What water hardness is best for CRS and cherry shrimp?

[rymeyer]

I have a 10 gallon tank with about a dozen cherry shrimp and three CRS. My water is very soft. I read somewhere that these shrimp need calcium in the water, and I was considering adding crushed coral to the filter. Then I read on petshrimp that both do best in soft water. I would appreciate it if someone could clear up for me which kH values seem to work best for cherries and which work best for CRS. Thanks.

[imi_sky]

i would say anywhere below 4dkH is good for both cherry and crs.

[silane]

When you are talking about Calcium, you are referring to GH, keep GH around 4d, is a good value. For KH wise, like imi_sky has said below 4d is good.

[rymeyer]

Thanks for the replies. So, considering that right now my GH is between 1 and 2d, would it be a good idea to add some crushed coral in a filter bag to my filter? Do you have any idea how much crushed coral it would take to get a 10 gallon tank between 1 and 2d to 4d?

[silane]

Thanks for the replies. So, considering that right now my GH is between 1 and 2d, would it be a good idea to add some crushed coral in a filter bag to my filter? Do you have any idea how much crushed coral it would take to get a 10 gallon tank between 1 and 2d to 4d?


Yes, you can add some coral chip in filter or somewhere in the tank, that will riase GH and KH. But if you shrimps are doing well now, just leave it. 1 to 2 GH is not something that will kill your shrimps, moreover adding coral chip change more than 1 of the water parameters.

You got to trial and error, like a palmful, to put initially and how much to leave after the desirable values have reached depending on the acidity of your tank.


Note that coral chip increase GH, KH and PH.