New to shrimp

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smokey2957

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Jul 21, 2009
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Burlington, Washington
Was looking at some of the shrimp bowls you guys have I would say wow they all look great now I want to do one. I thought shrimp had to have pristine water conditions. Do you have to have filteration? Do you have to have a heater? Would be planted with some of the plants from my 46. Any advice would be helpful about what kind of equipement you need and so forth. Another question would you be able to combine shrimp and fiddler crabs? I really like both and do not have the room or the money to set up two different ecosystems.
 

TL1000RSquid

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Apr 6, 2011
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Fiddlers no, they are not 100% aquatic and require land area and brackish water, even in a large tank with brackish shrimp they'd most likely eat them. You could do the Thai MicroCrabs they're small and 100% aquatic. If your keeping your setup in an area where the temp is constant and the water will stay in the 70's you can get away with out a heater. I've always used sponge filters in my small shrimp setup but my smallest was a 2.5g, never did a bowl.
 

vwill279

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Oct 7, 2011
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Shrimp have a very low bioload, so people can put 5 shrimp in a 1 gallon bowl and be okay with few water changes provided they dont overfeed and have live plants in there to help with the waste. I think the hardest part of not having a filtered bowl is keeping your water from becoming stagnant. Without any current, I dont know how many water changes you would need to do to keep the water healthy for the shrimp. I keep mine in a 6 gal filtered and heated tank.
 

smokey2957

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Jul 21, 2009
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Burlington, Washington
Thanks you for your advice anybody else have anything to add. I have a small bio wheel filter I was thinking of using on whatever I decided on for the tank. I could place one of my sponges from my old reverse flow undergravel filter on the intake that way the shrimps would not get caught in the intake and that would provide water flow. I might check into a small heater just to be safe. Would you cycle it just like a aquarium.
 

flyinggig

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Jan 7, 2012
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Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
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Greg
Yes to cycling it....... I've kept a 1g planted (dirt/gravel) which required water changes every two days to keep the water clear. Switched to a 2.5g reg gravel with a sponge filter planted...... I'm much happier with it.
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Filtration helps..... as does a heater if the night temps get below 70F.
(cycling the sponge filter with cycled media - red sponge)

100_3622.JPG
 

aviva90

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Jun 19, 2010
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San Francisco, CA
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Aviva
I have mine in a half gallon bowl with some gravel and black sand and some plants with no heater, filter, anything that you would normally need. Never cycled either. I just change the water every week with tank water from one of my fish tanks and all 4 shrimp are alive and healthy, have been for a couple months now... but most people might chastise this, works for me tho, the shrimp haven't jumped or crawled out (which would be easy in the set up), shown any sign of sickness, or died. The temp in my room varies drastically from day to night, and again, have yet to have a problem... just my two cents.
 

smokey2957

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Jul 21, 2009
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Burlington, Washington
what type of shrimp do you have. I am really thinking of doing one just do not know what kind of container I am going to use yet.
 

flyinggig

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Jan 7, 2012
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Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
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Greg
Cheap ghost shrimp for me....(10 in my 2.5g) waiting on my LFS to bring in some cherry reds. I put the sponge filter in to lighten the almost daily water changes. An air stone at least to circulate the water to prevent stagnation. If your house is warm thru the night (70F)..... heater may not be necessary.
 

smokey2957

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Jul 21, 2009
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Burlington, Washington
I might be able to place it above my 46 bowfront tank the shelf is closer to the ceiling so it might stay warmer will have to place a bowl of water there with a spare temp stick to see what it stays at. I had planned on ghost shrimp also. Ihave two different lots on my watch list for Ebay. Ghost shrimp around here a getting pretty spendy anywhere from .50 to .79 a peice, and one of my lfs is having problems getting any in they also will not special order any.
 

TL1000RSquid

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Apr 6, 2011
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If your trying to keep it to inexpensive shrimp do cherries, they're a bit more active then ghosts and more colorful. Plus they can reproduce, ebay or aquabid you should be able to find them relatively cheap, 10-12 for $15ish shipped,
 
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