# How to set up a tank for dwarf shrimp



## Esfa

This article is aimed at people who wish to set up their first shrimp only aquarium for *dwarf* shrimp (not filter shrimp r.

So where do we start? Well lets lay out the different options that need to be examined when planning a shrimp aquarium, remember that this aquarium is going to be about the *shrimp*, anything else kept, including plants, is secondary to this.
 

​ The Tank
At the end of the day this is always going to be the first piece of equipment to be considered, it's the tank that is going to influence your choices in the rest of the planning.

Now dwarf shrimp can be kept comfortably in anything from 24 litres and up, but as you are most probably going to want to breed your shrimp, I would suggest something a little larger of 50 litres and up. This gives you more room both for initial stock (larger groups are better as too small a group will limit the gene pool for your offspring, leading to more inbreeding and possibly problems in the future.) and for any offspring. Also the larger the volume of water the smaller the impact of any changes in water quality or temperature. Shrimp need stability, in quality and temperature. Some breeders even prefer 20 gallon tanks.



Filtration
As mentioned before, dwarf shrimp need stable conditions, they also need very high quality water, with absolutely NO ammonia or nitrites. A sniff of ammonia or nitrite can decimate your shrimp very quickly. As such the filtration used needs to be VERY mature, with no risk of ammonia or nitrite spikes. It also needs to have a good surface area for the filter bacteria to colonise, the bigger the surface area to volume ratio the better. However it also needs to be 'gentle' as to powerful a suck can lead to young shrimp been sucked in and possibly turned into shrimp paste. To these ends many shrimp keepers use either air driven sponge filters, or a 'hamburg mat' filter (a large flat piece of filter foam with a pump blowing water across it, from my understanding you mount the foam across a corner of the tank and put the pump in the corner with the flow across the sponge, this way shrimp babies are not sucked into the pump), however you can also use external canister filters (cover the inlet with a filter sponge, and turn the flow down a bit), hang on filters (again cover the inlet with sponge) and internal filters (reduce the flow using the foot out of a pair of tights/stockings). Whatever you chose you need to design it so that it doesn't suck baby shrimp in, and it also needs to be VERY mature!


Lighting
Bright lighting is not needed, or wanted, for keeping shrimp. As such low to medium lighting is preferred.


Heater
You can use any that is rated for your volume of tank, ones with electronic thermostats are however preferred as they are more accurate and less likely to cook your shrimp if anything goes wrong. You can also keep shrimp without heaters if their tank is kept in a heated room where the temperature is kept pretty constant, although if using smaller tanks I advise that a heater is still used as insurance against temperature swings.


Substrate
Any dark to medium coloured substrate that does not have a sharp surface and is calcium free can be used. Size wise .5-3mm grain sizes are good. Eco-complete and ADA Aquasoil Amazonia have also been used to good effect, the mineral content been benificial to the shrimp as well as plants. Be aware however that Amazonia leaches ammonia into the water column when first set up, so you need to stabilise this before adding any shrimp. Lighter substrates are a bad idea as they tend to make shrimp nervous and lose their colour.


Plants
Live aquarium plants are VERY important when keeping shrimp. They provide homes, hiding places and also a site where the shrimp can feed. However avoid planting difficult, demanding or high light requiring plants, and instead chose plants that can tolerate lower lighting and don't need lots of nutrients or CO2. As such mosses are absolutely fantastic for shrimp, they provide lots of lovely places to hide and act as a good place for tiny algaes and bacteria to grow on, providing food for both adult and baby shrimp. I also like to plant the front of my tanks with dwarf hairgrass, my shrimp just love to explore in it and feed on any algae growing on it.


Decor
Wood is very good for shrimp tanks, expecially bogwood that has been well soaked to reduce any impact on water quality. Again it provides places for shrimp to hide and for algae and bacteria to grow. It also looks really nice with mosses and java fern or anubias attached to it. You can also use stones that do not contain calcium in shrimp tanks, but try to at least put a bit of wood in with them.


Shrimp Species
Now you have your tank set up and matured, it's time to add your shrimp (mature your aquarium and filter for at least a couple of months, or you can use eco-complete for a ready matured substrate and use biological media from an already matured filter for instant cycling). So which ones do you chose? Well in the UK usually the most readily available, hardy, and easy to keep shrimp are the good old cherry shrimp, neocaridina heteropoda var 'red'. Alternative species that are easy to keep include malayan and green shrimp (caridina cf. babaulti), Sri Lanka Dwarf Shrimp (caridina simoni simoni), nectarin shrimp (neocaridina palmata) and Snowball/White Pearl shrimp (neocaridina cf. _zhangjiajiensis var 'snowball/white pearl'), _However none of theses are highly available in the UK._ 


Article taken with permission from UK Shrimp. Check their website for more info on shrimp. _


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## indigo_rock_girl

great info
ind
xxx


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## Boccia-Boy

Thanks for the care sheet it is great!!


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## shankbuddy12

*Thanks...!*

Thanks for the really valuable Information.Can't write it better than this...!


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## MoK3t

I'm gonna be breeding shrimp in my sump once i get everything sorted out. I'd prefer not to have a light at all. Think that'd be alright?


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## Esfa

MoK3t said:


> I'm gonna be breeding shrimp in my sump once i get everything sorted out. I'd prefer not to have a light at all. Think that'd be alright?


should be fine. : victory:
just make sure there's enough algae.


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## carpy100

Esfa said:


> should be fine. : victory:
> just make sure there's enough algae.


very important! you gotta feed the little bugg3rs....


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## ianb

:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


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## Stan193

Does anyone have any photos of shrimp setups?


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## DeadLee

Stan193 said:


> Does anyone have any photos of shrimp setups?


Yes that would be interesting


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## Esfa

I'll dig out a few if you want. :2thumb:


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## Lee2211

Does anyone know if I can keep snails in with Shrimp?
Would the liquid calcium added to the water affect the shrimp in any way?

Thankyhoo


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## reptile_man_08

You can, and not that I know of, but any copper will kill them: victory:
My cherry's
































Very old pics, but the tank is still running: victory:


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## Viva

They're nice pics. What are you feeding them?


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## Lee2211

Viva said:


> They're nice pics. What are you feeding them?


 
You can feed them Saki Hikari crustacean food.

I'm getting a tank ready, I know they're colwater but I'll make sure the snails can tolerate the same temperature, thanks!


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## fionayee

I was wondering if I using this aquarium soil for cherry shrimps will be alright?Thanks


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## Eroom

I'm setting up a shrimp tank this week with water and a filter from my existing setup. Has anyone got any moss spare to carpet the bottom of the tank?


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## spinnin_tom

we got us a wikipedia salesman with us :whistling2:

they don't need much space
clean water is a must
just whatever looks nice, java moss etc


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## bennystalebread

Good, no nonsense article


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## Wolfenrook

bennystalebread said:


> Good, no nonsense article


Thanks BSB, I appreciate that, been the author and all. :lol2:

Esfa, when you republish another's work, even when you have their permission you are still supposed to give credit to the original author bud, not just mention the site it was originally published on....

The original article is actually here http://ukshrimp.co.uk/freshwater-ar...r-first-shrimp-only-aquarium-for-dwarf-shrimp for anybody who would like to read it, and does actually contain photographs. : victory:

Ade


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## Sandsifter

reptile_man_08 said:


> You can, and not that I know of, but any copper will kill them: victory:
> My cherry's
> image
> image
> image
> image
> Very old pics, but the tank is still running: victory:


Beautiful tank :2thumb:

But on the no copper issue i'm not so sure.

"Everyone and their Granny" knows copper and invertebrates means death, but I have seen things that erode that absolute view.

Cherry shrimp will breed like crazy ime, and it takes nothing more than loads of detritus/algae to give them the perfect habitat. In one retail place I worked they took over in the filter sumps underneath the tanks and thrived despite the use of copper treatments on those systems.

Chris


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## Sandsifter

Wolfenrook said:


> Thanks BSB, I appreciate that, been the author and all. :lol2:
> 
> Esfa, when you republish another's work, even when you have their permission you are still supposed to give credit to the original author bud, not just mention the site it was originally published on....
> 
> The original article is actually here http://ukshrimp.co.uk/freshwater-ar...r-first-shrimp-only-aquarium-for-dwarf-shrimp for anybody who would like to read it, and does actually contain photographs. : victory:
> 
> Ade


I take it all the info you used for that article was based on your own experience and not just a summary of the printed works of others then Ade?

Chris

Posted via linux.


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## Esfa

Sandsifter said:


> I take it all the info you used for that article was based on your own experience and not just a summary of the printed works of others then Ade?
> 
> Chris
> 
> Posted via linux.


To my knowledge, Ade has sucessfully kept many dwark shrimp species. Also been able to help me out with any questions I had. : victory:

Even if he is a bit of an arse.


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## Wolfenrook

It was indeed my own work, based upon my own experience (hence the pics in thae original article are of MY tanks, set up as per the article) and NOT a summary of the printed works of others. Unlike some, I give credit where it's due if I use other people's work.

As to been a bit of an arse, that's just your opinion Esfa.

Oh and Chris, for future reference don't bother posting things for my attention. I only saw that one because Esfa quoted you.

Ade


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## Terrapin Newbie

Hi Esfa

Is is ok if you could upload some pictures of your shrimp tanks?
Im really interessted in these little critters!


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## RepDave

:2thumb:


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## nazia

awesome work.thanks for the share!​


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## karl martin

ive got a japonica shrimp living in my tank, ive also got 2 female fighters and many tetras been in there for 4yrs now. is it safe to add smaller species of shrimp ? its a well planted tank


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## jackuu50

Welcome to this forum. Here you can get lots of things and suggestions for you problem.
For your this problem I suggest you to contact another expert currently I don’t have knowledge about this topic. Sorry for that.
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