Shrimp Keeping Basics Pt2 - Which Substrate is Best?

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Did you know, I recently wrote the most comprehensive book ever written about keeping, feeding and breeding Cherry Shrimp. Check it out here Neocaridina-shrimp-handbook.com

[@igorgilza]

I'm so happy about how many hobbysts there are on youtube that see aquariums as holistic ecosystems

[@TheTubejunky]

I have a "yin yang" tank half gravel and half white sand. They love it!

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Nice 👍🏻

[@Wendy-jm1xn]

This is what I'm thinking about, do you have to have some sort of barrier to stop them mixing too much?

[@SimplyAquaticCT]

Fully agree! The only real difference between these and a caridina tank will be the buffering of the water. Great video 💯

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@cshude]

Soil capped with sand. Load it with plants. My tank is nearly a year old now and I haven't need to clean the filter or vacuum. Some may not like the look but I'm trying to have as natural a tank as I can. All I do is top off the water as needed. Everyone is happy.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

@@cshude if it works for you, stick with it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise 💪🏻

[@MeanOldLady]

Yeah, that's exactly what I did & they're exploding all over the place. =p I also love seeing other people's methods & set ups too - to see if I can change a few things around, start a new tank or leave everything alone.

[@2011Illumination]

Walstad rite?

[@cshude]

@@2011Illumination Father Fish. Very similar. If I understand from seeing some videos, Walstad doesn't necessarily have the sand cap. In any case, the tank is doing well!

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

Glad I found your channel! Sorry to be watching late had to take the old dog to the vet for the last time.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Welcome to the channel. Sorry to hear about your dog 😔

[@paulkishazi9064]

Good info 👍

[@g.rodriguez7445]

My shrimp will clean furry wood in a day or two... They really do love that stuff!

[@Saltyeditzz]

great vid as always!

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

You are too kind 🫶🏻

[@albertoc3279]

Thanks for the video. I disagree about fluval stratum. It is an active substrate and lowers ph. If you have hard water from the tap you might not notice it much. I read in fb group comments from people having problems in neocaridina tanks with stratum cause the ph goes too low.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Maybe they had low KH. 👍🏻

[@MandyJane123700]

I'm a big fan of pond potting soil capped with pool filter sand. I would love to use the prettier sands, but they're so expensive.

[@matthew_thefallen]

Fantastic videos! You're one of the best to listen to explaining! Simple and useful 🙌

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Thank you 🫶🏻

[@ReinhardvonHolst]

Great advice as usual. Peace from Berkshire.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🫶🏻

[@quartercajun71]

Richard! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge. I have purchased your book, though it is yet to arrive. I notice some shots of shrimp in tanks with snails. Are the snails competition for biofilm and other food?

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hi. Thank you for buying the book. I really hope you enjoy it. I keep snails in every single tank I have. I have Ramshorn Snails, Rabbit Snails and even Assassin Snails in with my shrimp. I have never found them to give the shrimp competition for food or biofilm 👍🏻

[@BGN_Aquariums]

This is gonna be a great series. Just done 1&2. Cant wait for 3. I’ve recently broke down my co2 tank and rescaped it (vid coming soon). I made a shrimp trap from a jar and transferred some Red Cherry over. All doing well. But then ive just seen on Facebook someone say you cant keep shrimp in a co2 tank. Some are saying you can, and im pretty sure i e seen shrimp in co2 setups. Whats your take on it buddy?

[@johnp5250]

Going through a move and have my shrimp in ziplock bags with just Christmas moss. 2 weeks and still going strong

[@TheTubejunky]

Just got some of that moss. It's turned brown. Hope it recovers. I did separate a small amount for a backup in a small condiments cup with 3m micropore tape to insulate it from outside contamination.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

That’s good to hear. They can be incredibly resilient 💪🏻

[@johnp5250]

@@TheTubejunky the moss was probably grown out of water You have to slowly drop it in the water and keep the light low

[@johnp5250]

@@FishKeepingAnswers little bit of water lots of moss (in comparison) kept them in their water from the tank

[@TheTubejunky]

@@johnp5250 I think you're correct. From the videos I've seen on the topic I would agree. I hope my backup cup is lively enough to recoup the small forest.

[@g.rodriguez7445]

Ive used Fluval soils in the past and am currently using white fine sand... I think the shrimp prefer the fine sand because each grain can be cleaned-more surface area.

[@retroworldnews]

Curious on Active aquasoil which a lot claim is best for caridina shrimp not for neocaridina but i happen to see some use for neocaridina shrimp yet breed and looks good. So in the end what cause it?

[@rachelss9208]

Hi, I've been buying Fluval stratum and bio-stratum for my shrimp tanks but my shrimp keep dying. I've ruled out water parameters as a cause. Could the lowering of PH be killing my shrimp?

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

If they are Neocaridina Shrimp (Red Cherries and alike) yes 😕

[@dakutatsu6450]

in USA you can get "Black diamond blasting media" AKA Black diamond sand at a tractor supply or a local hardware store i would call and ask if they have it first i got a 50lb bag for 13$ where i live and you can use a mix of sand and pond potting soil and cap it with black diamond sand

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

@@dakutatsu6450 Nice. Thanks for sharing 🫶🏻

[@mattiabressan3581]

hi! what about lava gravel? here in italy we have a lot sell in gardens and it's very cheap!

[@charlottesmom]

A question: Can I used sand collected from the beach if well rinsed?

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

If well rinsed, then yes 👍🏻

[@charlottesmom]

@@FishKeepingAnswers Thank you so much! Love your channel by the way. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@2011Illumination]

IMHO, better dont. Tried before, the ocean sand just raise the pH over 8.5.... And I had to tear down my tank n reset....

[@TheTubejunky]

I have a question for you sir. When adding beneficial bacteria would it be a good idea to add it to the substrate directly before filling the tank.

[@mnfoodchannel7760]

Hi , I do have a question about the red cherry shrimps , my shrimps tank was just the red cherry but , yesterday I found it my red cherry tank sudden appear few yellow shrimps. Is it normal ?

[@wonkychez]

Most likely they had babies which you wouldn’t have seen then until they were larger and gained color. If a cherry shrimp breed with a yellow shrimp before you brought them home, it can have some yellow babies. However that will also dilute the genetics and you will start to get some wild types if they continue to breed. There’s nothing wrong with wild types, they’re just not as colorful .

[@providedjoker2649]

Here’s a stupid question….do u need to have a lid on the aquariums? Can the shrimp “jump” out if there’s no lid? …🤔🤔

[@deathscythe9866]

That’s up to personal preference but out of 8 tanks that I have none have ever jumped out

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

In my experience, no, shrimp don’t jump. With that said, Ammano Shrimp will be off out of your tank, across your room and out the door before you know it. They just love to escape 🙄

[@JDfan3340too]

I barely ever gravel vac. I have black gravel in all my tanks. I think it looks awesome against the green of my plants, and the red of my shrimp tank. And my fish in my fish tanks of course as well. But I feel that using the gravel vac just disturbs my plants, and my little ecosystem. Once in a great while, I might gravel vac open areas, but even that is rare. I've fought with myself about it sometimes. You know how it is. You're "trained" in the fish world that you must gravel vac, you must do weekly water changes, and so on. But I just find it all to not be true. You actually do better monitoring your tanks, and leaving the ecosystem alone to do it's thing. When I stopped all the "required maintenance" is when all my tanks got healthier! On a side note....I seriously identified with your brain freeze! Happens to me all the time! LOL OH almost forgot.....What kind of guppies are those?? So pretty!

[@Mockthenerd]

The round soil just didn't work for me. Maybe too much nutrients in the water. Cleaned the tank to start again. Left a thin layer of it, and put some in a big netted bag. Capped the soil with a few inches of thicker sand. Doing better now it seems.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Glad to hear you got there. Sometimes what works for one doesn’t work for another 👍🏻

[@Mockthenerd]

@@FishKeepingAnswers it's hard to tell how much sand as obviously there is a netted big back under it but I'd estimate 3+ inches of it. My water here is weird though, changes sometimes depending on government interaction. In my old place my shrimp bred like crazy even when i first started out and had crappy conditions. Here I've had no breeding... but they're not all dead so that'sa bonus. This is happening in my old established tanks I moved over. I've go filter water system now and been using that with some coral chunks in the water. Hoping it helps. Honestly need to track my water more with test kits but I don't have the time I used to and just end up forgetting.

[@sgtbjack]

I have active substrate, CO2, and soft water. My parameters are perfect for caradina. However i have neocardina cherries amd their breeding off the chart. I dont get it.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Sometime nature just has other ideas. It’s what keep us all on our toes I suppose 😂

[@ThermicLight]

Personally I think it's best to have the best of both worlds. With auqua soil capped with sand or granular gravel.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

That can work well, until the first time you go to move one of the plants 🤬

[@ThermicLight]

@@FishKeepingAnswers - Yeah that's a fair point. Though I haven't personally had all that much of an issue moving my plants. Granted the plants I have moved had a shallow root system. But I'm sure if I moved my amazon swords then they would make a mess as you mentioned.

[@fishingnh4543]

Have you done a video about breeding sulawesi shrimp

[@fili.mp3146]

I'm so sad we can't have these shrimps in New zealand

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🫤