5g Red Cherry Shrimp Tank

[Kiara1125]

Hey everyone; I just picked up a 5g aquarium kit from walmart. It has a power filter and I already bought a heater for it. If any of you read my previous thread a while back, then you would know that I want to breed my shrimp. My question is; what can I do to make sure that my power filter cannot suck up any of my shrimplets. I was thinking about putting a sponge on the end of it, but I don't know how well that would work out.

Random question, although I probably won't put any in my tank because I won't need any, will regular sized Corydoras or Pygmy Corydoras get along with my shrimp/shrimplets? Also, I figured that I can easily fit around 50 shrimp in my 5g, correct? And how long will it take for 3 juvienile shrimp (.5 inch) to breed and for the shrimplets to grow? I know that I have at least 1 male and 1 female (I can tell by the shape of their bodies and one of my shrimp definetely has a 'saddle'), I can't tell if my other is a female. I'm pretty sure she is though, she's pure red and has green on her back, another 'saddle'.

 

[riseabovethesun]

When RCS are juveniles it is super difficult to determine their sex; however when they are as you know you will see the saddle or that the female is larger while males are less colored. If it is still difficult females do have longer and rounder tail sections which helps if you have the brownish/wild colored cherry shrimp.

The pH can have quite the range from 6.5 to 8.0 as well as the temperature 70-80 degrees (F). I've found water hardness to not be vital as long as it isn't excessively soft or hard. Roughly at 5 months RCS will be able to breed, typically after females molt and she will carry the eggs and constantly fan them. If for some reason you see her the next day without eggs, she may have dropped them due to some complication but will attempt again.

As for the cories, they are fine with shrimp, except not shrimplets. I don't know any fish that doesn't want to eat the teeny tiny shrimplets, once they are full grown you have a better chance but even so, it can be risky. I have kept varieties of shrimp with varieties of fish, but I wouldn't suggest it because it can cause complications. Java Moss or the like is an easy and fast growing plant that shrimp really like, they can hide well in there, etc. Plus live plants overall enhance water quality. I wouldn't use any liquid supplements, they receive enough from a proper diet. Definitely keep on water changes, RCS are the hardiest of the shrimp in my opinion, but shrimp are still more sensitive than fish in my experience.

Sponge filters do work the best. If that doesn't work I have heard of people using panty-hose on the filter, no idea how that works or if it is safe -- you might want to read up on that. I would say you could have 50 shrimp in a 5g tank. Also you should attempt to maintain genetic diversity by introducing new cherry shrimp, it will help reduce inbred deformities or weak shrimp.

Shrimp are fantastic, have fun.

 

[Kiara1125]

Thanks!! Yeah, people say that RCS are really cheap but I had to pay $14 just for those 3. Yeah, not cheap in my mind. I might get some from The Shrimp Farm (online) though. Thanks for all of the information and I agree with the Cories. Nom!! Haha!! Well, I have them in a breeder net (to prevent them from being eaten) and I've been feeding them small Betta flakes because they're red. The shrimps' colors have improved and I have 1 white/ pale reddish pinkish (not dead, lol) one, a pure ruby red one, and a white one with crimson red flecks. They're cute and I can't wait to set up my tank. I'm throwing in my Platies and waiting. Or I might just get a single Balloon Molly. My lfs doesn't use salt in their tanks, so the Mollies are used to it. I really want a female Black (possibly balloon) Molly. If she lives in the newly set up tank, then I'll move her to my community tank, if not then....oh well!!

 

[Lotus]

I've used sponges on the intake of power filters before. I think the one I used is something Marineland makes for its powerheads (Link with picture, although I didn't buy from this company: Marineland Reverse Flow Powerhead - Replacement Sponge Prefilter Aquarium Filter Mechanical Media). Avoid using kitchen sponges, as they often have antibacterial chemicals in them.

You should be fine with 50 or possibly more shrimp in there. I'd advise against any fish if you want the best breeding conditions. In addition to fish possibly eating the shrimp, they also create much more of a bioload, so your water quality will be lower.

It will probably take several months for you to get decent breeding going on. I did this in a 10g tank about four or five years ago, and I think it took a good six months (after starting with 10 shrimp) to have a good population.

 

[Kiara1125]

Thanks a lot Lotus!! I'll do that, and thanks again for the time span. How big do you think I should get of a sponge? I have an Aqua-Tech 5-15 Power Filter.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; This may not apply to your filter as I have little notion of how small the shrimp lets are. I have fashioned a tee onto the intake tube of a power filter with plastic plumbing material. I got a plastic tee that sorta fit the intake tube and encouraged it to actually fit with some heat. I added a second mesh screen to the ends. This gave plenty of flow thru the filter and cut the suction at each intake end in half.
The same sort of effect might be achieved with a mesh or sponge type intake cover with a large surface area. I have done this as well by fashioning a basket like structure on the intake and securing a mesh bag over this. The basket kept the bag from collapsing by the intake suction.
Both methods are unsightly.

 

[Kiara1125]

Thanks skjl47. The shrimplets are .5 inch. I have one more question though; I have a slotted end that I put on my filter. Is it ok if I take it off when I put the sponge on? I don't know how well the filter will work after I put the sponge on it and I can't find any information on it.

 

[skjl47]

Thanks skjl47. The shrimplets are .5 inch. I have one more question though; I have a slotted end that I put on my filter. Is it ok if I take it off when I put the sponge on? I don't know how well the filter will work after I put the sponge on it and I can't find any information on it.

Hello; I don't know how well it will work, but have tried such things many times over the years. Much of my fish keeping has been trying things out when looking to solve a problem and there is not a store bought remedy handy. Few attempts go properly the first time, but many have been tweaked a few times to get decent results. I found some porous foam material at Wal-Mart some months back to replace the rotten sponge part of some decades old sponge filters. Something like this might allow some experimentation with ways to cover the end of the tube without having to the custom cut sponge from a factory sponge filter.

 

[lauraf]

Kiara, I actually wrapped a bit of mesh cloth - from a mesh bag for carbon inserts - around the filter intake over the slits after losing a couple of shrimp. Well, I didn't lose them, I just thought they had been eaten until I cleaned out the filter basket and found them in there . . . .

 

[Kiara1125]

Ok, and lol laura, love your avatar!! I put a pair of pantyhose over it, but I think that it's too thick. The water runs really slow. Is there any place where I can just buy the bag??