I have a 30 gallon tank that I would like to set up for some Halocaridina rubra. It’s been running empty with a sponge filter for over 6 months but has been set up for much longer. It’s currently ¾ full of water with no gravel or decorations.
To get the tank ready for the shrimp I plan to wipe down the glass above the water line. Squeeze out he sponge filter in tank water then do a 100% water change. I think that the tank should still be cycled since the cycle is in the sponge filter and biofilm on the sides of the tank and not in the water itself, if I’m correct.
I bought some black lava rock at the pet store and have to prepare it for the tank. I read here that someone boils it and another person soaks it in rock salt. So I was thinking about boiling and soaking it in rock salt but was wondering if all that is necessary or if a good rinse in tap water would be enough. I usually like to run my tanks bare bottom but I do have some black aquarium sand and gravel I could add to the aquarium if it would better to have it.
I’ve had fresh water aquariums forever but have never done anything with salt or brackish water except for hatching brine shrimp with aquarium salt. So this would be my first brackish water aquarium. So the next things on my list to get is instant ocean sea salt and a hydrometer. I don’t think I need a light or a heater since the aquarium gets light from a North window and the room temp is low to middle 70’s.
The thing I’m wondering most about is the cycle. If the aquarium is cycled for fresh water will the cycle hold with the sea salt added? Or will the aquarium need to recycle for brackish water?
Are there any benefits to having snails with the shrimp?
Setting up a supershrimp tank
Moderator: Mustafa
Re: Setting up a supershrimp tank
I was reading the “How to set up your supershrimp tank in a few easy steps” article where it said DO NOT USE TAP WATER!! Purchase distilled or R/O water and mix with sea salt.
That’s going to be a lot of work running to the store to get 30 1 gallon jugs of R/O water. I run my tap water through a Kold Ster-ll 3 stage filtration system when doing water changes on my fish and shrimp tanks. So the junk is filtered out and so I don’t have to use water conditioners.
Would it work to mix the sea salt with my Kold Ster-ll water?
If that would work I shouldn't have to buffer the water with calcium carbonate since I have hard alkaline tap water.
That’s going to be a lot of work running to the store to get 30 1 gallon jugs of R/O water. I run my tap water through a Kold Ster-ll 3 stage filtration system when doing water changes on my fish and shrimp tanks. So the junk is filtered out and so I don’t have to use water conditioners.
Would it work to mix the sea salt with my Kold Ster-ll water?
If that would work I shouldn't have to buffer the water with calcium carbonate since I have hard alkaline tap water.
Re: Setting up a supershrimp tank
Congrats on embarking on a new journey! 
It's actually very easy to set up a Supershrimp tank, and it's even easier to maintain one, much easier than any freshwater tank actually. First of all, get yourself chloramine (for pools) and ammonia (for aquariums) test kits. Make sure that the water coming out of your filtration system has neither. If you detect ammonia, just something like Prime (I would double dose it) or Amquel plus, or something similar. Using distilled water is just easier (and more foolproof) for people who are just getting started with keeping a shrimp tank. The steps I am describing on my website are kept as easy as possible, so that as many variable as possible that could cause problems are eliminated.
I would not initially worry about alkalinity, as the reef aquarium salt actually has that all built in. Even if you use distilled water, your alkalinity will be high due to the salt mix. For maintenance of alkalinity, I would still put it a few calcium carbonate rocks. It does not matter how alkaline your water supply is, after some time (months) the alkalinity is going to be zero due to biological activity in your tank. Since you won't be doing water changes, the best way to add alkalinity is to add those calcium carbonate rocks.
You don't actually have to empty the water in your 30 gallon at all. You can take some of the aquarium water out into a bucket...dissolve the salt in there (the amount needed to get a 30 gallon to about 1/3 to 1/2 ocean salinity)...aerate it...and slowly (over a few hours) dump the saltwater back into the tank. The bacteria responsible for the cycle in a tank are pretty adaptable, so they will be just fine and your tank will not lose its cycle. Remove the sponge filter after a day or two...Supershrimp don't need, nor really want a filter (or water movement). And judging from what you said, they don't need a heater and light in your situation either. Heater are not really ever needed as these shrimp have a huge temperature range tolerance, but a good light source is essential, as you want algae and similar aufwuchs to grow in your tank. Those algae/aufwuchs are responsible for keeping the water parameters in great shape, and also serve as the main food source for the shrimp.
No, you do not need to soak lava rock in anything. Just rinse it in water, make sure there are no organics trapped in it, and put it in your tank. Snails can help you, initially, keep algae grow (especially certain cyanobacteria) at bay until your shrimp population is larger and the shrimp themselves do that. The Supershrimp Macroalga serves a similar purpose without eliminating algae altogether through competition.
It's actually very easy to set up a Supershrimp tank, and it's even easier to maintain one, much easier than any freshwater tank actually. First of all, get yourself chloramine (for pools) and ammonia (for aquariums) test kits. Make sure that the water coming out of your filtration system has neither. If you detect ammonia, just something like Prime (I would double dose it) or Amquel plus, or something similar. Using distilled water is just easier (and more foolproof) for people who are just getting started with keeping a shrimp tank. The steps I am describing on my website are kept as easy as possible, so that as many variable as possible that could cause problems are eliminated. I would not initially worry about alkalinity, as the reef aquarium salt actually has that all built in. Even if you use distilled water, your alkalinity will be high due to the salt mix. For maintenance of alkalinity, I would still put it a few calcium carbonate rocks. It does not matter how alkaline your water supply is, after some time (months) the alkalinity is going to be zero due to biological activity in your tank. Since you won't be doing water changes, the best way to add alkalinity is to add those calcium carbonate rocks.
You don't actually have to empty the water in your 30 gallon at all. You can take some of the aquarium water out into a bucket...dissolve the salt in there (the amount needed to get a 30 gallon to about 1/3 to 1/2 ocean salinity)...aerate it...and slowly (over a few hours) dump the saltwater back into the tank. The bacteria responsible for the cycle in a tank are pretty adaptable, so they will be just fine and your tank will not lose its cycle. Remove the sponge filter after a day or two...Supershrimp don't need, nor really want a filter (or water movement). And judging from what you said, they don't need a heater and light in your situation either. Heater are not really ever needed as these shrimp have a huge temperature range tolerance, but a good light source is essential, as you want algae and similar aufwuchs to grow in your tank. Those algae/aufwuchs are responsible for keeping the water parameters in great shape, and also serve as the main food source for the shrimp.
No, you do not need to soak lava rock in anything. Just rinse it in water, make sure there are no organics trapped in it, and put it in your tank. Snails can help you, initially, keep algae grow (especially certain cyanobacteria) at bay until your shrimp population is larger and the shrimp themselves do that. The Supershrimp Macroalga serves a similar purpose without eliminating algae altogether through competition.
Re: Setting up a supershrimp tank
My filter is shrimp safe. I bought it a few years ago shortly after I started keeping shrimp and read your forum. Since I got the kold ster il filter I no longer use conditioners. I have the filter hooked up to my python and run temp matched water right into the tank. I still have the colony of Malawa shrimp I bought from you a few years ago and they have only been in kold ster il filtered water. I also have cherry shrimp and my cardinal shrimp in the filtered water.
When you said to use R/O water for the supershrimp I had to get used the idea since I was planning to use my filtered water. But decided to follow your recommendation and get R/O water. It took a few trips the store to get 30 gallons of R/O water but I finally got my tank filled and mixed with Instant Ocean salt mix. Mixed to the specific gravity of 1.012
I didn’t know what to get for calcium carbonate rocks and my internet search was bringing up vitamins. So I went to a marine fish only store and asked them and got a couple purplish stones that they said was a calcium carbonate and the best for buffering the ph (I just read your article again and saw coral & limestone).
I put in 14 lava rocks (some red and some black) between 1 and 3 fists big and no gravel. I want to get a tank cover yet to slow down the evaporation but I think the tank should be ready for the shrimp.
When you said to use R/O water for the supershrimp I had to get used the idea since I was planning to use my filtered water. But decided to follow your recommendation and get R/O water. It took a few trips the store to get 30 gallons of R/O water but I finally got my tank filled and mixed with Instant Ocean salt mix. Mixed to the specific gravity of 1.012
I didn’t know what to get for calcium carbonate rocks and my internet search was bringing up vitamins. So I went to a marine fish only store and asked them and got a couple purplish stones that they said was a calcium carbonate and the best for buffering the ph (I just read your article again and saw coral & limestone).
I put in 14 lava rocks (some red and some black) between 1 and 3 fists big and no gravel. I want to get a tank cover yet to slow down the evaporation but I think the tank should be ready for the shrimp.
Re: Setting up a supershrimp tank
Sounds like you've done all the right things. Can't wait to see some pictures of your setup once everything is ready and the shrimp in it. Just a note on the kold ster il...although the carbon in it removes chlorine and breaks up chloramines (and removes the chlorine from it), it leaves behind ammonia (chloramine = chlorine + ammonia). That may not be a big deal if you have already established tanks and don't do huge water changes as the ammonia will get turned into Nitrate rather quickly in established tanks, but it may be an issue in new tanks if they are not fully cycled yet. On the bright side, all the ammonia that your nitrifying bacteria need to get established are already in your tap water before you even put a single animal in your tank. As you won't be doing water changes with the Supershrimp, you don't really have to worry about ammonia all that much anyway.
Glad to read that the Malawa shrimp are still going strong, by the way. Although not as colorful as some of the more fancy looking shrimp out there, they are a great, active shrimp to have...and still rather rare.
Can't wait to see some pictures of your setup once everything is ready and the shrimp in it. Just a note on the kold ster il...although the carbon in it removes chlorine and breaks up chloramines (and removes the chlorine from it), it leaves behind ammonia (chloramine = chlorine + ammonia). That may not be a big deal if you have already established tanks and don't do huge water changes as the ammonia will get turned into Nitrate rather quickly in established tanks, but it may be an issue in new tanks if they are not fully cycled yet. On the bright side, all the ammonia that your nitrifying bacteria need to get established are already in your tap water before you even put a single animal in your tank. As you won't be doing water changes with the Supershrimp, you don't really have to worry about ammonia all that much anyway.Glad to read that the Malawa shrimp are still going strong, by the way. Although not as colorful as some of the more fancy looking shrimp out there, they are a great, active shrimp to have...and still rather rare.