Botanicals

[CJs Aquatics]

Hey all, got some shrimp, set up the tank, it came with some botanicals, in the past I have just dropped them in the tank but also had little success with my shrimp keeping so I thought I would ask the plant people out there what’s the appropriate way to prep botanicals for a shrimp tank? Came with leaves cones and cholla wood. Also how much before it starts to alter ph? Bc I don’t necessarily want that… Thanks in advanced 

[Mmiller2001]

Some boil them a few minutes. Shouldn't effect pH that much. PH is not something I worry about. Keep the right GH and KH and all will be fine.

[Fish Folk]

I find that my shrimp do well if i have a _fine_ pore sponge filter for them to graze on, and a nice dose of java moss.

KH is what makes pH vary. Low KH, pH can crash. Medium or better KH, and pH shouldn’t fluctuate too much.

I add crushed coral to tanks I want to keep stable. 

[Comradovich]

Are they wet?

If they're already in water, they've probably been prepped for the tank. If not, follow the advice for alder cones. Cholla wood isn't that different from new driftwood. A boil is mostly getting the heaviest of tannins out. Don't prep for "until the water is crystal clear", because you actually want some tannins and releases from the cones/wood. Just kind of a brief de-parasite treatment. And expect that you might seem some of that "new driftwood fungus", which the shrimp will avoid. You'll want to read up on how to clean that stuff off, several options to choose from. I've had great luck with shrimp and wood thus far, they seem to enjoy cleaning any sort of botanical. Botanicals also seem to attract the sorts of algae they enjoy grazing on.

[dangerflower]

Per the instructions from the store I get most of my botanicals from, I boil them for at least 20 minutes to sanitize them, toss out that water, rinse, and then do a second soak in dechlorinated water. I think the secondary soak is optional but it helps make sure everything is waterlogged, and I usually add the tannin infused water to the tank along with the botanicals themselves.

[nabokovfan87]

I like Jimmy's Method.
 

 

[CJs Aquatics]

Thanks everyone, @Comradovich they aren’t wet they are packaged bone dry,

 

some leaves some cones and some cholla, I have a 10 gallon tank with about 15 shrimp in there 2 kinds of moss, deep sand substrate, and some plants that were algae ridden I chose to use instead of pitch, I want to add some to the tank to give more grazing options but I’m concerned about how many to add to that size tank without effecting the water quality/ having to add chemicals and things, also should I prep all of them then repackage what I don’t use or do I have to prep them each time?

[CJs Aquatics]

@nabokovfan87 jimmys method is just put them in the tank it appears? 🤣 maybe im overthinking it 

[nabokovfan87]

Yes , but I just meant that I really love that tank and the items he used. Tons of pods and cones.  Use a lot and then just modify the color / PH with water changes. @CJs Aquatics

On 11/20/2022 at 2:05 AM, CJs Aquatics said:

I want to add some to the tank to give more grazing options but I’m concerned about how many to add to that size tank without effecting the water quality/ having to add chemicals and things, also should I prep all of them then repackage what I don’t use or do I have to prep them each time?

You'd want to always sterilize and boil wood. For most things that have some heft to them (pods and cones) it's best to boil those as well. Bark probably fits that category as well.  Whenever I buy wood I tend to sterilize it and then soak it until I'm ready to use it. If I don't plan on using it right away, I bag it.  Botanicals though, I would tend to just take the effort every time and boil what you need to. Just be aware to have a "fish only" stock pot as you need to. The pot might get some residue that probably isn't good for cooking.

[CJs Aquatics]

@nabokovfan87 how quickly does it change? being that it is a shrimp tank, I know they are more sensitive to parameter fluctuations and honestly water changed less frequently, but conversely benefit from the added grazing ability botanicals add, I don’t mind the color or the tannins, I’m nervous about the water quality fluctuation

[nabokovfan87]

Whatever you're adding, just check things like KH and PH daily and if you see a big shift do your water changes accordingly. Visually youll get the look you want and then you'll be able to adjust and learn how quickly parameters change for the items your using. Wood, I just ignore as a factor for shifting PH. It's a visual tool for me more than anything.

On 11/21/2022 at 11:01 AM, CJs Aquatics said:

@nabokovfan87 how quickly does it change? being that it is a shrimp tank, I know they are more sensitive to parameter fluctuations and honestly water changed less frequently, but conversely benefit from the added grazing ability botanicals add, I don’t mind the color or the tannins, I’m nervous about the water quality fluctuation

Sorry I was trying to elaborate and you beat me to it!

I don't think it is as fast as you think.  Prep some botanicals and slowly add them to acclimate the shrimp to the changes. After a week or a few weeks you'll have the items in the tank and they have the nice grazing surfaces. Eventually you'll find the balance you're looking for. That might be a big bag of botanicals or just a small few.