Do you have a nano tank (20 gal or smaller) stocked with shrimp?
- Thread starter Fishmanic
- Start date
The April FOTM Contest Poll is open!
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆
hansgruber7
Fishaholic
I have neocardinia dwarf shrimp. One tank with RCS, one with blue velvet, one with yellow, and one mixed. The Blue Velvet are my favorite. Beautiful shrimp.
I have kept shrimp for a couple years.
My tanks are 20G, 10G, 5G, and 3G. I have shrimp in all four of them. The tanks are all heavily planted. I have Celestial Pearl Danios in the 20G, Neon tetras in the 10G, and a Betta in the 5G. The 3G is only shrimp.
I feed them shrimp pellets that I ordered from Aquarium Co Op. They also eat any fish food that makes it to the bottom.
They breed pretty prolifically in all my tanks. I will try to find some pictures.
OP
OP
@hansgruber7
can you post a few pics of your tanks
can you post a few pics of your tanks
MonsieurLaGrenuoille
Fish Crazy
I've been keeping shrimps since 2010 if I remember well, this was my curiosity to have these animals in small aquariums what made me recommence with the fish keeping hobby, there have been several phases or periods of animal keeping before and the first must have been during my childhood, so I'm an old-instaled aquarist that made a lof of rubbish during my aquarist's life, but compared to it the maintenance of neocaridina-shrimp is very easy although you must keep reasonable water property while they are quite adaptable to different water parameters as GH, KH and PH. Here some of my aquarium photos I can sow you
Attachments
hansgruber7
Fishaholic
MonsieurLaGrenuoille
Fish Crazy
I'm very sorry but some other photos I had have disappeared from my computer, the first yellow one is in 20 L. in the 2011-2013 or so, the second photo is 60 L. and now only with neon yellow fire shrimp, the earlier inhabitants are called here "blue dream" and now are all gone to one 150 L. with a lot of fish and where they are respected like the chiefs. Here one photo of the "refugees", nowadays living in shrimp paradise.
MonsieurLaGrenuoille
Fish Crazy
They are mostly vegetarian but would eat anything, in Germany they say they would eat even "Wurst" you know.
OP
OP
@hansgruber7
I sent you a private message...please read and respond
I sent you a private message...please read and respond
hansgruber7
Fishaholic
By the way, if anyone wants free shrimp, I always have plenty here in NoVa.
Very nice offer, I'd jump on it if I were closer....Neos are a great beginner shrimp, practically effortless to keep, in an established, planted tank...yours are gorgeous
I have never had a specific shrimp only tank, just tanks with shrimp and fish.
OP
OP
Pk...that's still ok
Can you post a few quality pics of the tanks which show the shrimp.
Can you post a few quality pics of the tanks which show the shrimp.
Jayryan994
New Member
Hello, new here, juts wondering if anybody can help me with something, if anybody could send me a message, greatly appreciate it
Some of my best pics
I think the care of Cherry shrimp is rather simple, but consistency is the key. I'm going to just post what I keep mine at, and then I can write up a good article later if I am selected.
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Equipment: LED light, heater, low intake filter. (Not really a fan of sponge filter, so I go with small internal filters for my tanks. Never had an issue with one getting sucked in, because the intake is so minimal)
Lighting: I use a Nicrew ClassicLED, which provides just the right ammount of lighting so my plants can grow, but also so I can view my shrimp very nicely. It has two channels (Whites and Blues), and for the price, it's an amazing light.
Heater: The heater should definitely be adjustable so you can get a precise temperature. In my experience, "preset" heaters tend to break faster and aren't as reliable when it comes to accurate temperatures. Fluval and Aqueon make some amazing heaters, that are safe and reliable.
Filter: As mentioned above, any small internal filter should do the trick. Try finding ones rated for the size of the tank you are putting it in. They have pre-measured GPH (gallons per hour) ratings, so you don't turn your shrimp tank into Niagra Falls.
Flow: Should be minimal. You don't want to have no flow, but you certainly don't want to have too much flow. The flow created by a single internal filter (or sponge filter if you choose to go that route) will suffice
Food: Like an aquatic creature, their diet needs to be varied. I feed mine Hikari Crab Cuisine and Omega One Shrimp Pellets. Both have a lot of good ingredients that lead to long, healthy lives. They will occasionally nibble on the Pleco's algae stick and grab any leftover flakes.
Water parameters:
Temperature: 78F
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
Chlorine: 0ppm (very toxic, most remain 0 at all times)
GH: 83ppm
Plants: Plants are very important to a Cherry Shrimp, not only because they provide protection, but because they are providing an alternate means of food. And no, I'm not talking about the shrimp eating the plants. When shrimp "peck" at things with their claws, they are actually searching for microscopic particles to eat. Plants are a jackpot for shrimp, because they hold a lot of these microscopic particles.
Java Moss seems to be the preferred plant, as you can see from the pictures above. It is cheap, and grows quickly, providing housing for adult and fry shrimp alike. They also enjoy Long-Leaved Anacharis, as it's fluffy leaves allow them to grasp and rest on them with ease.
Decor: A natural approach. Driftwood and rocks are the only hardscape I use. I use play sand for substrate, because it looks very natural, and is fine, so they can easily sort through it. (any sharp substrate may make it difficult for the shrimp to move around, causing injury or fatigue)
Chemicals used: Other than a water dechlorinator (Seachem Prime), I don't use any. I prefer a natural approach, especially with shrimp. they are very delicate creatures, and any sudden change in water parameters could kill an entire colony.
Current tank is a 20g long and a 10g. The 20g long has Neon Tetras and Harliquen Rasbora's in it, while the 10g has a single Betta.
As far as Betta's - Shrimp compatibility goes, here are my thoughts: It all depends on the temperament of the Betta. Some Bettas are really aggressive, while others are very chill. You can usually tell this by flashing your fingers in front of the Bettas cup/tank at the store. If it flares are your hand, it's most likely aggressive. If it doesn't, then it's most likely a very clam Betta. Of course, there is so sure-fire way to tell of the Betta's aggression levels, until he is actually in the tank with the shrimp. Another thing most people don't know, is that Cherry Shrimp are extremely fast, and can dart away from predators in the blink of an eye. Even if your Betta is aggressive, the possibility it actually catches the shrimp are slim to none. If you have plenty of plants (as mentioned above), then they will have lots of hiding places.
Caring for the fry: I've never had an actual issue with fry never growing up, as I always have a steady population of shrimp. Will some fry get eaten? Yes, it's all the circle of life. But you can prevent it by adding lush plants such as Java Moss (some people like adding "breeder sponges", but Java Moss is way better IMHO). This plant will allow lots of hiding spots for the fry and will help them along their way to becoming adults. Feeding fry is just the same as feeding the adults, they will join right in at the feast.
New bloodline: Adding new blood to the tank every year is a good idea, or you will have inbreeding issues. These issues include disfiguration, miscoloration, or shortened life. Adding new blood will get new strains in their, keeping your cherry shrimp Grade A.
-----
I can write a full article on these guys, if I get selected. I will also go into much more detail than just the short bits I wrote above. I've been keeping them for around 3 years now, so I know a thing or two about them.
Edit: Added a couple more pics
I think the care of Cherry shrimp is rather simple, but consistency is the key. I'm going to just post what I keep mine at, and then I can write up a good article later if I am selected.
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Equipment: LED light, heater, low intake filter. (Not really a fan of sponge filter, so I go with small internal filters for my tanks. Never had an issue with one getting sucked in, because the intake is so minimal)
Lighting: I use a Nicrew ClassicLED, which provides just the right ammount of lighting so my plants can grow, but also so I can view my shrimp very nicely. It has two channels (Whites and Blues), and for the price, it's an amazing light.
Heater: The heater should definitely be adjustable so you can get a precise temperature. In my experience, "preset" heaters tend to break faster and aren't as reliable when it comes to accurate temperatures. Fluval and Aqueon make some amazing heaters, that are safe and reliable.
Filter: As mentioned above, any small internal filter should do the trick. Try finding ones rated for the size of the tank you are putting it in. They have pre-measured GPH (gallons per hour) ratings, so you don't turn your shrimp tank into Niagra Falls.
Flow: Should be minimal. You don't want to have no flow, but you certainly don't want to have too much flow. The flow created by a single internal filter (or sponge filter if you choose to go that route) will suffice
Food: Like an aquatic creature, their diet needs to be varied. I feed mine Hikari Crab Cuisine and Omega One Shrimp Pellets. Both have a lot of good ingredients that lead to long, healthy lives. They will occasionally nibble on the Pleco's algae stick and grab any leftover flakes.
Water parameters:
Temperature: 78F
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
Chlorine: 0ppm (very toxic, most remain 0 at all times)
GH: 83ppm
Plants: Plants are very important to a Cherry Shrimp, not only because they provide protection, but because they are providing an alternate means of food. And no, I'm not talking about the shrimp eating the plants. When shrimp "peck" at things with their claws, they are actually searching for microscopic particles to eat. Plants are a jackpot for shrimp, because they hold a lot of these microscopic particles.
Java Moss seems to be the preferred plant, as you can see from the pictures above. It is cheap, and grows quickly, providing housing for adult and fry shrimp alike. They also enjoy Long-Leaved Anacharis, as it's fluffy leaves allow them to grasp and rest on them with ease.
Decor: A natural approach. Driftwood and rocks are the only hardscape I use. I use play sand for substrate, because it looks very natural, and is fine, so they can easily sort through it. (any sharp substrate may make it difficult for the shrimp to move around, causing injury or fatigue)
Chemicals used: Other than a water dechlorinator (Seachem Prime), I don't use any. I prefer a natural approach, especially with shrimp. they are very delicate creatures, and any sudden change in water parameters could kill an entire colony.
Current tank is a 20g long and a 10g. The 20g long has Neon Tetras and Harliquen Rasbora's in it, while the 10g has a single Betta.
As far as Betta's - Shrimp compatibility goes, here are my thoughts: It all depends on the temperament of the Betta. Some Bettas are really aggressive, while others are very chill. You can usually tell this by flashing your fingers in front of the Bettas cup/tank at the store. If it flares are your hand, it's most likely aggressive. If it doesn't, then it's most likely a very clam Betta. Of course, there is so sure-fire way to tell of the Betta's aggression levels, until he is actually in the tank with the shrimp. Another thing most people don't know, is that Cherry Shrimp are extremely fast, and can dart away from predators in the blink of an eye. Even if your Betta is aggressive, the possibility it actually catches the shrimp are slim to none. If you have plenty of plants (as mentioned above), then they will have lots of hiding places.
Caring for the fry: I've never had an actual issue with fry never growing up, as I always have a steady population of shrimp. Will some fry get eaten? Yes, it's all the circle of life. But you can prevent it by adding lush plants such as Java Moss (some people like adding "breeder sponges", but Java Moss is way better IMHO). This plant will allow lots of hiding spots for the fry and will help them along their way to becoming adults. Feeding fry is just the same as feeding the adults, they will join right in at the feast.
New bloodline: Adding new blood to the tank every year is a good idea, or you will have inbreeding issues. These issues include disfiguration, miscoloration, or shortened life. Adding new blood will get new strains in their, keeping your cherry shrimp Grade A.
-----
I can write a full article on these guys, if I get selected. I will also go into much more detail than just the short bits I wrote above. I've been keeping them for around 3 years now, so I know a thing or two about them.
Edit: Added a couple more pics
Last edited:
Most reactions
-
301 -
223 -
169 -
152 -
136 -
131 -
131 -
127 -
118 -
106 -
89 -
82 -
76 -
67 -
64
