Starting a Shrimp Aquarium Ultimate Guide Part 1

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Want to start a shrimp aquarium?

 

I don’t blame you 🙂

 

Starting a shrimp aquarium is a lot of fun. Pretty and colorful and full of movement with all those little shrimp still happily “cleaning” your aquarium.

 

No wonder shrimp aquariums have become super popular lately!

 

But as with all baked goods, it’s important to know what you’re getting into first. That’s why I decided to dedicate a 3-part article to keeping shrimp in an aquarium.

 

Here’s part 1: how to start your shrimp aquarium and make sure your shrimp don’t die.

 

UPDATE: See also Part 2 on setting up a shrimp tank and Part 3 on caring.

 

What is a shrimp aquarium?

 

First things first: what exactly is a “shrimp aquarium”?

You have probably already guessed that it is an aquarium with shrimps as main inhabitants. 🙂

Unlike, for example, a community aquarium, you will usually find few or sometimes no fish here. The choice of plants is also slightly different and the preference is often for a shrimp aquarium with moss and other plants in which shrimp can hide and find tasty food.

 

But a shrimp aquarium is also a pleasant and lively aquarium. It’s a lively affair with colorful animated shrimp. The good thing about this type of aquariums: even if you don’t care about the hobby, you will always be fascinated with a smile when you look at all those happy shrimps.

 

A real eye-catcher in the living room.

 

What are shrimp good for in an aquarium?

Shrimp are not only fun to watch, with their crazy antics and beautiful colors 🙂

 

They also have a function in the tank: shrimp clean everything. They eat algae, dead plant remains and moreover it is a delight. In this way, they follow a very effective and natural method to fight algae in your aquarium.

 

Incredible, isn’t it?

 

I have already written a long article about this topicalgal eaters including shrimps. Definitely read it if you want to keep shrimp to maintain your aquarium.

 

The main points of attention if you want to start a shrimp aquarium

Are you already looking forward to buying your shrimp aquarium? Don’t rely on your intuition alone. There are some things you need to pay attention to if you want your shrimp aquarium startup to be a successful operation.

 

What do I think are the main things to watch out for?

 

Consider the size of your aquarium. Shrimp are often tiny, which works to your advantage in terms of aquarium size. But remember: not all shrimp fit in all tank sizes! Dwarf shrimp fit perfectly in a tank of 20 liters or more, but a Macrobrachium will certainly not fit. So first think about the shrimp you want to keep and base your choice of aquarium on that.

An open aquarium, not always the best choice. I have to admit I’m guilty of this: an open aquarium with shrimp. Nothing wrong with that (see photo above), but it’s not an ideal combination because aquarium shrimp sometimes climb or jump out of the tank. You can guess the rest… 🙁

 

Buy a “shrimp safe” filter. A what? Well, if you don’t want newborn shrimp to be sucked into your aquarium filter grooves, you need a custom filter. If you are going to buy a shrimp aquarium, be sure to check if the filter provided is good for “baby shrimp”. You can also cover the filter opening with a “filter guard” to prevent the little shrimp from disappearing into your filter, never to return.

 

Provide enough plants. Aquarium shrimp like a tank rich in plants. They find food in piles, as they eat plant remains (e.g. rotten leaves). In addition, they can also hide there if necessary. So when you buy your shrimp aquarium, order enough plants (they especially like mosses).

 

Create the right temperature. Yes, shrimp are not easily satiated. Caridina garans feel most comfortable at an average water temperature of 23°C. If you want your aquarium to raise shrimp, buy a good one at the timehermostat to maintain the right temperature. I will tell you more about water temperature and parameters in the next article 🙂

 

Buy a good aquarium bottom. Preferably with a porous structure so that the tiny baby shrimps can hide in it. Some soils also have the additional property of slightly acidifying the water, such as a “shrimp bottom”. An additional advantage of an aquasol for shrimp is that they will color themselves more beautifully.

Starting a shrimp aquarium: a few more tips

OK, you’ve just gone out and bought your shrimp aquarium. Now that you are armed with your tank and all the parts, you can finally start your shrimp aquarium.

 

Exciting on the right 🙂

But wait a minute, before you start your shrimp aquarium, I’m going to give you a few more tips to start your “shrimp adventure” without obstacles.

 

Create lots of hiding places. You can do this by adding lots of plants, but also, for example, with wood, stones and decorative materials. Make a small cave with wood and push moss into it, then you have a nice hiding place (more on this later in a future section).

Give your tank some time to get stable water parameters. Test your water for nitrite before adding your shrimp. Do not skip this step if you want to avoid shrimp death (more on this later in a subsequent section). So first let your shrimp aquarium run for 6 to 8 weeks and only then add your shrimp. A little nitrite and it’s game over!

Be careful which shrimp you combine with each other. Macrobrachium shrimp dare to develop into real predators, while fan and dwarf shrimp have a more peaceful nature. In this regard, also consider a possible combination of fish and shrimp.

 

Shrimp in an aquarium with fish? Some dos and don’ts

Some combinations of shrimp and fish work, some don’t. If you’re not careful, dwarf shrimp and fan hand shrimp become delicious fish food in an aquarium with larger fish. Cichlids and dwarf shrimp, for example, do not mix well.

 

If you still want to combine large fish with cichlids, you can place a “shrimp dish” in your aquarium or some “cholla wood” with moss on it. This way they have a place to hide that the fish themselves can’t handle.

 

On the other hand, smaller fish can be eaten by some shrimp, such as the Macrobrachium shrimp. So check if the fish you want in your aquarium go well with the shrimp and vice versa.

 

By the way, shrimp are real group animals.

 

So start with a 30 liter tank with 20 shrimp. That’s all you need, because you expect them to reproduce. The less sad it is, because then you don’t even know you have shrimp in your tank.

 

They are masters of concealment, you will notice when replanting 😉

 

Conclusion

Starting a shrimp aquarium mainly requires some research. First think about what you do and don’t want. Then keep the following in mind:

 

How big will the shrimp aquarium be?

What technique do I need? Think about the filter, thermostat, … and is this technology safe?

Which shrimp will I choose and will they go with the fish

Are the water values good (more on this later in my next article)

And last but not least: patience! 🙂

 

Secondly, it’s especially nice, because shrimps are really fun in your aquarium. Do you have a great story about your shrimp aquarium? Let me know below!

Ben
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