new to shrimp hobby New to Shrimp Hobby.

[Hunterad]

I have just made an account to ask this question... I have had a 30 gallon fish tank Right now its empty and now i am interested in to keeping and breeding red cherry Shrimp.

By Researching on line i got to know that first i need to setup tank with all these steps.

first need Mineral, Bacterial product under substrate and add some plant then i can introduce Shrimps in the tanks.

 

Is it true i need to do above steps!!!

 

Also help me in this.

1,Which product shall i buy for Mineral, Bacteria.
2,Which substrate is suitable for red cherry shrimp.
3,how long to keep water without shrimp and how to know water is ready for shrimp.
Also if some one can suggest water testing kit will be help full(like PH and nitrate testing) 
 

[chappy6107]

37 minutes ago, Hunterad said:

first need Mineral, Bacterial product under substrate and add some plant then i can introduce Shrimps in the tanks.

 

Is it true i need to do above steps!!!

 

Also help me in this.

1,Which product shall i buy for Mineral, Bacteria.
2,Which substrate is suitable for red cherry shrimp.
3,how long to keep water without shrimp and how to know water is ready for shrimp.
Also if some one can suggest water testing kit will be help full(like PH and nitrate testing) 
 

 

Hi Hunterad,

  Welcome to the forum.  The answers you are looking for are below.

 

1.  You dont "need" to buy a special product for bacteria

2.  Something INERT.  do not buy a substrate specifically made for shrimp.  I like to use black/brown sand, in just a thin layer.

3.  You must cycle your water prior to adding any live fish or shrimp to your tank.  In General 4-6 weeks.  This will give you time to build up biofilm as well which shrimp feed on.

4.  the freshwater API test kit is pretty standard in the hobby.  Some people like other kits because of the colors on the chart are easier to read or for other reasons.  You will also need

a gh test kit, a kh test kit.  And most shrimp keepers also have a TDS meter.  The things I keep specifically are a TDS meter, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, gh, kh test kits.

 

I prefer to use sponge filters with my shrimp.  I suggest if you do not know how to cycle a tank, that you first google "cycling an aquarium" and after reading through the multiple ways of doing this decide how you want to do yours.  I use media from an already cycled tank, but in the beginning I used scentless ammonia to dose/feed the bacteria needed.

 

Other than a 30 gallon tank, what all products do you have for setting your tank up?

[KJensen]

When I was new to shrimp I looked at flip aquatics and aquarium co op on YouTube and they go over everything you need to start up. 

 

In my experience I use the following;

1. Montmorilinite for minerals and a good algae base for bacteria.

2. Any inert substrate, however for any not black shrimp a dark one makes them display better.

3. I cycled a tank with seeded substrate, if you don’t have another tank your local fish store should be able to get you some. Also a lot of live plants specifically submerse grown java moss and subwassertange for two weeks with 2 feeder guppies for their waste production, I later fed them to my chickens.

 

I use Tetra all in one test strips and API KH / GH test liquids and a basic TDS meter even the one from zero water filter will work.

[shamedic]

if your going to be using tap water get the test kits 1st that way you know if your water is even good for shrimp I had to get a RODI unit because my city water had to high of readings. the RODI units are cheap if you have to get one I think I payed $40 but you will have to get water remineralizer I use salty shrimp GH/KH+ it sounds like a lot to take in but its very EZ after you do it a few times. In no time you will have more shrimp then you know what to do with I started with 50 and now I have about 500.

[TheGlassBox]

Good advice from all above.  Pool filter sand also works great for a cheap inert substrate.  Just put it in a bucket, pitcher or bowl and rinse it well to get the dust out.  If your cherries have good color they'll look nice on it.  And it's cheap! Don't use play sand, it's to dusty and dirty.  You'll be rinsing forever...

[nicpapa]

On 20/12/2017 at 5:16 PM, Hunterad said:

I have just made an account to ask this question... I have had a 30 gallon fish tank Right now its empty and now i am interested in to keeping and breeding red cherry Shrimp.

By Researching on line i got to know that first i need to setup tank with all these steps.

first need Mineral, Bacterial product under substrate and add some plant then i can introduce Shrimps in the tanks.

 

Is it true i need to do above steps!!!

 

Also help me in this.

1,Which product shall i buy for Mineral, Bacteria.
2,Which substrate is suitable for red cherry shrimp.
3,how long to keep water without shrimp and how to know water is ready for shrimp.
Also if some one can suggest water testing kit will be help full(like PH and nitrate testing) 
 

 

what is the substrate in your 30 gallon?

Red cherry is the easiest shrimps.

I keep them from 3gh to 24 gh...

Not need minerals, bacterials products , and monmorinolite as i read above..

Just stable water, and a ready filtration...

What is your gh kh tds?