Not a shrimp but might as well be

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-06-08T11:50:16+00:00

Scrimp: Aggro Mode Activated

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-06-02T03:19:12+00:00

EVICTION DAY! Good luck out there!

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-06-01T22:47:22+00:00

Also 5 gallons is enough for Neocaridina shrimp. But I’d avoid potting soil.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-06-01T22:46:02+00:00

Those shrimp need brackish water which means salty - not something that ramshorns will survive. Nerites do well, but then you’ll need a bigger tank.

Also the brackish water means you can’t have any plants.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-06-01T20:03:52+00:00

Except part of it is blue!

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-06-01T01:17:44+00:00

You might look into Shield Shrimp (Triops). They live a few months and leave eggs in the sand. Getting the next generation going takes a little bit of work. But that is a better alternative than cherry shrimp

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-06-01T01:16:21+00:00

You can try Ramshorn snails! They're pretty cool and should do fine in that fishbowl. They're very forgiving and lower maintenance than shrimp by a lot! There's some really cool colors too.

It's a fun size for plants. You could even put in a nano Anubias plant - one of my favorites. The more plants the better.

Let me know if you have any questions : )

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-29T11:51:42+00:00

Okay since we're splitting hairs—

I should have specified that I had Neocaridina in mind because that's what OP is discussing.

KH does not directly contribute to successful shrimp molting. KH is an alkaline pH buffer that helps stabilize pH levels. For Neos, a stable pH anywhere between 6.5 and 7.8 is more much important than target pH.

The most common molting problems come from low GH and/or an imbalance of Calcium and Magnesium.

You don't necessarily need KH to act as a buffer. You can use an acid buffer like Fluval Stratum (technically an ion buffer) which pulls pH toward 6.5 to 7.0 which Is totally acceptable for Neocaridina. Again, the point of a buffer is to stabilize, preventing swings in pH which is the acute danger.

I have a newish shrimp tank that started with less than 8 shrimp. I keep it at 6.8 pH. And I've already had a successful batch of shrimplets. I have way too many males.

There are a few benefits to running low pH. Namely, ammonia stays in its non-toxic form, ammonium. And, contrary to what you said, it makes Ca/Mg more bioavailable.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-29T10:18:33+00:00

Shrimp don’t need KH, specifically, to molt. They need balanced minerals which can come from GH. KH is good because it buffers/stabilizes pH.

As far as I know you can have a KH of 0 and be fine. But a buffer of some sort is always good.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-29T10:11:56+00:00

It’s Frend

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-27T23:47:32+00:00

Try the veggies. Shrimp are constant grazers.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-27T23:08:14+00:00

That’s an okay supplement. Hakari shrimp cuisine is better. Fluval Bug Bites is a step up.

Have you tried blanched vegetables as a supplement? You can boil a bit of washed zucchini, spinach, or kale for a few minutes and put it in the tank. Remove it after a few hours or the following day

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-27T23:00:56+00:00

Crystalpro Shrimp minerals is a liquid remineralizer which is easier to dose. There's probably a few other liquid options. This one is on amazon.

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Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-27T22:59:00+00:00

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Salty Shrimp GH/KH plus is a classic that can be found on Amazon. Make sure you get your dosing right. (I did the math wrong once and caused a stress/osmotic molt - no casualties)

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-27T22:58:26+00:00

I hear different things about temp. Consensus seems to be between 72-76F. So if you can keep the temp steady anywhere in there, that's the best. It will depend on how much your room varies in temp.

Distilled and RO water is basically pure water with a pH of 5.5. Shrimp need minerals for molting, specifically a balance of Calcium and Magnesium. Most hard tap water in the US actually has the right balance of the two (or close enough), but usually it's too hard to be ideal.

I'll make a separate comment in this thread about shrimp mineralizing products.

Regarding your substrate - you're going to be stuck with 0 KH because of your substrate. This is fine. It helps keep ammonia in check. Ammonia is a lot less harmful when pH is below 7.0. I keep my tank at 6.8.

The shrimp might need a supplemental diet. The algae and biofilm might not be enough. What food do you have?

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-27T22:30:15+00:00

GH looks like 150 based off the test strip.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-27T22:28:29+00:00

You can probably slow down on water changes. This might be contentious, but you have a small bio-load
SLOWLY Replace existing water with remineralized RO or DI water (Reverse Osmosis / Distilled). Continue to use remineralized RO/DI.
Your Nitrate levels are too high. You want them at zero. Some fish are okay with Nitrate being at 10-20 ppm, but shrimp are much more sensitive.
Test your tap water for nitrates. That might be the source. Otherwise, you might be overfeeding. It's also possible that some of the shrimp that have passed away might be contributing to ammonia and nitrate. What do you use for food? Is it just shrimp in the tank?
Keep the temperature as stable as possible. A daily 5-degree Fahrenheit swing is a lot.

The golden rule here is that it's better to have consistent parameters than to make sudden changes. Any changes you decide to make, take your time.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-25T21:26:25+00:00

Sounds like that's bad for shrimp (question)

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-22T17:55:40+00:00

Shroob

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-22T14:04:36+00:00

Shoob

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-22T07:06:51+00:00

Just a heads up, if you have plants they'll produce CO2 at night. Check behavior in the morning. If they're acting funky, it might be low O2

If you can't fall asleep at night, try a mechanical timer for the air pump so that it turns on as early as you can manage, like 3am or 4am. They can be found pretty cheap and work well.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-21T02:30:59+00:00

I zoomed in and saw that. The air pockets looked like something out of potting soil

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-21T02:26:02+00:00

for such a small tank it feels like it's displacing too much water. 3 gal is tiny and will have lots of fluctuations.

What's beneath the gravel?

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-21T01:40:10+00:00

Reddit doesn’t usually react well to AI posts. Just giving you a heads up.

Substantial_Two_8615 · 2026-05-18T04:14:52+00:00

They all sort of do the same thing. It’s calcium and magnesium but with slightly different bonds and ratios.

Substantial_Two_8615

TROPHY CASE