Supershrimp preparation questions

[Super Jess]

Hi everyone! After much vicarious shrimp-keeping (thanks, guys!) I'm finally taking the plunge myself.

I found a great big vase thing at TJ Maxx:


Looks to be about 3 gallons or so. I like the vertical aspect, and the small footprint means I can keep it on my desk. Since I work from home, it will be neat to have the shrimp to look at all the time.

I also just ordered some macroalgae and Suesswassertang to start. Looking to pick up some sand, salt, hydrometer, rock, and some kind of coral fan thing this weekend. Oh, and distilled H2O.

So I guess I mix up my water, put it in the vase, add my rock and coral, and wait for the plants to arrive. Once the plants are in, how long should I wait before adding shrimp (and snails)? Am I forgetting anything? I don't want to be a shrimp killer

[KenCotigirl]

Glad you are taking the plunge. I am not sure but I believe Suesswassertang is best in fresh water. Patience is best. I would wait a month to two months.
Kenp

[jonesinfershrimp]

id wait till after the diatoms appear then a little bit of algae

[Super Jess]

Thanks, guys! I think I read that diatoms are the sort of brownish film that begins to appear on all the surfaces, is that right? I ordered the macroalgae and the Suesswassertang from here, so I imagine it's been acclimated to the brackish water I'll be making. I'm hoping it will come with enough water to give my new setup a bacteria boost! Hard to work today, since all I really want to do is run out and shop for shrimp stuff

[Super Jess]

Hmmm, am thinking now I maybe should have ordered snails with the plants to get things moving faster. Is that a bad idea? I also don't want to be a snail killer.

[Varanus]

I ordered the macroalgae and the Suesswassertang from here, so I imagine it's been acclimated to the brackish water I'll be making.

Thing is there is a reason the plants for the Supershrimp categroy of the store are separate from the other plants. That is I'm pretty sure Suesswassertang is a freshwater plant for freshwater shrimp (though the site doesn't identify it as such, the category it is in makes it clear). There are very few plants species that can be kept in supershrimp tanks.

Hmmm, am thinking now I maybe should have ordered snails with the plants to get things moving faster. Is that a bad idea? I also don't want to be a snail killer.

The snails Mustafa sells are recommended to help speed the cycling along with the macroalgae, and I certainly had no snails die or even act bothered by being in the tank during cycling.

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I wouldn't put a strict time frame on when you can add the shrimp. Basically you need to have the tank cycled, and how long that takes can vary (but in general it would be a month or two). Water tests will show you if you have detectable ammonia, nitrites etc. and once they go away you should be pretty much ready.

[Super Jess]

Thing is there is a reason the plants for the Supershrimp categroy of the store are separate from the other plants. That is I'm pretty sure Suesswassertang is a freshwater plant for freshwater shrimp (though the site doesn't identify it as such, the category it is in makes it clear). There are very few plants species that can be kept in supershrimp tanks.

Oh jeez, I guess I missed the categorization part. I see what you mean, now! I was so excited about Supershrimp I somehow overlooked that everything in the store isn't about Supershrimp I wonder if I can swap the Suesswassertang for some snails? Will try!

Thanks for the heads up, Varanus, and for your gentle persistence.

[Super Jess]

Hooray! Emailed Mustafa, who graciously agreed to send snails instead of the Suesswassertang. At least I will have something to watch until I can order the shrimp Thanks, Mustafa! And thanks to Ken, too, who I now realize offered the fresh water heads-up first. My reading comprehension must have taken a dive in the initial excitement. Sorry, Ken!

[NancyM]

Mustafa says the tank is ready for shrimp when algae starts turning everything a bit green. I love the shape of your vase. It will be a very good looking home for the little ones. Mustafa also says the ammonia won't hurt the snails and adding them and the macroalgae along with the water he ships them in will help the tank get ready faster. Welcome to the Opae Ula fan club.

[Super Jess]

Thanks, Nancy! So glad to have found this forum. Been reading the back posts, and everyone is so helpful.

I'm heading out this weekend to pick up sand and stuff, and I have a question about substrate depth. I know you don't actually *need* to have a lot of substrate, but is there a downside to having 2.5"-3" or so? I'm realizing my vase has a sort of "waist" at the bottom that I would like to fill up completely. Will it be ok, or should I search for a different solution?

[Mech]

evaporation is going to be a pain in the ass with a vase, you wont stop contaminates falling in either.

Your tank is ready when its finished 'cycling' via the nitrogen cycle... not just when you get algae. Algae is a food source not a sign the water is healthy enough for Opea ula shrimp.

[Varanus]

Mech is right that evaporation could be a issue with no top. You may want to see about getting some kind of top unless you want to keep an eye on the water level on a regular basis and add to it whenever it goes down a few inches.

I'm heading out this weekend to pick up sand and stuff, and I have a question about substrate depth. I know you don't actually *need* to have a lot of substrate, but is there a downside to having 2.5"-3" or so? I'm realizing my vase has a sort of "waist" at the bottom that I would like to fill up completely.

I don't think there is anything bad that could happen with deeper substrate, since you will have snails burrowing in it to aerate it and eat any gunk that develops there.

[Super Jess]

True about the top -- I was just thinking this morning that I would find a glass lid at the thrift shop to use on the top. The vase is just 9" at the top, which is a nice standard pot size, so will look for an abandoned pot lid of some type. Maybe Pyrex, or some other type of tempered glass. Remember that glass cookware that was popular for a time? Must be a lot of leftover lids from that stuff.

Good to know the sandy bottom will be ok. I wonder what the limit is for those snails to be effective?

[NancyM]

It shouldn't be very hard to find an appropriate lid. I just wanted to also clarify my earlier post. If anyone knows how to set up a tank for these guys, it would be Mustafa. What I posted earlier was pretty much a direct quote, but just to be clear, here is the exact quote:

"Re: Popcorn of Death

Postby Mustafa » Thu Apr 14, 2016 4:41 am

Done reading this thread. Ok, sounds like *something* is poisoning your shrimp slowly. It could definitely be ammonia. It doesn't even have to be measurable. That's why I don't use ammonia test kits for Supershrimp tanks. Algae are a better indicator of a "ready for shrimp" tank actually. Unhealthy levels of ammonia seem to inhibit the growth of algae so that when algae start growing in larger numbers you can be pretty sure there isn't any ammonia left. I'd just leave the tank alone at this point. It needs to find a biological balance. And while you're at i...update us. Hope the dying has stopped in the meantime."

You are going to have a fantastic Opae Ula home. Please keep us informed and send pics.

[Super Jess]

Hi peeps,

Thanks for your clarification, NancyM. Snails and macroalgae will reportedly arrive tomorrow! So I set up my vase, mixed up some half-strength seawater, and added my substrate and black lava rocks. Can you believe I couldn't find crushed coral or coral chunks or limestone or aragonite at any of the shops near me? I guess I really do live in the sticks In desperation I threw in some seashells and I hope that will do the trick. Incidentally, I only just now discovered the word "aquascape" as a result of the shrimp endeavor, and let me just say I have a serious thing going for these Iwagumi arrangements. Here's my attempt:

That white thing on top is a paper towel (temporary) to keep stuff from falling while I search for a good lid. My question now is will the water clear up? It's been sitting for a couple of hours now, and it still looks pretty cloudy. I did rinse the substrate several times in distilled water, and the rocks and shells, too, so maybe it's just the salt?

I have never been so excited about snails in my life. I don't understand why they don't dissolve in the salt like other snails. It's a mystery of life!