Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

Shroob wrote:Hi there people,

After reading your forum, and aquiring a tank (36"x12"x15") I feel I am nearly ready for shrimp, however I still have a few nigling questions.

1)What would be the best way to set up the shrimp tank - I have had a sponge filter for 3 weeks, working in another aquarium, will this have gathered enough bacteria, or should I leave it abit longer?

if you aren't getting a ton of shrimp right off the bat, you should be ok. go ahead and set it up before they arrive though.

2)What would be the best way to do the switch-over - Should I order my shrimp, and when they arrive put the filter in with them at the same time, or have the filter running some time before?

Or would I still have to go through the cycling process?

see #1

3)Would some sand from the other aquarium be suitable for the shrimp tank - If I was to transfer some sand over, how much? eg. 1cm on the bottom/1" on the bottom? Also should I transfer some water to help with the transition?

most benefit from sand is going to be on top. if i was going to try and seed the sand i might try to just scrape a little off. never done that though. i like to add crushed coral too.

4)How many shrimp could this tank contain of cherry red shrimp?

you don't need to start with many. i would get 10 or so then as they reproduce and fill the tank over the next 6-8 months, start digging out grops and get others addicted.

5)Moss balls - I have seen them on ebay, they seem perfect for shrimp to just graze on, has anyone used them or any thoughts on them?

just bought one. l like it, but the shrimp haven't paid much attention to it. what kind of plants are you planning on other than moss balls?

6)I have read other posts, however I am still unsure on how much to feed, I know that you should only leave the food in for 5-10 minutes, then remove it after, but how much food is necessary, 1 catfish pellet? half a pea? I know that will depend on how big the colony is, but say for 12 shrimp?

i didn't feed much at all when i had that few. maybe every 2-3 days just a little bit. now in the colony i feed daily about what i would feed 5 average size livebearers, which still isn't much more than a pinch.

One last point, I have never had shrimp before, so please dont flame me, I did preform searches and did look at the articles, but I would rather post these questions now than wake up to a tank full of corpses.

Shroob wrote: One last point, I have never had shrimp before, so please dont flame me, I did preform searches and did look at the articles, but I would rather post these questions now than wake up to a tank full of corpses.