Whether you have just started breeding CRS AKA Crystal red shrimp or have been keeping them for quite some time you will know by now that water parameters are critical to their survival.
Although they may survive in a variety of conditions there is a big difference between surviving and thriving – Master consistent ideal Water Parameters and they will be breeding like crazy which can be rewarding financially if you play your cards right.
Depending where on the web you go you will hear a variety of opinions as to what are the ideal water parameters for breeding CRS as hobbyists and breeders around the globe all have different water conditions.
Although people will tell you it’s critical that you run your water through a Reverse Osmosis Filtration system before using the water in your tank I can assure you I know many successful breeders who are using straight tap water which they are de chlorinating themselves.
If you decide to go down the route be mindful that if by chance you have a burst water main down the street you may end up randomly using contaminated water in your tank and potentially lose all of your shrimp. In my opinion if you’re serious about breeding and keeping shrimp you should invest $200 in getting yourself a RO machine.
OK now down to the granular water parameters of crystal red shrimp.
I personally have had the most success with the following.
TDS – 100 – 120
PH – 5.5 – 6.5
Temp 23- 24 degrees
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
That being said consistency is really the key here – When I first got into shrimp Keeping I purchased a tank that had a TDS of 250 – 300 which was loaded with Crystal Red Shrimp and they were breeding just fine. This tank was also running on tap water and they were only fed spinach tabs.
Beyond Ideal water Parameters for breeding crystal red shrimp you really need to do your research on maintaining these parameters which is a learning curve in itself. I personally recommend you start less sensitive breeds of shrimp such as low grade CRS or CBS until you can confidently say that you can manage your water parameters.
One thing that caught me out when I was first starting out was the lack of water changes – Personally I have had the most success with doing a 10% water change every 7 Days like clock work and last but not least make sure you top up your water at least once a week as it will evaporate.
