Glossar

A thin, microbial mat that grows on every wet surface in a mature aquarium. It's the primary food source for shrimp fry — establishing it is why patient cycling matters more than 'ideal' parameters.

General Hardness — the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions in the water. Reported in °dGH (German degrees) or ppm. Shrimp need GH for shell-building; 4–8 °dGH is the typical target for soft-water species.

Carbonate Hardness — buffering capacity of the water, dominated by carbonate and bicarbonate ions. Higher KH resists pH swings; soft-water Caridina lines actively want KH near 0–2 °dKH so active substrates can hold pH down.

Shrimp shed their exoskeleton periodically to grow. After a molt they're soft and vulnerable for several hours. Sudden parameter shifts (especially GH/TDS) trigger the 'white ring of death' — a stuck molt — which is usually fatal.

The practice of starting from RO/DI (zero-mineral) water and adding a precise mineral blend to hit a target GH/KH/TDS. Gives the keeper full control over water chemistry — essential for Caridina lines that need stable, soft water.

Total Dissolved Solids — a rough measurement of all minerals, salts, and other dissolved substances in the water (typically reported in ppm). For shrimp keeping it's the easiest single number to track when remineralizing RO/DI water.