Best 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!

The two biggest challenges with all-in-one setups for shrimp is light (not enough) and waterflow (too much.) Shrimp really require live plants to thrive, and those plants need enough light to grow. It's hard to judge from pictures, but that tank's light seems like it MIGHT be adequate for low light plants. Shrimp also require very low waterflow. High waterflow will blow them around (they're tiny and light swimmers compared to fish) and they will easily get sucked onto the intakes of most filters. The tank you linked would need some modifications to be suitable for shrimp: at the very least it will need sponges or pantyhose covering the inlet and outlets, and the flow will need to be turned down to the lowest setting, probably.

So, it might work. But if you're interested in shrimp specifically, you might as well spend a small amount extra and build a custom setup that is tailored to them. You'd need:

• a 10 gal tank (10 gal is cheaper to buy than 5, it's not any more work, and barely any more space.) Check thrift store for this if budget is a concern. You don't NEED a hood, unless you have kids or cats or something.
  
  
• A sponge filter , aquarium tubing, and an air pump. This is the preferred filter type for shrimp. While we're discussing filters, make sure you understand the nitrogen cycle, and the basics of cycling a tank.
  
  
• An aquarium heater and a thermometer. Don't stinge here. Maintaining a stable temperature is key.
  
  
• A nice light. Doesn't have to pricey. A desk lamp and a daylight CFL bulb works great, but LEDs like thisare not much, either.
  
  I think all of that will run you roughly $75, give or take. Obviously, more expensive than the all-in-one, but it would result in a tank that would be easier for a beginner to succeed with.
  
  You'll also need to get some non-equipment essentials, like subtrate for planting in, a test-kit for monitoring your water, and obviously food, and a petri dish for feeding is highly recommended.
  
  Then you can get into plants and stuff. Whew! Sounds like a lot, I guess. It is, but it's worth it, and shrimp are definitely a good place to jump into aquariums.
  
  
  

Depends on what shrimp you want to keep, some of them require specific setup, like soft water Caridina (crystal shrimp and bees) and hard water Caridina (Sulawesi shrimp). "Base" will be very different for each of them. The rest of questions can be answered only after you decide on what kind of shrimp to keep.

Here are some of their photos and requirements. More on ShrimpFever website, or of any other supplier.

Next, make sure that you water is suitable for chosen kind of shrimp. Test or do online search for name of your city and water analysis. Or maybe you are already prepared to make optimal for them artificial RO based water.

Minimal tank setup: tank (not kit), filter (sponge is good), heater only if your room is cold in the winter, thermometer, light for plants, plants, a lot of hiding places for molted shrimp and babies (could be clumps of plants, wood, shrimp shelters). Substrate is species specific.

Sponge filter: T-shaped is my preferred kind. It should be connected to air pump by airline tubing, with check valve and double air valve to regulate intensity of air flow. Do amazon search for each of them, you will see how they look like. If power filter (=HOB), intake protector will be necessary for small shrimp and babies, sponge or stainless steel cylinder, pantyhose should work too.

If you will need heater, preset to 78F heater could be used only for neocaridina (cherries) and ghosts, but not for cold water caridina. Adjustable heaters could not keep temperature low enough, then external temperature controller (like Inkbird) could be needed. 50W should be enough.

Plants are up to you, this is very personal. I prefer the easiest way, low light low tech plated tanks mostly moss based (Christmas moss, weeping moss, spiky moss, fontinalis, Marimo moss ball, round pellia (actually liverwort, subwassertag or susswassertang), mini pellia. Do image search for moss tank to see moss trees, walls, hills, logs. Rootless plants do not require substrate at all.

Light is kind of plants specific, there are low light setups, fast and easy, and high light setups with fertilization schedule and CO2 dosing. Planted Tank subreddit can say what light fixture would be good for your tank and plants, if your price range. I'm using Nicrew and for other tanks, desktop lamps with daylight CFL. You will need tank cover (lid) for this kind of lights and to reduce evaporation. $5 timer is good enough, but you can ask for a better solution at Planted Tank.

Reliable online stores for livestock: you should name the country. ShrimpFever should be of no help if you are not in Canada.

Food sources for shrimp: depends on the kind of shrimp.

• Dwarf shrimp (cherry, crystals) will graze on the biofilm on the driftwood, glass, sponge filter, plants, with additional feeding by blanched or weighed raw vegetables (zucchini, cucumber, baby carrots, broccoli and so on, preferably low in sugar and holding shape well), leaf litter (do search for this and shrimp), and commercial food (you can see examples on ShrimpFever and find the same in your country). Mineral supplement helps with molting and color. Using feeding dish (like small Petri dish) helps to control pollution, this is even better. More about feeding them is in Shrimp Tank search.
  
  
• Ghost shrimp: anything you give them, especially live black worms, or frozen worms, will be appreciated. Variety and what doesn't pollute tank much.
  
  
• Amano and fan shrimp, no experience.
  
  Maintenance tools: if you will have substrate, gravel cleaner, sized to your tank, bucket, glass scraper.
  
  Tests: API GH/KH test kit; ammonia, nitrite, nitrate for cycling tank; pH just in case, TDS meter is helpful.
  
  Good to have: a piece of clear acrylic tubing for picking up uneaten food, this shrimp net. Scissors are up to you, I'm pulling apart my mosses by hands.

Some people keep shrimp in small couple gallon bowls with success, judging by stuff I see on jarrarriums? The smaller the tank though the faster the water can go toxic. This portrait 5 gallon has been on sale for a while, it's what I'm using to make a shrimp tank. I haven't had success yet but that's another story... Cycling is hard x_x

As for plants, I've heard they love plants like Java moss, hornwort, and elodea, because the amount of surface area encourages the growth of biofilm and other things they eat especially as babies.

There are some commercial pellets out there, they can also eat some veggies. I hear that rotating different foods is best for them.

For water parameters, you just need to make sure there's enough calcium/minerals for them to molt properly.

This is all hearsay since I haven't had success yet but good luck!

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.

You've already gotten some answers but here's a little more info:

1. Either (or both) is fine, although shrimp might enjoy munching on driftwood as it slowly decays. Any aquarium driftwood is fine like you said. Shrimp do however go nuts for cholla wood. It decays over like 6 months to a year and in the meantime it provides a nice hiding and munching place. For rocks, you probably want something inert (unless you have a gH/kH you need to raise). Granite, quartzite, often sandstone (unless it's cemented with calcite), etc. If you know what to look for it's easy to go digging around in your local riverbanks or hillsides.
   
   
2. In my low tech tanks I have java moss, java fern, anubias, brazilian pennywort, crypts, and bacopa monnieri. I also have pothos and philodendron growing out of my tank (you just take a fresh cutting and stick the end in the water so it'll grow roots in the tank). Water sprite and water wisteria are a couple others that I haven't grown myself but I hear are easy.
   
   
3. My understanding is that shrimp stratum is aimed more for crystal red shrimp in that it gives you a lower pH. I would just double check that it creates conditions that are appropriate for whatever particular shrimps you want to keep.
   
   
4. You can start with a handful and you'll end up with hundreds.
   
   
5. I use a glass lid on my tank just because I don't like having to compensate for evaporation. My larger tank's lid came with a plastic back where you can cut out sections for the filter and cords and such. My smaller tank has a little indent on the corner of the rim so that cables can fit through.
   
   
6. If you're getting a sponge filter, you need to buy the sponge+pump+tubing. Other filters (internal filters, hang-on-backs, etc) are an all-in-one thing. Sponge filters are great for shrimp but you can use other filters too as long as there's no way for bebe shrimp to get sucked up (so like covering the intake with a bit of sponge if needed). If you want a sponge filter, something like A B C will work (haven't used any of these personally so I can't vet for them, just googled it).

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. :)

r/O water is too much of hassle honestly, unless you really need it.

But if you're going with neocaridina you wont need r/O either way.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-TastePURE-Chlorine-Sediment-40045/dp/B0024E6V30/ref=zg_bs_10806177011_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=A2015Y4FFMQ9RWDEQFB6

I'd test something like this, now i don't know wich excact one would be the best, but you're probably smarter than me so you can figure it out with some research!

Good luck man!

I don't have the 20 but I have an Aquaclear 50 on my 20 long and I have a Fluval 70 which is meant to be the same as the Aquaclear. They both have the pointed intake. And both of these fit the Fluval prefliter sponge that comes in that little box for the Fluval Edge. The suction keeps it on the 70, when I turn it off and the waterline drops, it can fall off and you just have to turn it on again for the suction to hold it in place. I think this is because it's a little bigger or it could just be that this one looks like I may need to replace it soon, it's been on a while.

I think the reason i didn't go with the C2 (or whatever size it was ) when I was looking for/at the 50 was the shape of the filter box. I wanted to use my own filter media and I liked the large square shape of the Aquaclear that had greater flexibility.

You could get something like this, or even something half that size, and then a super cheap air pump. Sponge filters are air driven. But yeah, for ten or fifteen bucks you could easily have a good sponge filter set up. They are great for shrimp and most serious shrimp breeders use them.

Test your tap waters ph,tds, gh and kh. Here are shrimp parameters . If your tap water isn’t ideal I would recommend doing the ro water with a remineralizer.

I don’t think stratum is worth is for neocaridina shrimp since they require kh in there water. The kh will run the buffering real quick. For neocaridina I think sand is the best substrate.

I would highly recommend looking at different types of mosses there’s a lot of very cool ones besides java moss.

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've heard a lot on here, and online, it's pretty common for your first batch to die off, the key is if you have babies or the first batch has babies in your water, if the water is in the acceptable parameters that you say, will be born and used to your water and will thrive. I just recently started and my first batch all died I got from my LFS then I orders 10 from shrimp farm .com and it came with 2 extra, and I almost didn't notice it came with like a dozen, must've been born a day or two before shipping or maybe even on the way, baby shrimp smaller than a grain of rice. All of them are still going strong and I have 3 berried females right now. Of that batch I've lost 3 or 4 adults.

Edit: also saw your looking at getting a TDS meter off Amazon. Be selective in what you choose, I got a couple on there I returned because they were giving me extremely adverse / fluctuating readings all the time. You want to make sure you get one that has ATC, Automatic temperature calibration, or something like that.

I got this one and verified it still my school chemistry lab testing their tap water, RO water, and DI water and compared it with their readings and it was pretty darn close.

Professional TDS ppm Meter | Digital Test Pen Combines EC, TDS & Temp (3-in-1) | 0-9999 ppm & ± 2% Accuracy | Quick and Easy Testing For Hydroponics, Ro System, Pool, Aquarium, Spa and Water Hardness https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FPG89CE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fNB2AbFRA3C04

It's out of stock right now it looks like through Amazon? May be available through other sellers or sites ?

Replace java moss for xmas moss. Xmas moss is fairly easy to find/cheap nowadays and looks way better than java. Java looks like crazy hair xD And buy a intake sponge. https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A1387-EDGE-Pre-Filter-Sponge/dp/B002LL32RY (petco has it for 2.99) Something like this. Your shrimp will appreciate it, not being sucked up and the biofilm that grows on the sponge.

The gh/kh test drop kits are available on amazon for 6 bucks with prime/free shipping, this was about 10 dollars less than my local petsmart. Also the master test kit is about 6 bucks cheaper on amazon as well. Good luck with your shrimps :)


... I don't work for amazon or anything, I just really like a good deal, and was kinda miffed at petsmart for trying to overcharge so much.

if you want to keep track of parameters get this. https://www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI as for filtration i would just get a super small sponge filter to use in place of your airstone like this. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DT1XXJW/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp_3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3171424582&pd_rd_wg=YSSS6&pf_rd_r=SP3Q161R7EV6JCMT1THS&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00DT1XXJW&pd_rd_w=rOp3K&pf_rd_i=mini+aquarium+sponge+filter&pd_rd_r=68WZ029GH257ZD7YAPA0&ie=UTF8&qid=1504099606&sr=3 you can tuck it back on the corner and the shrimp will absolutely love to feed on it. just make sure your tank is cycled before adding any shrimp to it.

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.

This tank was nice the brief time that I used it and I believe barely fits in your space. I can't remember if there are sponges covering all the holes leading to the back though, so you may need to get some sponge filter media and something like a zip tie to cover those:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O8SZTKQ/

For species, you can usually easily get Ghost, Amano, and Neocaridina (most commonly "Red Cherry") shrimp. I've found that Ghosts and Amanos are the hardiest but don't have much color. Neocaridina come in tons of colors, but don't mix them because the offspring will be mostly clear/brown.

For plants, moss provides a large surface area for shrimp to graze on. Tropica.com has a nice list of plants that most LFS should be able to order (since most carry Tropica at least in my area). The pictures you find of plants often show them growing with CO2 though, so keep that in mind as far as expectations.

This subreddit's sidebar has some links that would be helpful as guides. If you want guides on the shrimp, usually you just want to try to match whatever the breeder's conditions are (including the lesser known GH, KH, and TDS).

I'm not sure about the phosphate, but you definitely need ammonia. Buy pure ammonia. This is the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OTH5TAQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Make sure the ammonia is above 1ppm but below 5ppm. The cycle should take care of itself. Nitrite should spike like you said then drop. You've only been cycling for 2 weeks. You're on the right track. Mine fully cycled in 28 days. Here's a guide I used for reference.

https://fishlab.com/how-to-cycle-aquarium/

Thanks for the info. Does the shape of the tank matter (a shorter, wider tank would have more substrate surface area for example)?

How good is an all-in-one tank kit like this? Or would I be better off going to the pet store and buying parts individually to put together?

How big is the dual sponge filter? I use one of these in my 10 gallon. On the amazon page, it's rated for 20 gallons and would be good enough as the only filter in the tank. They're nice because you can rinse one of the sponges during a water change and not the other, as to not risk killing off all beneficial bacteria in the sponges.

If you bought the smaller version of the sponge filter, the version with only one suction cup, then I might consider using bother filters. Some will say it may be enough for a 10 gallon but I'm just personally a little iffy on that. It ddefinitely doesn't hurt to use both filters anyway. "Over filtration" isn't a bad thing to do.

I don't do too anything fancy. Break up an algae wafer, very small pinch of fluval shrimp food, and for shrimplets I do go a bit fancy with Bacter AE Then sometimes I put some fresh veg for them and the snails. Thin slice of cucumber.

I would like to try some nicer foods for color, but my shrimp are breeding pretty well so I'm not worried about it. I'm a bit of a tight ass when it comes to spending money.

Try to get the sponge filter like this https://www.amazon.com/XY-2831-Sponge-Filter-Aquarium-10-gallon/dp/B0056XVF82
It creates better flow for your aquarium.

It's general hardness and carbonate hardness. These two parameters are important in a shrimp tank. RCS need a GH of 6–8 and KH of 2-5. From the picture you posted, the white band below the head can be from lack of GH, too much protein, their growth is faster than their body can molt.

You can get a test like this one https://www.amazon.com/API-GH-KH-Test-Kit/dp/B003SNCHMA

Check this out https://www.aquariumcreation.com/blogs/news/setting-up-a-shrimp-tank when you can. It should give you a good overview of what your shrimp need.

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.

The Tank

https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Fish-Aquarium-Starter-Gallon/dp/B01LCZMHPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536884869&sr=8-1&keywords=aqueon+10+gallon

For the gravel I het a $5 discount card since I bought some cat toys, so I got that for $7 from Petco. I would recommend the fluval shrimp stratum though

https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Plant-Shrimp-Stratum-4-4-Pound/dp/B00JGQIY48/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536884958&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+shrimp+stratum

Then I got this set of marimo balls

https://www.amazon.com/Marimo-Moss-Ball-Variety-Pack/dp/B00I323A0E/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1536884997&sr=1-4&keywords=marimo+balls

Got some pre-filter inlet covers

https://www.amazon.com/LTWHOME-Pre-Filter-Sponge-Fluval-Aquarium/dp/B00J5Z44OE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536885057&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+prefilter+sponge

API Freshwater test kit for $20 from amazon

API GH KH test kit for $8 from amazon

a basic TDS electric meter for $10 from ebay

I got salty shrimp 100 grams for about $20 off ebay

Then I bought a piece of driftwood from the Pet store for $10

I got three java moss balls from the pet store for $6 each

Bought an Anubias plant from the pet store for I believe it was $12

I got 3 amano shrimp and 5 CRS from the pet store, prices vary so check your own pet store.

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... here is an amazon link if you want it :) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGQIY48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EE3TCb3DY0BV5

that would work, but this is probably better: https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A1387-EDGE-Pre-Filter-Sponge/dp/B002LL32RY

It's what I use.

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

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.

For neos it's the same as for any average planted tap water tank, GH 6-9 dGH. If your tap water is too hard, it could be diluted, if too soft, reinforced.

5 gal is fine, sponge filter (I prefer like that) or Matten filter are fine because of being safe for babies, having lowest flow and shrimp could graze for microorganisms on their surfaces. Smallest HOBs (Azoo Mignon 60) could be fine too, intake should be protected by sponge, on slow flow settings.

Heater or no, depends on temperature in your room, if not too cold and it doesn't fluctuate much they could live without heater. If with it, the one that keeps temperature not higher than 76F (slightly below preset heaters) should be better. They could live with preset to 78F heater, but you could get non stopping reproduction all year long, and with each pregnancy ending with 24-26 babies it's really too much after few generations.

Soft water caridina requires cool temperature in summer, RO water with GH+ remineralizer, and pH lowering substrate.

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

What i used, worked quick and easy.

https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-ClassicLED-Aquarium-Extendable-Brackets/dp/B0191EWII2?keywords=nicrew&qid=1538133693&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Good lights

Would one like this work?

https://www.amazon.com/Feeder-Plate-Shrimp-Length-Adjustable/dp/B00UF68UE2/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=shrimp+feeder+tube&qid=1563116623&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I don't own one, so I'm not sure if that is the best option on amazon but that at least gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

How do I know if something like this is good enough? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056XVF82/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_CeJjzbYQ2M13S

So you need a way to test the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels in your tank. Most people use this test kit as it's pretty accurate and easy to use, the only downside is that it's a little expensive depending on what country you're from (pretty cheap in the US but gets more expensive in other countries). This type is a liquid test kit - you put some water in a test tube, add some chemicals and then compare the colour of the water to a chart.

The other kind of test kit is this kind, where you dip a paper strip in the water and see how the colour of the paper changes. On the whole, this kind is very inaccurate and I wouldn't recommend them at all.

Get rid of the test strips and buy a real water test kit Amazon has the API Master Kit for $22. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NCI/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UF68UE2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think I’m going with this UNS 4.6 gallon and this light

You’d be surprised how different your water parameters can be from the same source. I moved 2 miles (same water supply) but the TDS dropped in half and the kH and gH were lower. It’s worth to check yourself and API makes a test for gH and kH.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003SNCHMA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yCv4Db91P83QJ

https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A1387-EDGE-Pre-Filter-Sponge/dp/B002LL32RY
I use this kind of thing. This particular sponge I know fits the filters built in to MiniBow 5 tanks, the Tetra Whisper 3i and the Aquaclear 20

Heres the light im using and its on sale, so this is a good idea if you ask me!

I've used these before and they aren't loud.

https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Easy-Aquariums-Non-UL/dp/B0009YJ4N6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1538613259&sr=8-7&keywords=aquarium+pump

XY-2831 Air Pump Sponge Filter for Aquarium, Tank Size 10-gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056XVF82/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_PAIxwbQ1EP6QD

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'm not 100% sure this will fit, but I've used the fluval edge pre filter sponge on the an Aqueon Quietflow filter for my 10 gallon.

You need to test it

kh gh

ph

Put tap water in the test tubes read the directions to see how many drops to add, add and shake and wait a few minutes and read.

It's a nicrew led light.
This one: https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-ClassicLED-Aquarium-Extendable-Brackets/dp/B0191EWII2
The soil is just ordinary tropica aquasoil.
The white ''strip'' you see, is actually remnants of sand, which I switched out for coloured gravel. No unnatural barriers.

dish

tube, but the included dish was cracked upon arrival. I didn’t worry about it since I was just after the smaller-diameter tube