1FT (14.5 L) Neocaridina Shrimp Tank

[imtai]

Hi peeps,

I am very new to shrimp keeping as a hobby, i did not have prior experience to fish keeping as well. I started reading forums, watching Youtube and joining the AQ Whats'app Chat to learn about the fundamentals.

Much of what i learnt was also contributed by the information provided by p0ip0i, Rezdwan & schwip. Big thanks to Rezdwan for bringing up the idea of starting my own thread so every beginner stands to benefit from the information provided here.

This thread will feature everything from the set up, cycling and to the various issues i faced during this entire process.

*Disclaimer First: everything posted are work in progress. What i post might not best practice in the hobby but its working for me at the moment. I made lots of mistakes along the way and are still learning from the experience shrimpers in AQ*

The Setup:

Tank Dimension: 31 X 18 X 26

Substrate: H.E.L.P Advance Shrimp Soil

Filter: Qanvee-100 Sponge filter filled with Sera Siporax Mini

Air pump: Super Beetle II 300

Bacteria: Microbe-Lift Night Out II

De-chlorinator: Microbe-Lift XTreme

Lighting: (TBH i forgotten the brand) 30cm LED White Light

Flora: 2 x Flame Moss tied to rocks ( thanks to AQ Jonathan)
2 x Marimo Moss
2 x Frogbit (thanks to AQ Jaron)

Fauna: 4 x Male Guppies (thanks to AQ Jaron)

Test Kits: API Master Test Kits (cover pH, NH3, NO2, NO3)
*5ml Syringe from Pharmacy helps*
XiaoMi TDS Test Pen

Tank "accessories" : Feeding Dish ( thanks to AQ Jonathan)
3 x Cactus wood
Aquascaping Tweezers
ANS Thermometer

Did not have photos taken during the process of setting up my tank, was too excited to think about documenting the process.

It was a mess initially, had to be cautious when adding water to fill the tank. Being a novice, water was added too fast and soil got stirred turning the water murky. it took ~2 days for the water to clear up.
*weeks later i learn from users on Youtube that spraying down the substrate before adding water will help minimize the chances of dust/debris floating*


My intention initially was to do a fish-less cycle, did not cling wrapped the tank as I assumed there were sufficient water surface movement from the air pump. Ended up with more than 30 mosquito larvae after returning home from a weekend vacation.

Weekly Water Parameters (before Water Change)
​
Water Changes was done weekly, 50% in the first week, 100% in the second week, 60% in the third week.

1st Week:


2nd Week:


3rd Week:


Most recent Result:



Latest water parameter (tested 2 days after 3rd week wc)

pH: 6.8
NH3: ~0ppm
NO2: 0 ppm
NO3: 10 ppm
TDS: 138

Temp: 27 Degree C

It appears that the tank is cycled and hence proceeded to do another 100% wc last night. If water para in 2 days shows consistent results. It will mean that I can finally add Fire Red to my tank!

Cycling the tank is a really torturous process for the past 3-4 weeks (new tank, new media), but I guess it is mandatory to obtain the right conditions for your shrimps.

*continue to second post*

[imtai]

Continuation

Like i mentioned earlier, i started off the cycling process by throwing some shrimp food into the tank (as a source for ammonia).

Later i realized from AQ shrimpers that without the shrimp food, my substrate was already leeching out so much ammonia into the water resulting in high NO3. But my frogbit did benefit from it, it was growing so much faster than my flame moss.

I could have gone for an inert substrate for Neocaridina, but my itchy backside love the look and feel of the soil so much that i went for an active substrate instead. (if not the cycling process might be simplified)



*the food started "rotting" which is normal, it was covered by fungus*

Then i was struck by the invasion of mosquito larvae when i was away on a weekend vacation!


*now i understand why others whom does a fish-less cycle mentioned to cling wrap the tank*

Thus I engaged the help of 4 guppies to clear up these 30 to 40 over larvae.
Mission was accomplished in just one night and I continued to cycle with the 4 of them in the tank.

I admit the 4 fishes does add some life to the tank as compared to staring blankly into a fish-less tank for 3-4 weeks.



This is how my tank looks like currently. I will continue to update this post with my experience and share the issues i encountered during the process.

I hope that this thread will serve to encourage and aid more beginner to kick off the hobby.

Please do comment below on your thoughts of my setup! Would wish to learn from the opinions of other shrimp keepers around.

Thanks!

[limz_777]

that cholla wood actually makes a nice tree , look at the right , look like a fallen tree

[imtai]

that cholla wood actually makes a nice tree , look at the right , look like a fallen tree

Hey thanks bro..

actually there wasn't much thought place into scaping it..haha it was just coincidence !

was too eager to just make it work. =*(

would spend more time to think about scaping in my second tank perhaps? ^^

*ah ma just rejected my proposal for 2nd tank last night *

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[NanoScaper]

Hello, imtai.

Thank you for sharing your shrimp tank setup.

I've just tricked you into making a commitment by starting this thread. Now you'll have to keep updating it and learn based on feedbacks from everyone here.

Anyway, regarding your question about why your tank took very long to cycle, I think you already have a pretty good idea what could have been the cause. I believe there's nothing wrong with your choice of substrate. Many shrimpers here uses soil because it will help to buffer the pH of your tank water among other things.

The only problem was, you weren't aware that active soil like the one you used will release lots of nutrients initially and you shouldn't need to add fish food to start the cycle. Then again, even without the fish food that you added, the time it took to cycle your tank might have taken just as long. Different active soils do contain different composition.

For example, a tank that uses ADA Amazonia soil is known for taking a very long time to cycle. That's because it releases lots of nutrients initially but that's a good thing; if you're doing a heavily planted tank. The Q&A for the H.E.L.P Advanced Soil Shrimp did mention that it does not contain any nutrients for plants but does contain humic acids which are meant for shrimps.

Anyway, I noticed that your tank is almost cycled and you should be able to go get your shrimps soon. Keep us updated, alright?

Good luck!

[imtai]

Hello, imtai.

Thank you for sharing your shrimp tank setup.

I've just tricked you into making a commitment by starting this thread. Now you'll have to keep updating it and learn based on feedbacks from everyone here.

Anyway, regarding your question about why your tank took very long to cycle, I think you already have a pretty good idea what could have been the cause. I believe there's nothing wrong with your choice of substrate. Many shrimpers here uses soil because it will help to buffer the pH of your tank water among other things.

The only problem was, you weren't aware that active soil like the one you used will release lots of nutrients initially and you shouldn't need to add fish food to start the cycle. Then again, even without the fish food that you added, the time it took to cycle your tank might have taken just as long. Different active soils do contain different composition.

For example, a tank that uses ADA Amazonia soil is known for taking a very long time to cycle. That's because it releases lots of nutrients initially but that's a good thing; if you're doing a heavily planted tank. The Q&A for the H.E.L.P Advanced Soil Shrimp did mention that it does not contain any nutrients for plants but does contain humic acids which are meant for shrimps.

Anyway, I noticed that your tank is almost cycled and you should be able to go get your shrimps soon. Keep us updated, alright?

Good luck!

hey bro. yea doing so make mi feel more committed to update the thread frequently.

more importantly to share the experience with every one here =)

yeap. the tank is cycled and I just got some culls/cherries from a friend of my to test out the water parameter.


the only cherry in the tank! and it's a girl!



It's been a day and now there are 4 shrimps in the tank along with 4 other guppies. would definitely be removing the guppies from the tank before introducing the rest of the fire red this/next week!

stay tune!! =D

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[imtai]

it's been 3 days since I added the commando shrimps to test the water parameters.

everything seems to be going well. fed once in very small amount so far, sadly they seems more interested in the biofilm and algae around the tank. =(

wouldn't be feeding much as im afraid that the water might turn foul. if everything goes well till Friday then it would signal that I can start adding more shrimps in!



and I found one of their exoskeleton this morning.. glad that the water parameter is suitable allowing them to molt successfully!

more updates to come once I get more shrimps in!

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[NanoScaper]

it's been 3 days since I added the commando shrimps to test the water parameters.

everything seems to be going well. fed once in very small amount so far, sadly they seems more interested in the biofilm and algae around the tank. =(

wouldn't be feeding much as im afraid that the water might turn foul. if everything goes well till Friday then it would signal that I can start adding more shrimps in!



and I found one of their exoskeleton this morning.. glad that the water parameter is suitable allowing them to molt successfully!

more updates to come once I get more shrimps in!

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Where are the photos of your Fire Reds, imtai?

Make sure the photos are orientated properly also so I don't have to strain my neck.

[imtai]

Where are the photos of your Fire Reds, imtai?

Make sure the photos are orientated properly also so I don't have to strain my neck.

hey wan!

I'm so sry I couldn't edit the photo above to get it in the right orientation on my phone =*(

would definitely look out for such issues in the future when updating the thread!

so I have added 20 Fire reds to the tank last Friday night. I started facing 1 to 2 death per day till date.

been hearing from experience shrimpers that this is usual as some "weaker" ones fail to adapt to the changes and transportations.

would be monitoring to ensure that most of them are feeding well and molting well. would do a water parameter test tonight. =)

here are some photos I manage to capture through my mobile phone!





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[NanoScaper]

hey wan!

I'm so sry I couldn't edit the photo above to get it in the right orientation on my phone =*(

would definitely look out for such issues in the future when updating the thread!

so I have added 20 Fire reds to the tank last Friday night. I started facing 1 to 2 death per day till date.

been hearing from experience shrimpers that this is usual as some "weaker" ones fail to adapt to the changes and transportations.

would be monitoring to ensure that most of them are feeding well and molting well. would do a water parameter test tonight. =)

here are some photos I manage to capture through my mobile phone!





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Hey, imtai.

Thanks for sharing the photos.

Must be nice to see and observe so many shrimps crawling all over your tank.

I noticed that you have added some plants tied to stones. What are those?

[imtai]

Hey, imtai.

Thanks for sharing the photos.

Must be nice to see and observe so many shrimps crawling all over your tank.

I noticed that you have added some plants tied to stones. What are those?

hey wan!!!

don't mention! those shots taken by my fiancée. she found it pretty cute and entertaining, but too troublesome to care for. =.= *u know la women*

those are java Moss I got from a friend of mine , he had way too much growing in his tank. got it for free and tied it to some small pieces of lava rocks with strings.

kinda unsightly at the moment, but jus adding more mosses for the shrimps to graze on. doesn't seem to do much in reducing no3 though. still had about 10ppm of no3 when I water change last night.





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[Halfbeak]

Very nice and neat set up,kudos for sharing. Do update when you start seeing fry!

[NanoScaper]

hey wan!!!

don't mention! those shots taken by my fiancée. she found it pretty cute and entertaining, but too troublesome to care for. =.= *u know la women*

those are java Moss I got from a friend of mine , he had way too much growing in his tank. got it for free and tied it to some small pieces of lava rocks with strings.

kinda unsightly at the moment, but jus adding more mosses for the shrimps to graze on. doesn't seem to do much in reducing no3 though. still had about 10ppm of no3 when I water change last night.





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Yes, my wife finds them cute and entertaining too. So much so that on a whim, she bought a pack of Blue Diamond shrimps. In the end, I had to scramble and quickly set up another tank just for the new arrivals while they wait temporarily in my daughter's tank.

She already has plans to have another tank set up for another variety of shrimps that has caught her eyes. I have no problems setting up the tanks. But when I told her she will have to do the maintenance herself, she pushed it back to me.

[imtai]

Very nice and neat set up,kudos for sharing. Do update when you start seeing fry!

thank you very much halfbeak for the compliments =)

I would definitely continue to log and document any new changes to the tank =)



jus to share a shot taken with a macro clip on lense to my phone

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[imtai]

Yes, my wife finds them cute and entertaining too. So much so that on a whim, she bought a pack of Blue Diamond shrimps. In the end, I had to scramble and quickly set up another tank just for the new arrivals while they wait temporarily in my daughter's tank.

She already has plans to have another tank set up for another variety of shrimps that has caught her eyes. I have no problems setting up the tanks. But when I told her she will have to do the maintenance herself, she pushed it back to me.

hey wan!

good day to you!

to be frank I had procrastinate for almost a year before I start up this tank.

my fiancée knew that I always wanted to have my own shrimp tank and thus paid for my purchases at SV during Xmas eve last year.

hehe how fortunate are we to have partners that will enjoy the hobby with us.

*she wouldn't mind feeding them, but everything else regarding maintenance is my responsibility*


oh yea, she mentioned that I'm giving the shrimp too much attention recently. hahah I also have plans for another tank, but shall wait for this colony to thrive and breed first =)

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[NanoScaper]

thank you very much halfbeak for the compliments =)

I would definitely continue to log and document any new changes to the tank =)



jus to share a shot taken with a macro clip on lense to my phone

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imtai, do you notice something on this shrimp?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It's got the Scutariella japonica parasites on it.



What it looks like on one of my shrimp. More info and what to do about it next. Parasites in Freshwater Shrimp

[imtai]

imtai, do you notice something on this shrimp?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It's got the Scutariella japonica parasites on it.



What it looks like on one of my shrimp. More info and what to do about it next. Parasites in Freshwater Shrimp

hey bro!!

u r a saver!! I really didn't pay much attention to it.

I learnt that a salt bath would usually fix the issue. what actions were taken in you case? was it a success? can share with me what u are the steps u take to resolve this problem? =*(

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[NanoScaper]

hey bro!!

u r a saver!! I really didn't pay much attention to it.

I learnt that a salt bath would usually fix the issue. what actions were taken in you case? was it a success? can share with me what u are the steps u take to resolve this problem? =*(

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Hi, imtai.

The full story of what happened and what I did was documented in post #51 of my shrimp tank journal.

It's the eve of CNY. If you need to get anything from LFS, you'd better go get it soon before they all closes.

[NanoScaper]

Hey, imtai.

How are your shrimps doing now?

Are they cleared from parasites and breeding already?

[imtai]

Hi, imtai.

The full story of what happened and what I did was documented in post #51 of my shrimp tank journal.

It's the eve of CNY. If you need to get anything from LFS, you'd better go get it soon before they all closes.

hey wan and guys!

sorry I had been slow in my updates after the CNY period lol.

first of all. thanks wan! it was cny eve tat day and I had to quickly rush down to East ocean jus 30 mins before they close to get some aquarium salt on standby.

surely enough.. I manage to salt dip more than 4 shrimps throughout that week to keep the parasite issues in check.

I did a big mistake with the dip though, the portion to mix was one cup of tank water to one teaspoon salt. for some unknown reasons, I read it as one cup of tank water with 1 TABLE spoon of salt!!!!

the shrimps.starting jumping and twirling and bottoms up after 10 seconds. I had to quickly put them back into the tank water. I continue this for about 3 shrimps, before I realise my silly mistakes. luckily for me, there was no mortality =))

after close monitoring of the tank for about a week or so, I can safely say that the parasite issue had been solved. salt dipping is truly effective for me and my shrimps =))

thanks wan!

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