Shrimp tank cleaning advice

[Topcatsmum]

Hi
I have been keeping red cherry shrimp with good success for over a year. They are breeding and all healthy.

I add water a change water every other week but have noticed a build up of muck in the substrate just below the surface. Should I hoover this to clean the tank or am I better to leave it. I don’t want to upset the current successful set up I have.

 

[Autumnsky]

Greetings, and welcome to the community.

I like to use a Fluval Edge vac in a smaller / shrimp tank. Like this one
https://fluvalaquatics.com/us/product/edge-gravel-cleaner/

It is narrow and makes cleaning easier. Sucks out less water volume also since it is thin.

You can do one small spot in the substrate each water change, and lessen the impact possibility of a mini cycle.

One thing to also consider is the type of food you are feeding, allowing excess fillers to end up causing more mulm.

And the quantity of food per feeding, as well as how frequent your feedings are.

Higher quality foods contain less fillers and bulk, which means less poop/mulm. More use of the higher quality ingredients for a healthier tank and shrimp too.

You can buy sampler packs of well known shrimp foods and try out different types which most shrimp love. Changing over foods gradually.

 

[Topcatsmum]

Thanks that’s great advice.