Keeping Shrimp In An Unfiltered, Unheated Tank?

[CezzaXV]

What the title says! Is it doable?

Just a thought that's been running around my head the last few days and was wondering whether it's a good idea or not. I know the bioload of shrimp is next to nothing, and if I kept them with live plants and did regular (weekly?) water changes this would be enough to keep the water in a suitable condition? I've done a little research and have found a few species of shrimp which would be happy at room temperature, though a small 25W heater might be a possibility.

Ideas?

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

What the title says! Is it doable?

Just a thought that's been running around my head the last few days and was wondering whether it's a good idea or not. I know the bioload of shrimp is next to nothing, and if I kept them with live plants and did regular (weekly?) water changes this would be enough to keep the water in a suitable condition? I've done a little research and have found a few species of shrimp which would be happy at room temperature, though a small 25W heater might be a possibility.

Ideas?

I kept red cherry shrimp in an unfiltered tank (filter was too noisy for my bedroom).

 

[moochy13]

i have a little 8G tank and was also wodnering this. ive got no plugs left with my current tank and various other things using them all up. i can fit a light in, but if i could set one up with no heater of filter, and just loads of plants and scape it nice with some shrimp in, itd be mint.

 

[MisssMarie]

I have cherry shrimp in an unheated tank - and it stays COLD in my room

 

[moochy13]

will not having a filter affect how well plants grow ?

 

[fluttermoth]

will not having a filter affect how well plants grow ?

Shouldn't do; I have couple of bowls with no heating, light or filtration that I keep snails in, and I have anubias, Java fern and a bit of xmas moss that are doing fine.

I'm sorely tempted to pop a few cherries in the larger one now...

 

[MisssMarie]

I seriously have 6 shrimp in a plastic shoe box I bought for a dollar in my cold room with black gravel, a cocunut shell, and plastic plant - no filter, heater, light, nothing. And they're thriving and breeding!

 

[StandbySetting]

Just ensure there are plants and some form of water circulation and they'll do fine, I still have some in a water butt that survived last winters big freeze where temperatures dropped to -16[sup]o[/sup]C

 

[CezzaXV]

How much water circulation are we talking? Say I put an air pump in there on a timer, how long would you recommend having it on for?

I've convinced my boyfriend to buy me a shrimp tank for Valentines day lol! He's been wanting to buy me something aquatics related for some time but this is the first thing I've found that he considers cool and interesting enough lol. Got my eye on a nice little 15L tank sold at Pets at Home as "My First Fish Tank" lol, which appeals to me because it's got a glass lid. Thinking of rigging up some kind of USB powered light to it which will power from my computer when it's on, just for my own enjoyment when I'm there really as it's not worth having a mains-powered one.

I've seen special shrimp substrates sold, but are these necessary? My tap water is pH neutral/acidic (I can't remember the exact number off the top of my head) and very soft.

 

[MisssMarie]

I actually don't have any water circulation in mine, However, I will say its best to do have it

 

[StandbySetting]

A small pico powerhead would be better.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I had my first few shrimp in an unfiltered and unheated 1.5 gallon tank; I was just told they'd not breed as much. Mine didn't breed but they weren't in there forever (I did move them).

As for plants, I have java fern and anubias in a cold water tank (my coldwater anubias does better than my tropical anubias).