10 gal shrimp tank.

[TeeJay]

Thinking of starting a shrimp tank. What's a good choice for a first time shrimp keeper and how many to start with to build a nice colony.

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by Uttjrt3

[FishPlanet]

I started with 6 blue neocaridina shrimp. It then went over 30. 

[Martin]

On 6/8/2022 at 1:03 PM, FishPlanet said:

I started with 6 blue neocaridina shrimp. It then went over 30. 

Yup, I second neocaridina!  I started a 10g red cherry shrimp tank with 20 shrimp about 3 or 4 months ago... population around 50 now.  They are a fantastic starter species because they require no special water conditions to breed.  Just feed them, keep them happy with places to play/hide, and they will breed.

[JettsPapa]

On 6/8/2022 at 12:15 PM, Uttjrt3 said:

Thinking of starting a shrimp tank. What's a good choice for a first time shrimp keeper and how many to start with to build a nice colony.

What's your water like?  As mentioned above, neocaridina shrimp are pretty easy, but depending on your water parameters (especially pH and hardness), caridinas might be a better choice.

[TeeJay]

On 6/9/2022 at 9:49 AM, JettsPapa said:

What's your water like?  As mentioned above, neocaridina shrimp are pretty easy, but depending on your water parameters (especially pH and hardness), caridinas might be a better choice.

I have very hard water. About 12-15 my pH is about 7-7.6

[JettsPapa]

On 6/9/2022 at 8:59 AM, Uttjrt3 said:

I have very hard water. About 12-15 my pH is about 7-7.6

That should work for neos.  Here's some stuff I wrote up a while ago for new shrimp keepers.  It may be of some help to you if you'd like to take a look.

• Neocaridina shrimp (Neocaridina davidi; red cherry shrimp and the other available colors) are one of the easiest ornamental shrimp to keep, with a wider range of suitable water parameters than caridinas. Their parameters do overlap, but it's a narrow range, and not something I'd recommend for inexperienced shrimp keepers. I don't have any experience with caridinas (at least not yet), so I won't address them here.
• 6.8 to 8.0 pH is usually the recommended range for neos, with Gh from 6-12 and Kh at least 4. There are supplements you can add to the water to raise the hardness if yours is low.
• They will tolerate a wide range of temperatures (as long as the temperature change is gradual), but around 72° F is generally considered best. At higher temperatures they will grow faster and breed faster, but they will also not live as long. Basically, higher temperatures accelerate their lifespan. If your heater goes out, or you lose heat in your house and the room temperature gets lower than usual, don't panic. I've had shrimp survive outside in tubs after being under a thin layer of ice for two days.
• Shrimp are sensitive to copper in the water, though the small amounts in commercial fish and shrimp food won't hurt them.
• Sponge filters are usually recommended for shrimp tanks. If you choose to use a hang-on-back instead be sure to cover the intake, or shrimp will wind up inside the filter.
• If you’re curious about how many to start with, the answer is as many as you can afford, but if money is a factor (which it often is for most of us), you can get a nice colony going with 10 or so. Of course, it will take longer than if you start with 25, but you’ll still probably get to 100 sooner than you expect.
• There are many color varieties, and they will readily breed with each other. The results will generally be brown or clear after a few generations (though you may get some interesting shrimp in the process). For this reason, if you want to maintain a specific color it's best not to mix them. Even if you do stick with a single color you'll need to remove undesirable colors occasionally. The amount of culling you'll need to do will likely vary depending on the purity of the shrimp you start with. From my personal experience my red shrimp need a fair bit of culling, while the blues ones need very little. Many people do keep and enjoy mixed colors, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. If you do cull, you can have a separate dedicated tank for them, or add them to tanks with fish. Even in tanks with dedicated shrimp hunters you'd be surprised how many will survive, especially given adequate hiding places. I occasionally see one in my 65 gallon tank, and my big angelfish just loves shrimp.
• To get the most enjoyment from shrimp, keep them in shrimp only tanks, or just shrimp and snails. You don't have to worry about predation, and they'll also be more visible if there aren't predators in the tank with them, even if the predators are too small to be a threat to adult shrimp.
• Even if they are the only things in the tank, they will feel more secure with hiding places, especially when molting or when a female is releasing babies. Dense plants are a good option. Java moss, guppy grass, Süßwassertang, and pearl weed are some good choices. A pile of rocks, sized so that the shrimp can crawl inside, is also a good idea.
• They are sensitive to changing water parameters, so most experienced shrimp keepers recommend limiting water changes to around 15%, and the new water should be close to the same temperature. If you do larger water changes, it’s even more important to temperature match the water.
• Since they need biofilm to graze on, and are very intolerant of ammonia and nitrites, it's usually recommended to let a tank run for at least 3 months before adding shrimp, and 4 months is better. You might get by with adding them sooner by adding a sponge filter, plants, substrate, etc. from an established tank, but you still aren't likely to have as much success as you will if you're patient and let the tank "season" (I know this from first-hand experience).
• In addition to the biofilm, they will also benefit from being fed. There are several commercial foods especially for shrimp, but I've also given mine several kinds of fish food, and they've eaten all of them. While there are mixed opinions about it, many people believe they also benefit from blanched vegetables once or twice a week. I've tried several things, and mine seem to prefer zucchini and spinach, followed by sweet peppers. I usually feed those late in the evening and remove any uneaten portion the next morning. By the way, shrimp just LOOOVE freshly crushed snails. Mine will swarm all over one.
• If you use CO2 in shrimp tanks keep it around 10 – 15 ppm, and definitely below 20 ppm. They often can’t tolerate the pH swings and/or elevated CO2 levels at higher concentrations.
• Of course, if you want to establish a colony you need males and females. Females are usually larger, and have better color, so when selecting them in a store you can get all females if you aren’t careful. It’s not difficult to tell them apart, even on shrimp that are the same size. The abdomen (the rear half) of females is larger than males, with the bottom line sagging down. Males’ abdomen is thinner, and it’s pretty much a straight taper from front to back.
• As they reach maturity, females will develop a “saddle” on their back. This saddle (usually yellow) is the unfertilized eggs showing through their shell. They're ready to breed when they next molt, after which the fertilized eggs will move down below their abdomen where she will constantly “fan” them and juggle them around with their swimmerets to keep them aerated. Unlike some shrimp, neos don't have a larval stage, so they’ll hatch as very small fully developed shrimp after about 4 weeks.
• If you suddenly notice the shrimp swimming around the tank more than usual, it’s probably nothing to worry about. When a saddled female molts she releases pheromones signaling she’s ready to have her eggs fertilized, which gets the males swimming around trying to find her.
• If you notice a shrimp with a lighter colored lateral line on top, that's called a "racing stripe", and is a harmless feature that's common with some color varieties. It will typically get wider, with the edges more ragged, as the shrimp gets older. It's very common on yellow shrimp, somewhat common on red ones, and I don't think I've ever seen it on blue ones.
• Don't worry about your tank becoming overstocked. They have a very small bioload, and a 10 gallon tank can hold hundreds of shrimp without becoming overcrowded.

Edited July 13, 2022 by JettsPapa

[ChargerstoLA]

I started with a colony of blue dream neocardinia. If there was 2 things I wish I new early was using Salty shrimp. It is one thing to get shrimp to have babies. It is another thing to get those babies to grow. Salty shrimp really helps them make it/do the molt process. 
 

Next, while some people enjoy going for a skittles tank. After my population exploded from 10 to 100 in very little time. I decided to add some other colors to the tank. What I have found is you mostly get “wild” type looking. Although they look unique, I wish I had just stuck to getting my blue dreams to looking their best. 

[Tihshho]

Any neocardinia species is a great start for a shrimp tank. Starting with around 10-12 allows you to get a good gender ratio and prepare you for any die off just incase of any issues from either the source or due to transition to your water params. Ideally, if you can find them local go that route. Otherwise there are a ton of reliable online vendors to order shrimp through.

Being you have hardwater, this will actually benefit you with neo's. Best thing to do is setup the tank and allow it to not only cycle, but become established with biofilm. Todo this and promote the best success, let the tank run for a few months prior to adding the shrimp. By a few months, I mean a few months post cycle. Lightly ghost feeding the tank or a weekly dose of BacterAE will get you where you need to be biofilm wise. IME to get the best yield for babies, be sure to have dense folliage as well as rockwork. Rock work IME is key to allow molting shrimp to hide. They tend to go between the gaps of my lava rock piles post molt rather than hide in dense mother crypts in the tank. Why? I'm not too sure, but it seems to work. 

In terms of filtration, over filtration with sponges have provided me the most success. Running dual sponges mean I can alternate cleaning them without impacting the tank too much. Not only that, but the additional surface area of dual sponges add a ton of area for biofilm for the shrimp to graze.

In terms of feeding, outside of biofilm, be sure to get a quality food. Personally, I stick to the Dennerle Shrimp King line of foods. They have provided the most success for me and allow me to rotate options of foods throughout the week. If I notice an issue with color quality in offspring (even though I do cull) or have issues with molting, I'm able to offset the issues with offering the correct food while working on adjusting water params. 

[TeeJay]

On 6/9/2022 at 11:09 AM, Tihshho said:

Any neocardinia species is a great start for a shrimp tank. Starting with around 10-12 allows you to get a good gender ratio and prepare you for any die off just incase of any issues from either the source or due to transition to your water params. Ideally, if you can find them local go that route. Otherwise there are a ton of reliable online vendors to order shrimp through.

Being you have hardwater, this will actually benefit you with neo's. Best thing to do is setup the tank and allow it to not only cycle, but become established with biofilm. Todo this and promote the best success, let the tank run for a few months prior to adding the shrimp. By a few months, I mean a few months post cycle. Lightly ghost feeding the tank or a weekly dose of BacterAE will get you where you need to be biofilm wise. IME to get the best yield for babies, be sure to have dense folliage as well as rockwork. Rock work IME is key to allow molting shrimp to hide. They tend to go between the gaps of my lava rock piles post molt rather than hide in dense mother crypts in the tank. Why? I'm not too sure, but it seems to work. 

In terms of filtration, over filtration with sponges have provided me the most success. Running dual sponges mean I can alternate cleaning them without impacting the tank too much. Not only that, but the additional surface area of dual sponges add a ton of area for biofilm for the shrimp to graze.

In terms of feeding, outside of biofilm, be sure to get a quality food. Personally, I stick to the Dennerle Shrimp King line of foods. They have provided the most success for me and allow me to rotate options of foods throughout the week. If I notice an issue with color quality in offspring (even though I do cull) or have issues with molting, I'm able to offset the issues with offering the correct food while working on adjusting water params. 

Yes I figured I would take my time with this tank. I mean it's set up with 2 co op sponge filters a couple of driftwood and I made a small slate rock cave. Going to order a few plants and have a Java moss already to put in. Just going to take it piece by piece until I have it how I want 

On 6/9/2022 at 11:21 AM, Uttjrt3 said:

Yes I figured I would take my time with this tank. I mean it's set up with 2 co op sponge filters a couple of driftwood and I made a small slate rock cave. Going to order a few plants and have a Java moss already to put in. Just going to take it piece by piece until I have it how I want 

Other than the Java moss any suggestions on best plants for a nice dense effect. I was also 🤔 nking of planting some crypt Lucien's to make a nice grassy effect.

[JettsPapa]

On 6/9/2022 at 10:21 AM, Uttjrt3 said:

. . . Other than the Java moss any suggestions on best plants for a nice dense effect. I was also 🤔 nking of planting some crypt Lucien's to make a nice grassy effect.

Did you read my post above?  I mentioned several.

[TeeJay]

On 6/9/2022 at 11:29 AM, JettsPapa said:

Did you read my post above?  I mentioned several.

Ah ok no I have not yet was just skimming thru things while I'm at work.

[Tihshho]

In my shrimp tanks I have mother pots of various crypts. Some are C. Miyoa, C. Undulata, and C. Becketti. I've got other crypts in other tanks that have shrimp, but they are not shrimp specific tanks. As for moss, I'm going to give you a PSA, becareful. Moss is great for shrimp, they will benefit. In terms of Java Moss though, it gets out of hand and will cover everything. I've even had it adhere epiphytically to Crypt and Anubias leaves in the past. I do have some Christmas moss in my shrimp tanks, but just with duckweed, I thin it out multiple times a week. If I see a floating strand of it loose in the tank I pull it before it adheres somewhere and tries to take over. 

Some of the best mosses to keep with shrimp that are more managable are Susswassertang and Mini Pellia. I personally have Mini Pellia, but just not in my shrimp tanks. 

[TeeJay]

On 6/9/2022 at 10:56 AM, ChargerstoLA said:

I started with a colony of blue dream neocardinia. If there was 2 things I wish I new early was using Salty shrimp. It is one thing to get shrimp to have babies. It is another thing to get those babies to grow. Salty shrimp really helps them make it/do the molt process. 
 

Next, while some people enjoy going for a skittles tank. After my population exploded from 10 to 100 in very little time. I decided to add some other colors to the tank. What I have found is you mostly get “wild” type looking. Although they look unique, I wish I had just stuck to getting my blue dreams to looking their best. 

What is salty shrimp?

[JettsPapa]

On 6/10/2022 at 6:51 AM, TeeJay said:

What is salty shrimp?

It's a supplement for shrimp tanks.  Google it and it should pop near the top.

[TeeJay]

On 6/10/2022 at 8:52 AM, JettsPapa said:

It's a supplement for shrimp tanks.  Google it and it should pop near the top.

Gotcha. I found it. I think I should be ok without it. My gh stays at 12-14 and my kh around 4. I have some crushed coral mixed in to bring my kh up a couple of points.

[TeeJay]

On 6/9/2022 at 11:09 AM, Tihshho said:

Any neocardinia species is a great start for a shrimp tank. Starting with around 10-12 allows you to get a good gender ratio and prepare you for any die off just incase of any issues from either the source or due to transition to your water params. Ideally, if you can find them local go that route. Otherwise there are a ton of reliable online vendors to order shrimp through.

Being you have hardwater, this will actually benefit you with neo's. Best thing to do is setup the tank and allow it to not only cycle, but become established with biofilm. Todo this and promote the best success, let the tank run for a few months prior to adding the shrimp. By a few months, I mean a few months post cycle. Lightly ghost feeding the tank or a weekly dose of BacterAE will get you where you need to be biofilm wise. IME to get the best yield for babies, be sure to have dense folliage as well as rockwork. Rock work IME is key to allow molting shrimp to hide. They tend to go between the gaps of my lava rock piles post molt rather than hide in dense mother crypts in the tank. Why? I'm not too sure, but it seems to work. 

In terms of filtration, over filtration with sponges have provided me the most success. Running dual sponges mean I can alternate cleaning them without impacting the tank too much. Not only that, but the additional surface area of dual sponges add a ton of area for biofilm for the shrimp to graze.

In terms of feeding, outside of biofilm, be sure to get a quality food. Personally, I stick to the Dennerle Shrimp King line of foods. They have provided the most success for me and allow me to rotate options of foods throughout the week. If I notice an issue with color quality in offspring (even though I do cull) or have issues with molting, I'm able to offset the issues with offering the correct food while working on adjusting water params. 

I have some bacter are on the way tomorrow. I have a couple very small have ferns in the tank already and took the dirty tank water from cleaning my sponge fitler in my 29 and added it to the new shrimp tank. Will the bacter are be enough once weekly to keep the tank seasoning well? Should I also add in bits and pieces of catappa leaves and alder cones over the months as well? As well I'm ordering some Java moss and suswassertang to put in as well. I have added just one regular dose of easy green to help the javer ferns in getting established.

[BradleyH20]

How long until you get some shrimp TeeJay?

[Dancing Matt]

Adding leaves and cones ahead ensures they are broken down by the time shrimp show up. I felt it was beneficial. (If you haven't decided to already)

[Lexi B]

I like to give my shrimp the broken down leaves from my Betta tank. Since your tank is new, they won't be able to just graze as easily. You can also feed some sinking foods if you want to mix up their diet. They'll eat anything as long as it's already dead lol 

[TeeJay]

On 7/13/2022 at 4:36 PM, BradleyH20 said:

How long until you get some shrimp TeeJay?

It's still going to be a couple of months probably. I want to make sure it's seasoned well before I add them

On 7/13/2022 at 7:08 PM, TeeJay said:

It's still going to be a couple of months probably. I want to make sure it's seasoned well before I add them

I have a journal on this shrimp tank if you would like to follow along with the progress from the beginning