[Johnny Max]

Shrimp are ordered and I can't find my hydrometer. I have a huge bag (some gone) of Instant Ocean Salt. It says use half cup salt per gallon. I guess that would be for a reef aquarium with a gravity of 1.020-1.025. So if I used half that would it put me in the ballpark?

[odin]

Yup that would be fine, just do 50%.

[opae ula related]

Sounds like you haven’t cycle your tank yet?

[Kivyee]

I just did the initial calculation and mixed enough salt by weight to get to 1.01SG, https://www.marinedepot.com/salt-mix-calculator
Marked a line on the tank and top off with distilled water every week or two.
It's been over a year and shrimps are constantly berried so they are pretty happy

[Kivyee]

And what opae ula related said - hopefully your shrimp are not arriving too soon - you need time for the tank to cycle and the biofilm/algae to grow so the upae ula have something to eat!

[Johnny Max]

I don't worry about cycling anymore. I just add the aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative bacteria which breakdown waste organics, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
I use "Seachem Stability." It is a tank stabilization system for newly setup marine aquariums. It establishes your bio-filter, or in my case the bacteria on my substrate. My tank is ready to go.

Oh, and Vorteil included some freeze dried spirulina as a started food.
Thanks for the concern.

[Johnny Max]

I just did the initial calculation and mixed enough salt by weight to get to 1.01SG, https://www.marinedepot.com/salt-mix-calculator
Marked a line on the tank and top off with distilled water every week or two.
It's been over a year and shrimps are constantly berried so they are pretty happy

Thanks, I mixed 1/2 cup per gallon.
I used the salt calculator. It said 0.18 lbs per gallon.
I will measure a 1/2 cup of salt and see how close I am.
Thanks.
I will adjust if I need to.

[Kivyee]

I don't worry about cycling anymore. I just add the aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative bacteria which breakdown waste organics, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

Well, the fish-in cycle process with stability involves multiple water changes, co-dosing with seachem prime and still takes 7 days...to be fair, the opae ula will produce much less waste so it shouldn't be as big of a production to get the cycle going, but just something to keep in mind - these products are not magic bullets that work instantly.

[Johnny Max]

Well, the fish-in cycle process with stability involves multiple water changes, co-dosing with seachem prime and still takes 7 days...to be fair, the opae ula will produce much less waste so it shouldn't be as big of a production to get the cycle going, but just something to keep in mind - these products are not magic bullets that work instantly.

It will be 7 days at least. I did add a pinch of food at the beginning to get it going too.

[odin]

What size is your tank? if its pretty big and you only have a few shrimp i woulnt worry too much, what sort of fresh water shrimp did you keep before?