Starting Shrimp Tank

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stevenht

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
Messages
676
Hey guys, I'm starting a Shrimp tank. I have decided on a few things

I want a carpet and high light. Both I think are achievable with this setup. I have a "up to" 30g pressurize co2 system I think made by Fluval. I got it for free so what the heck.

I'm thinking about a 5 gallon tank
Sponge Filter
Fluval Stratum
Not sure about which air pump yet

As for plants
Probably HC for my carpet plant
Java Moss for sure
Maybe 1 Crypt in the back for a bigger plant from my other tank

Anything else I should be worried about before getting started?:thanks::thanks::thanks:
 
What kind of shrimp are you planning to get? Some shrimp have very specific requirements (low pH, low TDS, low KH/GH).
Surprisingly, a single 23w 6500k twisted compact fluorescent bulb should produce enough light for a tank this size. A clip on LED fixture is more aesthetically pleasing, though.
As for the CO2, the success with HC Cuba and most other carpet plants depends on an ample and consistent supply. You can achieve that with the Fluval cartridge system but it will cost you in time, effort, and money. Those systems require you to open and close the valve each day. I believe the "g" in 30g implies the volume of CO2 in grams. Which means frequent replacements. Also, while air driven sponge filters are great for shrimp, the surface disruption from the air bubbles may contribute to CO2 loss.
Choice of substrate will contribute to the success of carpet plants. A finer grain, plant specific substrate is preferable.
Not intending to dissuade you, just some things to keep in mind.
 
I'm thinking RCS and ghost shrimp since those are the easier to care for. I love dwarf baby tears. Just the name alone sounds fun. You have brought up things about them that have made me second guess the plant selection. I'm think dwarf sag will suite my tank better and provide more shady areas for the shrimp and they do look nice when plants in clumps. That way I don't have to use co2 at all and that's one less hassle I have to worry about.

That means I'm forced to go low tech cause high light and no pressurized co2 sounds like an algae disaster.

I'm still gonna stick with the fluval stratum for substrate. Although I do have a 20lb bag of eco complete collecting dust in my closet.

Now which light would you recommend fresh? I still want that eye drawing light in my tank.
 
Without the co2, the sponge filter should be perfect. I'm hoping to get them to breed. Which I have done successfully before. Without a sponge filter. The fry didn't survive but I was fine with just knowing I had a good enough set up for them to do that.
 
You could put a 16" Finnex Stingray on that tank. It's low light but should be fine for mosses and crypts.
Finnex also make a 10" clip on LED. It's modeled after the Planted+ so it's quite a bit stronger than the Stingray. Both lights are around $40 on Amazon.
Personally, I think carpets in shrimp tanks look nice but not worth the hassle of maintenance. Frequent trimming leaves a mess and one needs to be careful when netting it out of the tank (since there are shrimp in there).
One of my shrimp tanks has a thin (1/4") layer of black sand and the other one is bare bottom. I keep lots of guppy grass, subwassertang, and various mosses in my tanks.
I would keep an eye out on the ghost shrimp. They might prey on the baby RCS.
 
I'm just gonna get some java moss and put it on some rocks I have.

I'll probably just get ghost shrimp to start. They're fairly easy to take care of.

I think I'm gonna be good with the dwarf sag and crypts.

Would eco complete be Ok? I would like to use it since I already have it and it won't cost me any more than I need. It's the red mixed one so it still looks really natural.
 
I've never had ghost shrimp, but my two cents would be to go for red cherry shrimp. They're easy to care for, beautiful, and breed like rabbits. If you really like ghosts, I'm sure they'll do well for you too. Best of luck :)
 
EcoComplete is fine for those plants. I used it in a crypt/shrimp tank. Occasionally added root pellets but it was pretty much hands off (aside from feeding and water changes). I did NOT vacuum.
You may want to use a small, clear glass dish for feeding. Gives you a gauge of how much they are eating and reduces the amount of food getting into the substrate.
Ghost shrimp are inexpensive and active. Not very colorful though.
RCS can be colorful and either cheap or expensive depending on where you source them. The ones I got from the LFS had a survival rate of 1 out of every 3 despite an hour long drip acclimation process. I had a much higher survival rate with shrimp from private breeders (cost less as well).
I would get the Stingray if you plan on using a glass top on the tank. It has less reflective glare compared to the clip on. No glass top, then either is fine. The clip on has higher light but the use of floating plants can provide shade to counter that.
 
I have bought 1 RCS in my life and that was one tough son of a gun. My LFS has vampire shrimp, bamboo, RCS, even the crystal reds too.

I was looking at lighting last night and I'll probably get the stingray.

I'll start posting pics next week when the plants and light arrive
 
What kind of floating plants do you like fresh?


Like and have are often two different things. I have duckweed. More like a curse though. I like red root floaters.
I also have guppy grass which is not technically a floating plant but provides shade and cover and grows very fast even in low light.
 
Would it be ok to have a soil base capped with ECO Complete? I'm just trying to look out for the health of the shrimp. I have a long list on tanks I've kept with fish but never with soil base and only had a few shrimp in my entire life.

Breaking new ground over here for me! Too many questions.
 
Questions are good.
I've not tried soil before. Even though EC is not the most "nutritious" substrate, with the proper fertilizers it can get you good results. I am curious to see how it would do as a soil cap. I say go for it.
Shrimp don't care. They like moss and plants, rooted or floating. They are curious creatures. Sometimes before shipping out plant trimmings, I place the trimmings in the shrimp tank for a bit and the shrimp are all over them. I imagine they are attracted to ungrazed biofilm and algae.
 
Any soil you recommend? The organic stuff from Lowes? I have some organic potting soil here at the house.

Yeah the curious nature of shrimp attracted me to them.

Do you have any trimmings up for sale right now?
 
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