# Shrimp breeders...Free if you pay shipping...



## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

I have a bag of Fluval Shrimp substrate that I will give to whomever wants it if they will pay for the shipping.
I got it because I was designing a filter that needed media which has just a bit heavier than neutral buoyancy and no bio-balls won't work due to
their large size...needs to be 3/8" or smaller but not less than 1/4" and consistent in size. That was the problem I found with this substrate. It's
multi-sized from sand grain size to about 3/16". The filter "borrowed" the bio-wheel concept and used these bio units in a colume of water which is 
aerated and would circulate the bio-media up the colume, down around the outside of it back to the bottom. It won't work if the individual
pieces are not uniform in size and this substrate is not. But I presume it would be great for what it was designed for which is to let fry shrimp
easily dig into it to hide. If a person had a shrimp breeding tank the 4.4 lbs would be enough for a 5.5 gal tank, maybe a 10.
Due to it's neutral (almost) buoyancy it's a mystery as to how you are supposed to clean it. Perhaps one of those gravel vacs which has the sock
on the side into which the water flows to strain whatever goes into the sock...I think you know the one I'm talking about.
Anyway it's yours if you want to pay the shipping on it. I'm going to the post office today and will inquire as to how much that would be.
It was only about $8 from I think Petsmountain so I'm not going to cry over it but it would be nice if you paid the shipping.
Says on the bag..."for freshwater only"...


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## Mr_Pat (Apr 13, 2010)

interested.. I wanna redo my cherry tank


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

I don't know why I'm not getting e-mails of these things...was said to be under investigation but anyway This material is small grains of some kind of
material(By Fluval so you can look at it here. this is a 8.8lb bag the one I have is 4.4lbs)which they say is easy for the baby shrimp to bury themselves in to hide.
Fluval Shrimp Stratum - 8.8 lb: Compare Prices, View Price History and Read Reviews at Nextag
If you have a 40 gallon this if used at 1" depth would only cover an aria of about 10"x10" so putting some kind of barrier across a corner would work to 
contain it I suppose. It's light in weight (compared to gravel) so I think it actually would be easy for them to bury in. Just don't know if that is normal
behavior for them. The grains are a dark brown so if they get scattered it don't seem as though they would distract for anything.
I'll see about getting it in a box and checking the P.O. for a price to ship it. Need the zip code for the price from the P.O.


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## Mr_Pat (Apr 13, 2010)

48180


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Tuesday...worked 12 hr last night and again tonight but will check on Wed. ...will need sleep that day also but can be spared a bit as I don't return to
work till fri night after tonight. Bought a couple of things lately on the rush that turned out to not be what I wanted/needed. But why buy one portion
of "micro worms" from two sellers on e-bay at the same time when you don't know if it's what you want ? Oh well bet I think the next one over better.
Since I can't seem to be able to find a seller of "tubiflex worms(live) I may see about raising them to sell. Actually found a source but they are very high
as they seem mostly to deal/w labs and schools but do have freshwater native fish Darters/Banded Pigmy sunfish/ regular sunfish etc
Will get back on Wed. A.M.


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## Mr_Pat (Apr 13, 2010)

no worries.. I know the feeling on lack of sleep.... I tend to go to bed between 3 am and 5 am .. and typically get woke up by one of our 2 little ones between 8 and 10...


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Up-date: U.S.P.S. wants...Priority $15 regular $10...don't remember what company Petsmountain used but think it was U.P.S.
Actually I don't remember which of Petsmountain/Petsmart/Petco that I bought it from as it has been deleted from whomever's site but possibly could search account records.
Not worth the effort but I will check/w U.P.S. tomorrow A.M. to see what they come up/w as a price. I really don't think I would have bought it had the shipping been
as high as U.S.P.S. wants and also think that U.P.S. is regular carrier for above mentioned sellers. Bought the live fish you see on this page of this site and it was
shipped U.S.P.S. but that was expected on live shipping.
Fresh Water Vertebrates at Sachs Systems Aquaculture
Actually that fish or either of his cousins on the same page would go nice/w the shrimp and since native to the U.S. are much better at adapting to a wide range
of water perameters. They seldom exceed 1.25" and are actually shy/secretive. Have not gotten them to eat flake but do eat frozen bloodworms.
Will be back tomorrow morning.


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## Mr_Pat (Apr 13, 2010)

check the rates with flat rate box maybe.. I dont remember the rates off the top of my head but I use flat rate boxes whenever possible. if it fits it ships LOL. it's amazing how much you can pack into some of those boxes.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

I placed it in a U.S.P.S. box which I had received a shipment in thinking it would be appropriate but that resulted in a $14.?? amount. When I asked
about a more inexpensive way to ship it they said "we" could put it in a box not marked "priority" and then the price would be $10.??.
The box I used was 7"x7"x6.5"tall. But I will check, when I go to the U.P.S. later today I will also pass by the P.O. again after the ups stop.
I do believe it's the 4.4lbs but that may not effect the flat rate in a smaller box. When I was there a couple of days before on other business
I thought to ask before I knew the zip code and the flat rate box which is 10x10x9 is $12.?? Didn't ask about a smaller one though.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Well I guess I played all the cards in this hand for nothing. U.P.S. wants more than U.S.P.S. and the smaller flat rate box at usps seems too small.
It's just the size of a book(I'm thinking it's calculated that way so most things need the $12 box) at about 6"x8" x1". If that was corn flakes it wouldn't
be two bowls full. I guess it's in the "better luck next time" category. Also guess the company I got it from gets corporate rates cause at about $8
for the substrate plus shipping it was about $14 I believe.
My best guess...if you do get some of this, say from one of the stores on the link I gave you and you find you actually do like the way it works
for the tank, then it might be cost effective to spend the $11 for the shipping but remember this is marked 4.4 lbs and that on the site is 8.8 lbs
The ups people told me that my package weighed 3.8 lbs though(and they wanted $16.?? to ship it LOL). I ran a 5 lb bag of gravel through the
checkout on one of those sites and they wanted $8.81 for shipping(the one called Big Al's) and if this is 8.8 lbs on there it might be real high to ship.
I know a pet shop like Petco won't order it but a "mom and pop" might and you could avoid the shipping that way but who knows the cost they will
ask for the stratum.
Trying to be helpful here but just won't work very well for me on this item...sorry.
The shelf for the computer parts is full and now the shelf for the aquarium parts is starting to be also...


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## Mr_Pat (Apr 13, 2010)

mehh no worries you may find someone local who needs it. I'm just not sure about paying that much for a substrate I havent seen or experienced first hand..


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

That's what I thought and if you get any of it from a dealer and find you like it, I'll likely still have this. Actually I think the original place(?) that I bought it stopped selling it because of the cost/ lack of sales of for that reason.
The idea was for me and someone to break even...looks like that hand of cards fell apart because of the shipping cost.
If you breed the RCS sooner or later you'll get color mutations like I have in the past. Spices things up a bit. And it carries on through.
Interesting seeing a RCS swimming around looking like someone painted a ghost shrimp. Some variations of course but some are mostly clear
but have a thin red ling at the front of each scale...the wrap around the body scales I mean...looks like a tiger but clear and red instead
of yellow and black. Good luck on the breeding...


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