Thursday, December 20, 2007

Basic Freshwater Shrimp Care

This is my favorite topic to discuss in the aquarium hobby: freshwater shrimp. I can't get enough of these guys. It just stinks that I can't have a 240 gallon aquarium filled with every shrimp species available because some species will hybridize. The thought of all the different colors and shrimp doing what shrimp do is a pleasant thought, but it's not possible.

I am going to cover the basics in freshwater shrimp care, and as time goes by, I will add species specific care guides.

Shrimp will thrive best if they have their own aquarium. This is because they are almost at the very bottom of the food chain, and if housed in a community tank, they will be harassed by the other inhabitants. Even if you do not see it with your own eyes, fish in the community tank will pick on the shrimp every chance they get. Shrimp will hide and basically stay stressed if housed in a community tank. Give your shrimp their own aquarium, and they will be out and about and will be much enjoyed.

Basic care of freshwater shrimp is very easy if you have just a smidgen of patience.

Aquarium Size
It is recommended by shrimp breeders that nothing smaller than a 10 gallon be used. Yes, shrimp are tiny, but they need superb water quality to thrive. This is most easily achieved in 10 gallon and larger aquariums.

Filtration
To achieve superb water quality, you will need a filter. There are several options out there. Most shrimp breeders use sponge filters in their breeding tanks so that fry do not get sucked up into the filter, which would then run a good chance of them being chopped up by the impeller. I personally hate sponge filters because I don't think they do a good enough job, and they are just plain ugly. All of my tanks are display tanks because I don't have a fish room--gotta love apartment living and a budget tighter than a 90 year-old nun's hooha--because of this, all my tanks have to look good because they are in full view of anyone and everyone that comes into my apartment. I also do not like the noise from air pumps. I have used ZooMed 501 mini canister filters, AquaClear 20, 50, and 70 filters, and an Eheim Classic 2213 in my shrimp tanks. All filters were fitted with a piece of women's pantie hose (or nylons) over the filter intake and secured with a plastic cable tie. This keeps the babies out of the filters.

Substrate
Any inert substrate can be used in a shrimp tank. This can be gravel or sand. I have only used Eco-Complete, aquarium gravel, and bare bottom tanks. Some shrimp breeders prefer to use leaf litter for substrate. From my own observations, shrimp prefer a dark substrate. A darker substrate will help bring out their color and will help keep them happy. It's also easier for you to see them.

To Plant or Not to Plant?
This has been up for debates for sometime now within the shrimp hobby.


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