What to stock in a 5.5 gallon shrimp tank

[KingMaddog]

How many and what kinds of shrimp can I put in a 5.5 gallon tank? Dimensions 16″ x 8″ x 10″. Also is 80 degrees a good temp?

 

[Galligak]

If these are your first shrimp I'd stick with neos: cherry, blue, yellow, orange, etc. Tigers would also be great as well (regular kind). If you're tank is being heated to 80 it is unnecessary. They can withstand the temperature but they do just as well if not better in lower temps. I have some tigers in an unheated bowl and they're doing great! The main thing is to have plants. They love plants!

 

[misterpenguin4]

If this is your first time keeping shrimp, then I would go for red cherrys or another neo. They breed pretty easily and shrimp have such a small bioload, you could have a ton in there. I would order about 20 to start and let them breed. Just be careful, red cherry shrimp are easy compared to the other shrimp, but they still need clean water and good parameters.

 

[KingMaddog]

If this is your first time keeping shrimp, then I would go for red cherrys or another neo. They breed pretty easily and shrimp have such a small bioload, you could have a ton in there. I would order about 20 to start and let them breed. Just be careful, red cherry shrimp are easy compared to the other shrimp, but they still need clean water and good parameters.

I have 6 RCS and some Java Moss coming from Fishdude3233. They will be here Thursday. Do you think they will be lonely?

 

[misterpenguin4]

I have 6 RCS and some Java Moss coming from Fishdude3233. They will be here Thursday. Do you think they will be lonely?

They wont be lonely, but the more you start with, the easier to get a big colony.

 

[Deco19]

I started with 10 in a tank just less than double the size and they're breeding like crazy. I'd say that's a good number to start off slowly. I even had a damselfly nymph who could have eaten up to three I couldn't locate. My java moss is also flourishing and gradually taking over the entire tank.

 

[KingMaddog]

What's the best thing to feed shrimp?

 

[Deco19]

What's the best thing to feed shrimp?

They can simply eat the algae in your tank. I sometimes feed mine hakari shrimp pellets.

 

[KingMaddog]

Would this be ok to use in my tanks? I know I don't need 50lbs for a 5.5 tank, but I have a 29 gallon tank for fish to set up too.

 

[Galligak]

TBH I think that is what I used. But just clean it well before you put it in

 

[KingMaddog]

TBH I think that is what I used. But just clean it well before you put it in

Can I see a pic of your tank?

 

[misterpenguin4]

Would this be ok to use in my tanks? I know I don't need 50lbs for a 5.5 tank, but I have a 29 gallon tank for fish to set up too.

I used pool filter sand (also found at home depot) the grains are bigger. I like it a lot, play sand always seams to have a yellow tint to me, where as pool filter sand is more white. Maybe its just me.

 

[Galligak]

This is a really bad picture of what it used to look like (I've since changed to black sand).


My 55g is also done using this sand (I think):

 

[KingMaddog]

I will be purchasing a bag in the morning and using it then.

 

[Galligak]

I will be purchasing a bag in the morning and using it then.

Great! Just really rinse it out! It takes a while and is a pain but, IMO, with the price it's worth it.

 

[KingMaddog]

$4 for 50lbs, can't beat it.

 

[Coursair]

Just don't get different colors of Neocaridina Shrimp. They'll crossbreed and you'll end up with plain brown wild color Shrimp.
Once you are successful with RCS then you could add a Caridina species like CRS ( but they are more sensitive ).


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[RookieFishOwner]

Be carful with RCS though, I used to have them but they are sensitive about ph. I now have amanos and they are as happy as can be!

 

[KingMaddog]

After quite some time of being offline and dealing with some family matters I can finally get this project going. I know i want RCS, but I don't know what other shrimp to get. I will be using play sand as substrate. I also found some bulbs at my local Petsmart tonight and bought 2 packs at 4 bucks each (pics below). I only have a power filter to use in this tank. Should I put something over the intake tube so no shrimp get sucked in? Is an air stone something I should use with shrimp? What do I use as food in an all shrimp tank? How many shrimp can I fit in my 5.5 gallon tank?

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[TwoFish]

I have ~10 CRS in my 5.5 and, honestly, I think I could triple that population with no problem what-so-ever (the bio-load on these darlings is so low I feel silly doing my weekly water change). I've been feeding them Azoo Maxgrowth (ordered on Amazon). I feed them half a strip twice a week, usually, and I'm probably overfeeding them given that my tank is heavily planted at this point and has quite a lot for them to browse on (they seem to like to eat any brown edges on the plants).

I keep an airstone in my tank because I read that CRS are prone to C02 poisoning. Might be a lie, but it certainly doesn't hurt and I often catch the shrimp on the airstone, probably eating the bacteria that grow on it.

I DO have a sponge over the intake of my HOB filter not because the adult shrimp will get sucked into it (they are really fast, strong swimmers) but because if the shrimp reproduce the young could easily get sucked in and killed.

A bonus to the sponge is that it provides a place for the shrimp to browse as it becomes populated with bacteria et. al.