively use the pH monitor/controller. So far, so good. The shrimp are doing fine and my plants are doing well too.


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## dhgyello04 (Jul 11, 2008)

Hello,
I just got in my Mosura Mineral Plus Ultra yesterday and I am looking for some guidance. 

Do you add this to top off water in-between the water changes?
How many drops per gallon to achieve the necessary pram’s for CBS?


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

Not for top offs, GH doesn't evaporate.

To know how many drops per gallon you need to know what GH the water you are going to use has. Get a GH test kit if you don't have one, no way around that.


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

Double psy


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## genetao (Jun 25, 2008)

dhgyello04 said:


> Hello,
> I just got in my Mosura Mineral Plus Ultra yesterday and I am looking for some guidance.
> 
> Do you add this to top off water in-between the water changes?
> How many drops per gallon to achieve the necessary pram’s for CBS?


First of all, like Pejerry was saying, you'll need at the very minimum a GH Test kit. There is no way around it. So good for you for buying MMP, but you're almost there. Go out and buy a GH test kit at your LFS.

Next, depending on the type of shrimp you have or will be purchasing, you'll want to adjust the GH and pH to suit their needs. To give you an idea:

Neocaridina (Yellow, Cherry, Pumpkin Shrimp, etc.) -*pH: 6.5-7.6* ( I usually aim for 7.0-7.2 myself) ; *GH: 5-14* (Usually aim for 7-10)

Crystal Red or Crystal Black Shrimp - *pH: 6.2-6.6* (I usually aim for 6.4-6-5); *GH: 4-7* (I usually aim for 5-6 GH)

Tiger shrimp (Orange Eye Blue Tiger, Black Tiger Orange Eye) - *pH: 7.0-7.6* (I usually aim for 7.3); *GH: 6-10* (I usually aim for 8GH)


So basically dose some MMP into the RO water and keep testing until you achieve the desired GH level. If you want to make things easier in the future, what some people have done is to also purchase a TDS meter and take a reading of the water once you've reached the desired GH level. Then when you do future water changes and make new water, simply add MMP until you've reached that specific TDS level. Easy, right?

Now onto pH. If you are using Reverse Osmosis water, often times, the pH is around 6.0 or so. If you are keeping soft water shrimp (e.g. CRS, etc). then this water is already pretty close to where it should be. If however you have cherry shrimp or OEBT, you'll need to increase the pH as well. 

Get just a little bit of crushed coral, and put a tablespoon or so of crushed coral in the media basket of a Marina filter and run it over night (~12 hours). That will get the pH up to where you want it.

As a side note, a lot of people have success breeding cherry/yellow/pumpkin shrimp in regular tap water with no MMP. But don't try this if you have OEBT, BTOE, CRS, CBS, etc. 

When doing water top offs though, whether you're running tap or RO water with MMP, you ALWAYS *ONLY TOP OFF WITH REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER*. Do NOT top off with tap water. Do NOT top off with RO water treated with MMP. That will increase the GH of the water and will stress your shrimp, especially if they are sensitive. 

I hope this points you in the right direction. Good luck roud:


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## dhgyello04 (Jul 11, 2008)

Hello genetao,
I do have a Gh test kit. I am trying to keep my Gh around 4-5 in my CBS tank. The information you gave about the shrimp and there Ph – Gh is awesome. My Ph is 6.2 and I keep the temp around 70 – 71. I have been using the Fluval supplement but the TDS get through the roof like in the 230’s. I guess there happy in a way because I saw a big fat female fanning her eggs last night. The MMP is a new product for me and I just want to be prepared for Sunday’s wc without shocking them.

 Oh and yes I have a TDS meter. I also keep OEBT’s, PFR’s, Yellow’s, and Blue Bee’s. The other tanks are doing well I am just fighting a bacterial infection in my OEBT tank. There dropping like flies.




genetao said:


> First of all, like Pejerry was saying, you'll need at the very minimum a GH Test kit. There is no way around it. So good for you for buying MMP, but you're almost there. Go out and buy a GH test kit at your LFS.
> 
> Next, depending on the type of shrimp you have or will be purchasing, you'll want to adjust the GH and pH to suit their needs. To give you an idea:
> 
> ...


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## genetao (Jun 25, 2008)

Glad to hear that the info is helpful. The water params for the CBS tank sounds right on the money. But yeah that TDS is a bit on the high side. I've used Fluval in the past and have also discovered that their solution is pretty "dirty" in terms of what other additives they put in. I think once you switch to MMP, you'll find that the TDS readings go down. 

FWIW, TDS isn't something to necessarily worry about. I think GH, pH, temperature and water cleanliness are priority number one. Then comes things like KH and TDS. But seeing a berried female is always a good sign. 

When doing the Sunday water change, you can do a 20% without any problems so long as you do it slowly. I use some airline tubing, and attach an airline valve to control the amount of water flowing in. Slow and steady wins the race. I adjust the valve so that it'll take a few hours for all of the new water to fill the tank. Am I being paranoid? Yeah maybe, but it doesn't take any extra effort, and it's worth the extra peace of mind. 

A TDS meter is handy to have. Like I was saying once you've dosed the MMP to the GH level that you want (e.g. 4 or 5), measure the TDS level. In the future, yjust dose MMP until you've reached that TDS level. Much quicker than using a GH test kit.

For the OEBT, make sure that the water temp stays cool like the CRS. Use a fan if necessary to keep the temp in the low 70's. Then check out this article:

http://www.crustahunter.com/en/node/894

In fact poke around the entire website for tons of awesome advice on all things shrimp keeping. This should curb the die off soon enough. 

Keep us posted and Good Luck!


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