By Jay Marshal and Eric Martens
Shrimp keeping is a new frontier in the hobby of aquariums and growing fast in popularity in the USA. Whether you’re a seasoned pro with a hi-tech planted tank setup with co2, dosing fertilizers using the E.I. method and reverse osmosis water, or a beginner that has kept traditional fish like Neon Tetras, Mystery Snails, and the beloved pleco... venturing into this corner of the hobby is a challenge for some, but can be achieved by anyone. This article will give you an idea of what to expect should you decide to take on shrimp keeping, what is needed for a basic setup, maintenance, the different types of shrimp and how to care for them.
The Shrimp Only Tank
You can keep shrimp in an existing community aquarium with fish, how long they will survive is another story. While it is possible to keep shrimp with fish or other aquatic life, it is best to keep shrimp in their own tanks so they are happy and turn into a thriving colony.
The first step is to decide what kind of shrimp you want to get. From here you can move forward in setting up the tank. A great starter size tank is 10G, smaller is an option but requires close attention to water parameters.
There are two kinds of shrimp that are most popular, Neocaridina “Neos” and Caridina species. Of the two, Neos are the easiest to keep and are a good starter shrimp. There are a variety of colors and designs to choose from, here are some beautiful examples
Neos are easy to care for and once the tank has been setup and fully cycled (water parameters are stable and biofilm established). Much of your time will be spent gazing at these beauties. They are so interesting to watch walking around or maybe the males are “dancing” around the tank in search of a female. Which means you may have a “berried” female soon and shrimplets soon to come.
Just like Caridina species, they require good filtration, appropriate substrate, hiding spots (cholla wood, moss, clay caves), routine maintenance and water testing. A big difference that makes keeping Neos easier than Caridinas is that Neos can be kept in tap water, unlike cards, where a low pH is ideal and ro/di water is highly recommended with active substrates like ADA Amazonia, Fluval Shrimp Stratum, or other available premium shrimp substrates.
Its important to note their sensitivity to water. Metals, chlorine, and contaminants in the water column can wipe out your entire colony. It is very important to supply your tank with the cleanest water you can by using a water conditioner like Prime by SeaChem.
Filtration
Filtration is very important. The most preferred and popular method is the air powered sponge filter, you can even supplement this with a hang on the back or under the gravel filter.
Sponge filters are the preferred method because they provide an amazing place for the shrimp to graze upon. Powered simply by an air pump, these are very affordable and many shrimpers are successful using this as their only way of filtration!
When using anything other than an air powered sponge filter, or adding to your sponge filtration, it is important to cover the water intake area in order to prevent any shrimp from getting sucked up and into the filter. There are multiple options, a sponge over the intake is a favorite choice, and there are also stainless steel mesh guards. Each has its pros/cons and is essential for this type of filtration.
Substrate
Neos do well and thrive in a pH around 7.6 or lower. Because of their ability to live in harder water, you can use tap water in a neo tank and the substrates normally used in these tanks are gravel, or sand. Depending on the plants you may or may not want to furnish the tank with, there are pros and cons to both and even more alternatives to chose from.
Caridinas, on the other hand, require a lower pH and many shrimpers have great success using active substrates to achieve this. An active substrate modifies the water chemistry to lower the pH level. These substrates also provide a stable pH which is extremely important. This is ideal for Caridina shrimp as they do best in soft water and there are a few types of active soils/substrates to choose from. Fluval Shrimp Stratum and ADA Amazonia are some examples that are the most widely used amongst the shrimp keeping community today because it's most available. I have tried both and would recommend them equally.
Tank Décor
Hiding spots are a shrimps best friend. Shrimpers use cholla wood, moss, heavy planting, caves created from strategically placing driftwood or clay structures to give their shrimp hiding spots. Natural choices are always better. These help to do things like provide berried females a place where they can feel safe and hold on to their eggs until they hatch.
It also gives you more surface area for biofilm and algae to grow and that is a staple food to a shrimps diet and supplemented to.
Maintenance
Its really not as bad as you might imagine. Once you have the tank setup there are a few items you need to have in order to check the water parameters. The important parameters to keep an eye on are pH, GH, KH, and TDS(total dissolved salts/solids). Shrimpers use TDS pens to measure the conductivity of the water and gives you an idea of where your pH, GH, and KH levels are at. Not so important for keeping neos, but a must have for keeping Caridinas.
Besides the testing and coming up with your own schedule of when to test and what to test for, its important to keep the water temperature at a cool 70-76 degrees. While they can survive at higher temps, this is the ideal range to keep them in.
Water changes are recommended weekly and at a maximum of 10% of the tank volume. Another method is to use distilled or RO water to top off the tank. This is done by replacing the water that has evaporated out of the tank already over the past week or so, and dripping in water(always drip, this slowly changes the water chemistry so it doesn’t shock them). Distilled or RO water has a TDS reading of 000ppm, its pure water, so your just putting back in the tank what came out as evaporation beforehand.
Feeding schedules vary from shrimper to shrimper and there are many products to chose from. I have also tried many different brands and I do have my personal favorites. A staple to every shrimp diet is definitely something that adds bacteria to the tank, like Shrimp King or EbiKen Ei.
Anything else that is added to as food must be done with precaution. These kinds of shrimp are sensitive and any foods you include into the water column may foul the water, so many of the directions recommend taking out what’s not eaten in 2 hours. Feeding dishes are popular amongst shrimp keepers to ease this process.
A good rule to follow is “less is more. It’s better to feed less because too much will foul your water. Remember most of the shrimps diet is being satisfied by the biofilm in your healthy tank, hard foods are just a supplement.
This is just a crash course to give you an idea of what it takes to successfully keep shrimp. While just grazing the surface, there are many more things to learn about shrimp. The hobby is full of knowledgeable and helpful fellow shrimpers who are willing to help and that’s one thing I really love about the hobby, so many good natured people who all share the same passion for aquatic nature.
With these basics in mind you will be an official shrimp keeper and breeder in no time.
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