Shrimp for newly established tank

[Relova]

I have a 30 gallon recently cycled tank that I want to begin to stock this weekend. It has been running for just over 3 weeks. Fully cycled for a few days now. Not quite heavily planted, but pretty decently.

How long should a tank 'age' before it's ready for neocaridina shrimp? I want to add about a dozen. But I want to make sure there's plenty of biofilm and algae in there for them.

Thanks

 

[Autumnsky]

After getting a new build tank established I have kept some other fish in it for awhile to verify it is stable and add the waste needed to keep and build a good BB colony. A good amount of biofilm will probably take about 6 months.

When the tank stays stable at least a couple months, or 3, you are getting close.

Are you thinking of keeping the shrimp in a community tank??? If so, babies will probably be eaten.

If you have plants, stones and DW from an older established tank then you could add them in, and try adding the shrimp sooner. The plants, stones and DW from an established tank will have biofilm.

You can add additional things to the tank to help the shrimp have extra things to eat / graze on. Bacter AE in smaller than listed on the container amounts, and not as often, several other trusted quality brands have similar supplements. Quality foods for shrimp also will help.

A couple other problems keeping them with community fish, is that the food you want the shrimp to eat gets consumed by faster eating fish, which can gulp down a whole chunk of shrimp food in a second.

Smaller or younger shrimp could be a meal, or a snack.

What is your stock plan?

 

[Relova]

30 gallon community with maybe 15-20 neon tetras and ember tetras. Maybe something a little larger later on, a few dwarf gourami.

I'm cycling a 10 gallon to be a shrimp and plant only tank. 90% of the plants in both tanks were from established tanks. Today's test was the first with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrates in that tank.

 

[Autumnsky]

What are you dosing for ammonia?

 

[Relova]

Dr tims ammonium chloride. I was doing fish food originally but switched to this a week or so ago. Cycling out 2ppm in just over 24 hours. (Some days I manage to test at 24 hours but the last few days it's been 30-36 hours between tests.

 

[Autumnsky]

That sounds promising. Have you seen in the Aquarium Advice freshwater articles, tips and tricks for fastest fishless cycle, or something close to that title?

 

[SteffeyJ]

I had an 'emergency' situation where I was treating my main tank and medicine was not invert safe, so set up a literal 'emergency' tank... put all my shrimp and snails In it. Although, I did use a sponge filter from main tank. And also put pieces of cut up 'dirty' sponge from my main tank filter and put them directly into the tank.. and honestly, they're THRIVING!!
this is of course, my own expierience.
But if you have ANY sort of seeded sponges, I am sure they would help to move the timeline up a bit!!
Also, anything else in the tank? Shrimp alone might not be enough to keep the tank from re-cycling.. they dont make alot of waste... I also had a small mystery snail and 6-8 trumpet snails in mine.. so you dont necessarily need fish. Snails produce quite an amount of waste. As long as you keep ammonia away and give them treated water, without doing it too often or changing too much, should be okay!
I only change water in my shrimp/snail tank about once every other week. and a small amount at a time! My main FISH tank, I do ATLEAST once a week. If not twice. Usually smaller water changes.
I've found that too much, too often is much MUCH worse Than just changing a little! bit more often.
Works for me!!
Hope you find what works for you too!!
Best of luck!

 

[Relova]

Those emergency tanks are quickly multiplying around here. Lol

How do people keep shrimp only tanks if the bio load isn't enough with shrimp only? How many shrimp would it take in a 10 gallon? (I fear the answer is far more than I plan to purchase)

Our plan is a community 30 gallon and a shrimp 10 gallon. Getting ready to venture out to a lfs for our first stocking today. The 30 is my husbands technically. He wants neon tetras, ember tetras, and gourami (or something else a little larger than the tetras) and various colored shrimp, maybe some thai micro crabs. So that tank should be fine as far as a big enough bioload.

I want to use the 10 as a blue shrimp breeding/colony tank. I used to have blue egg laying chickens and I love learning about the genetics improving the line. I miss having my little project, but can't have chickens here. What else would go well with the shrimp, but not eat the babies?

We have a second 10 that was my daughters betta tank. A friend took him while we get his home straight. But the cycle crashed and it is a mess. Then I left the filter off for 24 hours accidentally after a water change this week and there is orange brown algae growing. I scrubbed it off of the walls, but it's all in/on the substrate, decor, and plants.

Today i plan to empty, clean everything well, and refill the betta tank. I'll use one of the filter carts from the 30 to seed the cycle. If that does the trick the betta will be back home soon.

 

[Autumnsky]

Microcrabs very probably would be eaten, if it is in the 30.

They do very well with red root floaters in the tank to congregate.

Small shrimp are snacks for larger fish.

You need the matured tank for these, but Vampire shrimp can be bluish or tan or pink-ish Ayo Gabonensis, not sure the spelling is right. Bamboo or Flower Shrimp. Amano shrimp.

Dwarf Crayfish. Orange, blue, blue grey tan, tan.

Shrimp tank. Chili Rasbora Boraras Brigittae, and the Strawberry or one spot Naevus, Phoenix Merah Rasbora, and Pygmy Maculatus Rasbora.
These little guys are often a bit fragile when getting them from the store check their pattern to see which one they are. Like to have little groups of 6 to 18 or more. Often you lose a couple because they are so little/ young. Their mouth are very small and they can starve if their food isnt tiny enough. Baby fish food is good too because they usually are still very young. Need to be fed small amounts several times a day like babies to grow better and get strong and healthy. Frozen baby brine shrimp, rotifers can be fed in small amounts for them. Just a small slice of a frozen cube. The other 30G fish will also love them.

Feedingbthe little babies slowly, small amounts at a time is best as they eat mainly from the top of the water area, not really scavenge from the bottom.

Many other nano fish are predators of tiny shrimp and you shouldn't even consider them untill you have so many shrimp breeding constantly filling the tank and you wouldn't miss the babies. Then, still a breeding shrimp tank providing adult shrimp is usually kept for supplying the nano fish display tank.

 

[Autumnsky]

It is very helpful to know what you are buying.

My daughter got me 8.99 Boraras Brigittae for my birthday, but they were sold as BB but actually not Chili Rasboras, they were the similar fish the Phoenix, Merah 2.99 so she paid way too much for the wrong fish, misidentified at the pet store. That was from a higher priced independent store but every other store was out of stock and when their prices were higher.

Article pictures of some micro Rasboras for easier identification.


https://msjinkzd.com/news/which-boraras-do-you-really-have-a-pictorial-guide/

 

[Relova]

I've been looking for chili rasboras, but havent found any yet. Out of those you mentioned would any do well in a 10 gallon in an appropriately numbered group? I'm looking them up now. I try to head to the store with a good idea of what I'm looking for.

In the community tank we're okay with some shrimp baby loss. Trying to stay small enough with the larger fish that the adults would be mostly okay. Kinda circle of life it up in there. But the 10 gallon I'd prefer to be as safe as possible for the eventual babies to be able to supply the other tank(s).

 

[Autumnsky]

The micro rasboras I mentioned and the R. uropthalmoides will all work. The R. uropthalmoides has a little color.

The order of color would likely be
Boraras Brigittae males have deep red when spawning but usually it is the dominant male and a secondary which have the darkest color.

The Phoenix or Merah has some less deep color but orange red in males and Strawberry /Naevus this one has a bit of pink

In Rachel's list she has the others too.

For the Boraras Brigittae, I have bought fish 12 in 2020 and 2021 and in 2020they just all died in 2021 and all but 2 died. These were very small fish. like fry. and delicate after the travels to the fish store and me.

There is a store much farther away and their fish are usually a little bigger, they get them in almost every week and so their fish have some time to grow.

Instead of $3. they are $6 at the farther away store. But they seem stronger, so next time I try to get some it will be from the other place.

The Chilis really do have some males which are so dark. They love a subdued light and some botanicals /leaves in the tank as do shrimp.

Also some Red Root Floaters are nice as they add seclusion and shady spots which the fish also like. I have kept a different variety of these guys together as well.

They live around 2 years or a little more with the others. Chilis seem not to live as long as some of the other individuals at least in my tanks.

They can live in a eco type tank replicating a natural environment, all the way to a Iwagumi. I love to see Iwagumi tanks but I keep more jungle type and biotope style tanks because I think the fish are happier.

For the 30G, one of my favorite fish for the upper 1/4 of the tank is the Microdevario Kubotai Neon Green Rasbora also really are amazing fish periwinkle to lavender top and yellow green bottom half.

 

[Autumnsky]

This video you can see them together with the other fish.
oops forgot the video

 

[Relova]

Just an update.

Added 20 blue dream shrimp to the 10 gallon shortly after my last post. They're multiplying quickly and more mommas pop up berried as quickly as they hatch. Added a mystery snail. Tank is doing well.

We added a few of each color into our 30 gallon community. Reds, red rili, orange, yellow, blue, green. Lots of babies there too.

Setting up a 20 gallon long with divided compartments now so I can divide by color to keep a fresh supply of nice colors for the community tank.

 

[Autumnsky]

Just an update.

Added 20 blue dream shrimp to the 10 gallon shortly after my last post. They're multiplying quickly and more mommas pop up berried as quickly as they hatch. Added a mystery snail. Tank is doing well.

We added a few of each color into our 30 gallon community. Reds, red rili, orange, yellow, blue, green. Lots of babies there too.

Setting up a 20 gallon long with divided compartments now so I can divide by color to keep a fresh supply of nice colors for the community tank.

That's really great news. Glad to hear they are breeding well!

The Neocaridina are able to cross breed with all the colors.

They are specifically crossed with the special colors developed over time to be the colors they are when you buy them, and mixing back up will begin over successive matings to create more tan, clear and a blue grey color babies.

If you are able to separate the adults by color sooner, you'll have less neutral color babies. The neutral colors are just as good, but not as "pretty" / colorful in the tank.

 

[Relova]

We already have some wild type coloring in the 30 gallon. We knew it would happen but really like all of the colors together. I'm not mad though. The wilds are what convinced my husband to set up the 20 long as a dedicated shrimp breeding set up. Working on the hard scape for each section now. Should be ready to fill after the littles go to bed tonight!

 

[Autumnsky]

Nice. I started with the wild colors and tried to get all grey blue ones and they were very nice. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't a bad surprise!

If you every want another shrimp project, Caridina shrimp. Taiwan Bee tank can have many colors, Black, yellow, red, white, King Kong (KK which can be striped to solid and metallic and even purple, rare and very expensive tho) Shadow Panda, Black or Red Panda, Blue Bolt, Wine Red, Blue Jelly and Green Hulk - Amazing
https://www.deviantart.com/rah-bop/art/Caridina-cantonensis-family-tree-369067539

How fun to not have to worry about them turning brown or clear.