The Shrimp Aquarium

The tank is the most basic need when starting an aquarium, so the need to determine the size first will also determine how the entire setup would be. The bigger the size, the more you can fit according to how you want to make your setup appear and, more importantly, that there will be living creatures that depend on the setup, so thinking ahead is the key.

Filtration System

For starters, the filtration system is a must to make your tank’s ecosystem balanced. Accumulated food and poop will be processed by the filtration system to support livable habitat for your shrimp and plants that will be in this tank. The filtration system does not need to be all fancy but rather depending on the preference. A lot of options can be found in the market nowadays, and it may come as internal    or external, depending on preference.

Substrate

Choosing between sand and gravel is depending on preference to see, which works better for the owner. Substrate plays a significant role when it comes to cleaning and keeping the plants that are in a tank. A few sources say that gravel is a much better choice as it highlights the plants, rocks, and décor that adds a much better appearance to the tank.

  Aquatic Plants

 
  As the goal to make the tank a much livable ecosystem for the freshwater shrimp, live plants are usually the option to go. Live plants should no longer be an argument because we want to simulate the shrimp’s habitat as close as we can, plus live plants also have a different interaction with the ecosystem, producing oxygen and carbon dioxide for a much healthier environment. 

Thermometer

As Freshwater shrimp does not adjust easily in sudden temperature changes, it is a must-have to include a thermometer when setup up a tank. Not only that, but temperature can be manually regulated if there is no heater present on the setup as the water temperature can be adjusted according to the reading. The thermometer does not go with preference, as this will determine that the tank can meet the essential requirement for its continuity.

A heater is needed depending on where the tank is situated if it’s outside or inside the house where the temperature can be regulated and not go beyond 20-22.2 C as it is the ideal for the freshwater shrimp to live.

Here is a list of questions that are commonly asked:

1. Can I add freshwater shrimp to a new fish tank?

Yes, it is not a problem to add a freshwater shrimp to a new fish tank as freshwater shrimps or shrimp can easily adjust to a new environment where it is attached. Would of caution though, there are few things that an owner will have to consider when adding a shrimp to a new fish tank which is listed below:

• Although shrimps adjust to the environment where it is added to, however, the fish tank will have to have a consistent temperature reading. If the owner is breeding freshwater shrimp, the ideal temperature should be at 68-74 F, which is also the same if breeding in a pond.
• The fish tank cannot have a much bigger and more territorial fishes or other marine animals that will consume much smaller creatures.

2. In addition to shrimp, can I also add snails to help in cleaning the fish tank?

• Adding snails and shrimp can be possible. Both shrimp and snails are good to pair to be added to a new fish tank along with fishes. Compared to shrimp, snails do not have a problem with temperature, but if the ideal is to be considered, the temperature should be at 72°-78°F (22°-26°C)

3. Do you need to cycle the shrimp tank?

• There is not a need to cycle the fish tank because of shrimp and snails need aged-water for survival, not too clean, and not too dirty water in the tank is the best for shrimp and snail to do its job in maintaining the water cycle.

4. How do I know when my fish tank is cycled?

• As an owner where the tank has its natural cleaners like shrimp and snail, the water at a glance will not be as clear but it should not be clouded with algae will show water discoloration. To say the water in the fish tank is cycled, the algae should just be at the rocks or bottom of the fish tank where the algae-eaters will just snack them down without a problem. Usually, lighting and dirty filters are the culprits of the algae infestation.

5. Should I remove dead shrimp from my tank?

• Yes, dead shrimp or fish and any dead marine animal will have to be removed from the fish tank as it will not be healthy for other alive creatures. Dead shrimp will increase the water PH level and also pollutes the water. The shrimp, ramshorn snail, and fishes do not consume dead animals, not even dead plants, so it does not do anything good to the tank when any dead shrimp is lying around.

6. How long does it take to cycle the fish tank?

• There is no perfect time where an owner is to cycle the fish tank as long as the water does not get clouded with algae and does not have discoloration.

Here we have discussed all the steps. Now you can follow these steps and with a little bit of research, you can make sure that you have a perfect shrimp tank in your home. This is a fairly easy project, considering that you have all the required materials to make the aquarium. You need to be a little slow and tender with the shrimps because they are very fragile creatures and require a lot of care to successfully grow into adults. If you can give them all their care, you can soon watch their amazing ecosystem come to life. Aquatic life is a great way of expressing your interest or passion for aquatic life.

Ready to start your Shrimpscaping journey? Check out our Aquatic Shrimps Collection now!