Potash kills shrimp?

halak · Post by **halak** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:12 pm

So, I added less than a handful of potash to my canister that's on a 20G shrimp only tank. I also added some new balls for biological filtration. A few hours after I hooked up and started the filter, all the shrimp (cherry) were dead. Was it a potash overdose that killed them?

Ghazanfar Ghori · Post by **Ghazanfar Ghori** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:11 am

Handful?! Thats a LOT. Id say it would be the potash.

Cristy Keister · Post by **Cristy Keister** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:58 pm

I recently setup a mineralized soil tank (that includes potash). After a week I put in 8 blue shrimp and 6 were dead within the hour, 2 still survive. Has anyone else tried shrimp in a soil tank? Any problems with fish?

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:29 pm

I keep shrimp in many soil tanks.

Viktor, a handful of potash is way too much for a 20 gallon. It doesn't dissolve slowly. It all goes into solution in a filter. I know you added "less than a handful" but I take less than a handful and split it between the 75's and the 65 when I am tossing some in the sumps.

Cristy Keister · Post by **Cristy Keister** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 3:32 pm

I don't know how much I put in the soil. Maybe 3 handfuls to make it look like the photo in the mineralized substrate article. 30g tank. So how long is my tank doomed to kill shrimp do you think?

halak · Post by **halak** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 3:33 pm

Thanks for the replies. I know what not to do again.

Cristy,

My experience is that in a newly set-up soil tank shrimp don't survive in the first six months.

halak · Post by **halak** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:17 pm

Due to the potash overdose, I have inadvertently discovered probably the best snail killer. It's cheap, and also plant and fish friendly. Just add about one handful of potash per 30 gallons of water, and all the snails will die within a matter of hours. It also works on shrimp if that's what you don't want in your tank.

copyright pending

Rick Dotson · Post by **Rick Dotson** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:53 pm

I am always looking for new ways to kill snails!

marydotson · Post by **marydotson** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 9:12 am

Oh, dear husband...

AFIK, potash is an extreme caustic. In colonial times, they'd strain water through potash to make lye.

I think in large quantities, it would throw your tank ph into some interesting conip fits.

Of course, that might be what you want.

Just don't get any thoughts about my tank, Rick...

ddavila06 · Post by **ddavila06** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:11 am

i know this is an old thread so i wanted to check in. were you able to add shrimp again Viktor? or anyone else who uses potash in their tanks??
i dont have mineralised soil but i add the extra ingredients to my mixes and i lost a ton of shrimp, virtually within hours of putting them in the tank... so i want to know if the tank will ever be good for shrimp as it is...

would really suck having to tear it apart as it is...

Potash kills shrimp?

Potash kills shrimp?

Sponsors