Future Shrimp Tank

[Shoebox_16]

Hey, I have a 3gal going spare, and I wanted to put some RCS in there after Christmas (plenty of time for research lol).

I'm gonna put a small canister filter in there, or possibly use a sponge filter, whichever is easiest/cheapest.

I'm pretty sure shrimp need warm water (?), so a heater.

Gonna have a thin layer of sand (play sand?) for substrate, about 1/2 inch?

Gonna make a moss wall as I've heard shrimp like going on the walls, what other plants do you recommend, and how heavily planted should the tank be for shrimp?

I actually only want a few to look at, not interested in breeding at all even though i know the shrimp will probably breed. I want to start off with a small number, either 5 or 10. Then if it surpasses 30 or so, I want to get rid of some, is that cruel? I would get rid of the eggs or w/e. Could I feed them to my Betta? I've been told that shrimp will stop breeding when they've reached max. capacity, but either way I reckon I'll end up with a tank too full.

I've never looked after shrimp, or known anyone to, so I have no idea as to the ethics surrounding shrimp-keeping.

[saram521]

Shrimp will reproduce pretty rapidly, and the females keep their eggs above their "swimmerette" legs so they can aerate the eggs while they're developing. They don't lay eggs around the tank, so you won't be able to physically remove them. I don't think shrimp will stop breeding when their population is over-crowded, I think the population will start dying off because the ammonia will too high from the waste they'll collectively be producing. You can feed your surplus shrimp to your fish, or sell them locally if you're interested in doing so. All shrimp (even hardy RCS) are sensitive to poor water quality, so weekly water changes will be necessary, esp. for a 3g tank. I would advise keeping a heater in with them, as RCS like temps. in the mid-70's range. I would suggest planting the tank as heavily as you can with java ferns, anubias, vallisnerias, cryptocoryne sp., etc. It'll make the shrimp more comfy and feel more secure, in my opinion. Have fun with it, shrimp are cool!

[H3D]

Hey, I have a 3gal going spare, and I wanted to put some RCS in there after Christmas (plenty of time for research lol).

This is a little small for a RCS tank IMO.

I'm gonna put a small canister filter in there, or possibly use a sponge filter, whichever is easiest/cheapest.

I'm pretty sure shrimp need warm water (?), so a heater.

Gonna have a thin layer of sand (play sand?) for substrate, about 1/2 inch?

Gonna make a moss wall as I've heard shrimp like going on the walls, what other plants do you recommend, and how heavily planted should the tank be for shrimp?

I only keep moss in my shrimp tanks, but most plants would be fine.

I actually only want a few to look at, not interested in breeding at all even though i know the shrimp will probably breed. I want to start off with a small number, either 5 or 10. Then if it surpasses 30 or so, I want to get rid of some, is that cruel? I would get rid of the eggs or w/e. Could I feed them to my Betta? I've been told that shrimp will stop breeding when they've reached max. capacity, but either way I reckon I'll end up with a tank too full.

You may not be interested in breeding them, but that is not going to stop them from breeding. Starting with 5-10 in a 3 gallon tank is not a good idea. RCS have 30 some babies at a time. The only way to get rid of the babies is to remove them from the tank. Your betta might eat them, but I doubt he will be fast enough to get them. For the record RCS DO NOT stop breeding when they have reached max capacity. They will continue to breeed as long as they are allive. This can have catastophic effect on a tank, especially a small one.

I've never looked after shrimp, or known anyone to, so I have no idea as to the ethics surrounding shrimp-keeping.



IMO you should either start with a bigger tank, or start with very few RCS, or a different kind of shrimp that doesn't breed so rapidly.

[Shoebox_16]

bump

[fishdaze]

I'm fairly interested in this thread. I plan on doing something very similar but i'm not sure what kind of shrimp to get or how large the tank will be. I'm thinking around 5 gallons but if your 3g goes well (post pics when you do it!!!!) I may go that route instead to save a little cash unless I can find a real cheap set up that's larger. I'm not gonna be doing it until winter break so I have time to look around as well and research. I will be feeding extra over populated shrimp to my fish who will be very appreciative.