# Do shrimp absolutely need a filter?



## Blonde_Swede00

Any tank should definitely have a filter.  I actually think that the forum administrator just posted a thread about why filters are a necessity. Even if you just buy a $4 or $5 sponge filter with a small air pump and tubing, that's fine and actually better. It'll cost you probably no more than $15-$20 max. And probably not even that much, but shrimp are extremely reliant upon the oxygen in the water and allot of the times without one you'll see them swim to the top and then gradually float back down. That's a fatal sign, and if a shrimp isn't provided with a filter asap death will most likely occur. Same with crayfish and all shrimp and crustaceans. At least in my experience with them.


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## Yukiharu

I guess you could try it but you'll have to do water changes regularly. Also make sure you have a lot of plants.


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## Shcrimp

I didn't run a filter in a tank that i thought was uninhabited for like three weeks, and I looked in it one night and there was a lone ghost shrimp hanging out on a rock. I plugged the filter back in and bought him some buddies.


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## 691175002

Water flow is more critical than mechanical filtration. Lightly stocked tanks can sometimes get by with a powerhead but a stagnant pool of water will be a lot harder to maintain.


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## Hooked on fish

691175002 said:


> Water flow is more critical than mechanical filtration. Lightly stocked tanks can sometimes get by with a powerhead but a stagnant pool of water will be a lot harder to maintain.


...and in the window grow algae faster than anything.

It can be done without a filter.
But you'll need water flow and just the right balance of light and plants.

I have a 10gallon with guppy fry near a window with just a bubbler in it. BUT... I have it so loaded with water sprite and anacharis you can barely find the fry.

Very little algae.


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## Empress Akitla

Wow! Thanks for all the replies guys! I am thinking I will try it with a bubbler maybe and see how it goes. If the shrimp show signs of distress I can put them in the 29 gallon with my other RCS.


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## dukydaf

I had RCS in a shallow tub without a filter or water movement for more than 3 months, with good molting and breeding. However the tub is full of moss and some other plants. It sits on the window sill and has minimal algae.

Maybe not optimal but it works if you change a little water every week, keep the bottom clean ...


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## randym

See this article by Diana Walstad:

http://www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/00388Shrimp.pdf

She's kept shrimp in small bowls with lots of plants but no filter. Sometimes she uses an airstone, sometimes not.

I have a roughly 2 gallon planted bowl with neon yellow cherry shrimp in it. Lit by a clip on LED strip. No filter, no airstone. Eventually I plan to move the shrimp to a real aquarium, but for now they seem fine in the bowl.


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## klibs

It can certainly be done but like others have said your life will be easier with a filter. Just get a little sponge filter or something.


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## 35ppt

For a temporary tank, I used an airstone stuffed inside a fluval prefilter sponge. Basically a small sponge filter. If you are going to run an airstone, might as well throw this little sponge on it - will make a gentler flow plus the shrimps will graze on it.


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## Empress Akitla

randym said:


> See this article by Diana Walstad:
> 
> http://www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/00388Shrimp.pdf
> 
> She's kept shrimp in small bowls with lots of plants but no filter. Sometimes she uses an airstone, sometimes not.
> 
> I have a roughly 2 gallon planted bowl with neon yellow cherry shrimp in it. Lit by a clip on LED strip. No filter, no airstone. Eventually I plan to move the shrimp to a real aquarium, but for now they seem fine in the bowl.


I've been thinking about trying her method. Maybe I could experiment with that. The only thing I worry about is my room drops to about 65F degrees at night throughout the winter. Would that be an issue, even if they can survive low temperatures?


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## roostertech

If you are going to put in an airstone, might as well do sponge filter. I have a XY-2831 filter in my 2.5 gal shrimp vase. You can hide it at the bottom so it doesn't obstruct the look. I do water change like once a month.


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## DluxeShrimps

dukydaf said:


> I had RCS in a shallow tub without a filter or water movement for more than 3 months, with good molting and breeding. However the tub is full of moss and some other plants. It sits on the window sill and has minimal algae.
> 
> Maybe not optimal but it works if you change a little water every week, keep the bottom clean ...




I have a no-tech bowl with RCS and java moss and a snail. the snails keep the algae to a minimum.


I have had it for about 5 months. molting RCS and all.


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## jaliberti

Blonde_Swede00 said:


> Any tank should definitely have a filter.  I actually think that the forum administrator just posted a thread about why filters are a necessity. Even if you just buy a $4 or $5 sponge filter with a small air pump and tubing, thats fine and actually better. It'll cost you probably no more than $15-$20 max. And probably not even that much ...


That's too much of a generalization and I beg to differ, and I'm in good company. If the above quote were just re shrimp I'd keep quiet, but there are at least 40 species of fish which are better off without filters/aeration. A quick look at Aquabid reveals that Southeast Asian (Thai, Malaysian, & Indonesian) aquarists dominate the following markets:
Anabantoids - Bettas - Crowntails 
Anabantoids - Bettas - Deltas / Super Deltas 
Anabantoids - Bettas - Double Tails 
Anabantoids - Bettas - Halfmoons 
Anabantoids - Bettas - Halfmoon Plakats 
Anabantoids - Bettas - Plakats 
Anabantoids - Bettas - Wild Types 

I've been fortunate enough to work in two of those countries and can attest that filtration/aeration is not used during any part of the Anabantoid life cycle, i.e. from the breeding of the pair to the raising of the fry to the juvenile grow out tanks to the selling (or fighting) of the adults. (For those who have not been able to travel google images will suffice.)

This also holds true for any bubble-nesting Anabantoid, i.e. the dozens of Gourami species, and possibly even for some of the Anabantoid mouthbrooders and egg scatterers as well. 

Lack of English proficiency (especially literacy) keeps many Southeast Asian aquarists off forums like this, otherwise we'd hear from them. But their knowledge has been handed down thru generations and they know what they're doing. Try to give a them filter worth $4 or $20 or $200 and it won't get used in their tanks. It'll be sold to some fancy Guppy or Flowerhorn breeder. 



Yukiharu said:


> I guess you could try it but you'll have to do water changes regularly. ...


Regular water changes via siphoning from the tank floor should be done regardless of whether or not there's filtration. Does the _Bio-Fil Wet/Dry Complete Aquarium Filtration System_ that sells for $2,000USD remove detritus?


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## Yukiharu

jaliberti said:


> Regular water changes via siphoning from the tank floor should be done regardless of whether or not there's filtration. Does the _Bio-Fil Wet/Dry Complete Aquarium Filtration System_ that sells for $2,000USD remove detritus?


No idea what that is even but I will say that my amanos breed regularly in a tank with a single sponge filter I have not done water changes in for almost a year. They aren't even saddled in my 20 gallon which gets regular water changes.
Anyway, your results may vary, but I would recommend doing at least weekly, preferably biweekly water changes with cherries. Amanos are weird.


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## 35ppt

Empress Akitla said:


> I've been thinking about trying her method. Maybe I could experiment with that. The only thing I worry about is my room drops to about 65F degrees at night throughout the winter. Would that be an issue, even if they can survive low temperatures?


While they can take 65F, you may find the temp. fluctuations to be a problem. Which is more pronounced in smaller volume of water, next to a poorly insulated window. Not saying it can't be done, just some stuff to keep in mind. 
I've had a 1.5-2gal tank running for a few months, with no heater. It's hard to count all the shrimp in there to know if I've had losses, but there are still active shrimp in there


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## ttut

I have one 1 gallon RCS shrimp tank without a filter for years. They are still doing well and have > 100 babies as gifts for friends.:laugh2:




Empress Akitla said:


> I've been thinking of trying a massively low tech shrimp tank with sand as the substrate, Java moss, little piece of wood, maybe some bamboo or some other riparium worthy plant. I'm guessing the tank (haven't gotten one yet) will be between 1 1/2 and 3 gallons. It'll sit in my bedroom window and if I do do this I will put a mini heater in. But that'll be the end of my tech.
> 
> So, do RCS and Ghost shrimp need a filter or will they be okay with frequent water changes?


Bump:


ttut said:


> I have one 1 gallon RCS shrimp tank without a filter for years. They are still doing well and have > 100 babies as gifts for friends.:laugh2:


With no heater as well. But they are living in a nice apartment with quite steady temperature.:grin2:


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## nel

I've a jar with babaulti shrimp and for two days there was nothing, no filter, no air stone... and I've two shrimp less now. From that time there is only an air stone and they're pretty happy, but I want to do a small DIY canister filter, so there will be only small tubes there (and my air pump is old and loud).


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## shift

Nope. I had a few in a bamboo vase for a while with just weekly water changes


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## DluxeShrimps

Nope, I have some RCS now on my work desk in a glass bowl and I just have no filter. just a lamp. and weekly water changes. simple set up. some sand, java moss and hornwort and RCS. that's all. and they seem to be thriving well


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## Hmoobthor

2 years, going on 3 year with my opea ula shrimp. No filter no water change no heater. Negative in the winter. High in the summer


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