The majority of Caridina shrimps require similar acidic environments to thrive so utilising buffering soil is pivotal to the whole ecosystem we are trying to create. A survey was conducted on our Facebook group Shrimp Enthusiasts Australia, with the results suggesting around 26% use Fluval Stratum, 24% using ADA Amazonia ver.2. Other soils you can try include Mastersoil, ADA Amazonia ver.1, Akadama (I prefer Double Hardline 3-6mm grain size). The role of the soil is vital, an analogy would be with farmers and how crucial the soil is to produce greater yields per harvest. You want a decent/ fertile soil to produce decent crop, so do not sleep on soil for aquariums.
Now the main ingredients for a Caridina Shrimp Tank include the following:
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- Active soil – any of the soils listed above
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- Tank – 20L+ is recommended
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- Filtration – sponge, under-gravel filter (UGF), canisters, hang-on the back (HOB) etc.
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- Air pump if you are using sponge or UGF – I have the Hailea Hap-80
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- Lighting – I use UP Aqua (U & Z series) & Chihiros A ii Series
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- Bacteria powder – DSP or Bacter AE works well for me
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- Cholla wood, moss and some plants for hiding locations
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- RO water is recommended, but I do use Sydney Tap which is a roll of the dice
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- GH+ salts – I use salty shrimp, there’s Alan Hanzo GH+, Shrimp King brands available as well
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- TDS pen to help measure the PPM of mixing the GH+ salts
Below is an excel table of the ideal conditions we are trying to create to house our shrimpies, our aim is to stay within a good range for the shrimps to thrive. Now you don’t have to hit those targets right on, but if you can get close and keep it stable the results should be similar.
Now back to the topic at hand, the tank setup. I will break the steps up into digestible bites then afterwards attempt to elaborate on the nuances of certain components.
A classic setup structure includes the following:
1. Setup tanks, prepare the lighting and filtration so it will be operational when you have everything added, painting the back of the tank glass is optional for aesthetics
2. Add the soil to the tank, you can sprinkle 2 teaspoons bacteria powder on top of the soil
3. Pour the RO water that has been remineralised with GH+ into the tank half way, no need to fill completely as you will just change the water anyways
4. Turn on the filter/s and leave the lights running for 10 hours per day
5. Ideally you would leave the setup running for 1-2 months to create ideal conditions for biofilm growth and having micro flora and fauna present. However, there are breeders that want quicker turnover time from soil, cycle to shrimps. This also varies with soil and setup styles.
6. After 2 weeks of cycling you can do a 50-80% water-change
7. After 1 month of cycling you can do another 50-80% water-change
8. Add the cholla wood, ferns, moss to the tank to liven it up
9. Drip acclimate the new beautiful dwarf residents into their forever homes
Breakdown of concepts
A core component of the setup is the soil, most soil will last you anywhere between 12 -24 months, sometimes longer depending on usage and variables including water-changes; if tap or RO, plant uptake. The soil is pretty much the foundational pillar keeping the tank in harmony, even though it may appear slightly pricey the value for money is undeniable if you want to do it right. Honestly, I urge any beginner to start off with a solid soil, this is a must for me.
In terms of water-change preparation, the safest source is RO water. Reason being that its a clean slate, normally yielding a 0-10ppm output once the tap is passed through the unit. This is basically a clean canvas for you as the hobbyist to add essential ingredients such as GH+ salts to the water whilst removing the unnecessary elements prevalent in tap water. Although, this does not mean you cannot try tap, in fact majority of people start out with tap due to convenience, but it is a dice roll and you may need to experiment for a while. It can also turn out to be unusable as well as each tap source varies. I would also recommend having the water source kept in a separate storage unit for ease of mixing, correcting values (PPM) and aging. Aging for about a 3-7 days is plenty for degassing and temperature acclimation.
You can add snails such as Ramshorn or Malaysian trumpets to help boost the cycle as they are quite good at consuming. Just note if you do not feed them the shells may begin to erode and they die off in the acidic environment. Of course this shouldn’t be a major issue as the leftover shells act as calcium reserves.
When acclimating shrimps the aim is to have TDS and temperature of tank and the shrimp water source be similar in readings, especially the temperature. I normally drip acclimate ew shrimps in for 2-3 hours in a 3 or 5L jug.
Bacteria powder is definitely widely debated and controversial, but it is heavily utilised overseas, specifically in Taiwan the origin of dope as Caridina shrimps. I personally micro dose (fortnightly/ monthly) bacteria powder and use it during setups.