(Part 3) Top products from r/shrimptank

I was in your shoes not too long ago, it's overwhelming! Here's a list of things that I bought, but I am not an expert so if others have better input go for that:

Equipment

• 10 gallon tank with hood
  
• Broad Spectrum Light The one that came with the hood did not provide enough for the plants, you definitely need to invest in a broad spectrum bulb.
  
• CaribSea Flora Max Substrate I learned that shrimp prefer darker color substrate, this was worth the investment! My shrimp were so unhappy with cheap gravel, after switching to this substrate they are very active.
  
• Air pump
  
• Sponge filter
  
• Heater, maybe optional for you?
  
• Thermometer
  
• Gallon Bucket
  
• Siphon
  
• Seachem Prime Because it's a smaller tank, I ended up poking a pinhole sized hole in the seal so that I could use it as drops rather than pouring it in.
  
• [Seachem Stability] (https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-67101230-Stability-500ml/dp/B0002APIIW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499786377&sr=1-1&keywords=seachem+stability) Use this while you're cycling your tank, follow the instructions.
  
• API Test Kit
  
• Feeding Tray For the longest time I was really confused as to how the feeding tray worked, you can either get a tube or pre-soak the pellets and then drop them into the tray using long tweezers. This will help prevent ammonia/nitrite spikes.
  
• Long Tweezer Set
  
• Pellets Do also feed them blanched vegetables, make sure to peel the skin and buy organic to avoid chemicals/pesticides
  
• Timer Outlet Worth the investment! So you don't have to keep remembering to turn the light on and off.
  
  Shop for whatever is cheaper, I have a huge heater because I had an extra one from before. I've read that it's not necessary but also have read that if you want them to breed you need to stimulate warm water. For now, I keep the heater off and leave it at room temperature of 72F. They seem very happy! Most important in my opinion, add plenty of plants and a marimo ball or 2.
  
  Lastly, I'm unsure of the siphon, I think it's good to have a bucket and siphon just in case your water parameters are looking bad so you are prepared to do a water change. From what I read, shrimp have a very low bio load and should be able to sustain themselves. Make sure to do tests regularly.
  
  EDIT I just read that this is your first aquarium, so here is a detailed write up:
  
  Setting up your tank
  
  
• 1. Find a stable top to place your aquarium on, keep in mind a well sunlit room will mean more plant/algae growth. Make sure it's sturdy and made for heavy objects, don't want to place it on a flimsy shelf or it might break! I keep mine on top a waterproof place mat because water drips are going to happen.
     
• 2. Rinse everything as a precaution! NEVER use dish soap!! If you must sanitize, vinegar is okay. Just make sure to rinse thoroughly. Also, NEVER use any kind of soap on your hands before handling things, just rinse well with water. Add your substrate, I lightly rinsed mine as there are beneficial bacteria living inside the substrate, pour it in. Make sure it's at least 2" of floor. Your water will be cloudy if you bought the substrate I listed, don't worry as it will settle after an hour and be clear.
     
• 3. Fill water half way, use a small plate and pour the water on top of that to avoid the substrate being pushed around. NEVER use hot water! If you're using tap water be sure to always use cold water. It's also recommended to purchase "RO water" (Reverse Osmosis Water) as some times your tap water can be too "hard". The best thing to do is use the test kit on tap water and go from there. If the kH/gH are very high 100+ you will need to use RO water. I like to place my plants and decor now while the tank is half full. Place in your thermometer, heater, sponge filter, etc. After that, continue to fill all the way to the top remembering to aim the stream on top the plate. Leave about a half to an inch from the top.
     
• 4. Take out plate, plug in filter, add in Seachem Prime and Seachem Stability. Please read the label for instructions and dosage according to your tank size. Since there is nothing inside you can add it after you've added the water to the tank. Moving forward, be sure to add the chemicals in the water bucket BEFORE pouring into the tank.
     
• 5. Turn on filter, wait for the water to settle and temperature to come up. They say shrimp can tolerate 52F to 86F but ideally room temperature water is best, this is where your water heater will come into play. Follow which ever cycling method you choose before purchasing your shrimp. This can take up to 6 weeks.
     
     After your tank has cycled
     
     
• 1. When adding your shrimp, there are many methods, the way I acclimate my shrimp is:
     
• 2. Put the shrimp in a 1 gallon tub using the water that they came in.
     
• 3. Drop in a tablespoon of the tank water, ONCE every 2 minutes.
     
• 4. After the water has reached 1/3 old water, 2/3rd new water, your shrimp are ready to be placed into your tank.
     
     Please don't skip the important step of acclimating your shrimp! They are very sensitive to water changes and this ensures that they will survive.
     
     Here are my water parameters, people have all kinds of ranges but this is what works for me:
     
     
• kH: 60 / gH: 40 / pH: 7.0 / NO2: 0 / NO3: 20 / Ammonia: 0 / Temperature: 72F
  
  I hope this helps... again, I was in your shoes not too long ago, it was really overwhelming. But after a lot of research I think my tank is in a good place :). Other users, if there's anything in my list that seems incorrect please let me know!

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!

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.

:) if you have a co2 checker (this thing: http://www.amazon.com/ISTA-Indicator-Drop-Checker-MONITOR/dp/B00PRMCZFY/ref=sr_1_10?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1462586474&sr=1-10&keywords=co2+drop+checker+glass) when the solution turns green then that's the best time to have lights at full blast. I have a planted 24/7 so the lights are at their brightest just after indicator turns green (12:30ish) :)



Explanation from Ista website:



Green color - This is the best PH value of your tank



yellow color - Too acidic - reduce the input of your CO2 gas



Blue color- Too alkaline - increase the input of your CO2 gas

IMO: Minimum of the tank size 3gal, preferably wide not narrow.

Tank setup:

• bare bottom (easy to clean) or thin layer of black inert sand,
  
  
• light less in intensity than the smallest Nicrew Classic ligh fixture, or make shading,
  
  
• sponge filter, if you can stand noise, or small HOB filter with sponge prefilter, add flow diffuser,
  
  
• low light plants that do not require CO, substrate and fertilization, only trimming from time to time (mosses like Christmas, weeping, flame; marimo moss balls could be flattened and glued to rock; anubias, java ferns, buchalandra have rhizomes instead of roots, have to be tied or glued to something in the tank); floaters like dwarf water lettuce or anything else, help with nitrates),
  
  
• 3 ghost shrimp, visible, look nice, easy care, no overpopulation problems, feed twice a day, remove uneaten in one hour and adjust dose and frequency of feeding. Available to you water should be within their limits of tolerance.
  
  
• small fine shrimp net, I like Fluval better than black Japanese nets, its finer. Stiff 3D nets (Amazon, eBay) are said to be good, didn't try them yet. Smallest clear plastic spoon for babies.
  
  Tank care:
  
  As fish tank, taking in account shrimp specific molting issues.
  
  Alternatives:
  
  If you prefer smaller more colorful neocaridina, all the same as above, only this adds overpopulation problem, IME, even if you start with 5. As they age, colors become not as nice as they were. Dark colors are almost invisible in low light tank, brown or dark blue on dark green. Opting for orange or red is better. Single color in one tank.
  
  Much better colors, requiring RO, pH lowering substrate and low temperatures in summer, are crystal shrimp (caridina), super red crystals in particular.

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. :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GPEKSK2/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That's were I got the mesh from. As for the tank itself, I actually got it from one of my customers whose tanks I take care of as a sir Issac Newton day gift lol. She's quite the character. The light I already linked you. I'm using ADA aqua soil as a substrate. I found some seiryu stones on ebay for cheap, but that all scaping stuff. You'll come up with your own scape. The original link I sent you has all the information on how to mod the spec V for shrimp. Let me know if I can help you in any other way. Good luck and sorry about your shrimps =(

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

​

I also have recently done this with a 10 Gallon tank. I recommend putting in an Apple/Mystery Snail and a Otocinclus Algea eater once the tank is established for some time. Oh, and a Bright light so algea and biofilm can grow to feed stuff. I recommend this light, as it works great for me. Have fun.

Oh, and here is the substrate I used.

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.

Thanks, I'll do a bit more research on CO2 before I pull the trigger. I'll probably end up buying this since it's pretty cheap and seems good for a beginner.

This isn't necessarily the "right" one, but it works for me and it was pretty cheap compared to all the others (get the 20"-27" for a 10 gallon and there is currently a used one on Amazon for $24 instead of $31):
https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquarium-Light-Extendable-Brackets/dp/B01C84SLRO?th=1

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

This is what I feed my shrimp. Then occasionally I feed Spirulina powder (or mix it in with the other food). Then once in a while I smash up that other calcium pellet food I linked above. I put a Catappa leaf in now and again. Once in a while I've given a piece of blanched veggie. But, I have to remember to take it out. I stay away from foods that the ingredients start with anything ending in meal, i.e., fish meal, etc., so read the ingredients on the hikari.

Marimo? Up to you if you like them. Good bad it's if you like them, they're neither good nor bad. I think shrimp in general like them to pick at them and eat from their surface.

​

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.

Pixel phone with this cheap clip on lens

I'm sure there are much better ones but this is the $10 one I got just to see if it was worth it.

I usually feed 3 times a week, rotating between Algae Wafer and Fluval Shrimp Granules. It looks like the granules has the iodine and calcium carbonate. Maybe I should switch to mainly granules and let the shrimps graze the algae from my rocks. As for the Remineraliz-P I will have to check tomorrow if it has carbonate. How important is it?

Here is a FTS from a couple weeks ago. I found the pump a bit strong, so I pointed to to the glass to try and break some of the power. I only house RCS, so i don't think it is the lack of hiding spots.

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?

I got mine on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00028ZLD6

ISTA Clear Glass Planaria Trap for Cherry Shrimp Crystal red shrimp dwarf shrimp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DTVQAVO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-9OfzbDF0WGJZ

Copper Test kit

You will want to use a small siphon. And don't dig into the substrate. Hover just above it.


Copper shouldn't be an issue unless you are using ferts with lots of copper... or you overdose ferts. iirc, Seachem has trace amounts of copper, not enough to cause issues unless you use the entire bottle at once.

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

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.

It's this one: https://smile.amazon.com/Shirakura-Baby-Shrimp-Food-Micro-organism/dp/B00KMJLEYA

Here is the mobile version of your link

Here is the desktop version of your link

Here it is!

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