5G Shrimp tank

[yuchen375]

Okay i have tried doing this myself and i have failed pretty hard (((

I wish to start a shrimp tank with 5G Fluval Chi. Guy please give me specific detail and please tell me where are the best place to buy those items if there are items i need to purchase. i have plants but i do not think everything else fits there. you guys are the expert i am the noob. please help me on this ;DDDDD

A step by step would be super awesome!!!

 

[SpaceFish42]

Try to find a local fish store, not a chain store where people don't even know what they're doing. Cherry shrimp make a great beginner species, and they multiply very quickly. If you have a filter, put pantyhose or something over the filter intake, so the shrimp don't meet an untimely death. As for plants, shrimp love heavily planted tanks (real or fake), especially Java moss.

 

[icydeath]

1. Grab a small heater
2. Get a replacement plant light. I know the Chi isn't as wide, but I run my Spec V with a 10 gallon Aqueon fixture. It has a floramax bulb in it.
3. Get a plant gravel, root tabs, and whatever your plants need. (depends on the plants)
4. Grab a small piece or chunk of driftwood, shrimps love that stuff.
5. Grab a bag of algae wafers, a can of shrimp pellets, and one other sinking food
6. Put gravel in, install light, plant, fill with dechlorinated water.

Depending on the amount of plants you have and the types of plants you have, you most likely won't have to cycle as shrimp have a small bioload. Just make sure you don't over feed!

 

[SpaceFish42]

Oh, also, make sure the tank is cycled, because shrimp are pretty sensitive to ammonia.

 

[SpaceFish42]

Bioload has nothing to do with cycling. You always need to cycle any aquarium.

 

[icydeath]

If you have a filter, put pantyhose or something over the filter intake, so the shrimp don't meet an untimely death.

Your Fluval Chi might need you to put this over the overflow grates, but it is unlikely. You would also see shrimp on the top of your sponge. You probably don't need it though, I had some cherries with the same overflow grate style in the Spec V and they never got sucked in. If they do, just get them out with a spoon and drop em back in the tank lol

 

[icydeath]

Bioload has nothing to do with cycling. You always need to cycle any aquarium.

When you have plants that will absorb a ton of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and you have like 6 shrimp, you won't need to. The ammonia level is so negligible it won't be important depending on your plants. For example, the OP should use anacharis or hornwort if they choose to go this direction. It's incredibly difficult to cycle tanks this small too. As long as she isn't over feeding and removes uneaten food within a 24 hour span, the shrimp will be fine.

 

[yuchen375]

how do i cycle it?

 

[icydeath]

Eco says it better than I could. If you are interested in cycling your tank, this is the go to. You should cycle almost all tanks, but shrimp tanks that are going to be densely packed with plants and sparsely stocked with shrimp (initially) aren't on that list. Needless to say, here it is: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html

In all honesty, with the amount of shrimp you will probably be initially stocking, you would do fine to just add bundles of anacharis (or the like) and plant cycle.

 

[SpaceFish42]

You could cycle it by just putting in fish and letting their poo do the work, or if you don't want to risk the fish's lives, you can do a fishless cycle, where you add the ammonia. Basically, cycling is getting the good bacteria started to stabilize the water conditions. Try googling "nitrogen cycle," and it will give you a better step by step guide.

 

[yuchen375]

thank you for all your advices&help!

 

[icydeath]

Glad we could help