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Like most things aquarium related, I cannot find consistent advice about TDS and the more I read the more confusing it gets.  I get that TDS is pretty much a measurement of everything 'extra' that's in the water.  After watching Cory's video about TDS my understanding is that it's most useful as a quick check to see if something is 'off' in the tank and unless it's fluctuating a lot, the value isn't really all that important.  But I have some crystal reds coming next week and I know they're more sensitive than most shrimp.  I keep seeing that their preferred TDS is around 140-160.  All the values I've been measuring in their tank is consistently right in their preferred range except for TDS.   Out the tap my TDS is already almost 180 and in my tanks with fertilizers and everything else I've seen it measuring between 350 and 450.  I did test my meter with distilled water and got 2 ppm so the calibration doesn't seem to be that far off. 

What I've seen recommended is using RO or distilled water for CRS and adding gh+ until the TDS is in the right range.  That's making me think that it's only the water components that affect GH that are important in the TDS reading for the shrimp.  And my tap water has no GH.  So does that mean I shouldn't worry about the TDS at all if my GH is now in the right range (I'm adding Bee Shrimp Mineral GH+)?  Or am I wrong about that and it would be safer to just use distilled water instead and add gh+ to it?  I'm probably way overthinking this.  I never checked TDS until now and everyone in my other tanks has done well.

If it helps, here's my normal water parameters:

Tap water: ~5 nitrate, 0 nitrite/gh/chlorine, ~40 ppm kh, 8.2-8.4 ph, 178 TDS

In tank (heavily planted, use extra Easy Green fert, lots of wood, gh+, etc):  ~5 nitrate (didn't add more fert yet), 0 nitrite, 100 ppm gh, 0 chlorine, 0 kh, ~6.8-7 ph, 372 TDS

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I raise CRS (have a few hundred at the moment) and I do use TDS as a reading, but only to gage how much remineralizer I’m adding into RO water.  If RO is zero TDS, then measuring that  is an easy measure for me to know I’ve mixed my water right. Outside of that one use-case I’d agree, TDS is confusing and meaningless. It’s just tells you “stuff” is dissolved in your water.

As far as I know, CRS thrive in low PH. They prefer soft, acidic water. I keep my colony’s tank between 6.6 and 6.8. This means having a low KH. My KH is under 1, measured using the API drop test kit. I keep my GH around 6 ish, using GH+. Water temp is between 68 and 70 F.  And honestly I don’t measure it much, unless I see more dead shrimp than normal showing up in the tank. 

For your tap water, I’d worry about the PH of 8+, as this seems a bit high for caradina. Your planted tank ph seems more appropriate. Will the high TDS affect them? Please let us know when you know. Maybe you’ll debunk a long running myth that TDS is meaningful for keeping caradina shrimp.

I’d imagine TDS is only meaningful if what that TDS is measuring is harmful. I usually take recommendations about TDS as being a short hand way of saying, CRS like clean water, and to not let your parameters (PH, GH, KH, nitrates etc.) get out of hand and outside the range CRS require. 

Edited by tolstoy21
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I think you may be over-thinking it..  my first shrimp ever were Crystal Reds.. that was just about a month ago..  I bought just a few bc I was figuring that my first batch would die...  but no...  A month later all of my females are egged-up and looking to pop (3 of them)...  AND 2 cherries are berried as well....  I really believe these shrimp can adapt to almost any parameters...  as long as the change is not too abrupt... and the water remains stable...   I dripped mine in over a 4 hour period...   my PH is 6.4  zero on NH4, NO2, and NO3,.... GH 6... and KH around 2....  TDS 209

 

 

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Edited by Toobit67
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1 minute ago, Toobit67 said:

.  I really believe these shrimp can adapt to almost any parameters...  as long as the change is not too abrupt...

I’d agree with this. Crystals don’t like change. My experience is that you’re likely to lose some shrimp when you introduce them because of this. But, the shrimp born in your tank will do well because they were reared in those params. My philosophy is your goal is to get babies. Once you get some babies in the tank, and if you can grow them up, then you’re good to go. The first batch of shrimp you purchase and introduce is a means to this end.

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23 minutes ago, tolstoy21 said:

For your tap water, I’d worry about the PH of 8+, as this seems a bit high for caradina. Your planted tank ph seems more appropriate. Will the high TDS affect them? Please let us know when you know. Maybe you’ll debunk a long running myth that TDS is meaningful for keeping caradina shrimp.

Thank you so much!  The planted tank I listed is the one they're going in and it's been staying about 6.8/7 for ph since I started regularly testing it.  So I think I'm good to go.  With all the plants I don't have to do big water changes so the ph doesn't fluctuate much.  All the other parameters are right in the range they like too.  I just kept seeing people so hung up on TDS that it had me worrying about it.  My cherry shrimp are having a baby boom right now and hopefully these guys will be soon.  I'll check back in after they've been settled in for a while.

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The one thing to watch I’d guess is the nitrates. Don’t let those get too high. Most people recommend under 20 ppm. I’ve never let mine get too high in my shrimp tank (duck weed and water lettuce keep it low) so it’s just a guess, based on what I’ve read, that CRS don’t care for high nitrate. In my planted tank I tend to let my nitrates run away at times, so I’ve never tested introducing shrimp in there.

Edited by tolstoy21
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17 minutes ago, tolstoy21 said:

The one thing to watch I’d guess is the nitrates. Don’t let those get too high. Most people recommend under 20 ppm. I’ve never let mine get too high in my shrimp tank (duck weed and water lettuce keep it low) so it’s just a guess, based on what I’ve read, that CRS don’t care for high nitrate. In my planted tank I tend to let my nitrates run away at times, so I’ve never tested introducing shrimp in there.

I'll keep an eye on it.  Until I add fertilizer I don't even get a measurement for nitrates so I'll make sure I'm not adding so much fertilizer that it's bringing it up too much.  I haven't actually bothered checking nitrates right after adding it so I'll make sure I'm not going overboard.  I just know after a few days nitrates are usually at 5 so I started doing a double-dose.  Thanks again!

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