(Part 2) Top products from r/shrimptank

I love the AquaClear filters. The 30 may be overkill on a 10G tank with just shrimp in it, but I sure don't see anything wrong with it. :) Their bioload will be pretty low, and you can always turn down the output if the flow is too much for them.

I'm not sure about the heater — I don't have any experience with the pre-set kind, and I'm not sure how accurately they're calibrated or anything. I always recommend Eheim Jager Trutemp heaters, though, and they're reasonably priced on Amazon if you're considering returning the one you have.

Plants! Plants are terrific, and they can be beautiful, too. :) The first thing you should do for plants is decide how much work you want to put into maintenance. If you want something that's pretty much set-it-and-forget-it, I'd go with root tabs for fertilizers or a dirt substrate capped with gravel. (There's a phenomenal book out there called Ecology of the Planted Aquarium by Dr. Diana Walstad that's really readable and full of great information on using dirt to provide nutrients for your plants.) Both of these methods are great for beginners, the lazy, and people who want to spend the majority of the time looking at their tanks instead of working on/in them. The root tabs aren't as messy initially, but the dirt doesn't need to be replaced. (You'd probably want to replace the root tabs every few months.) Next, join us in /r/PlantedTank. That sub is a terrific resource for planted tanks!

You can use either sand or gravel. I'd go with something black to make your cherries stand out better. There's black Flourite, black sand, black Eco Complete... I'm sure there are lots of options out there that I'm not familiar with, too. If you choose sand, make sure the bag isn't marked "not for use in aquariums" — a lot of that stuff will probably make a huge, cloudy mess in your tank.

For lights, I recommend Finnex LEDs if you decide to go the LED route. A FugeRay or FugeRay Planted+ would provide terrific light for a 10G tank. Current USA also makes a fixture (the Satellite+) that's totally customizable in really cool ways, but has a lower plant-useful light output than the FugeRay or Planted+. Personally, I think Marineland and Fluval lights are hella overpriced, but they're probably not bad lights. If LEDs aren't your bag, though, I'm a lot less helpful since I don't have any experience with using other types on tanks. :) Really, though, you can get away with some pretty cheap options, like a couple of desk lamps with CFLs in them if you want to!

Hope this helps!

I had to change the sponge filter to a smaller one that would fit in current filter repository, this one appears to be entirely plastic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KZJYC9G/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A7SIQ2Y2T11UM

My tank currently has frogbit, and duckweed... the growth is crazy on it but keeps the water very clean. Also have moss(s) and some anubas in this tank so it's pretty heavily planted.

The petri dish is a great tip, guessing glass ones are better than plastic so they sink? Any recommendations on places to pick a cheap/decent one from? Would think a nice expensive scientific dish would be a waste of money, and could be better spent on other items.

I have an API master test kit, but it doesnt have GH/KH testing capabilities. thinking i'll get cheap test strips to test my water from the faucet/current levels to know what i need to do. or are the electronic readers better?

Plenty of Oak trees near me, and i'll be sure to use the oak leaves as needed. Love using free things when i can lol. My fiance stocks our house with what seems to be great shrimp food as well, so that'll help the wallet.

1. Waterchanges are the best way to bring the TDS down. It‘s better to use remineralization salts than baking soda, because lots Baking soda will increase the Na^+ conzentration mlre than necessary.
   
   
2. Better than high light, CO₂ and good fertilization isn‘t possible.
   
   
3. Neither algae is eaten by shrimp.
   
   
4. Otocinclus are shrimplet-safe, everything else will snack on shrimplets.
   
   
5. Rotala rotundifolia and Didiplis diandra make nice bushes, for example. Other Hygrophila secies rather than water wisteria also make nice bushes. I love my Hygrophila pinnatifida.
   
   
6. Try r/aquaswap.
   
   
7. Bigger shrimp (except filter shrimp) will occasionally devour dwarf shrimps.
   
   
8. Microanthenum "Monte Calo", Sagittaria subulata and Staurigyne repens are among the easier carpet plants.
   
   
9. I‘m totally in love with Syngonanthus macrocaulon. They‘re very demanding plants that need soft water and acidic soils, though. Bucephalandra species are also all very pretty.
   
   

Thank you! I feed them tiny bit of flakes, but the whole tank loves the sinking pellet food from aquatic arts. I feel like it really has made both the shrimp and fish all healthy. Pretty good all in one food!! here’s a link if you’re interested

Hello there. Always fun setting up a new tank. My tips are:

3g is quite a small tank! Though as a simpler solution to your tank+light+filter problems perhaps a fluval spec 3 this is only 2.6g but an all-in-one design. If you can swing it, I recommend the 5 gallon option!


All you will need to do is slightly modify the filter intake to make it baby shrimp safe. This is done by placing some black filter sponge at the filter input.


Substrate wise: depends on the shrimp you want to keep. Simply put: basic gravel works with neos, buffered substrate (e.g. Amazonia, black earth, shrimpsand) for Caradinas


At your room temps I do not think a heater is necessary. And on this tank temperature topic, bigger tanks are better for stability.

Good luck

The Fluval Spec lll makes a great shrimp tank. I comes with everything you need(built in filter) except a heater, and you won't need a heater if your office temp is consistently 68-73f+. You will need to fill the very top of the filter compartment with floss to keep baby shrimp from getting sucked into the filter intake but floss is super cheap and the mod takes about 30sec.:) It's also a very nice looking tank and is super quiet. I have a number of Fluval tanks and am very happy with the quality.

Some stuff that I've learned from having a RCS tank:

• Seachem Iodide is good to have on hand, if you add two or three drops during water changes it helps the shrimp with their molts.
  
  
• Cholla wood also makes for a great biofilm accumulator/shrimp hidey hole.
  
  
• If you're going for a moss carpet, then you can pick up some window mesh at a Home Depot or something and then cut it to size and attach your moss to it. I used java moss and I didn't even have to tie it, I just put the mesh on top of the substrate, put the clump of moss that I ordered on top of the mesh, and weighed it down with a couple of rocks. It covers the entire area now!
  
  
• I don't have a sponge filter so I just covered the intake tube with panty hose, it keeps the shrimp from being sucked in and they like to graze on it since it accumulates stuff that's too big to go through the pantyhose and into the filter. So that's another option if you can't get a sponge filter for some reason.
  
  
• Most of the time they will just eat algae/biofilm/whatever from around the tank but you will need to supplement with something with a little more protein. Repashy Shrimp Souffle was reccomended to me and it's great, it's basically like shrimp jello and they are all over it like ants every time I drop some into the tank!
  
  Also, if you happen to live in the OKC area I can sell you some RCS, if you don't have any LFS that sell them and you don't want to risk shipping in the summer :)
  
  edit: grammar

I just treated one of my tanks for this -- I used fenbendazole powder for aquariums, bought off amazon. Its the active ingredient in many dog and cat dewormers.

I used 1/2 packet to dose 10 gallons, so split each packet accordingly - it doesnt have to be exact as its pretty harmless to fish and shrimp. Just get a little tank water in a small container like a clean pill bottle, sprinkle in the powder, and shake so it all dissolved, then pour it back into the tank. Repeat 48 hours later.

They will burrow into the substrate to try to avoid the medication, so the trick I used was to feed right before dosing the dewormer to coax them out of the substrate.

I didnt do a water change between, but you may want to in such a small tank since dead/dying planaria could cause an ammonia spike. It worked perfectly -- I havent seen a single worm since and didnt lose any shrimp, fish, or snails.

Honestly, one of the easier problems to tackle. :)

Hey all, I’m finally preparing to make the leap into shrimp keeping. I have a ~15 gallon tank (pictured above with water bottle for scale) with a sponge filter and I have a large piece of wood with Java ferns in another tank I’m going to move into it. I’m new to shrimp and planted tanks and am very excited, but in need of some advice as far as necessities.

I’m planning on getting the following:
-Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum (8.8 pound) substrate
-this LED Full Spectrum Light
-some java moss for ground cover

I have a couple questions as well:
-Are there any small snails y’all would recommend?
-What test kits would you recommend?
-Is RO/DI water necessary?

I’m looking forward to becoming a part of the community! Thanks for your help!

Gunna second the suggestion to look up the Walstad method.

The short version: it's a method of using potting soil topped with gravel, you overstuff the tank with plants and set it up with a light. I don't have a filter on mine, though I did plug one in for the first day or two of my tank to clear up the dirt and stuff floating after I set it up, it helped a lot, but I havent had one since then.

It's based on a book, it's a boring read but pretty informative on the whole theory: https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Practical-Scientific-ebook/dp/B00DB94K5I

​

This playlist is what inspired me to try it myself, and then I got the book to have on hand, a good watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2155euLw9DN6EU2zBTlDj8-q572aZv7w

​

No filter means no flow. Stagnant water gets nasty. A sponge filter also provides a massive amount of surface area for beneficial bacteria, which keeps the tank healthy and deals with the waste created by the shrimp.

You'll notice that the YouTube "no filter" setups have an absolutely enormous amount of plants. An Iwugami setup (the kind with hardscape and a carpet and not much else) will never work without filtration as there aren't enough plants to deal with the waste.

You can get very tiny sponge filters super cheap on Amazon. I'm hoping that jar holds at least two gallons- if so, this one will work great. Yes, I know it claims it's for 10 gallons but it's super tiny- I have one just like that which I used in a 2-gallon tank.

If it's less than two gallons...I wouldn't even try keeping shrimp in it, TBH.

You could try some crystal red shrimp. Since your tap water is soft, you might be able to use some shrimp stratum that will help lower your pH to a more comfortable level for them. Bees also like cooler water, try to keep it around 70-73F for best results. Personally, I use [salty shrimp bee mineral] (http://www.saltyshrimp.de/english/beesalt_bee_shrimp_mineral_gh_plus.html) to remineralize the RO water my LFS sells.

PS: Bonus Shrimp Parameter Page

I have the 60: https://www.amazon.com/AZOO-AZ13097-Mignon-Filter-60/dp/B005VEWCMO

The 150 is also good.

The only reason I went with the 60 is because it's very small, and there is little bioload in the tank it's on.

Sunsun makes smaller rated canisters but they are still bigger than a HOB. This is a small one https://www.amazon.com/TechnToy-HW-603B-3-Stage-External-Canister/dp/B00CC6SCJQ or https://www.amazon.com/SunSun-Hw302-264GPH-Canister-Filter/dp/B00MGX7JXA/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1469731069&sr=1-1&keywords=sunsun+canister+filter

Also like snowmunkey said, aquaclear HOB are also an excellent choice.

Also I recommend getting a 10g since they are probably cheaper and more stable since you have a larger volume of water. And stable water means a higher survival rate of your shrimp.

For example here:
10 Gallon tank for 14,99 http://www.petsmart.com/fish/supplies/aquariums-and-stands/aquariums/grreat-choice-10-gallon-glass-aquarium-2831264.html

A double sponge filter which is good for twice the aquarium volume (cleaner water double sponge is double bacteria). for 3,99
https://www.amazon.com/XY-2822-Double-Sponge-Filter-Aquarium/dp/B005VAFGKI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1478978662&sr=8-5&keywords=sponge+filter

An air pump for 5,59
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YJ4N6/ref=pd_sim_199_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CWY7AKPMJBQJY3AXT7X2

25 feet tubing 3.23
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002563MW/ref=pd_sim_199_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CWY7AKPMJBQJY3AXT7X2

14,49 for a heater
https://www.amazon.com/Submersible-Aquarium-Heater-Freshwater-Saltwater/dp/B017UK0ZUW/ref=sr_1_25?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1478978931&sr=1-25-spons&keywords=10+g+heater&psc=1

That's twice the size for 42,40. You will only need to buy a light and those can be as cheap or expensive as you want but this not required and purely aesthetic again.

This one? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CC6SCJQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MLYjzbTJ3RE5Y

If not, can you link me the correct one?

What's the best solution for protecting the shrimp from getting stuck in the filter?

Would seachem equilibrium be good? Is there any specific remineralizer you recommend?

https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116044301-Equilibrium-600gram/dp/B0006JLVX0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1509904180&sr=1-1&keywords=seachem+equilibrium

Hello I was having the same issues as you in which my water had a low tds (around 40) and high phosphates so I decided to get an ro unit without the di and I am pretty satisfied. [I went with the ro buddie that gets sold on Amazon for about 55 bucks and it's quite cheaper today.] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DOG63OY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zAfmzb2AQ0QVQ) I personally prefer this one because I only need ro water every 2 weeks for water changes on my 10 and 20 gallon shrimp tanks so in total only need about 3-4 gallons every 2 weeks. My ro water comes out at a tds of 3 ppm with the ro buddie but if you want it to come out at zero, you can also purchase the di part as well.

It's a 3 gallon acrylic tank in the shape of a cylinder. Here's a link to it on Amazon. It's the biggest tank I could fit on my desk, and I bought it just for this purpose (shrimp). I figured the cylinder shape would work well since I could get more gallons without taking actual desk space.

I also grabbed this filter for it. The only thing I didn't consider was the lighting, as my other tanks both have upgraded lighting. What about some in-tank LEDs? How many watts per gallon with LEDs?

This one is a little too huge for my tank (I have this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/fish/fish-aquariums-kits/aquariums-up-to-ten-gallons/imagitarium-pro-delux-freshwater-aquarium ). I think I am going to try out this aquatop filter instead: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HYEO8H6/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Thank you so much for the advice!

Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum, 8.8-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JMABYUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qudACbR35MDM5

Works great for this nano planted tank setup.

All your perimeters right(ph, gh/kh)? I had a really hard time keeping shrimp in my old 5g, my colony would never get above 15 and would dip to 6 sometimes. I was using plain gravel and hard tap water. PH was a little high, gh/kh were unbalanced.

I Swapped out to a new tank with fluval stratum (soil, buffers the PH), remineralizing RO (filtered) water, and now my shrimp breed like crazy.

Also, with a beta you would want to make sure there are moss/plants and other places for the shrimp to hide out (ceramic tubes maybe)

Whelp, from one newer shrimp keeper to another I hope this helps you out.

I recommend this one make sure you get the large version that has the double sponges. Then you just connect an air pump with some airline tubing

Ah, it's actually a little more than $50.

https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Reverse-Osmosis-50-Gallon/dp/B00DOG63OY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480457897&sr=8-1&keywords=ro+buddie

This is a common one saltwater people like to buy. That's the cheapest one I know of that people recommend a lot. (I don't have this one.)

Keep in mind that you can drink RO water as well, and many people buy RO water systems not for fish but for drinking.

In my opinion, sponge filters are the best shrimp tank filters. No possibility of sucking your shrimp in, and the shrimp can feed on the sponge.

I use one of these for my 5 gallon tank.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TAQ4OI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

What i used, worked quick and easy.

Something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HZLUGSI/ref=pd_aw_sim_199_0_2975478011_1?

This is the filter I always recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/KollerCraft-Aquarium-Mini-Internal-Filter/dp/B00176GKM8

I use this on my 3-gallon shrimp tank and a 5-gallon betta tank I just finished for my future FIL.

https://www.amazon.com/Xenvo-iPhone-Camera-Lens-Clip/dp/B01A6D2JVI


Comes with a wide angle lens as well!

Sure it's this lens on amazon attached to my phone camera ( Samsung S8+).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HYEO8H6/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523830934&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=aquatop+cf+10

It's this one! You might be able to get it a bit cheaper at your LFS though.

I use this one.

A TDS meter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002T6L5M/

Amazon?

Salty shrimp isn't actually salt, it's a remineralizer for ro/di water for freshwater shrimp or other sensitive species

saltwater mix

This stuff

Salty Shrimp Mineral GH/KH+ 85g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HZLWGY0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_N3ZOyb3X0ZCMF

Is this substrate good? https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Plant-Shrimp-Stratum-17-6-Pound/dp/B00JMA9S52

It’s actually just my iPhone 8+ with this clip on macro lens !

Here is the mobile version of your link

I use these: Aquatic Arts Pellets
I purchased them on December 6th, 2017 and I have barely made a dent in them. They should last you a long time. The algae wafers I use are Hikari.

https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Reverse-Osmosis-50-Gallon/dp/B00DOG63OY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500572872&sr=8-1&keywords=RO+buddie

Yeah, I'm using Fluval substrate for my 10 gallon. My tank itself should be fine since I bought it new and I've never medicated it. I think it's something wrong with my tap water

Ugh I am dealing with the same problem! Someone recommended this product to me so I am going to give it a try. There are videos on youtube explaining how to use it.


Panacur C Canine Dewormer (fenbendazole), 1 gram https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00028ZLD6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Qh2WDbPRGXS7P

>TDS: ppm or µS/cm or something else? The deaths/overfeeding release more ions than just ammonia, and in small tanks that makes an notable impact on the TDS. I guess that‘s where it comes from.

ppm - we have this tester, which is pretty awesome to have around. :)

>The deaths/overfeeding release more ions than just ammonia, and in small tanks that makes an notable impact on the TDS. I guess that‘s where it comes from.

I'm guessing it's the deaths then, although I don't know why I'm still getting 1-2 die-offs every day or two still. I'm clearing the bodies immediately, water changing as it happens, etc - but it keeps going up.

>Do you have pictures?

Of the shrimp with the fuzz on their nose, or the dead ones? I went looking for fuzzy-nosed shrimp today and couldn't really find any, so I'm guessing that maybe it was just sand that got kicked up during the water change that might've fallen off maybe?

>Another guess would be that in the tank the substrate turned anaerobic, but never had enough resources to make problems, but that could have changed the moment the tank was overfeeded, so dies the tank shows signs of being to anaerobic, like having bad-smelling H₂S bubbles rising from the substrate or a foul smelling substrate?

I'm not seeing or smelling any - I am familiar with anaerobic conditions in tanks as I've got 15 cories between two other tanks and have to watch that stuff like a hawk. I stirred it up today to aerate it a bit and tried to siphon out some sand from the stirred layer in hopes that any extra bad food would be sucked up, but I do have to be careful because there are SO many shrimplets in there right now.

That's definitely possible, though, I guess. :(