chibikaie

What I'm gonna do is start stockpiling ice packs and a few of the smaller coolers. When I have a bunch I'll try to coordinate with whoever can get them.

Do ANY of you live in the NYC area? Because seriously, I throw out cooler boxes and ice packs ALL THE TIME. We are inundated with them at work. It's such a waste.

When I last heavily researched shrimp, I saw that most of the people who argued for using iodide supplementation were keeping unknown species of ghost shrimp (likely Palaemonetes but unconfirmed as positive ID was impossible). These people would then say that all shrimp needed iodide supplements to molt properly. Other people who had different shrimp would cite their experiences as proof that no shrimp needed iodide supplementation to molt properly.
I concluded that humans are stupid and that the answer is unknown, although the requirements are most likely species specific.

I think you'll have to test it out with something.

The 1 mm size/first post is more likely to be Wolffia and the next size/second post Lemna minor (lesser duckweed). I think Wolffia is called water meal.
Greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) is larger still (5 mm and up I think) and has a very shiny upper surface. Its leaves tend to grow in groups of 3 or 4 before budding off, unlike Lemna which seems to max out at 2. The underside develops to a purplish red in good conditions (iron and other trace nutrients). It grows more slowly and gets big enough that it's easier to corral.
I like all duckweeds. They don't get tangled in my rooted plants, they don't flip over and die, they help keep fish from jumping, they are never carbon limited, they are undemanding about light, and they are great at exporting nitrogen. Even people who can't grow regular plants (ME) can grow duckweed (although I have been known to kill it). I know it's basically impossible to get rid of, but I like it.

I'm trading this girl today, but I wanted to post a photo first. She has some blue tints to her claws and she is one of the bigger ones.

Some shrimp sold as ghost shrimp are not fish-safe, as you are noticing - typically they are in the Macrobrachium genus and are much more carnivorous than cherries or more peaceful species. Unlike cherry or crystal shrimp, there is no single species of ghost shrimp; many fit the general description of a clear-bodied shrimp and a wide variety are sold under the same name.
Enjoy your cherries. Although many people start out thinking that they need to have a variety of different species, it's much easier to cater to single species setups. I think they're more elegant, anyway.

That looks pretty awesome. +1 on buying one remade by another forum member - I could probably cut down some large syringe barrels with handheld cautery, but am not sure of the next step.

Time to set up a shrimp-ponic garden to grow food for the shrimp using their waste water!

Time to set up a shrimp-ponic garden to grow food for the shrimp using their waste water!

Time to set up a shrimp-ponic garden to grow food for the shrimp using their waste water!

Potassium chloride will not have any effect on pH and is not normally used as a fertilizer (too much chloride is not great for plants).
An easy source for non-iodized salt is kosher salt.

I saw them dancing yesterday, and today I saw two berried shrimp!

If the test kit is a few years old and is giving you inconsistent results, it is time for a new one. Word on the street is not to trust the API liquid kits after two years post manufacture.
I actually like test strips, but I am in the minority. I have been using Tetra multistrips for the last few years, paired with an in-tank ammonia monitor made by Seachem. I would say that they are accurate but not very precise. Although they are perfect for frequent nitrite and nitrate checks, if your ultimate goal is sensitive bee shrimp that require specific GH, KH, and pH, you should look for a more precise method of measuring those values.
I need new strips, so I may be giving the Sera brand a trial run. I have their nitrate test kit, which is a thing of beauty compared to API's.
Yes, you will want a TDS meter. I have the Hanna Primo 2, no complaints.

When I got home from work today, I found two Eheim heaters and a box of Aquaclear sponges at the front door. They look like they were mine, but I don't know how they got into the living room.

If the test kit is a few years old and is giving you inconsistent results, it is time for a new one. Word on the street is not to trust the API liquid kits after two years post manufacture.
I actually like test strips, but I am in the minority. I have been using Tetra multistrips for the last few years, paired with an in-tank ammonia monitor made by Seachem. I would say that they are accurate but not very precise. Although they are perfect for frequent nitrite and nitrate checks, if your ultimate goal is sensitive bee shrimp that require specific GH, KH, and pH, you should look for a more precise method of measuring those values.
I need new strips, so I may be giving the Sera brand a trial run. I have their nitrate test kit, which is a thing of beauty compared to API's.
Yes, you will want a TDS meter. I have the Hanna Primo 2, no complaints.

If the test kit is a few years old and is giving you inconsistent results, it is time for a new one. Word on the street is not to trust the API liquid kits after two years post manufacture.
I actually like test strips, but I am in the minority. I have been using Tetra multistrips for the last few years, paired with an in-tank ammonia monitor made by Seachem. I would say that they are accurate but not very precise. Although they are perfect for frequent nitrite and nitrate checks, if your ultimate goal is sensitive bee shrimp that require specific GH, KH, and pH, you should look for a more precise method of measuring those values.
I need new strips, so I may be giving the Sera brand a trial run. I have their nitrate test kit, which is a thing of beauty compared to API's.
Yes, you will want a TDS meter. I have the Hanna Primo 2, no complaints.

I had something similar, and once it buried into the substrate, it was game over. As far as I could tell, it did not smell and was unlikely to be cladophora, but who knows what it really was. I hope it didn't just invade my current tank, because I know of nothing that works short of breaking down the tank and throwing out everything in it.
Best of luck!

I was wondering if there was a connection

I think it's more a matter of whether you want a big white rock in your tank. The greater surface area of the bits of crushed coral also means that you should need less to achieve the same effect.
Now, me, I dump crushed coral over the substrate, and when that doesn't cut it, I get out the potassium bicarbonate and calcium hydroxide and pretend I'm a mad scientist.

I'm going to go for some blue bodied red rilis which I know aren't expensive compared to like, pintos or something, but are a pretty big investment for me.  The Hawkeye Project is going to be about attempting to balance the blue in the body with the red of the shell to get purple/purplish shrimps.  Named for the very purple Hawkeyes of Marvel comics.

I saw them dancing yesterday, and today I saw two berried shrimp!

You could market the offspring as super hardy.

Those moss balls are terribly cute!! And the shrimp are gorgeous.
I also tuck heaters in a corner behind an HMF, and my experience has been that they are quite capable of doing their job from there once they bring the tank up to temp. That initial temperature rise did take three days, but now it holds steady.

Half the fun was seeing what popped out for color. I got everything from clear to purple.