Tips

Things I do that leads to my success in the hobby.

 

Shrimp Care:

  •   Aquarium Setup for Caridina Shrimp

 

Use live substrate, such as Brightwell Rio Escuro or Fluval Stratum. I personally find Brightwell Rio Escuro to be superior because it lasts longer and it does not leach ammonia. In combination with the substrate, I will use distilled water or RO (reverse osmosis) water. Then I will add Bee Shrimp Mineral GH+ until the TDS reaches 150. To measure TDS (total dissolved solids), you will need a TDS meter. Next, I will add nitrifying bacteria and a little bit of Florin Multi from Brightwell. This will act as food for the bacteria. Then add a sponge filter, a small piece of driftwood, and your choice of aquarium plant. Do not use a plant that has to be planted in the substrate. For Caridina aquariums, avoid plants that require substrate planting. Add a light with a timer, but not too strong, and let it run for about 6 hours daily. Last and most important, be patient. Let the aquarium sit for 2 months. At this point, the tank should be free of ammonia, and you should see algae buildup, copepods, and other life, indicating that the aquarium is coming to life. After 2 months, do a 90% water change; wait a week before adding shrimp.

 

·         Aquarium Setup for Neocaridina Shrimp

 

Neocaridina shrimp can thrive on any substrate, but for me, the best results are with CaribSea Eco-Complete. Tap water can be used with Seachem Prime to make the water safe for your shrimp. I will add Shrimp Mineral GH/KH+ until the TDS reaches 200. To measure TDS (total dissolved solids), you will need a TDS meter. Next, I will add nitrifying bacteria and a little bit of Florin Multi from Brightwell. This will act as food for the bacteria. Then add a sponge filter, a small piece of driftwood, and your choice of aquarium plant. You can add rocks as decor because these shrimp are used to a higher pH than Caridina Shrimp.  Plants can be planted in the substrate because it does not break down and never needs to be changed. Add a light with a timer, but not too strong, and let it run for about 6 hours daily. Last and most important, be patient. Let the aquarium sit for 2 months. At this point, the tank should be free of ammonia, and you should see algae buildup, copepods, and other life, indicating that the aquarium is coming to life. After 2 months, do a 90% water change; wait a week before adding shrimp.

 

  • Adding Shrimp to the Aquarium

 

Unlike adding fish to an aquarium by floating the bags in the new aquarium, shrimp have to be added more slowly. For the most part, fish only require temperature acclimation, but shrimp require TDS, temperature, pH, and water soft/hardness acclimation. The best way to use this is by drip acclimation. The drip acclimation duration will be based on how long it takes for the parameters in the new tank and the container with shrimp to match. Continuously monitor the container with the shrimp with a TDS and pH meter until the numbers match or get close enough to the numbers in the. Once the numbers match or are close enough, net the new shrimp out of the container and quickly add them to the new tank.

 

  •    Feeding

Since the tank has been cycling for over 2 months, there is no need to feed the new shrimp for at least a week. The tank will have plenty of biofilm for the new shrimp to graze on. Remember, shrimp will always choose biofilm over whatever food is added to the tank. Adding food in a new tank will be ignored by the shrimp and may cause water quality issues later.