Hello,
I'm Jill and I'm new to Supershrimp but have read every post on this topic I can find. I want to set up a few one gallon bowls with about five shrimp in each. Would this be the way to set this up:
1. Make sure SG of water is 1008-1.010
2. Place some sand and some coral in the bowl.
3. Place bowl in non direct sunlight.
4. Let it cycle for about a week.
5. Provide shrimp with Spirulina Powder just a tiny bit using the tip of a toothpick every two to three weeks.
6. Replenish the evaporated water with distill water.
Additional Questions
-Could I use a small LED light over the bowl? Will it warm the water to much?
-Should I wait longer to cycle? Two or three weeks?
-I'm thinking of setting a five gallon up as well. Could I follow the same setup as the one gallon?
-How many shrimp can I have in my five gallon before I need a filter?
Challenges of setting up a 1Gal. for about five shrimp?
Moderator: Mustafa
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BostonJill
- Shrimp
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:35 am
- Location: Boston, MA
Re: Challenges of setting up a 1Gal. for about five shrimp?
Welcome to the forum! 
Your plan sounds good actually, except for the spirulina powder part. In contrast to what you may read elsewhere, these shrimp do not need to eat spirulina powder. You can feed it if you want, but it has major disadvantages. Among them are that the shrimp are benthic creatures (they like to pick at stuff on the bottom and on the glass) and the powder just floats on the surface. The shrimp actually have to burn energy to swim to the surface and remain swimming while trying to feed on the powder. Plus, powder is really hard to "dose." Some kind of sinking fish food is a much better option. You don't need anything fancy...any brand name, reputable sinking food will do.
Your questions:
1. LED is fine...no problems with overheating.
2. One week should be ok. Just don't feed them right away...wait another two weeks before you feed them. The most ideal way to cycle is to wait until you see some algae growing on the glass or substrate. That may take 2-4 weeks.
3. Yes, you can do the same setup in a five gallon as in a one gallon. And, you can have tons of shrimp in a 5 gallon...100+. And, for the record, this species *never* needs a filter, no matter how crowded the tank looks. They actually prefer it if there is no water movement in the tank.
Your plan sounds good actually, except for the spirulina powder part. In contrast to what you may read elsewhere, these shrimp do not need to eat spirulina powder. You can feed it if you want, but it has major disadvantages. Among them are that the shrimp are benthic creatures (they like to pick at stuff on the bottom and on the glass) and the powder just floats on the surface. The shrimp actually have to burn energy to swim to the surface and remain swimming while trying to feed on the powder. Plus, powder is really hard to "dose." Some kind of sinking fish food is a much better option. You don't need anything fancy...any brand name, reputable sinking food will do.
Your questions:
1. LED is fine...no problems with overheating.
2. One week should be ok. Just don't feed them right away...wait another two weeks before you feed them. The most ideal way to cycle is to wait until you see some algae growing on the glass or substrate. That may take 2-4 weeks.
3. Yes, you can do the same setup in a five gallon as in a one gallon. And, you can have tons of shrimp in a 5 gallon...100+. And, for the record, this species *never* needs a filter, no matter how crowded the tank looks. They actually prefer it if there is no water movement in the tank.