# Shrimp tank start up ! Beginner



## tifflau501 (Nov 27, 2015)

I'm wanted to start up a shrimp tank and I am not sure what equipment are suitable for it. I'm think to start small since I'm a full time student and don't have much budget. I would like to get a better understanding o:
1. Is a 10 g tank be fine with around 10 ~ 15 red cherry shrimps ?
2. What kind of filter will I need to use.
3. What kind if lighting should I use.
4. What is the cost for all the supplies like : water ph kit, bacterial built up, live plants and substrate.
I could afford approximately a hundred max for everything include live stock. 

Thank you.


----------



## HashAsh (May 13, 2014)

1. Yes 10g's enough 
2. Sponge filter for sure
3. Lighting doesn't matter much unless you have plants
4. Cost would depend on which plants you want and where youmd get them. You can buy things from the forum, but with substrate, always get a new one since buffering capability deteriorates over time. Common one is ada amazonia and should be about $25ish at aquariums west for i think 3L? That's enough for a 10g

Get amazonia, heater, filter, and tank first and cycle it. I think it would take 3,4 weeks for it to completely cycle. You can get plants and shrimps after. Maybe you'll have more money to spend, wirh more liberty to do whatever you wanna do  bacteria powder is a plus, but definitely not required, especially if you're just housing cherries

Always nice to see someone trying out shrimp keeping! Good luck!


----------



## Shrimpette (Feb 17, 2015)

1. I have cherries in a 10 gallon and find it's plenty big enough.

2. Most people use a sponge filter and that's what I'd probably recommend. I happen to use a mini hang on back filter, BUT... I put a piece of sponge over the intake so that none of the shrimps or babies get sucked up into it and the outflow isn't terribly strong so they don't get pushed around at all.

3. Low light is fine for shrimps, like HashAsh says, it's the plants that set the light requirements. I just use java moss on driftwood and subwassertang in my tank and everyone seems happy enough with my old-school incandescent lighting.

4. PH kits are around $30. Bacteria powder is not necessary especially in an established tank. Otherwise costs vary depending on the product, probably $20 - $30. Canadian Aquatics has Ebiken Kou powder that sounds like it might be ideal for a new tank set up for $8.50, but I've never used it myself.

I use black sand in my tank and again, everyone seems happy enough. Plant cost will depend on what you want to put in there. The forum is a great place to pick up plants and shrimps for very reasonable cost!

Good luck, shrimps are lots of fun


----------



## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

My shrimp tank. I have Fire Red cherry and Tiger Shrimps in it. (Alone with 1 Oto, 1 Horned snail and army of 11 pygmy cory.) I was using fluval edge, but that thing is pain in the rear when you try to trim the plants and remove dead boby so I changd to Do!Aqua 45p. I still have a lot of algae on the tank wall even I have Chihiro fish doctor, it mainly due to long light period as I am still growing carpet. Probably not a beginner tank, but I did similar setup on Edge as beginner.

Plants: Tropica staurogyne repens, Dwarf Baby Tear. (Bought form island pet a while ago) and Java Fern. (bought from petsmart a years ago and they only grow up to 3 inch long. Dwarf version?).

Tank: Do!Aqua 45P

Substrate: Fluval shrimp stratum.

Light: Fluval Nano Aqualife & Plant Performance LED Lamp. (Mounting Suck big time, I can't take the mount off after I notice I install in wrong side of tank as I am afraid to break the tank.)

Filter: Fluval Nano Filter. (Cheap but sucky filter. It can make a lot of noise unless you change impeller.) Baby Shrimp can get into the filter unless you add extra form on intake. Sadly I want filter with spray bar also has space for bio media. Other naon under water filter with spray bar usually only hold sponge. It is the same filter come with Fluval Ebi tank.

Co2: Tropica Co2 Nano system.

Heater: 50W Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Heaters. I love Cobalt Aquatic neo-therm series while they are more expensive they are the only nano filter has temp sensor and adjustable. It has led display as well.

MISC: Chihiros Fish Doctor. (Shrimp model.) Basically Chinese version of Twin Star but 1/3 of price.

Don't use Seachem Flourish Excel or any liquid co2 as matter of fact if you plan to add live plants other than moss. (I believe some even against pressurized co2.) In my personal bad experience Shrimps didn't breed when I dose Flourish Excel and I had random death daily.


----------



## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

double post.


----------



## tifflau501 (Nov 27, 2015)

I have this tank I could use for the shrimps.
Comes with a heater and a filter
Is this suitable ? What do I need to buy ?


----------



## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

That is Fluval Edge 6 gallon and that was what I use for shrimp tank but it became pain in the rear. (Hard to remove dead body and left over food.)









You can't do any med light to high light plants. I changed the led from 6 gallon (21 led) to 12 gallon (42 led) and it was still too low. While Dwarf hair grass didn't die, it didn't grow much as well. (I was running pressurized co2.)

If the heater you get is fluval/marina 25w nano heater that can't be adjusted, You may overheat the tank due to the small opening of tank. (My tank water once hit 31's C with marina 25w heater and cooked shrimps. I had spend money to buy cobalt aquatics 25w Neo-Therm Heater.)

You diffidently need to buy the sponge pre-filter (Like the one I used in the picture. It is marketed under fluval edge brand.) otherwise all the baby shrimp will get suck into the filter. I can't say I like those HOP filter, I feel it was too strong, however if you lower the flow you may not create enough surface agitation and not provide enough oxygen to the shrimps.

The filter won't be able to run when you do water change as the filter will stop once water drop to certain level. Since the filter isn't running you may shock the shrimp and kill the shrimp when you add the new water in. You will have to do it very slow or allow the water to match the room temp before add it into the tank.

Once again it is pain in the rear if you want to catch any livestock, it took me 1 hours to catch 6 pygmy cory due to the small opening.

You only need to buy substrate and live stock such as shrimp and live plants. Depends on the plants you want you decide on what kind of substrate you want. I don't think sand will be idea because the filter is too strong (It was too strong for my fluval shrimp stratum.) , the water fall will blow the sand everywhere and end up clog the filter.

Moss carpet, Small Crytocoryne and staurogyne repens are probably the only options for carpet if you want to have carpet but they take forever to grow without co2.


----------



## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Another picture with better close up.

Small tank like 6 Gallon is also kind hard to maintain water parameter. If you do pressurized co2 without be very careful it may cause huge pH swing and kill the live stock.

Fluval Edge is a beautiful tank, but it is kind painful during setup and maintenance.

My shrimp breeding didn't take off until I ditch the edge and switch to Do!aqua 45p.


----------



## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

I have a healthy breeding colony of both CRS and Blue Dream Rillis in a 2g. I also set up a 8g Fluval Flora for my girls which I stocked with Fire Reds from April and CRS from the 2g. Both tanks doing great. Small heater, small sponge filter, piece of wood with plants, and black substrate. No fish but some small snails. I feed them mulberry leaves and shrimp pellets.


----------



## tifflau501 (Nov 27, 2015)

I will probably start up with the fluval edge 6 gallon tank for now. I have already bought some driftwood, substrate and equipment on amazon. I will add the shrimps in once the tank is set up and complete a two week cycle. I still need a freshwater master test kit if anyone have it for sale !


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

The Edge is a stunning tank!


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

If you can't find a master kit, I can give you an ammonia test kit.


----------



## charlie1 (Nov 27, 2015)

outsider said:


> View attachment 107569
> 
> View attachment 107577
> 
> ...


I find this interesting, my experience did not reflect your issues.
I have a shrimp tank with Crystal Reds that is co2 injected , fertilized via PPS system & a daily dose of Excel, yet the shrimp are doing well & multiplying.


----------



## knucklehead (Dec 27, 2013)

charlie1 said:


> I find this interesting, my experience did not reflect your issues.
> I have a shrimp tank with Crystal Reds that is co2 injected , fertilized via PPS system & a daily dose of Excel, yet the shrimp are doing well & multiplying.


What is "PPS"?


----------



## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

charlie1 said:


> I find this interesting, my experience did not reflect your issues.
> I have a shrimp tank with Crystal Reds that is co2 injected , fertilized via PPS system & a daily dose of Excel, yet the shrimp are doing well & multiplying.


I know there are mix information out there as well. Some say excel is perfectly fine, than other say it kills shrimps. If you ask seachem they will say it should be fine but they don't guarantee it.

I talked to Pat (Canadian Aquatics) before and he also mentioned that he lost entire tank of red cherry shrimps due to excel. My red cherry and tigers are breeding now even I have co2 injected, however some suggest shrimp will breed less under co2. (I can't remember where I read it but it was one of those shrimp forum.)

I guess it is just like some have use RO water for crystal shrimps whiel some just use tap water.


----------



## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

tifflau501 said:


> I will probably start up with the fluval edge 6 gallon tank for now. I have already bought some driftwood, substrate and equipment on amazon. I will add the shrimps in once the tank is set up and complete a two week cycle. I still need a freshwater master test kit if anyone have it for sale !


What substrate did you go for? Look up *water buffering* (KH to prevent PH fluctuations and GH to aid in shrimpy shell\molting health). There's cheap solutions out there, you don't need to be buy expensive premixed brand name bottles, as I know you're on a budget. (I used cheap crushed coral, and just replaced it for example).

Essentially KH prevents PH swings and GH aids to shrimpy exoskeleton. Both are very important, as these little guys can be sensitive to parameters (not so much Cherries mind you).

Good luck, and keep us posted of your adventure!


----------



## charlie1 (Nov 27, 2015)

knucklehead said:


> What is "PPS"?


It`s just another approach to fertilizing planted aquariums.
Perpetual Preservation System

PPS Perpetual Preservation Systems - aquatic plant fertilizer - Fertilizing - Aquatic Plant Central


----------



## charlie1 (Nov 27, 2015)

outsider said:


> I know there are mix information out there as well. Some say excel is perfectly fine, than other say it kills shrimps. If you ask seachem they will say it should be fine but they don't guarantee it.
> 
> I talked to Pat (Canadian Aquatics) before and he also mentioned that he lost entire tank of red cherry shrimps due to excel. My red cherry and tigers are breeding now even I have co2 injected, however some suggest shrimp will breed less under co2. (I can't remember where I read it but it was one of those shrimp forum.)
> 
> I guess it is just like some have use RO water for crystal shrimps whiel some just use tap water.


I agree, there is a lot of misinformation or mi interpretion.
Here is a picture of my shrimp tank i was referring to, on the far left back under the eheim skimmer, you can see a few of the babies, there is more lower in the hair grass.


----------



## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

charlie1 said:


> I agree, there is a lot of misinformation or mi interpretion.
> Here is a picture of my shrimp tank i was referring to, on the far left back under the eheim skimmer, you can see a few of the babies, there is more lower in the hair grass.


Nice and how big is the tank? 10G?

I think tank size is also the issue, smaller tank is harder to use right dosage. It could be I slightly over dose the tank and end up kill the shrimp, since I was using fluval edge 6 gallon. It is the same thing about pressurize co2, hard to get right bubble tank. (Edge has less water surface than other tank as well.)

It could also be reaction between each fish. It could be just coincidence, however I only dosed 1 capful excel on my 24 gallon bow front tank, than a young SAE kicked the bucket next day while rest of fishes are fine. (Only bought that SAE few days ago and I haven't dose excel before.)


----------



## charlie1 (Nov 27, 2015)

I`ll try & start a thread on the tank, but it`s 15 gallons.
Don`t want to further derail the OP thread.
Regards


----------



## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

charlie1 said:


> I agree, there is a lot of misinformation or mi interpretion.
> Here is a picture of my shrimp tank i was referring to, on the far left back under the eheim skimmer, you can see a few of the babies, there is more lower in the hair grass.


You don't find the shrimp getting stuck in the skimmer?


----------



## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Reckon said:


> You don't find the shrimp getting stuck in the skimmer?


Depends if he has it on 24/7 and how strong is the flow.

Howeverer I have the same skimmer, Instead got suck in, I notice shrimp will swim inside on their own to get the stuff on the form.. (I only run my skimmer like 5 min a day.)


----------



## tifflau501 (Nov 27, 2015)

So this is how my tank went ! 
Had the tank run for a week before adding any shrimps in. It's been two days now and the shrimps looks fine and happy.


----------



## nigerian prince (Mar 8, 2013)

great looking tank, fingers crossed, god luck


----------



## charlie1 (Nov 27, 2015)

tifflau501 said:


> So this is how my tank went !
> Had the tank run for a week before adding any shrimps in. It's been two days now and the shrimps looks fine and happy.


Nice start!


----------

