Getting shrimp

[ellamarie]

Hello! I am newer to the hobby and recently got more fish. During that time I found an old 3.5 gallon tank in my basement and after asking some of the other people on the forum they recommended shrimp. Specifically Neocardina shrimp. I am very excited about the idea because I was already considering getting shrimp or something to put into the tank anyway but I wanted to jump on here before I made any decisions.

I have done research but I figured it may be better to hear from people that actually have shrimp over google. I have a few questions:

1. What kind of tank setup, besides the water parameters, do they need? What will make them happy?
2. How many can I get and still have them live happily in a small tank?
3. What are some good food options for them? How often should I feed them?

Any other advice is appreciated!

 

[Essjay]

1. Plants. Shrimps love moss and the minute critters that live in there. I have Java moss in my shrimp tank, it grows very well and has to have a 'hair cut' on a regular basis. In a small tank like this, you do need small plants. Java moss on a small piece of wood or rock is ideal.

A filter is useful; sponge filters powered by an air pump is ideal as it can't suck up baby shrimps. Bits of food will get stuck to the sponge where the shrimps can find it and eat it.


2. Start of with half a dozen, then hopefully you'll have a mix of males and females. They'll breed and fill the tank - but only to the numbers the food will support. If you overfeed, you have a lot.


3. As you are in a different country from me I don't know if this food is available for you but I use this

Shrimp King Complete - Dennerle (EN)

Staple food for shrimp Food sticks for daily feeding Contains all the essential nutrients, building- and vital substances that shrimp need for healthy, balanced growth, colorfulness and breeding joy Sinkable, water-stable food sticks made from 100% natural ingredients for biologically...

dennerle.com

It is short sticks and they recommend 5 mm per 20 shrimp per day. I feed less than that, once every 2 or 3 days, and I crush the bit of stick so there are lots of bits and they don't fight over one piece.



I suggest getting just one colour, there are a few to choose from. In my experience the blue ones are more delicate. Mixing colours produces wild coloured offspring. About 10 months ago I bought a batch of mixed colours for my main tank. This thread has photos of shrimps that have been born in there since then.

Shrimps

In the middle of November last year I bought some mixed colour cherry shrimps on eBay. Since fish are the main focus of my main tank I am not worried about them all being brown eventually and the mixed colours were cheaper than the same number of a single colour. I paid for 10 and there were 11...

www.fishforums.net

I also have a small red shrimp tank and the colony in there is still going strong - and red - for 12 years.



Be careful when cleaning the tank. Cherry shrimps (Neocaridina) hatch to miniature adults and they are tiny. It is very easy to siphon them up when doing a water change. I always check the bucket of old water before throwing it away.

 

[Magnum Man]

I had a bit bigger tank ( a 10 gallon ) and bought , 2 breeding colonies of 6 shrimp, from different sellers ( mine are cherry shrimp ) goal of buying 2 colonies, from 2 sellers, was to get as much genetic diversity, as possible to start with… often the colors will wash out, in future generations… mine have only been going for about a year, but I have a tank full of bright red shrimp today… I wouldn’t get hung up on specific plants, Java Moss has never done well for me… but I definitely agree on the sponge filters, as best thing for the shrimp