What Type of RO Replenishing Salt Do You Prefer?

[Shrimpy Daddy]

Hi all,

 

As some of you may know, I have developed DIY RO replenishing salts for shrimps and have been sharing with the shrimp keeping community. Currently, I have many different types of formula even for a single breed of shrimps. The formula I have been sharing are based on my knowledge that balanced between usability (I have many tanks and this is a very important aspect for me) and what are best for shrimps.

 

In order to hasten and simplified my future research, I would like to hear the voice from everyone on the type of salts they would prefer. So that I can concentrate on specific salt type or dosing method, instead of creating multiple versions.

 

Please select from the poll and if possible, please post out what shrimp you keep and the type of parameters you prefer, such is mild acidic with zero KH, slight alkaline with 2 dKH, very acidic with zero KH, etc.

 

Thanks.

Shrimpy Daddy

[Sbarbee54]

I don't know many people that use multiple bottles in the us.... I keep the following

Crs

CBS

Snow whites

Mischlings

Prl of 4 types

Pbl of 4 types

Tb

All are keep it this Amazonia substrate or drl Akadama with some lava rock mixed in. I use ro remineralized with nutrafin African cicilid conditioner, and will use mk breed when I am out of my supply of nutrafin. My water conditions are 5.6-5.8 gh 5 kh0 tds 155-175 temp 69-72

Neos

Velvets

Bloody Mary's

Pumpkins

Fire yellows

Carbon rilli

Orange rilli

These are kept in floral max substrate or eccocomplete. I kept them in pool filter sand for a long time before is switched over. All are kept in my tap remineralized as my tap comes out 7 gh1 kh0 tds 26-36. I use salty shrimp gh plus to remineralize and also use crushed coral in the tanks. Final ph is 7-7.4 gh 6-7 kh 1-2 tds 225-275

Tigers

Oebt

Btoe

Royal blue tigers

Red tigers

All kept exactly like the neos with the same conditions and remineralizer

[Doc4PC2]

I use the Bee Salty Shrimp GH+ minerals with RO Water to get a (TDS of about 135 to 150), but my (PH is a lot lower at 6.4) with

a (0 KH), and a (GH of 6), (Temp at 72).

 

I haven't really tried any other mineral formulas, as everyone recommended the Salty Shrimp GH+ over the Fluval Shrimp liquid supplement mineral formula.

I would say, 98% of the people I talked to recommended the Salty Shrimp GH+ over anything else, so that has been what I have stayed with.

 

I keep, Tigers, Oebt, CRS, CBS, (TB's, BV, BB, KK, WR), and Royal Blue Tigers

[Shrimpy Daddy]

I use the Bee Salty Shrimp GH+ minerals with RO Water to get a (TDS of about 135 to 150), but my (PH is a lot lower at 6.4) with

a (0 KH), and a (GH of 6), (Temp at 72).

 

I haven't really tried any other mineral formulas, as everyone recommended the Salty Shrimp GH+ over the Fluval Shrimp liquid supplement mineral formula.

I would say, 98% of the people I talked to recommended the Salty Shrimp GH+ over anything else, so that has been what I have stayed with.

 

I keep, Tigers, Oebt, CRS, CBS, (TB's, BV, BB, KK, WR), and Royal Blue Tigers

 

Just a couple of curious questions about your experience with salty shrimp.

 

Do you dose based on the spoon they provided or using a weighing machine?

 

Do you find it troublesome to get the right dosage?

[Sbarbee54]

Doc4pc2. There you go again this quote is wrong:

I keep, Tigers, Oebt, CRS, CBS, (TB's, BV, BB, KK, WR), and Royal Blue Tigers

There is no BV tb I know of or have ever heard of. You are confusing blue velvets neos as tb.

This makes me wonder if you have all those shrimp or are just confused.

Hyushoku salty shrimp products are used a bunch because they are one of the first good products to come to the states. Most use the scoop but measure it by tds in the ro water they are putting it in.

[Shrimpy Daddy]

Doc4pc2. There you go again this quote is wrong:

I keep, Tigers, Oebt, CRS, CBS, (TB's, BV, BB, KK, WR), and Royal Blue Tigers

There is no BV tb I know of or have ever heard of. You are confusing blue velvets neos as tb.

This makes me wonder if you have all those shrimp or are just confused.

Hyushoku salty shrimp products are used a bunch because they are one of the first good products to come to the states. Most use the scoop but measure it by tds in the ro water they are putting it in.

 

I see. Thanks for the explanation.

 

I have another curious question, not sure you are the person to ask. Usually when performing dry dosing, the pH of the water will be very irregular for the first few hours, for the Salty Shrimp GH+, the pH may plunge down to pH 5+. Do you all prepare the water at least few hours upfront or just prepare it right before changing the water?

[Puddles]

I use Salty Shrimp GH+. I like it because it is simple. I keep neos, TBs, CBS/CRS, and mischlings. I use Amazonia soil to stabilize my pH and use the Salty Shrimp to generate 0kh and 5gh, which all my tanks are kept at. It is very clean to me TDS wise. As per your question about pH swings, I mix mine just a few moments prior to doing the water change and have never had a problem.

 

I would be interested in trying your replenishers in the future. While I like the simplicity of having only one bottle of replenisher, I am open to using multiple bottles if it will provide a better result. I have shied away from liquids in the past because I am under the impression that the liquids don't always give consistent results bottle to bottle. I have been using the same bottle of Salty for over a year now. I just use the scoop that came with the bottle, I do not weigh it out each time.

[Shrimpy Daddy]

I have shied away from liquids in the past because I am under the impression that the liquids don't always give consistent results bottle to bottle. I have been using the same bottle of Salty for over a year now. I just use the scoop that came with the bottle, I do not weigh it out each time.

 

Actually, liquid version is more consistent than powder. The calcium and/or magnesium salt used are highly hydroscopic. This is the reason why people live in humid area tends to have clumpy salt after opened for sometime. Once the salt absorb water, it's weight and size will increase.

 

Due to this, I personally find dry type very annoying. Or else, dry type will be the best as it does not contain chelating agent; most liquid version uses EDTA which may not degrade properly and it is not compatible in alkaline water. This is the reason why the formula I am currently sharing on the web is liquid version with zero chelating agent but it will have much shorter shelf-life (a few months still not that bad).

 

Powder type has another small problem. You can't mix micronutrients into them. Due to the amount is so tiny, it will not distribute evenly. It is not a major problem for commercial manufacturer, they just use impure salts that has everything in it (be it essential or not or, bioavailable or not).

[Doc4PC2]

Sbarbee54, I know Blue Velvets are not TB's. I was just saying what kinds of shrimp I keep.

I do keep TB's, but I have some Blue Velvets (neos) too. And yes, I have all of the shrimp that

I say I have. Not sure why you would question that? Although, I can be confused easily, as I am still learning.  lol

Take a look at my photo gallery.  All of my TB's, BV's, Tigers, Oebt's, I got from Eric, as well as my

SSS CBS. I got my CRS, and some Tigers from Will.

 

I use the Salty Shrimp GH+ by using a TDS meter. I don't go by using the measuring spoon. I go by the TDS meter.

I usually keep it around 130, as I know it will go up in the tank a little to be right around 140 to 150 TDS. Since I

use only RO water. I don't let it sit. I make sure the temp of the RO water is 72, same as my tank, and then I put

in the Salty Shrimp GH+, I mix the water, measure it with my TDS meter to 130 - 135, and put in in the tank.

Usually after, with Indian Almond Leaves, Mulberry Leaves, Malaysia drift wood, xmas moss in the tank, etc,

it stays fairly steady under 150 TDS. I don't let it get over 150 TDS. That is the advice I got from Will and Han.

[Sbarbee54]

I see. Thanks for the explanation.

 

I have another curious question, not sure you are the person to ask. Usually when performing dry dosing, the pH of the water will be very irregular for the first few hours, for the Salty Shrimp GH+, the pH may plunge down to pH 5+. Do you all prepare the water at least few hours upfront or just prepare it right before changing the water?

I am luck my water does not drop at all. My water is well aerated before I do water changes. For up to 3 days. I have no issues dosing powder, ss seems to dissolve quick

[High5's]

I use Mosura mineral plus on aged ro/di water I also add beneficial bacteria, food for bacteria and old sea mud to a TDS of 130. Gives me gh5 kh0-1 active substrate dose the rest buffers the water to ph 6.4.

[Duff0712]

If I used my tap water (ph7.6/tds50/kh3) would I just use a re-mineralization salt to get my TDS to the correct number (let say 150) and let Amazonia soil deal with the ph? Or would it be better to do ro/distilled water and remineralize it. I don't have the money for an ro unit so I'm hoping I can just add minerals to my tap

-Duffy

[Sbarbee54]

Go ro

[Pika]

Duffy, I think the KH might be the sticking point with your tap. If you're keeping KH sensitive species, you might find it more difficult, based on what I've read/heard. Most people like the RO/Remin for that. If you're doing Neos (sounds like not, with the Amazonia) I think you'd be just fine using your tap and adding a little bit of mineral.

[Shrimpy Daddy]

Hi Duffy,

Using tap water and remineralize to higher GH does work. However, there are two problems:

1. The substrate has low lifespan on removing majority of KH. If you ask the planted tank folks on how long before they can buffer the water to 4dKH, they will tell you within a month or two. Most of the shrimp tank's pH is buffer by the salt in water.

2. If you use tap water, how do you top off the evaporate water? If you use tap water, then after sometime, your tank water will accumulate too much salts, that were left behind after water evaporated.

[Duff0712]

Ok thanks guys. Sounds like ro is the best way (safest route at least). What is the ph of ro water by the way? Or does it vary?

-Duffy

[High5's]

Good ro/di water is neutral to near neutral ph and zero tds.

[Shrimpy Daddy]

RO or distilled water in the purest form have pH 7. However, since there are no buffer in it, it's pH is highly unstable. When CO2 dissolve in it, which mostly happen in our water, the pH can drop till 5.x.

[Duff0712]

That makes sense. Thanks for the info guys

-Duffy

[evodrgn]

Found this thread interesting so I'll chime in hehe. I use Shirakura Ca+ to remineralize my water.

 

I keep PRL, PBL, Mosura BB, BB, Dragon extreme Ruby, CRS, and Cherry shrimps. I'm not too good with powdered remineralizer so I just stick with liquid ones since I can just use a syringe to measure what I need to put into the water before doing water changes.

[OblongShrimp]

I am using Salty Shrimp.  I remineralize in a big 55gal drum and try to reach a TDS range that I know corresponds to the correct GH for the type of Salty Shrimp I am using.  I use the Bee Shrimp GH+, Shrimp Mineral GH/KH+, and Sulawesi Mineral 8.5.

[ctaylor3737]

I keep all my tanks in Salty Shrimp GH+ all same parameters. Only different one is cardinals. Saves on water and mixing lol. Them I use 8.5

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

Also a Bee Shrimp gH+ user. It's been good to me. I'm gearing up to try out your mix. [emoji16]

[Subtletanks91]

Is there a better re mineralized out there commercially than salty shrimp gh+

[Soothing Shrimp]

Personal opinions will vary.