EI Dosing and Shrimps

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chonhzilla

chonhzilla

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 26, 2007
1,970
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Fresno CA
I have done a lot of reading lately on EI dosing with Shrimps. I have read tons of success stories including Tom's (Plantbrain) article. + Other Articles (Jose wasn't kidding when he said that we planted tank guys sit around and read tons of information)

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/5068-EI-dosing-with-Crystal-Red-shrimp-over-a-year

http://www.shrimpfanatic.com/2009/05/ei-dosing-routine-ada-tank.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/cherry-shrimp-compatible-with-no3-dosing-85946.html

So what am I doing wrong? I understand the traces of metals are not enough to hurt the shrimps and yet I continue to experience deaths. I even kill off assassin snails, the only inverts who do not seem to mind are the pest snails. Some suggest that with EI dosing it requires 50% weekly water changes to remove excess nutrients and keep nitrates at a minimum. I can agree with that, but no one has a direct answer.

What am I not doing?

Also for those who are interested here are my water parameters:

Nitrites: 0 ppm
Ammo: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 30-40 ppm
40%-50% weekly water changes.

Dosing schedule
1/2 tsp KNO3 3x a week
1/8 tsp KH2PO4 3x a week
1/8 tsp K2SO4 3x a week
1/8 tsp traces 3x a week


Please add your input.:popcorn:
 
I'd be interested to know as well, since my shrimp always disappear. And my tank is pretty much snail-free. Tom...well that guy can keep anything alive and thriving without even trying lol
 
From what I've read Shrimps cannot handle high Nitrate that well. Recommended NO3 is 5-30ppm but most people with shrimp try to keep it under 20ppm. High nitrate is very lethal to them. Are you for sure doing 50% weekly water changes? Shrimp have a hard time with sudden changes in water parameters. You want to try and get a constant weekly schedule. I dose ferts monday through saturday and do a 50% water change on sunday with no ferts after. I do the same exact thing every week and my water change is at the same time every sunday (tight schedule). I'm not an expert but I have been reading about this problem a lot lately.
 
atm I'm back to amano's as I killed off some very nice tiger shrimp.. may be the species difference, but I have a hard time keeping inverts alive w/ flourish Excel, but have no such problems with Flourish. I'm wondering if it's a combo of CO2 and something else? maybe certain levels of one compound exposed to a certain level of CO2 = invert death?
 
+1 at the Nitrates
In my experience inverts are like a canary in the mine
If I bring home a crawdad from the river and it turns up dead one day
I know it's time for a WC
They have no tollerance for Nitrates
 
sampster5000;4586873; said:
From what I've read Shrimps cannot handle high Nitrate that well. Recommended NO3 is 5-30ppm but most people with shrimp try to keep it under 20ppm. High nitrate is very lethal to them. Are you for sure doing 50% weekly water changes? Shrimp have a hard time with sudden changes in water parameters. You want to try and get a constant weekly schedule. I dose ferts monday through saturday and do a 50% water change on sunday with no ferts after. I do the same exact thing every week and my water change is at the same time every sunday (tight schedule). I'm not an expert but I have been reading about this problem a lot lately.
Click to expand...

I from the water change I did today I do more than 50% maybe like 60% ( I usually stop when the water level reaches the lower branch of my driftwood). Nitrates get to about 40ppm before water change day. I'm quite certain it's got something to do with my NO3's. Maybe I should back off on the NO3 when I dose. Maybe 1/2 tsp is too much. I'll try 1/8 tsp for until the next water change and see where that takes me. Also there's no dosing on water change day.
 
40ppm is pretty high. Even at dosing 3x a week, my nitrates never get over 15-20ppm. Maybe cut back on nitrates until the tank becomes established?
 
jcardona1;4588674; said:
40ppm is pretty high. Even at dosing 3x a week, my nitrates never get over 15-20ppm. Maybe cut back on nitrates until the tank becomes established?
Click to expand...

Yeah sounds like a plan. I'm just afraid of getting some nice green Clado.
 
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