Shrimp Tank Idea

[julielynn47]

I have setting up a 10 gallon tank for a Betta. But the choices are so limited to tank inhabitants that go with the Betta. So I am considering making it a shrimp tank instead.  I love those little shrimp and I know I can't have them in with a Betta.  I also know that when I put them in my 55 gallon peaceful community tank, they either don't live very long life spans natually or something in there is making a feast on them.
 
So I am thinking seriously about using the 10 gallon as a shrimp only tank, or maybe adding a few snails in with the shrimp.  I like snails too.
 
So far these are my choices of shrimp
 
Blue Velvet Shrimp
Neon Yellow Shrimp
Red Cherry Shrimp
Ghost Shrimp
 
Does anyone see an issue with these?  I have never kept anything except ghost shrimp and I know they are ultra peaceful. Even to peaceful for their own good maybe.
 
TIA

 

[Far_King]

Red Cherries are excellent shrimp.  Can you post your water parameters please so we can properly advise?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Glad to hear you are researching this first before commiting to anything.
 
As far King as already requested, your water parameters are the first thing we should look at. This is because many species of shrimps require differing water requirements.
 
So, pH, gH and kH would be the first thing I would look at. I am assuming you will be fishless cycling this tank before adding any livestock with probably some media from your 55gal tank. Thats the quiskest and easit way imho.
 
Now for the more specific information regardng shrimps. Pretty much ALL shrimps requires a established tank thats been running for at least 3 months before adding shrimps, though this is not a hard and fast rule but it's one I try to abide by.
 
Neorcaridina shrimps are the hardiest and cheapest shrimps to have for a novice to shrimpkeeping. An excellent and easy to care for specie that will readily breed once they are happy and settled in a well looked after tank.
 
Also you have to bear in mind, that mixing neocaridina shrimps will interbreed and likely to end up with shrimplets that reverts to wild looking shrimps which is plain coloured, brownish. So I would say not to mix differing colour strains of neocridinas together.
 
In fact is actually fairly hard work for shrimp breeders to actually breed shrimp species to the highest colour standards as they can so this is why some shrimps are more expensive than others.
 
You can mix ghost shrimps with neocaridinas no problem, in fact, here is a handy link with a short compatibilty chart that may help you -
 
http/www.planetinverts.com/Will%20These%20Shrimp%20Interbreed.html
 
Btw blue velvets, and neon yellows, they are in fact species of neocaridina but different colour strains.
 
So I would urge you to post your water parameters if you can, and then we can take things from there.
 
This is an extremely brief explanation as it really depends on which shrimps species and your water parameters, there are so many variables.

 

[julielynn47]

Okay, thanks both of you!   I will get the water parameters and post them. The tank has been set up for about a month or so.  I have live plants, a white sand bottom, that is actually. I think, more like micro micro micro gravel... So many micros, but I just wanted to be specific on that.  It came from Petco, and it is called sand. But seriously, it looks like micro gravel to me. I love it however!
 
I will also read the link.
 
I plan on putting some of this in the tank  https/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J4XPJAA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  but I don't necessary have to. I just think it is neat looking.
 
I do plan on moving a bit of the bio filter and some bio rings, that have been in my 55 gallon for years, over to this tank for what I hope is at least an almost instant cycle.  But I need to wait until I get some shrimp for that don't I?  There is nothing in the tank to feed the beneficial bacteria with at this point. Although I did receive my Dr. Tim's ammonia a couple days ago.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Wood looks kinda cool, though it may lower the pH in your tank, so look out for that and let it settle first before adding any shrimps.
 
Sand or gravel, even micro gravel is fine for shrimps.
 
Also plants will be ok in that too, what kind of plants did you get btw out of curiosity?
Shrimps love any plant really, but java moss and moss balls are good to have if you plan to breed shrimps as shrimplets like to hide and nibble on micronutrients from these plants.

 

[julielynn47]

I have water wisteria, amazon sword, a couple little pieces of some kind of grass, but it is not hair grass, java fern, anubis nana and ludwigia.  
 
The wisteria had 3 little "leafs" break off when I took it out of its little tub.  I read that they would root if you just stuck them in the substrate. So I did, and 2 of them have really long roots on them and the other one has a teeny tiny little root.  I know this because I moved them around the tank.
 
If all the plants live, and they look like they are going to, then it will be planted, I think, pretty heavily.
 
The water in the tank has been cloudy. I put in the filter with carbon about an hour ago. I finally found one from Aqua-Tech that would fit the filter housing.  I hope this helps clear it up.  It was not cloudy for the first couple of weeks or so. But over the last couple of weeks it has gotten cloudy.  I have changed the water a few times, but it clouds right back up.  I guess it is a bacterial bloom of some sort.  But then again, if it is a bloom, that carbon won't clear it up.  I guess time will tell.

 

[Ch4rlie]

No need for carbon at this stage really tbh.
 
The only time carbon is usually used is when trying to remove medication after treatments. And also after a few week active carbon basically becomes inert so its really worth keeping in the filter unless its part of the filter media to keep indefinitely as it makes a perfectly good home for bacterias.
 
The cloudy water is most likely a bacterial bloom, perfectly normal during fishless cycling. The cloudiness will go away after a week or two.
 
The plants sounds good btw.

 

[NickAu]

Cholla wood is great in a shrimp tank.

 

[Baccus]

All good advice so far, and you can't go too wrong with good old red cherry shrimp. Personally I would look at getting high grade like Sakura or Fire Red cherry shrimp as these are the hardiest of the colour morphs, as you start getting towards blues, greens, yellows and oranges they become a bit more fussy thanks to their limited genetics from line breeding them to establish and stabilise the morph. Another nice morph is Rilli they are sort of like Crystal shrimp but in my opinion hardier and less fussy than crystal shrimp especially regarding temperature. Black cherry shrimp are also a stunning colour morph and blacks with blue gene are particuarly nice and in good health super shiny. Snowballs are also nice if you like a white shrimp, but I do not know how hardy they are compared to the other colour morphs.
 
Keep in mind too when purchasing shrimp (if possible get from a local breeder not necessarily a local Pet/ fish shop) that the shrimp can and will often change colour quite significantly when changed from the pH and gH they where raised in. I always advise to get shrimp when ever possible directly from the breeder and confirm with them the water parameters they have been keeping and breeding their shrimp in, then try to replicate that as closely as possible in your tank.
 
You can mix crystal shrimp either red or black with cherry shrimp but one species tends to suffer a bit because their needs aren't exactly the same. Crystal shrimp prefer cooler water and slightly different gH and pH. Cherry shrimp are quite adaptable but cool water tends to slow their growth and breeding.
 
Since you are in the USA I am not sure of all the species you can get, but there are a few species of shrimp like Amano's that can not be raised in fresh water and are almost totally wild caught. Vampire shrimp are an interesting large shrimp but may be too specialised for a small tank being better suited to a large tank with well established food sources.
 
Any snails you add I would look at smaller breeds and possibly ones that will not breed like crazy and compete with the shrimp for calcium for shell production and food. Once a tank is well established nerites are a nice choice if your happy to see their eggs plastered around the tank even if the young will never survive. Otherwise you can look at snails like Sulawesi Snails (there are also STUNNING Sulawesi shrimp) and different trapdoor type snails. Giant ramshorns also look nice.
 
Another interesting addition you could investigate would be Thai Micro Crabs. Some of the small crabs will eat snails but often leave shrimp alone.

 

[julielynn47]

My gosh, I didn't know there were so many types of shrimp! LOL   I will google them all and see what I can learn about them.  I know there are no local breeders around here. I will have to settle with what I can get from the pet stores or order them online.  I know this without a doubt.

 

[Ch4rlie]

 
Oh yeah, there is a fair few species of freshwater shrimps one can get for this hobby!
 
This is why it's so important one does their research as different species of shrimps require differing water parameters and set ups. It really does pay to find out as much as you can before committing to buy any live stocking be it shrimps, fish, snails or plants
 
Here is a link I find very useful for shrimps and inverts, on left side are the species, centre box gives brief details and top right box gives at a glance water parameter stats req etc. And I gave you a link earlier with a compatibility chart, this too, can be invaluable in deciding if you want more than one specie in your set up.
 
Enjoy
 
Planet Inverts

 

[NickAu]

 
 
Check out the prices of these.
http/shrimplovers.com.au/shop/live-shrimp
 
I was actually thinking of getting some of the expensive ones but chickened out, A few dead Red cherry shrimp at 3 to 5 dollars each is no big deal, a few dead 50 dollar each shrimp is.
 
My shrimp cube, I am actually looking at getting a water chiller for it before summer.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Nick AU - Those are pretty expensive shrimps, more expensive than usual for the more standard shrimps we get in the UK, guess it depends on how high graded they are and but usually Red Cherries will go for between £2.50 to £4.99 each, depending on their colours and grade.
 
Yet the Crystals are found at around £3.99 to £5.99 sort of range.
 
My most expensive shrimps are my pure black cherry shrimps at £7.50 each.
Yet the guy at LFS wanted over £8 each, so I talked him down to get a little bit off the rice. You'll find most LFS wmay do this if you are polite, you won't get a huge amount off but they may chuck in a extra couple of shrimps or reduce the price by a bit depending on what species they are.
 
But of course prices can rocket for those rare to breed species of shrimps, so thats for the advanced shrimp keeper, certainly not for me
 
It is well worth going to a breeder if you can find any local rather than a lfs are these are likely to be lower grades and possible staff may get th especies mixed up.
 
You may see 'bargain mixed shrimps' for sale in certain LFS, where they will offer a lower price for yellow, red, rilli, and blue shrimps for example in one package offer as a lucky dip for x amount of shrimps, so whatever species they catch in the net from a tank that has mixed species is what you get. This is pointless, they will likely cross breed which will result in plain coloured shrimplets and then poor quailty shrimps therefter.

 

[NickAu]

 
Yet the Crystals are found at around £3.99 to £5.99 sort of range.

It must be a conspiracy because Red Cherry Shrimp are between $3.99 and$5.99 here
 
 £5.99 = $10
$5.99 = £ 4.54

 

[Ch4rlie]