# shrimp & 5 gallon tank



## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

Yes, but not recommended for beginners... regardless of past experience with aquariums. (recommended to start with a 10g - more stable parameters, including temperature, TDS, GH and KH)


CRS (Crystal Red Shrimp) require a buffering substrate (if in USA, SL-Aqua or Prodibio recommended, but could also use ADA - avoid Fluval!), remineralized RO water using GH+ only minerals, no rocks that change water parameters, no heater (if tank gets too warm, you need to figure out ways to keep it cool - i.e. 60's to 72° F). After that, well, driftwood, leaves, moss, basic plants...

If you don't have it already, then a TDS meter plus liquid GH and KH test kits, along with the basic FW master test kit. (again, liquid)



RCS (Red Cherry Shrimp) are a little more simple... they can be on sand or gravel, and depending on your tap water parameters, might be fine with tap water too. Driftwood, leaves, moss, basic plants.


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## brook39 (Aug 12, 2016)

Zoidburg said:


> Yes, but not recommended for beginners... regardless of past experience with aquariums. (recommended to start with a 10g - more stable parameters, including temperature, TDS, GH and KH)
> 
> 
> CRS (Crystal Red Shrimp) require a buffering substrate (if in USA, SL-Aqua or Prodibio recommended, but could also use ADA - avoid Fluval!), remineralized RO water using GH+ only minerals, no rocks that change water parameters, no heater (if tank gets too warm, you need to figure out ways to keep it cool - i.e. 60's to 72° F). After that, well, driftwood, leaves, moss, basic plants...
> ...


Im curious, why did u say, avoid fluval?, Im about to set new 10 gal, and was thinking about fluval stratum for crs, not sure now though

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk


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## BadUsername (Jun 2, 2017)

i have red cherries in my 10 gallon, i love them, but my 10 gallon has had a plethora of problems(involving my lights and plant situation), im probably going to wind up transferring my red cherries over to my 5 gallon, which is a lot more stable and already cycled.
I will have an open 10 gallon, and redo the whole thing, but keeping my driftwood and anubias growing in it, and possibly the carib-sea eco complete. i want to establish a second shrimp tank, so what other shrimp would you recommend putting into my 10 gallon since i am re doing it, i was thinking of CRS, but it may be a bit too much


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

brook39 said:


> Im curious, why did u say, avoid fluval?, Im about to set new 10 gal, and was thinking about fluval stratum for crs, not sure now though


I've heard of a lot of people who love it, at first... but it breaks down and doesn't last as well as other brands out there, such as ADA, SL-Aqua, Prodibio, Shrimp King/Dennerle, etc. I think UP Aqua is also recommended? I know that SL-Aqua has free shipping from Discobee.

Those that keep higher end shrimp typically recommend to stay away from Fluval and Brightwall substrates.





BadUsername said:


> i have red cherries in my 10 gallon, i love them, but my 10 gallon has had a plethora of problems(involving my lights and plant situation), im probably going to wind up transferring my red cherries over to my 5 gallon, which is a lot more stable and already cycled.
> I will have an open 10 gallon, and redo the whole thing, but keeping my driftwood and anubias growing in it, and possibly the carib-sea eco complete. i want to establish a second shrimp tank, so what other shrimp would you recommend putting into my 10 gallon since i am re doing it, i was thinking of CRS, but it may be a bit too much


If you are redoing the 10 and want CRS, then make sure to get a good buffering substrate, use RO water and a GH+ remineralizer. The Eco-Complete is not ideal for CRS though.

Alternatively, you could look into tigers. Tangerine Tiger or Orange Eye Blue Tiger for example. They do prefer lower end Neo parameters though, such as KH 0-3, GH 3-6 and a TDS of 130-180 ish with temps 65-72° F. pH can be in the 6's or 7's.



Or..... you could look into different colors of Neos if you don't want to keep any shrimp that are more difficult? (granted, I've seen a few people say that they've had better luck with Tigers than Neos)


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

I'm already an experienced aquarist, but I'm still a CBS n00b, and I started my shrimp colony in a 2.5 gallon tank which was hosting a few young C. Chopra grow-outs. When I removed the last fish and changed it over completely to a shrimp tank by making sure the TDS and mineralizers were correct, it sprung a leak on the bottom pane and I had to emergency transfer all of the 8 adult shrimp and the plants in it to a 1.3 Nonny's cookie container. Which oddly enough caused most of the females in the tank to get berried and later hatch out my first broods of new shrimp. I'm now up to 40 shrimp between the 1.3 gallon and a 5 gallon dedicated shrimp tank.

I'm putting together a 10 gallon soon as another shrimp tank because the damn things are addictive.

I'm not saying emulate my string of incredible luck, but you can raise shrimp in tiny aquariums, they just take a lot of daily attention to detail and some experience with maintaining little tanks.


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## BadUsername (Jun 2, 2017)

My Lfs recommended seachem aquasolum black humate for a shrimp substrate, i bought a brand new fluval spec 5/6 gallon, im working on cycling it now so i can use it for shrimps, 

as for my 10 gallon, my light broke on me a couple months ago, bought new light, my plants did not adjust well and my nitrates shot up and killed alot of my RCS, so im going to transfer the survivors to the fluval spec, i will have an open 10 gallon to stock.

i love all the neo color variations, i wouldnt mind doing the blues or yellows, but i never even considered the tiger shrimps, how are they? and is could it possibly be the eco complete that isnt good for my RCS as well?


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## Sherminator (Aug 29, 2011)

I have this 12x12x12 cube (roughly 5 gallons with everything in it) set up for the past 5 years...




























It survived moving from MD back to NJ in a moving truck with only about 2 gallons in it and survived a major pump out of water back around March of this year (the first photo was taken right after that). I haven't touched the substrate, though the snail and the two otto cats I bought a few months didn't make it, the CRS are thriving (the population spiked after the water pump out) and the Amano shrimp seem to be doing well. I do a water change of about a gallon every 2-3 weeks.

Remineralized RO water is a huge for successful CRS keeping.

Plan on rehoming them to a 20-25 gallon tank over the summer time, once I get the stand built...which is the reason why the tank next to it is still empty...the stand I have is bowing slightly.


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