# new soil I used for my shrimp tank



## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

I just wanted to update on my newly setup 10 gallon shrimp tank. 
I had shut everything down as I moved to another town, so once I got settled in 
I went ahead and setup up this tank specifically for my shrimps.

I picked a 10 gallon because it fits on my unit along with my 20 gallon long.
Decided I didn't want any of the bee soil on the market, just going with inert clay substrate.
Usually I use Shultz's Aquasoil/Turface for this, but couldn't get it in the Fall so I had to go with another type. 
Picked up Microbe-lift CAPM at Holland Park Garden Centre in Burlington. Price was $22.99 for 10lb bag

This soil is used for Aquatic Plants in Ponds and contains Beneficial Live Bacteria lots of nutrients and also 
retains oxygen and doesn't break down or float and doesn't cloud the water...has neutral PH.

Now the tap water in my city is 8.4  so I wasn't sure how I was going to get it down low enough for my Taitibees/TBs 
I didn't use RO water at first just straight tap....added lots of leaves, cholla wood, driftwood and mosses and 
a couple of seeded sponges from my old tank (I always keep a few in the tank for later use) 
I tested the water every day, and by day 14 the PH was at 7 and my ammonia was very little, but still not cycled.

By the time day 21 came around I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5ppm nitrates (needed for the tank to be cycled) and PH 
was still around 7. Time to change out the tap for RO water. After I added the RO my PH dropped down to 6.5. 
I added my pinto mischlings and then went out and bought some more from Shrimpfever. 
That was last week and as of today all are happily munching away on the leaves and one of my snow white bees 
is berried (hopefully to one of my Pinto Mischlings)

Here's a couple of pics of my mixed bag of shrimps.


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## sathy83 (Feb 22, 2013)

Any reason behind your decision of not going for standard substrate?



bettaforu said:


> Now the tap water in my city is 8.4  so I wasn't sure how I was going to get it down low enough for my Taitibees/TBs
> I didn't use RO water at first just straight tap....added lots of leaves, cholla wood, driftwood and mosses and
> a couple of seeded sponges from my old tank (I always keep a few in the tank for later use)
> I tested the water every day, and by day 14 the PH was at 7 and my ammonia was very little, but still not cycled.
> ...


 Good params for sulawesi setup


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

Yes I had problems with Bee soil leeching nasty stuff after 10 months (leading to the deaths of my shrimps) so I didn't want to go back to that again.
I decided to go back to inert substrate like clay, and use peat moss to drop the PH naturally. I didn't need to add the peat moss as the soil did it over 3 weeks.

I had used clay before with great success so when I setup my new tank at my
new location, I purchased this Aquatic Media instead to try it out....so far all 
the shrimps are happy as can be and molting/breeding has begun


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## Bwhiskered (Oct 2, 2008)

Good information. I have had tanks wipe out after doing excellent for nearly a year.


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## Tamtep (Jun 20, 2013)

Very nice shrimps and setup!! 
I though you were going to get Ada soil...


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

Hi Q, I was originally going to just have a plant tank with no shrimps, so I bought this Microbe-lift CAPM for my 20 gallon long plant tank. However, over the month of Dec I couldn't get a 20 gallon tank (Big Als was sold out) so I decided to setup a 10 gallon and as I didn't have any other substrate I used this media for it. 

Once it was cycled it looked nice and the PH was ideal for the shrimps so I dropped in my remaining 2 Pinto Mischlings to see how they would like it. They immediately started coming out more, eating better, so I added a few CRS/snow white bees to keep them company. 

They have molted already and one of my snows is berried, so they obviously like the tank. Ive since added a few BKK and Pinto Mischlings to add to the mix. 

Not looking to breed anything particular just a mix of Taitibees to see what comes out.


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