So you are new to freshwater Dwarf Shrimp? Well if you are reading this article it also means you are on the right track to getting started in this fascinating hobby. This will be a very simple "How To" for folks with some simple, but very important pointers offered without the fine details available here and elsewhere online. Kind of like the quick setup card you get with new electronics these days…
It's still less than a year ago I became interested in learning more about the Ghost Shrimp I had purchased at the local fish store for my family's community tank. This quest lead to the computer naturally and the magic of search engines. In a few short minutes I was totally absorbed in all the information as well as how many different species of shrimps other than my Ghosts available in the hobby. How absolutely fascinating and amazing all these little shrimp were (sound familiar so far?) and as with most hobbyists I was in a hurry and wanted some of these beautiful shrimp right away.
Without further ado or study I purchased some Red Cherry Shrimp to add to the community tank as well. They were really neat, but stayed hidden all the time… More study… This was as I soon learned not a great idea from the start if one wants to have a successful shrimp colony. I had no real idea just how small baby shrimp were and figured a heavily planted tank would offer plenty of cover. What I did not yet know other than how small they were was that they really don't try to hide as much as you would think and many out of each batch were quickly eaten by the Guppies and Tetras in my 29 gallon heavily planted tank.
As I read more and more on line and began to learn the proper methods of raising and caring for Red Cherry Shrimp I also began cycling a new tank to hopefully start a colony.
Where am I going with this? The most important thing I have learned so far is PATIENCE! Especially when it comes to housing any species of Dwarf Shrimp proper identification of the species you plan to keep and its water parameter requirements is an absolute must. Again a reminder that I am not going into this in detail as this info is readily available at this site and others. The purpose of this article is to give anyone new to this hobby a set of "layman's" term rules to follow to enjoy some of the success I have so far with these amazing invertebrates.
When setting up these same water parameter requirements should be on your mind when adding substrate, rocks, etc. Some shrimp like Crystal Red Shrimp or Tiger Shrimp like more acidic softer water and using a substrate such as Aqua Soil Amazonia can help maintain your water. Other shrimp will like a harder more alkaline environment… You get the picture right? A little planning ahead in setup can really help your success rate in the long run. For the shrimps sake and your budget's study before you buy!
I know, with fish or a planted tank there are ways to "cheat" and cycle a tank in a few days or within a couple weeks so you can add your critters, but with shrimp this can be a real heart breaker when you lose them all to an ammonia spike or nitrites in the water. Even trace amounts of either can wipe out all of your shrimp very quickly. How to avoid this is to have a tank that is not just cycled, but matured meaning well over a month old and the more patient you can be the better (I know it's hard) Do weekly water changes and keep an eye on things. You know when the stuff starts growing on the glass and there are all kinds of little critters buzzing around in there that you have never seen before? Well that is a maturing tank and all those little "bugs" are a sign of good water quality for shrimp believe it or not
Maintaining that water quality is also important naturally and knowing what is in your tap water is super important so that you don't poison your shrimp. Again this is a subject I will not go into in detail as there is info readily available on the forums and many websites to help with this subject. I use R/O water to avoid these problems as I am in Arizona and the water has copper, traces of arsenic, and other stuff I don't want in my tanks. The use of a filter is also a must and a air driven sponge filter or similar is best a HOB or Canister will work as well, but the use of a sponge pre-filter is a must to keep those tiny babies from getting sucked in.
Most of my tanks are very simple with Java Moss, driftwood, a few rocks, and some hardwood leaves that were soaked after fallen and brown. Why leaves? The leaves grow and support micro organisms that your shrimp will feed on young and adult. I even leave most of the algae and other bio-matter growing on all but the front glass for the same reason. Yup you guessed it there is a wealth of knowledge online as well about feeding and what is best for your shrimp and this is another thing you should spend some time on.
With patience and study and following some simple guidelines anyone can raise as well as breed shrimp although some are definitely more of a challenge than others. I now have 7 tanks all doing well some with active breeding colonies, some that have shrimp that are maturing and just starting to breed. I owe this success to being patient (yeah that word again) and learning about each type of shrimp before jumping to buy them. If you have read as much as you can find and you are still not sure about something the online forums are one of the best places to get "hands on" info and advice! Some of these folks have been through the exact situation and are more than willing to help.
Yes you can do it too!
So if you think you want to give Dwarf Shrimp a try please follow my advice and learn as much about the shrimps you want as you can, set up their home, let your tank mature and remember PATIENCE before you buy will save you both money and your new shrimp. Start with one of the less expensive easier species like the Red Cherry Shrimp and have fun.
As always I welcome all feedback and questions.