my new tank setup

[medfun]

hello, from Sofia outside it's very cold with snow. Monday night after a week i started my 21lit 38cm X 20cm X 28 cm tank for my cardinal shrimps!!! i love this species. i will post some pic for the start so
substract amazonian
1. ADA after week in water with 2 time per day water change to prevent any possibility of nitrite-amonian release.
2. black small size gravel.
3. coral skelet to ensure buffering and hardness of water because i saw that the ADA makes water acid and soft.. here the tap water parameter is pH 6.3- 6.7 KH 1-3 GH 2-3(it is perfect for discus but not for sulawesi)
4. small drift wood root
5. submersible filter aqua el 300l/h
6. termostat tetra 100watt
7. isolation polystyrene sheet 2cm
Plants
1. java moss
2. Micranthemum
3.Hemianthus callitrichoides
4.Myriophyllum mattogrossense
i will wait to see how it will work for the PH an other parameter any suggestion are wellcomed!!!!!!! i will need help for tha water and for the species in the past i had a red cherry for 2 years
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[Frits]

why did you chose a pH-lowering soil?

[medfun]

here in bulgaria ADA soil its the best for plants they recomented it to me. tommorow i will buy test for the pH because the electronic pH meter is of and i will post the results i will need lot of help i appreciate this !!! in the tank the coral skelet is permantly in may i ask the price in your country for cardinal shrimp here i will buy them about 8,5 euro the shrimp i have bought 6 they were in other tank for adaption with ph 7,8-8,0 with java moss and gravel temp 27 and the 7 day i loose them all without reason in the night they were ok and full of energy they fed themselves.

[aussieant32]

you really should not just buy the ADA soil, its a bit of a waste of money. ADA soil is a substrate system, it is designed to work in part with other products, the soil is a very small part.

I will quote this from ADA's webiste.
"ADA's highly specialized substrate additives provide important supplementation for the proliferation of nitrifying bacteria in the substrate while also adding valuble nutrients for good development of plant root systems. "

"Power sand is the base of the Nature Aquarium substrate. Power Sand is composed of porous volcanic stones to secure proper water circulation and of organic materials including fertile peat to provide rich nutrients to aquatic plant roots. Ideal conditions for bacterial activity and development of plant roots are created and maintained for long periods with Power Sand.
The growth of aquatic plants such as Echinodorus or Cryptocoryne species-- plants that absorb nutrients through root their systems-- depends largely on the amount of nutrients within the substrate. Unlike regular Power Sand, Power Sand SPECIAL provides more minerals and nutrients to the substrate. It also contains Bacter 100 and Clear Super, so these important additives do not need to be purchased separately as with regular Power Sand. "

ADA is a substrate system, really if you have just bought the soil you have speant alot of money on something that is only doing a part of what it is designed for.

In my tank I have:
Bottom layer
Bacter 100
Tourmaline BC
Iron Bottom
Clear Super
Penac W

2nd Layer
Power Sand

3rd Layer
Amazona II normal

Top Layer
Amazonia II sand

It is all designed to work together, the soil is just a small part of it.

You can buy Powersand Special and it has some of the substrate additives included.

If you just want a soil and not after very good plant growth, you are better off getting a cheaper alternative in my opinion.

[madness]

ADA has been demonstrated to make some substrates that are very good for shrimp keeping - especially for the softwater shrimp.

Obviously shrimp don't need plant nutrients but the ADA soil tends to be very good at maintaining a stable low pH in a tank and also in softening the water. The soil is designed this way because plants tend to grow better in these conditions (low pH, soft water) and it is just a lucky bonus that those conditions are also good for CRS and other caridina cantonensis species. In Asia they have a lot more shrimp specific soils and there are probably some that don't have nutrients for plants but still maintain low pH/soft water conditions as well as ADA substrates at a better price but in the US there aren't really other options that are significantly cheaper or more reliable so people just stick with ADA substrates.

A full ADA substrate system clearly is NOT needed for shrimp tanks as you are primarily using the soil for its ability to maintain a low pH and not for its ability to grow plants.

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The reason that the first response questioned your choice of ADA soil is because Cardinal shrimp are Sulawesi shrimp and they require very specific water parameters which are actually on the opposite end of what shrimp like CRS require.

Cardinal shrimp require high pH so rather than a pH lowering substrate like ADA soil you would actually want a pH raising soil like African Cichlid soils or crushed coral substrates. I don't know exact type to recommend but you want to find something that will help you maintain a pH at 7.0 or above. Some people have kept them with ADA Amazonia substrate but the pH still stayed at or above 7.0 which means that they must have had REALLY hard tap water. If you have good tap water or use RO then you may really have trouble keeping a pH high enough for Cardinal shrimp when using ADA soils.

[medfun]

Guys thanks for the info!! The guy who sold me the substrate also he import the first shrimps he gave me the info for tank setup a cause of the plants..... so as i told above our tap water is soft with low pH. I will search coral sand to add after ph measuring i 'll keep you informed for the changes my target i around 7.7-7.8 ph to keep it . the proposed to make water hard with sodabicarbonate but i prefer with coral what is your opinion about this???

[medfun]

after mesurments no3 10 no2 1 GH 4 KH 3 pH 6,4 here is a post of aquarium as it is now im really considerate to take off the ada i will wait other 5 days to see the results of a second measuring. ihave to learn from the mistakes....

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[aussieant32]

ADA has been demonstrated to make some substrates that are very good for shrimp keeping - especially for the softwater shrimp.

Obviously shrimp don't need plant nutrients but the ADA soil tends to be very good at maintaining a stable low pH in a tank and also in softening the water. The soil is designed this way because plants tend to grow better in these conditions (low pH, soft water) and it is just a lucky bonus that those conditions are also good for CRS and other caridina cantonensis species. In Asia they have a lot more shrimp specific soils and there are probably some that don't have nutrients for plants but still maintain low pH/soft water conditions as well as ADA substrates at a better price but in the US there aren't really other options that are significantly cheaper or more reliable so people just stick with ADA substrates.

A full ADA substrate system clearly is NOT needed for shrimp tanks as you are primarily using the soil for its ability to maintain a low pH and not for its ability to grow plants.

----------

The reason that the first response questioned your choice of ADA soil is because Cardinal shrimp are Sulawesi shrimp and they require very specific water parameters which are actually on the opposite end of what shrimp like CRS require.

Cardinal shrimp require high pH so rather than a pH lowering substrate like ADA soil you would actually want a pH raising soil like African Cichlid soils or crushed coral substrates. I don't know exact type to recommend but you want to find something that will help you maintain a pH at 7.0 or above. Some people have kept them with ADA Amazonia substrate but the pH still stayed at or above 7.0 which means that they must have had REALLY hard tap water. If you have good tap water or use RO then you may really have trouble keeping a pH high enough for Cardinal shrimp when using ADA soils.

I think you miss my reasoning. The reason I posted that information is that ADA is not a cheap product, and if you are just buying the top soil it is a bit of a waste of money. It is designed for aquascaping, thats why it has the price tag that it has, I would NOT recommend it to anyone as a way to buffer their PH as it does not permanently have this effect on the water, over time it will stop buffering and you are going to have keep testing it until then and then start buffering. You are much better off getting a cheaper soil and buffering from day 1 if you need a lower PH.

I get your point about no other option in the US, but in all fairness I was not replying to someone in the US..

Anyway, both points are quite valid, thanks for your info

[medfun]

after two weeks at last i have balance in the aquarim ph 7.8-8 and the water is clearing in every change the litle yellow coloring of the water from the substract is redused the plants ar in very good condition the aquarium in 2 weeks it will be ready to accept the shrimps the problem is to find who can import them in Bulgaria!! the coral bufer very well with the substract for now!!!
if any one can tell from where can buy cardinal shrimps i will apriciate it thanks a lot for the help and for the ideas!!!!
by the way i dont know why but i cant enter in my inbox or to send any email in the member i know that this isnt for here but anyone can help me with this?? here are some pic after two weeksIMAG0914.jpg