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So I lost 3 shrimp today - two out of my 8 Blue Velvet Shrimp and my one Blue Dream. I don't know why or what the cause was although my guesses involve either overfeeding or possibly water shock from a small water change. My parameters are as follows: GH: 5-6 KH: 5 PH: 7.6 Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 0.25 ppm Water temp: 68-78 degrees F My water is tinged green and I have 4 live plants (including a Java fern), a moss ball, an Indian Almond Leaf, and a Rock in the tank itself as well as one small snail. I got a siphon pump today to be able to do easier water changes. How would one go about water changes in an area that is a bit colder than many other places? I started using cold water after making a mistake on using hot water which could have been a problem... but now that things are a bit more in place I want to try and get stuff settled. If I got more shrimp: how long should I drip acclimate? What would be the best way to use tap water for water changes when I only have one heater? Or would I want to use distilled water? How often should I feed the shrimp? I keep reading all sorts of different tips and views. Is it okay and normal for shrimp to hide under the rock? I have some (4) pretty small and pretty transparent shrimp that I haven't seen since I introduced them into my tank. I don't want to move my rock and find dead shrimp underneath...Maybe I should just give up? I don't want to but maybe I should figure out what is up with my tank first. Because I have no clue why this is happening. Is it my Nitrate and Nitrite levels?

I am doing an experiment with my cherry shrimp on temperature dependant sex determination and I need a divided tank obviously the tank won’t need to be too big as I am just housing 1 male and 1 female in each section. ideally, I am looking for a rectangular tank divided into 3 sections so that I can breed 3 pairs at once. The sections will need to share water as I only want to use 1 set of equipment. But if they’re sharing water, I am concerned that after breeding, shrimplets will be able to move into each section through the holes which would ruin my experiment. Does anybody know where I can get a divided tank suitable for my experiment that isn’t too costly or anything I could use as an alternative? Thanks

Hi team, So I am really excited by the unreal shallow aquscaped tanks that I see online and I love the idea of keeping shrimp. I have some native red nosed shrimp breeding in a pond outside but really want to put some red or blue cherry shrimp in an aquascape where I can see them do their thing. ada 60 F 60x30x18 is the right price and I see beautiful examples online but I feel 30 litres is not enough, especially considering hardscape and soil going in. (what do you think?) ada 90 F 90x30x20 would be my ideal choice but its sooo expensive. $600+ and then freight to Bundaberg! (Wife says no) Mr aqua Komoda 3ft 90x30x30. - great tank low iron glass but the dimensions are losing the shallow look Mr Aqua Komoda 4tf 120x30x30 - great tank, low iron glass - lots of room for shrimp and a school of celestial danios or chilli rasboras - dimensions might work for shallow look, but lights, plants and filtration getting expensive at this point (plus freight!) lastly and temptingly Mr Aqua 12 gallon bookshelf - 91x21x24. But I cant seem to find low iron glass version in Australian shops? (or are they low iron?). This tank would be perfect but I am worried if I get this tank(one shot at getting it right) I might be unhappy in the long run? Do you guys have any preference here? ( which one and why?) Am I missing any ultra clear shallow tank alternatives? I have seen some mention of FireAqua bookshelf tank online but I cant find a retailer.. and I see you guys talking about aquamaxx tanks but where do I get one of them? Thanks so much for your time and efforts- if you have a tank pref can you suggest the light you would pair it with? It will be a low tech planted tank (wife says no CO2). Budget around $800 for setup of tank lights and filter maybe ( obviously less means plants and shrimp can be added sooner!) any advice welcome.. cheers sub

Hi I'm an animal enthusiast with many frogs snakes and arachnids but it's my first attempt at caring for cherry shrimp..i researched with my girlfriend quite a bit and already set up a planted tank in a nano 2.6gallon aquarium. It will be cycling and until then I just wanted some feedback on how it looks and what y'all think about it? Thankyou ~

Hey everyone how's things? So I was on and off with shrimp the last 6 months or so while I was doing other things and getting into nano softwater fish, building tanks and saving money, now I've got a bit more free time again I just bought a ton of new tanks, equipment and shrimp in the last few months, it's all coming together now. This is what my lounge room/fish room looks like ATM lol

Hi all, haven't really been on for awhile due to life's challenges that get thrown our way from time to time but have thought I would jump on and ask for some suggestions on the following. My Mum has a bright red Betta that she adores and it's currently in a 12g that I use to keep all my shrimp in, well the Betta took care of them all and I'm in the process of making it back into a shrimp only tank with just Anubias on driftwood and Moss, so I am after some suggestions for an all in one nano set up for a Betta, I've looked on eBay and haven't found anything I really like or should I say trust that won't break as some look quite cheap and would like to buy her something decent that will do the job well, checked out the Fluval Chi but think the lighting is quite poor though, so think that's out of the question also. Anyway, if anyone could give me some suggestions it would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Im wanting to set up my first shrimp specific tanks and need some advise and recommendations I only want to keep cherry shrimp but a fair few different colour varieties so want either a large divided tank or multiple nano tanks and ideally id like to run sponge filters all off one air pump So here are my questions: 1. Is individual nano tanks or large divided tank better? 2. If large divided- is glass or mesh better for actual dividers? 3. Whats the best options for heating for both nano and circulation of heat in a divided tank? 4. Do i need shrimp specific substrate for cherry shrimp? My tap PH is 7.8 and RCS seem fine with that in my community tank 5. Will separate sponge filters for each divided section/tank be enough filtration and oxygen or will i need something better? 6. What sort of air pump capacity will i need if im using gang valves to split? Do i go by total litres of all volume or even more than that? 7. Whats the smallest tank size i can go for a small colony- not looking to mass bread and dont have much space. 8. What are the better plants (specifically moss & small ferns etc) for low light? Id really appreciate some advice and specific product ideas if you have anything you recommend because i want to do this right and im going to take the time for due diligence- ive attached photos of some ideas i like so far

Hi SKF'ers, I've had a tank going now for about 6-7 months....made a few mistakes....learned heaps - http://shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/topic/8414-neos-journal/ Main issue was the rocks I used (Seiryu) are pushing up my parameters (which I knew was going to be a problem) and shrimp are doing good but not thriving. I'm contemplating setting up another tank of the same size (45cmx27cmx30cm), dedicated to shrimp only, but without all the fancy scape etc. Few questions: 1. Should I just go bigger, in terms of tank size? 2. Filtration? Small canister, hang on or just air driven sponge? 3. Soil; Left over BEP or ADA or something else? You're all going to ask what shrimp I want. I think I want to concentrate on CRS. Your thoughts will help me decide

These are some of the more common creatures you may find in your aquarium and a little info about them. A healthy ecosystem contains many life forms and not all creatures found in your aquarium are a problem, in fact many are a sign of a well established and healthy tank/ ecosystem. So before you go starting a chemical war with them, take the time to know what it is you are looking at and if they are actually a problem. Will cause problems for juvenile shrimp in aquariums Damsel fly nymph (Odonata Zygoptera ) Size range 15 - 40mm Damselfly Nymphs are easily recognized by their three long tail-like gills at the end of their slender bodies that grow between 16 and 33 mm. They have great vision, due to their large compound eyes. Damselfly Nymphs have extendable jaws that fold up under their head and legs close behind their head. Damselfly Nymphs are predators that feed mostly on other water insects, but they can also be cannibals. Larger species of Damselfly Nymphs can feed on small fish. They catch their food with a toothed lower lip, called a labium. When a small insect comes near, the nymph will shoot out its lower lip to grab its prey. Dragon fly nymph (Odonata Anisoptera ) Size range 20 - 50mm Dragonfly Nymphs are short and wide growing 18-49 mm long. They have six legs located near the head, wing pads, and internal gills. Dragonfly Nymphs are predators that feed mostly on other water insects, but they can also be cannibals. Larger species of Dragonfly Nymphs can feed on small fish. They catch their food with a toothed lower lip, called a labium. When a small insect comes near, the nymph will shoot out its lower lip to grab its prey. Fresh water bristle worm (Annelida Polychaeta ) Size range 1- 100mm Each Bristle worm has characteristic bristles that are found lining the exterior of their white or pink body. They typically grow between 1 and 100 mm, but have been known to grow up to 150 mm in length. Freshwater Bristle worms can be found in silt substrates and among debris or detritus in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers. They use their two tentacles to capture food or detritus floating by and transport it along cilia to the mouth. May cause problems for juvenile shrimp if in high numbers Planaria or flat worm (scientific name) Size range 0.5 - 15mm Planarians are usually between 3 to 15 mm with a triangular head that contains two eye spots. The colors vary from white, grey, brown, and black. The mouth is located on the underside of the worm halfway down towards its tail. Planarians suck up seed shrimp, clam shrimp, water fleas, and dead animals using a straw like appendage that extends from their stomaches. Planarians can regenerate many of their body parts, including their heads! Hydra (phylum Cnidaria) Size range 0.2 - 15mm Hydra has a tubular body up to 10mm long when extended, secured by a simple adhesive foot called the basal disc. At the free end of the body is a mouth opening surrounded by one to twelve thin, mobile tentacles. Each tentacle, or cnida (plural: cnidae), is clothed with highly specialized stinging cells called cnidocytes. Cnidocytes contain specialized structures called nematocysts, which look like miniature light bulbs with a coiled thread inside. At the narrow outer edge of the cnidocyte is a short trigger hair called a cnidocil. Upon contact with prey, the contents of the nematocyst are explosively discharged, firing a dart-like thread containing neurotoxins into whatever triggered the release which can paralyze the prey, especially if many hundreds of nematocysts are fired.Hydra mainly feed on small aquatic invertebrates such as Daphnia and Cyclops. Not a problem Nematodes (scientific name?) Size range 0.01 - 10mm Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 28,000 have been described, of which over 16,000 are parasitic. The total number of nematode species has been estimated to be about 1 million. Unlike cnidarians and flatworms, nematodes have tubular digestive systems with openings at both ends. Nematodes are slender worms, typically less than 2.5 mm (0.10 in) long. The smallest nematodes are microscopic, while free-living species can reach as much as 5 cm (2.0 in), and some parasitic species are larger still, reaching over a meter in length. The body is often ornamented with ridges, rings, bristles, or other distinctive structures. Tubifex (tubificid annelids) Size range 10 - 50mm Tubifex worms feed on decaying organic matter, detritus, and vegetable matter, which is commonly available in sewage/stormwater drains. Tubifex worms are hermaphroditic: each individual has both male (testes) and female (ovaries) organs in the same animals. These minute reproductive organs are attached to the ventral side of the body wall in the celomic cavity. In mature specimens, the reproductive organs are clearly found on the ventral side of the body. Seed Shrimp (Ostracoda) Size range 0.2 - 30mm The body of an ostracod is encased by two valves, superficially resembling the shell of a clam. A distinction is made between the valve (hard parts) and the body with its appendages (soft parts). In most ostracods, eggs are either laid directly into the water as plankton, or are attached to vegetation or the substratum. However, in some species, the eggs are brooded inside the shell, giving them a greater degree of protection. The eggs hatch into nauplius larvae, which already have a hard shell. Daphnia (Branchiopoda Cladocera) Size range 0.2 - 5mm Daphnia are small, planktonic crustaceans, between 0.2 and 5 mm in length. Daphnia are members of the order Cladocera, and are one of the several small aquatic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because of their saltatory swimming style. They live in various aquatic environments ranging from acidic swamps to freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and rivers. Cyclops, Copepods (Maxillopoda Cyclopoida) Size range 0.5 - 5mm Cyclops or water flea is one of the most common genera of freshwater copepods, comprising over 400 species. Cyclops individuals may range from 0.5 - 5 mm long and are clearly divided into two sections. The broadly oval front section comprises the head and the first five thoracic segments. The hind part is considerably slimmer and is made up of the sixth thoracic segment and the four legless pleonic segments. Two caudal appendages project from the rear. Although they may be difficult to observe, Cyclops has 5 pairs of legs. The long first antennae, 2 in number, are used by the males for gripping the females during mating. Afterwards, the female carries the eggs in two small sacs on her body. The larvae, or nauplii, are free-swimming and unsegmented. Freshwater Limpet (scientific name) Size range 0.5 - 5mm Limpet is a common name for a number of different groups of sea snails and freshwater (aquatic gastropod molluscs). The common name is applied to those snails that have a simple shell which is broadly conical in shape, and either is not spirally coiled, or appears not to be coiled in the adult snail. In other words the shell of all limpets is shaped more or less like that of most true limpets. Rotifers (scientific name) Size range Small. Rotifers have bilateral symmetry and a variety of different shapes. The body of a rotifer is divided into a head, trunk, and foot, and is typically somewhat cylindrical. Rotifers eat particulate organic detritus, dead bacteria, algae, and protozoans. They eat particles up to 10 micrometres in size. Like crustaceans, rotifers contribute to nutrient recycling. For this reason, they are used in fish tanks to help clean the water, to prevent clouds of waste matter. Rotifers affect the species composition of algae in ecosystems through their choice in grazing. Rotifers may be in competition with cladocera and copepods for phytoplanktonic food sources. Rotifers are dioecious and reproduce sexually or parthenogenetically. They are sexually, with the females always being larger than the males. In some species, this is relatively mild, but in others the female may be up to ten times the size of the male. In parthenogenetic species, males may be present only at certain times of the year, or absent altogether. Most information collected from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Also a great poster for identifying many of the water creatures View full article