# My Experience: Keeping and Breeding Crystal Red Shrimp



## dreamer_yoyo (May 5, 2013)

*Keeping and Breeding Crystal Red Shrimp*









*Aquarium Size*
Keeping crystal red shrimp or other dwarf fresh water shrimp doesn't require a big tank, from 5 gallon, 10 gallon, or bigger. There is a very popular one: Fluval Ebi Nano Aquarium, 8 Gallon. Breeding them, of course, the bigger the better, we use mostly 10 gallon and 30 gallon aquarium. 30 gallon aquarium is capabile for more babies, you don't have to worry about over crowded for long if everything goes well. And with some 10 gallons, you will be able to do selective breeding, or any project you want.

*Filter*
What we use now are mostly sponge filter, under gravel filter, and canister filter. It doesn't matter what type of filter you use, you want to utilize the capacity of beneficial bacteria, and the area of filtration area. You can use the most expensive filter medias, or the most economic sponge can just do the right work for you. 

*Substrate*



There are many substrate available now for shrimp lovers. I have use ADA aqua soil, flora base, and fluval ebi-stratum. All those work very well in keeping shrimps. I have seen people use different substrate to keep shrimps, soil, sand, or just regular gravel. The main reasons we use soil type gravel

adjust pH soften water
nutrient --- utilize micro-organism and algae growth
Different types contain different level of nutrients, may require different length of new tank cycle time, one - three months.

Very important: you need to do a 100% water change before you put in shrimps, if you use Amazonia or fluval stratum. 

*Let's take a look at the picture below, what do you see?*







 


Algae
Cyclopoida
Both are excellent indication of a well cycled aquarium, rich of food source. 

There are too many types of Algae there, we can't exactly tell which kind it is by eyes. Crystal red shrimps only eats specific kinds they like. And Cyclpoida are feed on the same algae that babies crystals would enjoy. 

As we all know shrimps strain plankton out of the water and eat them. It's pretty important for them to grow healthy. Well, CRS don't have the ability to catch it, but they will consum the dead body of cyclopoida. They always digging around for food, and the life cycle of cyclopoida is short. 

In term of new tank cycling time, it's hard to tell. I setted up two tanks at the same time, the same things I use,and under same condition, from light, temperature etc. But one tank after a little more than a month, it shows very nice algae and cyclopoida, while the other tank is still crystal clean. It takes about another two weeks for the other tank to have the nice presentation like the picture above. 

*Lighting*
As a healthy algae grow is important, you want a proper lighting, and a good length of lights on each day. There is no specifice time desire, you can determine by the condition, you may want to extend the lights on as needed, or cut off.

*What you add to your water?*

_Top 1: beneficial bacteria._

I used to use a lot of hagen cycle. that works very well for me. Right now, besides cycle, I have my own bacteria add to the tank regularly. And unlike regular nitrifying bateria, which are feed on ammonia, the bactecteria can directly work on waste. In nitrogen cycle, the first step is ammonification, then nitrification. Ammonification would create ammonia, and encourage heterotroph bacteria growth. The bacteria I use now do a great job decrease it. The more the positive bacteria in the environment, the less the negative one or the disease would present in the environment. 

*to be continue....*


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## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Great start dreamer! All of that so true.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Thank you for sharing this valuable information


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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

Neat  didn't think about Cyclopoida being in the tank as being beneficial by having a short life span lol.

Keep up the contribution of knowledge!


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Might sound like a silly question, but where would the Cyclopoida come from, the soil? They suddenly just appear if the parameters are right?


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## dreamer_yoyo (May 5, 2013)

Cyclopoida eggs may come from soil, tap water, or your plants you put in.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

I got Cyclopoida on both of my tanks, but since I added the sponge filter, I have seen LOTS more. I think they breed faster in more aerated water


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## 52149 (Feb 26, 2012)

What the purpose of a 100% water change before adding shrimp?


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## zachsta18 (Apr 11, 2014)

daboss808 said:


> What the purpose of a 100% water change before adding shrimp?


Amazonia and Fluval Stratum both leach ammonia for a couple weeks when they are first soaked. You have to do a 100% water change to get rid of that. There may be other reasons by that's why I would do it.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

I have never had FSS leech ammonia and used it on multiple tanks. I agree with Amazonia, no doubt, but FSS? Not from my experience.


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## dreamer_yoyo (May 5, 2013)

MsNemoShrimp said:


> I got Cyclopoida on both of my tanks, but since I added the sponge filter, I have seen LOTS more. I think they breed faster in more aerated water


Great! You shrimps would love the sponge filter and more aeration as well.


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## stanjam (May 12, 2013)

I didn't do any water changes besides the norm when using fluval shrimp stratum. Then again any ammonia leeched into the aquarium has been turned to nitrite and nitrate by the time I added shrimp. I used ottos to cycle the tank. Did not notice an abnormal ammonia spike myself. 

Sent from my Galaxy s3 using this Tapatalk thingy


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

I enjoyed this post. Lots of useful tips!


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## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

I think she does the 100% water change to just make sure her conditions are spot on. I do a 80%. because I dose fertz and CO2 and other stuff to help propagate plant growth durring the cycle.


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## dreamer_yoyo (May 5, 2013)

Ammonia spike does not happen to all cases. There are too many factors may affect it. And by saying 100%, it means a huge water change. You need to run the water for long, one month, tow months. During this period, if you do experience ammonia spike, by doing small water change is not going to help much.


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## 52149 (Feb 26, 2012)

Yoyo you are very experienced!


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## dreamer_yoyo (May 5, 2013)

Thank you 
I have been keeping since 2007. Not always successful. But I learn from failure and learn from people's experiences. So it's good to share information.


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## 0live (Jun 8, 2013)

Yoyo, do you use flora base in your tanks in store?


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

dreamer_yoyo said:


> Thank you
> I have been keeping since 2007. Not always successful. But I learn from failure and learn from people's experiences. So it's good to share information.


It's been a month, more update on the OP please!!! Lol

:help:


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## 52149 (Feb 26, 2012)

She a busy woman


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