What ferts are safe for planted tanks that have shrimp

[getafix]

What type of ferts can you use around cherry shrimp or any shrimp for that matter? are there any safe one's?
I have a 33G planted tank and some of the plants look like they need a good dose of something.
I'm thinking of using seachen's Flouris Excel? it's carbon for the plants since I don't have any CO2 being pumped into the tank, I find it changes the PH too much.
anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

Getafix

[Michael L.]

Seachem makes the best stuff as far as I know. Most of them are relatively low in copper, with the added bonus of inexpensive pricing.

I have no problems keeping snails in water full of Seachem Flourish, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Excel, and I will be able to verify the shrimps in a short amount of time (I just got my RC shrimp today).

[TKD]

None in the long run.

TKD

[Fugu]

most of the sechem stuff is okay for a while.How old is your tank?

[AccidentalAquarist]

I use kents freshwater plant and pro plant to start a new tank
but use my fish and shrimp to do the fertilizing after it's established
In my opinion regular water changes (If using tap water) provide the minerals, and trace elements needed

[TKD]

I use kents freshwater plant and pro plant to start a new tank
but use my fish and shrimp to do the fertilizing after it's established
In my opinion regular water changes (If using tap water) provide the minerals, and trace elements needed

TKD

[Mat]

^ Ha ha TKD approved ;o)

[getafix]

The tanks about 5 years old, the substrate is composed of 1" of Kitty Kat cat litter ( I searched for an alternative for florite and laterite and found an article on the krib about a chemist who tested different types of cat litter and other alternative and found that cat little that was made from clay was a good alternative but that another story) then there's another 1 1/2" of gravel on top.
I'm using 2 filter right now because I'm trying to seed the new Ehiem Ecco 2234 that I just bought with bacteria, (best thing I ever bought)
Water changes about once a every other week or when the PH drops.....can't seem to get it stable it keeps dropping to 6. tap water is at 7.2 7.4.
tank mates are as followed 6 neon tetra's, 4 Sepra Terta, 4 white clouds 1 cory, 4 to 10 cherry shrimp and ghost shrimp, snails (healthy population)
here's a side pic of it.
I'm thinking it might be time to change the gravel since the PH keeps changing on me...........

[AccidentalAquarist]

Not a huge bioload for that tank, so I can understand the request for ferts. But I still prefer to shy away from them
Your original comment about not having CO2, might be the limiting factor for the plants. But I wouldn't add CO2 (in any form) until your pH swing is rectified.

Couple of questions for you.
How big of water changes are you doing?
How rapidly does your pH drop after a water change?
Do you have anything like peatmoss in there?

If you haven't tried it already. Add some crush coral to your substrate and/or filter, should raise the the pH and buffer the water against swings. Not to mention the shrimp always appreciate the extra calcium :D . If it works then you won't have to replace the substrate, which is a real P.I.T.A.

Then once you have the tank sufficiently buffered, Add some Excel, see if the plants respond and if they do, set up a CO2 system or keep using the Excel, neither should affect the pH once it is well buffered.

[getafix]

I'm using crushed oyster shells right now and it raised the PH quite fast, I had to take them out of the filter because of that. it went from 6.3 to 7.4 in 2 days so I'm monitoring the PH a little more closely now.
I usually change about 25% of the water when I do water change and I use Seachems Am Guard since it doesn't seem to change the PH like prime does.

[Jacques]

I agree with Sojourn, that you should try to stabilize the pH as well as you can, before you add more ingredients to the "cake mix".

Oyster shells are quite a bit softer, hence faster dissolving in water, than coral. So either try a much smaller amount of oyster shell in the filter, or go to coral.

Does your gravel have any shell fragments? A lot of natural gravels do, and that gives them buffering capacity. Just a thought, in case you ever do change out your substrate.

As for Am Guard, I don't have any experience with it, so I can't comment on its possible effect on pH. I don't use Prime either, except for special circumstances, like dealing with ammonia spikes. I just use a plain de-chlorinator and de-chloraminator (ChlorExchange, at one drop per gallon), because I don't want to add anything that's not necessary. It doesn't change my tank pH.

[getafix]

Thanks for the info guys I'll try to find some crushed coral and use that instead of crushed oyster shells. I was trying to find come coral in the beginning of all this but couldn't find any that was in a small amount, most shops want to sell you a big bag of the stuff. anyone know where you can find crushed coral in bulk?

Thanks again for you advice much appreciated:wave:

[Sneaky]

I just wanted to mention, I actually do fertilize all
my tanks, including the ones with shrimp, and I use
a locally made fert called "Aquarium Plant Food" by
Aquarium Stuff Co, out of Burnaby.
I dose Flourish Excel once monthly, the locally made
one once weekly, and twice a year I bury
Jobes Plant Spikes for House Plants and Lush Palms
under the gravel around the root feeding plants.
Ive had no issues with this and my shrimp so far,
Ive had my Singapore Wood Shrimp for about 5 years
now, and ghost shrimp for about a year, with no issues.
So far my cherrys are also doing very well with no issues.

I use Prime for water conditioner, its the best out there.