Newbie building my first Shrimp tank.

[destiny2704]

Hi Guys,

Hope you guys can give me some advice on my first shrimp tank!!!

I've just bought a 2x1x2 feet fish tank from a nice bro from thIS forum. It comes with 4x filter tray ( 2 of them have lava rocks in them ) with all piping, runs with 2000/l atman powerhead water pump and 2 feet dophlin-L 600 light

My questions at the moment would be

1) is my pump too powerful? Should I replace the pump? I scare it will suck all my shrimps. I know I have to DIY sponge bag to wrap around the pump to prevent shrimps from becoming shrimp paste.

2) I know nuts about filter. I have a four trays of filter. What should I fill them with?

and

3) what sort of gravel should I be using I heard about mosura soil etc. Are they necessary? + what are the cons of buying them second hand?

I will post more photos as I continued my shrimp journey. Thanks Guys.





I

[deone]

Hey buddy, i'm new to this hobby too! What kinda shrimps are you looking to keep? Maybe we can go get some shrimps together
My tank is well and cycled so looking for some nice cherry or yellow fire shrimps.

[destiny2704]

Hi Deone,

I'm thinking of getting CRS for the start. Share your tank setup?

[deone]

Hi Deone,

I'm thinking of getting CRS for the start. Share your tank setup?

I think my tank is 1.5ft/1/1.5
I'm using a eheim 2213 filter
Cycled my tank for 1 month (This is really impt i would say)

Water parameters as follows
pH: 6.5
kH: 3
gH: 5

currently 2 mama cherry shrimp and 2 baby cherry..

I would say for a start, you should try cherry shrimps, yellow fire, snowball or chocoloate shrimps (Neocaridinal Heteropoda), they are much easy to handle and alot hardy.
CRS are very fragile and will die easily when you water parameters change suddenly. Besides, neocaridinal heteropoda type shrimps are much cheaper so your wallet won't burn lol!
CRS requires low temp as well so you would need chiller etc etc which sums up to a hefty sum!

For a start, i would say try the above mentioned shrimps, these way you could learn and not burn a big hole in your pocket, maybe go to CRS when you are much experience. I myself am a noob too.

[destiny2704]

True.... was actually thinking about the same thing. Use cherry as guinea shrimps first then move on to more expensive ones.

Care to share on the gravel/soil ure using?

[Neondagger]

True.... was actually thinking about the same thing. Use cherry as guinea shrimps first then move on to more expensive ones.

Care to share on the gravel/soil ure using?

Thats the right thing to do. You have to do more research before diving into the world of crs. CRS cost alot more to take care and alot harder.

[mimin5zidane]

Substrate is pretty important to get your pH right. Some bros here says mosura and benibachi soil is recommended. Even better if its ADA and you can plan a planted tank.

Search for info in this forum about starting a tank. Plenty of info and important notes. I learnt it the hard way.(lazy to read) Haha!

[deone]

True.... was actually thinking about the same thing. Use cherry as guinea shrimps first then move on to more expensive ones.

Care to share on the gravel/soil ure using?

I'm using some cheap soil, the H.E.L.P advance soil. It works good for me, I can give you some if you want because i bought 8L but didnt use that much.

Dont rush into buying the shrimps 1st, set up your tank first because there is bound to be something that will cock up. No joke about this.

How many shrimps u looking to keep anyways?

[Matt]

Hi destiny2704, you may want to read up more on the forum stickies and on posts where some of the bros share step by step setting up of shrimp tank. You would want to get the setting up right and observe the recommended cycling period to avoid regretting when shrimps do not do well or suffer a parameter crash. Do observe your soil level as well. Too little soil and you may not achieve your desired pH or may not last as long. Too much and you may get the water too acidic.

To know if you are getting the parameters correct, you would definitely need some test kits (API or SERA) for pH, GH, KH at least. But for setting up of tank, you would also need test kits for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates.

Perhaps as a quick guide on parameters as a standard for most shrimps.

pH:6.2-6.5
gH:3-5
kH:1
Amm:0ppm
No2:0ppm
No3:<25ppm
Temp:26-27.5DegC (achievable with a small fan)
TDS: 100-200.

Hope this helps you on setting up your tank.
For aesthetics, keep your adrenaline rush well-controlled and itchy fingers soothed constantly as most new hobbyists would enthusiatically "design" their planted shrimp tank only to regret not being able to see the shrimps much. Really recommend you to look at some old posts with pics of tank set up for a better idea to keep your shrimps in a balanced "ecology" while not compromising too much for your viewing pleasure.

Have fun and remember, I am also learning.

[deone]

my kH is 5 is that ok?

[destiny2704]

I'm using some cheap soil, the H.E.L.P advance soil. It works good for me, I can give you some if you want because i bought 8L but didnt use that much.

Dont rush into buying the shrimps 1st, set up your tank first because there is bound to be something that will cock up. No joke about this.

How many shrimps u looking to keep anyways?

Sure, I would love to buy over the remainder of of yr soil if its enough to filled up my tank. Do you think it will be enough? Anyway any advice on my pump problem?

[destiny2704]

Hi destiny2704, you may want to read up more on the forum stickies and on posts where some of the bros share step by step setting up of shrimp tank. You would want to get the setting up right and observe the recommended cycling period to avoid regretting when shrimps do not do well or suffer a parameter crash. Do observe your soil level as well. Too little soil and you may not achieve your desired pH or may not last as long. Too much and you may get the water too acidic.

To know if you are getting the parameters correct, you would definitely need some test kits (API or SERA) for pH, GH, KH at least. But for setting up of tank, you would also need test kits for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates.

Perhaps as a quick guide on parameters as a standard for most shrimps.

pH:6.2-6.5
gH:3-5
kH:1
Amm:0ppm
No2:0ppm
No3:<25ppm
Temp:26-27.5DegC (achievable with a small fan)
TDS: 100-200.

Hope this helps you on setting up your tank.
For aesthetics, keep your adrenaline rush well-controlled and itchy fingers soothed constantly as most new hobbyists would enthusiatically "design" their planted shrimp tank only to regret not being able to see the shrimps much. Really recommend you to look at some old posts with pics of tank set up for a better idea to keep your shrimps in a balanced "ecology" while not compromising too much for your viewing pleasure.

Have fun and remember, I am also learning.

Thanks for your comments ! Yes will definitely be buying solutions to test the quality of the water. Any lobang anot?

[deone]

Sure, I would love to buy over the remainder of of yr soil if its enough to filled up my tank. Do you think it will be enough? Anyway any advice on my pump problem?

I think i have like more than 5L of soil, which is more than sufficient to fill your tank? I only use abit because my tank is small.
Anyways for the pump issue, i'm unable to help you, i'm quite a newbie myself. So far my eheim 2213 don't suck up the shrimps, the shrimps can stand at the inlet of the filter and not get sucked.

Test kit can try getting the SERA test kit which i have bought from GC on monday. The pH,gH and kH all for 36.90 if i can remember clearly.

If you need the soil you can contact me at nine0six9000three.
I don't mind going to some lfs with you for shopping haha!

[destiny2704]

I think i have like more than 5L of soil, which is more than sufficient to fill your tank? I only use abit because my tank is small.
Anyways for the pump issue, i'm unable to help you, i'm quite a newbie myself. So far my eheim 2213 don't suck up the shrimps, the shrimps can stand at the inlet of the filter and not get sucked.

Test kit can try getting the SERA test kit which i have bought from GC on monday. The pH,gH and kH all for 36.90 if i can remember clearly.

If you need the soil you can contact me at nine0six9000three.
I don't mind going to some lfs with you for shopping haha!

where do you stay?

[deone]

where do you stay?

Queenstown.
You?

[destiny2704]

Queenstown.
You?

Lol. Tampines. but im in the west quite often as my gf stay in BT

[deone]

Lol. Tampines. but im in the west quite often as my gf stay in BT

Oh no problem, if you need the soil or wanna go shrimp shopping can jio me. Ha!

[Matt]

Thanks for your comments ! Yes will definitely be buying solutions to test the quality of the water. Any lobang anot?

Errr... prices for testkits are quite standardised across island. Depends on your location too as travelling across island to save just $1-2 on each test kit is not exactly cost & time efficient.

[Matt]

Sure, I would love to buy over the remainder of of yr soil if its enough to filled up my tank. Do you think it will be enough? Anyway any advice on my pump problem?

For the filter inlet, you can go to the C328 stretch of LFS or GC to check out the Stainless Steel mesh inlet guard. Not sure about other LFS.

[destiny2704]

For the filter inlet, you can go to the C328 stretch of LFS or GC to check out the Stainless Steel mesh inlet guard. Not sure about other LFS.

Hi Matt thks for the advice!