Mostly Bee Shrimp (CR) need soft and alkaline water with pH range from 6,3-6,9, prefer KH down to 0/zero, GH not under 4, and temperature up to 23 degree Celsius. Tap water has water equivalents which are generally spoken harder and neutral (concerning the pH): This is good for the water pipes but not so good for shrimp. Personally I am dealing in Cologne with tap water from ph 7,4 and real high GH from 14 up to 21 during the winter.
Functional shrimp soil is one possibility to adapt water parameters for shrimp breeding. You can also use osmosis water or peat but functional soil seems to be the simpliest way. Manufactures offer various gravel and it is hard to decide which one is the best. In Germany, well known granulates are:
I now want to have a closer look on possible application errors concerning tank set up, minimum cycling time, filtration and –sensitive issue- water changes.
Error No. 1: Too little soil in the tank.
All manufacturers recommend a minimum height of soil in the tank for guaranteed effects on water parameters; usually 4-5 cm. Japanese breeder often fill the soil up to even 8-10 cm. If you use a undergravel-canister-combination check the flow rate of the filter!
Error No. 2: Shrimps come in too fast.
Like every other tank, a tank with shrimp soil as gravel needs time to develop equilibrium and to install all helpful bacterial colonies. Furthermore, the soil now works and lowers the KH, the GH and (due to the coherence of chemical process) finally the pH. While a KH down to 0 does not harm shrimp, a GH under 3 is dangerous. Shrimp cannot molt properly then and important minerals are missing. That’s why manufacturers recommend using tonics like MOSURA Mineral Plus. GH is fine with 3-5. Nitrite and ammonia harm shrimp also. Cycle your new tank properly and be patient. I recommend a minimum cycling time up to 4 weeks or even longer. Check water parameter (pH, GH, KH, nitrit, ammonia, copper) before buying shrimp!
Error No 3: Bad or insufficient Filtration.
Low tech tanks are very “hip” in Germany. A simple air pump with sponge filter or “Czech filter” is adequate for most shrimp tanks for a certain time. But when you are using functional shrimp soil, a very excellent filtration is the road to success. The less you change your water, the less you change water parameters! Soil producers often advice water changes with osmosis water or even suggest only refilling evaporated water. The fundamental idea behind is to offer the shrimp constant water parameters and good water quality. One reputable breeder from Thailand e.g. uses two canister filter with 8L filter media for a tank of 70 L size. That’s how good water is made be using high-tech.
Error No. 4: Too many Water Changes
Numerous water changes will exhaust the soil quickly if your tap water differs very much in hardness (KH, GH). Normally, one can use it for 12-24 months depending on tap water parameter and the interval of water changes. In addition, the inhabitants of your tank have to cope with the different water parameters. This is stress for shrimp and in particular sensitive females with eggs and shrimplets can die. Advice: Reduce water changes to the minimum needed.
Summary
Revised on december 8th 2009. Update will follow.
In my opinion, functional shrimp soil has more advantages than disadvantages. People living in areas with real hard tap water are able to keep and breed CR. But like every other product, shrimp soil is no magic cure. One should always know in detail how to apply the soil and what exactly happens then. Personally, I run one tank with Shirakura Red Bee Sand and one with Akadama and everything is fine.
