[ladylikepunk]

I'm planning on a 19 litre (5g) tank, which will be low-tech and natural light (at least for the foreseeable). I've not chosen plants yet, but the plan as far as stocking goes will be a few guppies, some red cherry shrimp, and probably a few snails but nothing fancy there. The guppies are a definite, the shrimp less so, but I'd like shrimp.

What substrate should I use? Can I go with gravel-capped dirt for shrimp, or, because I'm in a hard water area, would I be better off with a plant-specific substrate, or a shrimp one, or both?

 

[Monster Fish]

You can go with a dirt and gravel cap. Just plant heavily initially and use plenty of floaters to soak up the excess nutrients. How hard is your water?

 

[ladylikepunk]

Thanks! Straight out the tap, it usually hangs about 14-15dh, and while the turtle and his plants seem good with it, I wasn't sure how it would go over in a smaller shrimp tank.

 

[Monster Fish]

That water sounds fine for cherry shrimp. Just let the tank cycle and develop biofilm for a month and plant heavily initially like I said earlier.