Sultrysamurai

Thank you so much for your detailed response! This helps a lot, I will keep an eye on the other plants.

I have pothos with roots only in my aquarium. The leaves are out of the water. I’m reading conflicting advice. I have an active substrate ( contrasoil) and had caridinia shrimp. Are the pothos roots going to pull too much nutrients from my soil and ruin the buffering capabilities? the roots don’t touch the soil, but I’m not sure how it all works honestly. Thanks!

Is this curling up mean he’s going to molt? I adore these little guys and hope this is all normal behavior. I’m concerned my GH is too high, but I don’t want to drastically change anything because I know they are sensitive. PH 6.2 ish Temp 69 ammonia 0 Kh 0 GH 9 TDS 180 thanks!

I have an infestation of detritus worms in my fishless cycling 3 gallon. I planned on making it a shrimp tank but these worms are out of control, easily over 500 in there. I did a water change to see if it would and help and no luck. I don’t think my tank is dirty.. not sure why there are soooo many. I was adding ammonia to aid in the cycle. Is this too many nutrients being in the fluval stratum? My question is, am I doing something wrong here to have created all the worms? thanks.

Thank you everyone, I forgot to add a photo as reference. I have a plant in there that’s got some food algae on it. I will test my tap water and see what I’m working with. Hopefully the stratum was a good choice.

Hello, I recently moved and had a heck of a life change. I’m ready to start a shrimp tank again. I feel a little a little rusty and was looking for advice. I have fluval stratum ( first time using this) and 2 plants in a tank that has been cycling for about a month and a half. I tested the water. 0 ammonia 0 nitrite PH is lower than I’m used to PH is 6.7ish and 5.0 nitrate. KH is low at about 2ppm and TDS is 240. Tank is 3 gallon rimless. Thoughts on these parameters for cherry shrimp? Thoughts on increasing PH and or KH. Has my tank been cycling long enough to sustain shrimp only? thanks a bunch!

Good idea!

Sponge filters I have, thank you! Any ideas for a baffle?

Thank you! Hoping I won’t need a heater but I’ll keep an eye on temps.

Hello, I was looking for advice for moving with your beloved fish. I am moving from the west coast to the east soon and want to bring my fish and shrimp friends. I have a betta, neon tetra and cherry shrimps. The betta is most important if I had to choose who makes the trip but I would love them all since I have worked so hard on the shrimps. is it possible to travel with them all in a filtered 5 gallon bucket? I know it’s not ideal but we will be on the road for just over a week. Any advice is appreciated.

I have a lot of plants haha I think that’s why it’s all cratered looking. I’m thinking of moving/ adding lava rock and eventually eliminating the sand with water changes.. sand is kind of a big hassle. Thank you for your advice!

I only have a sponge filter, every time I try to be delicate getting the algae and such off the sand while cleaning it takes out large holes. At the moment I have large areas of exposed plant roots due to less sand in the tank. I was hoping for an easy mix in to refill the areas but doesn’t seem that easy. maybe just add more sand and mix? Thanks!

Would just adding lava rock with the sand be an option? I struggled with cycling my tank and now my water parameters are good, I don’t want this new substrate turning everything out of whack.

Hello I have a planted 10gallon with sand as the substrate. The plants are fine as I use fertilizer but the sand always looks so dirty.. I wanted to switch to Fluval stratum but the bag reads not to mix. Am I supposed to empty all the sand out and re plant everything? I wanted to just mix in because every time I clean/vacuum I loose a bunch of sand and there are holes in substrate. mid there a better substrate I can just mix together with the sand until eventually all the sand is vacuumed away? Thanks!

@nabokovfan87 Thank you!

Hello, I’m looking to buy Fritz slime out but it’s out of stock most places and I only have 1 10gallon tank so I don’t need enough for 500 gallons. Does anybody have extra packets they are willing to part with or know a supplier who sells the smaller version? My tank is getting over run with blue green algae and my fish is not happy. thanks!

Yes, that is exactly how I’ve been doing it close and shake close and shake. Thank you, I will try this!

That’s the thing, the faint color stays faint until about 9 drops then it’s a noticeable change Vs the very slight change at 3 drops. it’s so confusing.

Hello, I am using the API GH and KH test kit with dropper and vials. when testing the GH I get a very faint color ch age after 3 drops. My question is do I go for a complete color change to green for my level or the level is the very faint color change to a hint of greenish? The KH changes rather easily not the GH though. Thanks!

I almost wish this was the case, as I would feel better with an answer haha however the Betta was not in the tank with the shrimps.

Thank you so much, yes I’m new to this and was pretty bummed about loosing the shrimp. @lefty o the tank has been up over 2 months. However I feel it was a slow process to get it cycled. Once my parameters tested clear I eagerly got some shrimp- I had no idea they were so difficult. I’ve had quite a few people say they never had problems with them.

I had Amano shrimp, they lasted about a week and slowly one by one they died off. They would fall upside down in the tank and a turn pink just after getting squirmy. They told me to do 1/2 teaspoon and then again at water changes. I have a proper gh/kh test kit coming in the mail as I discovered the api test strips were not helpful. I’m concerned if this stuff will actually make the water better for shrimp and if it would be safe with snails and betta fish. Thanks!

I went to the pet store that I purchased all the shrimp that died. They tested my water and noted my water was too soft. They had me purchase Cichlid salts to combat the soft water. I’m a now wondering if this is a good idea, as I cannot find anything online about this. Please advise. I hope I didn’t get suckered again at the fish store. thanks!

I like any shrimp. I got Amano because I was told they eat algae and I have a ton of diatom algae I wanted gone. I’m bummed I killed all 10 of my Amano’s.

Yea, I really thought it was cycled. I left it running alone for so long I think i am actually past 2 months now. Super frustrating. Fish friends are not a novice hobby. Thank you for all your advice!