Setting up a shrimp tank

[KasiaJB]

I am going to get a bigger tank for my Betta and the current one 5g (20 litres) I would like to use as a shrimp tank. So I have few questions - can I keep cherry and red nose shrimps together? How many of them would be okay for 5g tank? I will also get some new plants for both tanks - so any suggestions which ones are the best for shrimp? Anything else I need to know? And will I be able to introduce female Betta in to this shrimp tank later on? Many thanks in advance for your advice and help!

 

[Faile]

I'd recommend starting with a dozen Cherry Red Shrimp. You'll many times that in short order if they like their new home. Pretty much any plant will be fine with the shrimp, but they particularly like mosses and other plants that they can scavenge and hide in.

If you decide to introduce a betta, you'll soon find yourself with little to no shrimp and a very plump betta.

 

[Jason7894561230]

Everything Faile has said is great though i would recommend getting a lid because my shrimp have jumped out.
Planting is easy for the tank have some mass in there and something where the shrimplets can hid, the adults wont eat the babies but it is better for the shrimplets to have a hiding spot. I would also recommend geting a snail for algea that may build up.
introducing a betta to the tank would be a terrible idea. Bettas are omnivores and will eat the shrimp. You could add guppies or mollies i have cories in my shrimp tank and they dont harm them or even disturbed them and the shrimp love them. They jump on eachother and get free rides on the corys it is really cute.

 

[BigJim]

A betta will snack on shrimp. Mollies will too and guppies will eat shrimplets. I keep RCS in a tank with guppies and cories, but there's a lot of java moss for the shrimp to hide in.

 

[KasiaJB]

I appreciate what you are saying - how it is however that 5-6 cm betta can snack on 2-4 sm shrimp is a mystery. Unless you mean shrimplets/baby-shrimps. And also I said female betta and they are not as aggressive as males. I said can I introduce later - what I meant is maybe better to start together. anyway many betta breeders keep bettas and shrimps together so they are used to each other. My betta would not touch a 5mm snail, although when they first appear in the tank he was flaring madly at them and I am pretty sure some ended up as snacks. I will get the tank well planted - and I also plan to get this ceramic shrimp hiding place. I was aksing about plant selection because I think for betta you rather try biggish leaves etc so I will get moss balls and anubias, maybe java fern and I also thought maybe the shrimps like gravel covered with 'grass' or at least part of the surface?

Can I keep red nose and cherry together? Any chance they might cross-breed?

 

[Jason7894561230]

I appreciate what you are saying - how it is however that 5-6 cm betta can snack on 2-4 sm shrimp is a mystery. Unless you mean shrimplets/baby-shrimps. And also I said female betta and they are not as aggressive as males. I said can I introduce later - what I meant is maybe better to start together. anyway many betta breeders keep bettas and shrimps together so they are used to each other. My betta would not touch a 5mm snail, although when they first appear in the tank he was flaring madly at them and I am pretty sure some ended up as snacks. I will get the tank well planted - and I also plan to get this ceramic shrimp hiding place. I was aksing about plant selection because I think for betta you rather try biggish leaves etc so I will get moss balls and anubias, maybe java fern and I also thought maybe the shrimps like gravel covered with 'grass' or at least part of the surface?

Aggresive or not, female or not. Bettas will eat shrimps and shrimplets. They are a fish that eat shrimp.

Yes you can keep red nose and cherry shrimp together and i dont tihnk they will cross breed

 

[dkpate]

Who knows??? Maybe it will work out! I still think it just depends on the betta.
Yayy for shrimp! Can't wait for pics.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

I appreciate what you are saying - how it is however that 5-6 cm betta can snack on 2-4 sm shrimp is a mystery.

Size isn't important. Lions take down Wilderbeast 4 times their size after all.

 

[dkpate]

Lions also have giant mouths compared to it's body, whereas a betta doesn't. Not to mention that the lion runs faster, and have wayyyy bigger teeth. No comparison IMO.

 

[Faile]

The betta can eat the adult shrimp by tearing it into smaller chunks. You may luck out and have a betta that will live peacefully with the shrimp. Then again you may not. It could also be fine for weeks or months and then suddenly decide to eat them.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Lions also have giant mouths compared to it's body, whereas a betta doesn't. Not to mention that the lion runs faster, and have wayyyy bigger teeth. No comparison IMO.

Sure, but lions aren't the only example. Examples abound of predators who's prey is physically bigger than they are.

 

[DragonFish71]

It is highly probable that the betta will eat the shrimp. RCS are small, and the betta would have no problem getting to the underside of the shrimp and tearing it up. If there are shrimplets, there is no probably there, the betta will eat them. I've had a female betta that killed large mystery snails, ghost shrimp, corys and anything else that was put in with her.


As for can the two types of shrimp co-exist, yes.

 

[Jason7894561230]

Anyway whats happening in the tank now we know bettas may or more likly to eat shrimp

 

[KasiaJB]

The shrimps are arriving tomorrow - red nose and red cherry - 5 of each. Plus plants - moss ball, anubias, java fern and echinodorus. I have my current set up planted as well so I will divide plants between the two tanks. Thank you for your input. I am still doubting my Lapis the Betta is this 'wild lion' with strong predatory mind. he seems to be very peaceful towards snails... But I definitely do not want my new shrimps ending up as a high protein snack - lol

When planting can I use laterite for the shrimp tank? How to nourish plants and avoid any impact on the shrimps? I also bought them shrimp wafers - but any advice on their feeding requirements is appreciated. I know they love spinach and courgettes, shall I boil it or give them raw?

Thanks again for all information and advice i will let you know tomorrow how I managed.

 

[KasiaJB]

So - done! Shrimps are happy - all of them, red cherries are so quick I have trouble photographing them. My Betta Lapis is a bit surprised by his new bigger tank but I hope he will soon he back to his bubbly joyous self I got new plants as well - Echinodorus I like especially - two varieties - ozelot Green (with brown spots) and E. rubra - they are both in Lapis's tank. Shrimps are fun to watch. I got you few photos.

 

[dkpate]

Awww, congrats!!!

 

[KasiaJB]

Hello again,

I cannot believe so much time passed! Happy New Year everyone! I just would like to give a little update on my shrimp tank. Sadly 8 out of ten of my shrimp did not make it and died within days. However the two survivors (one red nose nicknamed Rudolph and one red cherry - nameless as yet) are doing fine - eat, grow and molt regularly and 'fight' over the wafer with cherry being the bolder pushy one. I think the most probable reason why the rest died is that they were shipped overnight and it was a cold night, but it could've been some pH/water differences. As it is winter here I decided to wait for warmer weather to get more - the cherry is likely a female as it has really bright colours so it would be nice go get a full shrimp community and little shrimplets!

My Betta Lapis is also doing fine in his bigger tank and I am thinking of even expanding more my aquatic hobby - pea puffers maybe?

Right now I have a dilemma how to clean the shrimp tank - some algae growing on the tank glass and I would like to clean the gravel a bit as well but how do I do it without any risk to the shrimps? Please advise - thank you!