Filter and food adivice for CRS

[Ruan_]

Hey I'm starting a Red crystal shrimp colony and so far i have about 10. I'm just concerned so i wanna ask a few questions.

1. Are there any silent and reliable under 20$ air pumps? If so i might change my current internal filter to a sponge.

2. When i feed my shrimps they don't seem to go as crazy for it as does the shrimps i see in videos and pictures, is this normal or are they just accumulating in the tank (got them 3 days ago)? I feed them Hikari algae wafers and blanched veggies for now until i order some shirakura. Some nip at it but only for about 5-10 seconds, then they just move on after wards.

3. Is it normal for them to be scourging the gravel for food and move a lot but slowly? They prefer to just "walk" than fly across the gravel.

Any help is appreciated for this newbie shrimp keeper. Thanks

[dxiong5]

What are your water parameters? This will help determine if there is something wrong with your water, which may be causing them to behave in particular ways. Also, are you keeping Red Cherry Shrimp or Crystal Red Shrimp? They have different preferences for water quality.

They may need time to get used to the food, and it is normal behavior for them to always be scavenging for food.

[Ruan_]

They are Crystal red shrimps. Ph is at 7.2 as for gh and kh im not too sure because i haven't bought those test strips. Water temp is usually 24 celsius in the day with the lights on and 22-23ish at night without. When i bought them from a breeder he says they've been bred and adapted to water around 7.2PH-7.4PH and around those temperatures so i copied it

[dxiong5]

Most breeders keep them in a more acidic environment, pH ~ 6.6 - 6.8. I have read that others are successful with higher pH levels. The behavior seems normal, they don't do anything special other than roam around the tank.

[seetharam]

By Internal Filter if you mean that you have a powerhead filter which sits inside the tank its not good for CRS, these filters generate a lot of water flow which the CRS dont like. Would ideally recommend a external filter for them filled with a lot of biological media like Cermaic Rings and Bio Balls.

If the shrimps are actively feeding off the gravel and moving around they are ok, CRS like to feed a lot on the Biofilm present in established tanks, in such cases they might neglect the food that you put in. Please remove the uneaten food as it will foul the water. However its better to get your kH and gH test kits and measure the water parameters along with pH. You water temp is fine.

Signs of something being wrong would be

1. Shrimps just sit motionless
2. Their color is faded

[Ruan_]

By Internal Filter if you mean that you have a powerhead filter which sits inside the tank its not good for CRS, these filters generate a lot of water flow which the CRS dont like. Would ideally recommend a external filter for them filled with a lot of biological media like Cermaic Rings and Bio Balls.

If the shrimps are actively feeding off the gravel and moving around they are ok, CRS like to feed a lot on the Biofilm present in established tanks, in such cases they might neglect the food that you put in. Please remove the uneaten food as it will foul the water. However its better to get your kH and gH test kits and measure the water parameters along with pH. You water temp is fine.

Signs of something being wrong would be

1. Shrimps just sit motionless
2. Their color is faded

Everything thing seems okay, its been about 5 days all are still here :D. My internal filter is a Fluval 2 and the flow rate can be adjusted (aquariumguys.com/fluvalinternal1.html). Can't post direct links just yet. I plan on using a pantyhose to cover the intake when they're adults. Also its a 15g, is this okay? I am in school as of right now and can't afford an external filter just yet but um i want to ask are there any silent air pumps i can use so i can start up a sponge filter?

[blueggreen]

Hi!
I am from Toronto,I suggest you get a whisper air pump, The one I have is pretty quiet .

[Breeder]

Everything thing seems okay, its been about 5 days all are still here :D. My internal filter is a Fluval 2 and the flow rate can be adjusted (aquariumguys.com/fluvalinternal1.html). Can't post direct links just yet. I plan on using a pantyhose to cover the intake when they're adults. Also its a 15g, is this okay? I am in school as of right now and can't afford an external filter just yet but um i want to ask are there any silent air pumps i can use so i can start up a sponge filter?


Cover your internal filter with pantyhose now. The possibility of shrimp fry have been suck is higher than one that reached maturity.
Do it now or lost all your shrimps.

[pattsang]

Hi Ruan,

I am in Vancouver, and I have try couple different air pump and I found one is cheap and is pretty quite it is called "JetStream" and have being using for over 3 months and still quite and no problem so far, i got from KingEd on Kingsways. For mine the model is 3500 with dual output (which i think it support up to 30G, i got for like $15 or $20, i cannot remember). Thanks.

Cheers,
Patrick

[Breeder]

For food advise, go for Mosura.