Starting a Shrimp Aquarium Ultimate Guide Part 2

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I already told you in the first part what you feel the shrimp aquarium should start and worry about. 

Have you already picked up your new shrimp aquarium from the store and followed my tips for getting it started? 

OK, now the fun part begins: setting up your shrimp aquarium! 🙂

 

Which plants for a shrimp aquarium?

You should not only ask yourself which plants belong in a shrimp aquarium, but also how many. And the answer is simple: the more the better!  

Shrimp are constantly looking for food and they also find it between the plants where it sticks. But – perhaps most importantly – shrimp like to hide. 

 

By choosing soft fast growing plants your aquarium shrimp will have a hiding place pack in no time. 

Which plants are still suitable for a shrimp aquarium? Here are some of my personal favorites:

 

Moss: absolutely belongs in a shrimp aquarium. It’s wonderfully soft, perfect for young shrimp and full of food residue. Think in particular of java moss, Christmas moss or Riccia fluitans.

Other aquarium plants suitable for a shrimp aquarium are plants with a dense structure such as hornwort, java fern, elodea, …

then setting up your new shrimp aquarium, it is important that you use your aquarium plants first as a hiding place for the shrimp.

 

Then you’ll see what you like to shape your aquascape.

 

What rocks & wood for a shrimp aquarium?

I always add wood and stones as hard landscape in a shrimp aquarium.

On the one hand your aquascape looks much more natural with, on the other hand, the right wood and stones ensure that you provide microorganisms that are part of the diet of your shrimp. 

These microorganisms settle on the hard landscape, ready to be eaten by your shrimp. 

Which wood do you choose for your shrimp aquarium? 

 

  • Savannah wood
  • Mopani wood (be careful, it is often sanded and may contain metal which is not good for your shrimp)
  • Spider wood
  • Mangrove wood

Be sure to clean the wood thoroughly before adding it to your tank. Also, you don’t have to worry if your wood initially shows some sort of white haze.

This is normal and safe for shrimp.

Setting up a shrimp aquarium: what substrate?

The substrate you choose for your shrimp aquarium depends on the shrimp you plan to keep. 

 

The reason is that Caridina shrimp need specific water parameters to have a good time. You need to make sure that the pH is between 6 and 6.4, the GH between 5-8 and the KH between 0-1. 

 

This is not always easy. 

 

The best method is a pH-lowering soil, for example an aquasol in combination with pure osmosis water and GH+ minerals for shrimps. The aquasol immediately ensures that the pH-values drop and that you get the correct values for keeping Caridina shrimp. 

 

Are you planning to stock your shrimp aquarium with Neocaridina shrimp? Then you are basically free in your choice of soil. These shrimps are much less demanding in terms of water values. Good water values are for example: a pH between 6.5 and 7.5, a GH between 2 and 8 and a KH between 4-8.

 

Consequently, they also feel good with a low standard. Gravel is certainly a good choice in this case. It looks good, helps to ensure stable water values and has no sharp edges on which the shrimp can hurt themselves. An aquasol is of course always possible.

 

Tip: choose a dark bottom, so the colors of the shrimp stand out better 🙂

 

In a next part I will deepen the values of water for shrimps, to follow!

 

Which technique in your shrimp aquarium: filter, light, temperature

  • Plants: check.
  • Hardscape: check.
  • Downstairs: check.

 

But what about the technique? Here are some tips I can already give you : 

 

The aquarium filter

Really a point of attention! You will rarely have problems with large shrimp, but as soon as your shrimp reproduce, you will be in trouble. Newborn shrimp are so small that they can get through the aquarium filter and get sucked in and never come back! 

 

The last thing you want is dead shrimp, so you need to look for a shrimp-safe filter. This can be, for example, a special sponge filter, a “shrimp guard” or a bottom filter. 

 

If you are at your local aquarium store, please mention that you need a filter for a shrimp aquarium when purchasing your filter. A good salesperson will immediately recommend a suitable filter.

 

The thermostat or heater in your shrimp aquarium

Shrimp are not particularly demanding, but they do not like temperature fluctuations. They thrive best at temperatures between 20°C and 22°C . A decent thermostat will keep the temperature under control.

 

Another option is to buy an aquarium filter with a built-in thermostat, so you have less material in your aquarium again?

 

Do your shrimps jump out of your aquarium?

 

Then a bridge window is not an unnecessary luxury! The window prevents overly enthusiastic shrimp from escaping or shrimp from accidentally jumping out of the aquarium. 

 

Added bonus: you control the temperature of your container much more economically, you have less water evaporation and you use less CO2.

 

Conclusion

Setting up a shrimp aquarium is first of all thinking about the shrimp you want to keep. Then, you must also take into account :

 

  • The plants you want to use: choose plants that offer many hiding places
  • The wood & stone species: microorganisms grow on them and devour your shrimps
  • The surface: gravel, aquasoil or something else?
  • The technique: what kind of filter in your shrimp aquarium? And what about heating?

If you take the above tips into account, you really can’t go wrong.

The biggest risk is undoubtedly that you yourself will be hypnotized for hours by these creatures in your aquarium.  Do you have any tips for setting up a shrimp aquarium?

 

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Starting a shrimp aquarium ultimate guide part 3

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