Thinking about starting a new tank and I want some input/recommendations.

1891 Views 25 Replies 10 Participants Last post by shrimpzoo, Aug 8, 2012

shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · Jul 25, 2012 (Edited)

So I'm thinking about starting a brand new tank dedicated to having only shrimp (I will be using it to mass breed).

My friend offered me a tank bigger than 10 gallons and if I do get my hands on it I'm going to be really psyched on creating it.

dimensions of the tank are:

length 36"
width 13"
height 16.5"

so I'm going to assume that it is a 30 gallon tank (correct me if I'm wrong).

I'm going to make it a simple shrimp only tank, and I want to breed shrimp that will have consistent offspring & have solid colouring.

For instance, I don't want to bother with culling or having low grade offspring (like RCS where the colour can be faded and ugly).

So if any of you guys could give me a recommendation to a shrimp that isn't too demanding and isn't too difficult to breed, that would be very much appreciated.

Anyways, my other questions are:

1. I've always used substrate that had no effect on the water, if I do go through with this tank with whatever shrimp I choose, should I consider getting substrate that effects the water to increase breeding chances?

2. Do those types of substrate expire and have to be removed?

3. What factors of the tank will increase breeding? I want my tank to be filled with shrimp. Should I incorporate those pyramid pipes? What do you guys have in your breeding tanks. Any tips would be appreciated (IE: feeding, water change, etc)

I'm going to try keep this tank as clutter-free as possible. My current tank is a jungle. I'm going to aim for a tank that has a lot of viewing space in order to view the shrimp. However, I don't want them to stress out from feeling unsafe.

What plants would you guys recommend in a breeding tank to lower nitrate + have low requirements and how many pyramid pipes/hiding places would you incorporate?

I guess that's all for now.

I'll probably make a journal if I do get the tank tomorrow or anytime soon. It isn't definite that I'll get this new tank. But nonetheless, it is always fun to plan and have this information in the future.

Thanks for reading.

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aznartist34

· #2 · Jul 25, 2012

Those dimensions are closer to 25 gallons

1. It depends on what kind of water you use. The active substrates lower the ph of the water that is required for most caridina species

2. Stuff like aquasoil will deplete over time but how long they last depends on factors like the water you use and how hard it has to work to lower ph

3. Keeping your parameters steady is the overall must when you want to breed in large numbers. Having surfaces for microfauna and bacteria for the adult and baby shrimps to forage on would also help

shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 25, 2012

For the microfauna and bacteria, I'm probably going to use Marimo Balls and the piece of Driftwood I have in my current tank.

I'm a bit IFFY on the Java Moss because it'll make the tank a bit harder to clean and maintain.

Do you think Driftwood and Marimo Balls will be enough? I'll prob get more pieces of driftwood and maybe some rock/clay decorations that have holes in it.

sayurasem

· #4 · Jul 25, 2012

Canada.... hmmmm......

Netlea Substrate? the substrate that The States don't have

Kunsthure

· #5 · Jul 25, 2012 (Edited)

There is no species you can get that breed consistent offspring and won't need culling to keep the colors nice. It's every breeder's dream but almost impossible.

What are your tap params? It's much easier to match a shrimp to your water than change your water to match a shrimp, especially if you're looking for easy.

Any neo species is easy and hardy. They are very adaptable and breed readily if kept happy. The color choice is up to you because there is a virtual rainbow out there. A lot of people find the deep, strong, solid red of PFRs to be appealing. If you choose a neo, you won't need a fancy buffering substrate--that will lose its buffering capabilities over time--you can go with anything you want. I have Flourite Black in my 13g now.

You really can't get away with some DW, PVC breeding tubes and some rocky deco with crevices. Shrimp need plants. Planted tanks don't have to be jungles (my old 13g was a collectoritis jungle and I saw my shrimp plenty, btw). My current shrimp tank is all mosses glued to DW and rocks. You can never have enough moss in a shrimp tank. Baby shrimp need the microfauna living in the moss for food and they love hiding out in it. I don't like moss carpets or walls--mulm magnets, blech! NeoShrimp makes breeding tubes out of cholla. The shrimp go nuts for the stuff, especially babies, so get that instead of PVC (ugly!)

Make sure the tank is fully cycled then wait about a month before adding the shrimp so plenty of biofilm can grow.

-Lisa

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randyl

· #6 · Jul 25, 2012

Toronto area water is pretty consistent, I bet it's not very different from mine (TDS 170, PH 7.8, GH8,KH5). If you do not plan to use active substrate or RO, Neos are your only option. If you haven't had shrimps before then probably better to start with neos anyway.

If you want species like CRS/CBS or even Taiwan bees, then you can't get away with not using active substrate. RO will also make your life much easier.

Make up your mind on the species, pick the substrate (for target parameters), ample filtration, and start cycling the tank. Don't even think about adding shrimps in it until it's ready. Read the forum and internet and figure out how to cycle a tank properly if you don't know already.

Another suggestion is to search for CRS or shrimp tanks on youtube and find the tank layout you like and use that as your blue print.

shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 25, 2012

So far there are 2 shrimp that I have on my mind: Tigers & Bee Shrimp.

I think I'm leaning more towards the Tiger Shrimp because they seem like they might be more easy.

If anyone wants to give any input on Tiger Shrimp then that would be great

acitydweller

· #8 · Jul 25, 2012

Super tigers are truly a thing of beauty. i hear that tigers and super tigers breed true. The same cannot be said for many other shrimp. Bear in mind that tigers are somewhat intolerant of drastic changes in water parameters.

IME, they have been the most vulnerable to bacterial infection more so than my neos or crs/cbs/goldens. You may likely hear the same for those who keep OEBT.

If you dont care to cull, i'd stick with basics like cherries, oranges, yellows or S grade CRS/CBS and Goldens. Caridinas are normally culled for patterns but i for one like all grades and colors so the no cull practice works fine for me.

shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jul 25, 2012

Hmmm, the fact that you said tigers breed true, I'm probably going to stick to them now

I'll start working on my tank when it gets here (AKA Cleaning it up)
my friend confirmed that she'll be bringing it over

! yay! then I'll prob drop by to Big Al's to see if I can grab any goody goodies.

Should I bother on getting a certain kind of substrate for tiger shrimp? They aren't neo but they aren't bees either.

and yeah my water is pretty much Toronto water. I'll prob grab a new test kit while I'm at Big Al's to confirm.

randyl

· #10 · Jul 25, 2012

4

Not much to cull if you choose supertiger or regular tiger. Akadama (can be bought in Markham @ Kim's nature) and perfect for tigers with GTA water (need slightly generalize). AI on kennedy/steeles had some supertiger but are sold out at the moment, they may get more soon. They may also get more OEBTs and definitely some bee shrimps.

I personally like tigers, I have two different lines of OEBTs and some supertigers. They do fine in akadama tanks. If you want to keep bee shrimps then I'd say try Netlea/Lambo or ADA, luckily, you have easy access to these in GTA.

Here are some shots of my tigers,
OEBTs

Supertigers

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pejerrey

· #11 · Jul 25, 2012

Hi! If you have tons of plants, you will see the gumbo anyways, specially when feeding. Netting them out is another story.

We just got a brand new stickie for shrimp keeping, dud you see it? Check it out!

shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 26, 2012

I decided that I'm going to take care of Crystal Red Shrimp

Does anyone know if FLUVAL STRATUM will be a good substrate for these guys?

Time for me start cleaning it down hardcore and planning out how it'll look and what I'm going to put in it =D

GeToChKn

· #13 · Jul 26, 2012

shrimpzoo said:
I decided that I'm going to take care of Crystal Red Shrimp

Does anyone know if FLUVAL STRATUM will be a good substrate for these guys?

Time for me start cleaning it down hardcore and planning out how it'll look and what I'm going to put in it =D

Don't use fluval. It won't buffer long enough and for the cost, you can get Netlea From aqua inspirations that will lower it to perfect crystal params and last at least a year or two, if not more.

As said, you need some moss. Take a look at one of the better breeder farms here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCNTI6skkLc

Active substrate and moss and moss and more moss.

I gave on up having any plants in a tank for shrimp. You need the right balance of ferts and light and if they die, the leaves break down and create ammonia spikes which leads to nitrates, just a pain. My community fish tank is my planted tank, they can handle the ferts and high nitrates a lot better.

Myself, I can breed crystals better than tigers (or neo's for that matter). lol. I find them easy and everything hard for some reason. Thing like the netlea soil will leech ammonia on you for a while, so you can setup the tank and leave it for a month or two before you add the shrimp and then decide on what kind of crystal you want. What makes a nice crystal is in the eye of the owner. Some like solid white SSS with a bit of red, some like S grades, some like crystal blacks over reds, but you will always have to cull some if you want to try for the nicest ones at some point.

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shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jul 26, 2012

Sadly I've already bought the fluval stratum (2 bags of it too.... damn... and the store states that they don't do cash returns but instead - store credit).

Do you think I could mix it with an active substrate or should I return both the bags for store credit and use that store credit for CRS instead?

Because this aquarium I now have is a bit lengthy lol and maybe I could savage what I already have and layer the top of the fluval stratum with netlea. Unless you think I should pay a visit to ''aqua inspirations'' and just have all of my substrate as netlea soil.

and after looking at the video you linked, I think I'll just stick with a very simple moss set up.

Do you think the following vegetation is clear from your potential problem of "needing the right balance of ferts and light and if they die, the leaves break down and create ammonia spikes which leads to nitrates?" :

- Java Moss
- Java Fern
- Marimo Ball

I'm definitely going to use the current driftwood in my tank as a moss clinger.

p.s: I was planning on putting indian almond leaves into the tank to lower pH and create microfauna and a source of food for the CRS in the future. It won't break down and create ammonia spikes which leads to nitrates will it?

and do you think 3 CRS for $15.00 is a normal price? you don't perhaps sell CRS do you?

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sayurasem

· #15 · Jul 26, 2012

yes return it for crs instead. Personally I do not mix substrate myself

shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 26, 2012

would tigers be okay with fluval stratum or is fluval stratum just inferior to all other possible substrates that I could use?

because if so... it looks like I'm going to have to go out there and return the 2 bags and look for some NETLEA/LAMBO/ADA.

you guys approve of THOSE 3 right? those 3 diff brands should be sufficient for tigers or CRS?

GeToChKn

· #17 · Jul 26, 2012

Nothing wrong with store credit to get other stuff. lol. Some people have OK luck with Fluval, but being near Markham and being able to get Netlea, it's like if you're given a choice to eat a AAAA T-Bone steak or a Steak-um for the same price. lol. It's night and day. Netlea rocks, and it makes everyone in the states jealous when I mention we can get it.

Moss/Moss balls and probably java fern will be fine with no ferts/low lights. It's trying to grow other plants that I find you have to worry a lot more and it's a trade off. To me, for a shrimp tank, I have moss and driftwood, that's it. I have a planted tank for plants. Almond leaves will lower pH a little bit, but not much and they don't last long. Since they are dried vegitation, they don't break down the same as organic matter and don't create spikes.

3/$15 is standard pet store price for basic A grades. Are you talking about Big Al's? Sometimes they get some ok looking CRS, sometimes they aren't the best. It's always best to be there on shipment day (Tuesday for my store) and be able to pick out what ones you want. I don't have a lot to sell right now, but would in a month or so when some of them get bigger and I have culled fairly decently so even my A/S grade pattern ones are coming out with nice whites and reds. You can see my tanks and shrimp in the link in my sig.

If you go the Netlea route, it does leech ammonia for about a month, so it would be that long before I would add CRS to a new tank, at least, if not two months. It's hard to wait, really it is, I know, but I rather have a tank that has a nice layer of biofilm, rock solid params, than I add my CRS to rather than be impatient and add them too soon.

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GeToChKn

· #18 · Jul 26, 2012

shrimpzoo said:
would tigers be okay with fluval stratum or is fluval stratum just inferior to all other possible substrates that I could use?

because if so... it looks like I'm going to have to go out there and return the 2 bags and look for some NETLEA/LAMBO/ADA.

you guys approve of THOSE 3 right? those 3 diff brands should be sufficient for tigers or CRS?

Netlea, I think lowers too low for tigers. It will drop the pH to around 5pH, tigers like more around a 6.5pH.

shrimpzoo

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jul 26, 2012 (Edited)

then would tigers have a better chance in fluval stratum rather than netlea ;o? Part of me is trying to be a lazy kid and just stick with the substrate I got.

But with that aside I'll try take as much time I can patiently handle on this tank so that it'll run smoothly as a breeding tank. Because what I really want out of it is a giant population of shrimp that requires minimal to no culling.

I will care more about the offspring and livelihood of them rather than the aesthetic of the tank. So I'm going to just lay back and do some substrate searching.

one of my pals live in markham (near PMALL) for co-op and I think I might ask him to grab me 2 bags or 3 (not entirely sure how much I'll need with my tank dimensions) of the netlea soil.

p.s: and yes I was talking about Big Al's =p I was thinking I could trade in some of my Galaxy Rasboras + RCS to get some CRS in return possibly.

and I got a few more questions.

- How would you personally acclimate the CRS if you just got them from Big Al's?

- I should stick to one sponge filter right? For some reason I'm going OCD and want to have 2 sponge filters running

- Do you think the shrimp will like moss walls? I haven't ever tried it and I think I might wanna try those tubing pyramids too because my DIY coconut cave makes it hard to clean the inside gunk that occurs within to possibly increase the chances of breeding.

- Do you have a RO unit? and if not where and what water do you use for WC for your CRS?

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GeToChKn

· #20 · Jul 26, 2012

shrimpzoo said:
then would tigers have a better chance in fluval stratum rather than netlea ;o? Part of me is trying to be a lazy kid and just stick with the substrate I got.

But with that aside I'll try take as much time I can patiently handle on this tank so that it'll run smoothly as a breeding tank. Because what I really want out of it is a giant population of shrimp that requires minimal to no culling.

I will care more about the offspring and livelihood of them rather than the aesthetic of the tank. So I'm going to just lay back and do some substrate searching.

one of my pals live in markham (near PMALL) for co-op and I think I might ask him to grab me 2 bags or 3 (not entirely sure how much I'll need with my tank dimensions) of the netlea soil.

1 bag of the crystal red shrimp netlea should be fine for a tank that size, I used 1 bag for about 3" thick in a 20gal. That is a longer tank, so 1.5 maybe just so it lasts longer with it's buffering. The lambo version comes in smaller bags, so I'm not sure how many of those, I used 1 lambo bag for a 10gal and a bit in another tank.

As for the not culling thing, it's going to happen. lol. Higher grades can throw out lower grades now and again, or you'll get some that don't have nice whites or reds and you want to cull them if you're going for super awesome colors but it can takes years of breeding to really refine them and that involves lots of culling. To get the really nice level on your, you really end up culling like 99% of the babies and only keep 1 or 2 per batch that have the traits you want. Or you can just leave them to their thing and get all kinds of grades and patterns.

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