Content
- What do I need to have a shrimp tank
- Can I put fish in the shrimp tank?
- Shrimp recommended for beginners: red cherry
- Aquarium shrimp feeding
- Diseases your aquarium shrimp can get
There are more and more people who, just like you, discover aquarium shrimp and look for information about them in PeritoAnimal. We can find information about this species on the Internet thanks to experts in aquarium hobby. They are present all over the world.
If you're wondering why this species is so successful, you should know that these small invertebrates they just need space and some care, as they clean scales and debris from the bottom of your aquarium.
Keep reading to find out what the aquarium shrimp care and discover how this little inhabitant can surprise you if he has him in his house.
What do I need to have a shrimp tank
A shrimp aquarium only includes inhabitants of this species. We also consider a shrimp tank if your objective is the reproduction of this same species. Fish should be excluded from the shrimp environment, but some hobbyists admit the presence of snails and other types of invertebrates. It depends on your choice.
Why have a shrimp tank?
There are many advantages to having a shrimp tank. They are more economical, hygienic and cheaper than a fish tank. Shrimps live in fresh and cold water environments.
For starters, you should know that you don't need a large aquarium. An aquarium of shrimp from small size is enough. You'll be able to enjoy a very special and different aquatic environment, and you don't even have to dedicate a lot of time and effort. The shrimp are cleaned at the bottom of the aquarium, removing scale and dirt.
Essential elements of the shrimp aquarium:
- Gravel or substrate: It is very common for people to try to beautify the bottom of the aquarium with a kind of sand that we call gravel. There are several sizes and, at PeritoAnimal, we recommend that you use very fine gravel and that you pay attention to substances that change the properties of water, such as acidity. If you don't want to put gravel in the aquarium, there is no problem but the bottom will look a little poor.
- Plants: We recommend java moss, as they inhabit micro-organisms that feed your shrimp on their leaves. The riccia, the java fern and cladophoras are also good options. You can also use logs and stones to create a unique atmosphere.
- Temperature: Shrimp are invertebrates that live in very cold waters, and it is not necessary to purchase any type of heating. Even so, if you have a heating system from a previous aquarium, we recommend a fixed temperature between 18 º C and 20 º C.
- Filter: If you put in a sponge filter, you will be offering your shrimp extra food, as micro-organisms can be produced. If you don't want to use a filter, just remove 10% of the water weekly and replace it with fresh water. That's all the cleaning your shrimp tank needs.
- Water: Try to avoid ammonia or nitrite concentrations and provide an average pH of 6.8.
- Shrimp: Once you have the tank prepared, we recommend that you add 5 shrimp to start. Each of them must have half a liter of water.
Can I put fish in the shrimp tank?
If your idea is to combine fish and shrimp, you should know that, in some cases, shrimp can easily become food. These are some compatible fish with the shrimps:
- Pygmy Corydoras
- Dwarf cichlids
- Neon
- barbs
- Molly
- Acara-Disc
Never mix your shrimp with Elephant fish or Platy fish.
Finally, as a recommendation from the Animal Expert, we verified that it is preferable not to put fish and shrimp in the same environment. This is because the presence of fish creates stress on the shrimp and, therefore, they remain hidden among the plants most of the time.
Shrimp recommended for beginners: red cherry
this is the shrimp more common and easy to care. Almost most people who own or have owned a shrimp tank started with this species.
Usually, females have a red color and males a more transparent tone. However, there can be very interesting mutations. Their size is around 2 cm, approximately (the males are a little smaller) and they come from Taiwan and China. Can coexist with other shrimp like the Caridina Maculata and others of similar size like the Multidentate caridin.
They accept a wide range of pH (5, 6 and 7) as well as water (6-16). The ideal temperature for this species is around 23 º C, approximately. They do not tolerate the presence of copper, ammonia or nitrite in their waters.
can create small populations of 6 or 7 individuals to begin with, always respecting the minimum space of 1/2 liter of water per shrimp, which must be proportional to the total volume of the population. If you don't count on the presence of fish, you can watch the shrimp swimming and feeding openly throughout the aquarium.
Aquarium shrimp feeding
How are omnivorous animals, aquarium shrimp are nourished with all kinds of food. Your food includes scales, artemia, earthworms and even spinach or boiled carrots are welcome.
Diseases your aquarium shrimp can get
Shrimps have a senviable immune system: can eat meat or fish corpses without getting sick. Anyway, be aware of the possible appearance of parasites, especially worms like Japanese Scutariella.
You can see that the shrimp's body has small white filaments to which the parasite adheres. You can solve this problem by buying Lomper (Mebendazol) at any pharmacy.
