Shrimp rearing tank?

[stingrays4]

Hi i have some shrimps which breed on a regular basis so i set up a small 13 gallon tank for them,which i set up in a hurry with a couple of simple air driven box filters.I added an internal filter last weekend and experienced a mini spike in which i lost allot of my current stock I think i had added far to many shrimps,and with over feeding combined with a lack of filteration it caused the tank to 'crash' I reckon i had over 400 shrimps in there in various sizes. I now have less than 50/100
so my question is what is the best set up to rear shrimps in regards of filters? Are live plants a good idea? Also i have added a photo of my current set up
Also before the new filter the tank always seemed to have a cloudy 'effect' but after adding the filter the tank cleared and is now clear! The photo doesn't show the cloudy effect.

 

[Austin.b]

What do you mean rear shrimps? Any filter will work, just put a sponge over the intake so no baby shrimp get sucked up. I use an aquaclear in my shrimp tank.

Yes, shrimp need plants. They eat all the micro organisms and bio-film off them. Shrimp LOVE moss. You can just get a large clump of java and spread it out over the tank. The shrimp would love that. Sorry to hear about your shrimp

 

[stingrays4]

Hi the idea of the rearing tank is to grow on shrimps that I 'rescue' from my other tank before they get eaten {only the babies that is} Despite putting a sponge on the intake to my filter i still get loads of shrimps in my external filter,and i just can't put them back into the main tank! Hence why i set this tank up.
My thoughts are - strip down the current tank, put in a undergravel filter driven by an air stone,keep the new internal filter,and as you suggested add plenty of moss. The substrate would be a very fine gravel?Or sand? Would this compact too much?
Thanks for the reply

 

[Austin.b]

Hi the idea of the rearing tank is to grow on shrimps that I 'rescue' from my other tank before they get eaten {only the babies that is} Despite putting a sponge on the intake to my filter i still get loads of shrimps in my external filter,and i just can't put them back into the main tank! Hence why i set this tank up.
My thoughts are - strip down the current tank, put in a undergravel filter driven by an air stone,keep the new internal filter,and as you suggested add plenty of moss. The substrate would be a very fine gravel?Or sand? Would this compact too much?
Thanks for the reply

Oh ok I get the idea now. Personally, I really hate under gravel filters, they eventually turn into a nitrate factory, and dwarf shrimp can't stand larger quantities of nitrates. I always keep my shrimp tank under 20 nitrates, as soon as that exceeds I start to find a dead shrimp. Shrimp are very sensitive to nitrate, much more than fish. One filter most shrimp keepers use in their breeding tanks, are sponge filters. Very cheap, and good Biological filtration. It really dosent matter which substrate you choose, just make sure it isn't too large sand will work fine, and if you do pick up sand, get some MTS

 

[MABJ]

The idea is good, but with 400 shrimp, you surely are overstocked. The maximum we recommend per gallon is 10 per gallon.

Past that, I believe 20 per gallon is feasible. Never 40 per gallon.

The tank

1: wasn't established.

2: was overstocked

3: didn't have proper methods of filtration.

An HOB filter is the best method. A tank really should have some plants, and if it is new, add a few shrimp at a time.

 

[Austin.b]

The idea is good, but with 400 shrimp, you surely are overstocked. The maximum we recommend per gallon is 10 per gallon.

Past that, I believe 20 per gallon is feasible. Never 40 per gallon.

The tank

1: wasn't established.

2: was overstocked

3: didn't have proper methods of filtration.

An HOB filter is the best method. A tank really should have some plants, and if it is new, add a few shrimp at a time.

Aghh! I should have caught that it wasn't established and was overstocked. Thanks MABJ it was too much of a bio-load considering there weren't any plants to absorb some of those nitrates, you might want to look into hornwort and floating plants such as dwarf water lettuce, duck weed, and frogbit.

 

[MABJ]

Aghh! I should have caught that it wasn't established and was overstocked. Thanks MABJ it was too much of a bio-load considering there weren't any plants to absorb some of those nitrates, you might want to look into hornwort and floating plants such as dwarf water lettuce, duck weed, and frogbit.

It's fine! We all pick up on different things. I'm glad you touched on filtration.

There are an appropriate amount of shrimp in the tank now at least lol.

 

[shrimpbako]

To rear shrimps,

I reckon, canisters hooked up to one or two other canisters. Very stable/huge biological capabilities. Little water changes are needed, but at densities of 400 shrimps for 13 gallons. Water change should be probably every 3-4 days.

Canisters are best because of ability to have bio-filtration build up. HOB, air driven, are not that great. Only other thing i use besides canisters are big sponge filters

They love sponge filters.

Oh and plants, I only use in show tanks.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

If your lookin for a great lowlite plant to absorb nitrates I'd 100% recommend a hygrophilia or java fern. Nothin mops up trates like hygrophilia.

 

[Coursair]

Java Moss or Java Ferns are super easy to grow and Shrimp love them. I use Fluval Prefilter Sponges over my intakes and NEVER get babies in my filters....not sure why your sponges don't work ????

Also you used some large rocks, gravel and that allows food to fall in between and rot easier. I'd suggest either sand or fine gravel. I use an HOB filter, Sponge filters are very popular, modified undergravel filters are starting to be used ( google undergravel filters and shrimp ), I also use Canisters.

Keeping water very clean and not overstocking or overfeeding and your Shrimp will be very happy. If you've got 400 Shrimp I think it's time to sell some

 

[stingrays4]

Hi thanks for all the replies Update on the situation - I lost nearly all me shrimps but did move on some before i lost all of them. I took them up me local fish shop and was surprised just how many i still had. The chap in the shop reckon there was over 150 shrimps in the bucket,so yes grossly overstockedThe tank looked 'empty' before caught that lot
All the remaining shrimps were moved to a new tank,with a 100% water change unfortuantly i hadn't realised this water used from one of my other set ups was overly high in nitrates so a real catalogue of errors now a great many water changes later it seems to have settled down?
Now to the new set up - tank is the original two footer {13 gallon}now with plant substrate and planted with crypts,eleoda densa and cabomba,also will add some riccia filteration is by an internal and an air driven box filter and possibly the sponge filter as well. Will also look into upgrading this as i have a spare external filter,and after reading some of the comments this would seem a very sensible option? Also will not let the numbers grow so huge again before rehoming some shrimps
Any more thoughts or idea's any one? Once again thanks for all the advice