The aquarium hobby offers a wide range of possibilities, so anyone who would like to try their hand at it will certainly find something for themselves. The aquarium can be large or small, planted, biotope, single-species or… unusual. For beginner aquarium hobbyists a shrimp tank is a very interesting solution. It doesn’t require too much financial expenditures and is relatively easy in setting up and maintaining.
Shrimps – also because of their filigree size – don’t require too big tank. A small cube with capacity of 10-50 liters is already enough. You can buy a ready, fully equipped aquarium (e.g. Shrimp Set Day & Night 30 Aquael for about 250 zł) or a cube with only light and then choose a filter, e.g. cascade filter, which will be more efficient and will allow to fully use space inside the tank.
The substrate can be fine quartz gravel or a substrate constituting an active substrate and PH buffer allowing to maintain the water reaction at a stable level. As decorations as well as feeding and hiding place for shrimps you can use roots which are at the same time a base for various compositions made of different species of mosses (Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Erect Moss, Flame Moss).
If we decide to set up aquarium for shrimps, they must be the center of our attention. In retail sale we can find many interesting and attractive in colors dwarf shrimps reaching 2-3 cm of length. To the most popular and easiest in breeding belong shrimps from Neocaridina family (e.g. Red Cherry, Fire Red, Red Rili, Orange, Yellow, Blue Velvet). They come from Far East and count over 20 species. They don’t have any special requirements regarding water reaction (it can be acidic or alkaline) and temperature (they tolerate well temperature range from 15 to 28°C). Water has to be only well filtered to avoid too big concentration of harmful for shrimps compounds: nitrates and ammonia.
More difficult in breeding are Caridina shrimps (Crystal Black-Bee, Crystal Red-Bee, Tiger). They require stable and proper water parameters, especially PH, which should be acidic and should be between 5,5-6,5. That’s why it’s necessary to prepare water by using RO filter (reverse osmosis) and active medium. That’s why keeping these shrimps is recommended rather for more experienced aquarists.
Basic and natural source of shrimps’ food are all algae that can be found in aquarium, growing on decorations and plants. However, these only slightly fulfill the nutritional requirements of these crustaceans. Dealers offer an extremely wide range of shrimp foods (e.g. Bootom Mix, Algen Granulate, Shrimp Granulate, Asta-Sticks, Small-Wafers, Mealtablet Shrimps) .
As a natural vegetable food you can give your shrimps a piece of apple or banana, nettle or nut leaves, or even cooked vegetables (carrot, cauliflower).
If we do our due diligence in setting up and caring for our shrimp tank, we can later admire the spectacular final result:
Featured photo: Pixabay / DerDickeDirk
