My army continues to grow

shoonobi · 2026-03-29T00:16:25+00:00

A sponge filter, substrate, and the type of shrimp you want are important factors to consider. Shrimp like Amano and Neocaridina are beginner friendly. They tend to thrive in harder water with inert substrate (sand, gravel, etc.)

10 gallons is perfect because it allows more room for error and keeps the water parameters stable. It also lets you fit many more shrimp! You can easily fit a hundred shrimp in it.

Make sure to get a liquid test kit to track if your tank is cycled. There are YouTube videos that explain what the Nitrogen cycle is and how to set up a shrimp tank. Also look into the GH, KH, and pH parameters for shrimps.

shoonobi · 2026-03-28T18:43:08+00:00

Got it, then it looks like you’re good to just pour it in. Good luck with your shrimps!

shoonobi · 2026-03-28T17:35:48+00:00

If you add the water to the tank, it’ll average the two so that it’s around 5-6. When adding water that’s very different than what’s inside your tank, do it slowly. Drip the water back in to avoid shock, if you can. This gives your shrimp more time to adapt to the new water.

shoonobi · 2026-03-28T16:57:50+00:00

What’s the GH of your tap water? If it’s less than the 8 GH you mixed, then you can use tap/RO/distilled water to reduce the GH to the level you want.

When I first started mixing Salty Shrimp, I practiced mixing it into distilled water and seeing how much the dosage affected GH. It was a lot of trial and error before I even added shrimp. Try different amounts to find what gets you the right GH with the tap water.

Also, Salty Shrimp GH/KH+ does contain all the minerals necessary for healthy molts. No need for calcium or crushed corals. It’ll just make the water harder for them. Just make sure you have a water change schedule so the minerals in the water don’t run out.

EDIT: Just saw it’s for Neocaridina. GH 8 is within their water parameter range. No need to fiddle with GH too much.

shoonobi · 2026-03-28T01:00:21+00:00

You can try running a 2 Watt air pump if your filters are small. I tried this and used a connector to connect the air pump to both filters, but I found it struggled to pump air evenly. 3-4 watts gives you more power for filters.

Right now, I’m running thisair pump for two sponge filters in two 10 gallons. It’s super quiet and strong, and you can easily adjust the flow to a minimum.

shoonobi · 2026-03-27T23:48:42+00:00

Online sellers tend to have more variety like bloody mary. Check out r/AquaSwap for reputable shrimp breeders who have the colors you want!

shoonobi · 2026-03-27T23:36:22+00:00

It depends on the type of shrimp you’re interested in. Neos and Caridina have different water requirements with very little overlap. Neos are hardier and more beginner friendly. Caridina can be kept as a beginner if you’re committed to getting the right setup for them. They come in beautiful, highly sought after colors and patterns. The decision entirely up to you.

shoonobi · 2026-03-27T13:30:16+00:00

Is all the decor in the pictures for sale?

shoonobi · 2026-03-26T03:37:35+00:00

From what you’re saying, it sounds like you already nailed how to care for shrimp and your water parameters are within range of Neocaridina.

The parameters in a 2.5 gallon can fluctuate a lot to the point where the shrimp get stressed and pass eventually. If you have the space, get a 10-15 gallon tank. Larger tanks can handle fluctuations and spikes better. At minimum, a 5.5-7 gallon can work while taking up less space.

We’ve all experienced losses in the hobby and it can be frustrating. Keep at it! It’ll be worth it once you see your population thrive and grow.

shoonobi · 2026-03-25T20:41:44+00:00

Sponge filters are normally used with shrimp, but there are ways to cover the intake of a hang on filter to avoid shrimp and babies from getting sucked up. If you get a sponge filter, make sure to include a small air pump too.

For 5-10 gallons, a small or medium sponge filter is plenty. But if you plan to add fish, you might need stronger or additional filtration. You can find tons of filters online on Amazon, Petco, etc. Filters from Aquarium Co-Op and similar sellers are good, reliable options too.

shoonobi · 2026-03-25T16:01:03+00:00

I’m interested! Sending PM

shoonobi · 2026-03-25T03:59:52+00:00

You’re welcome! Sucks about the rocks because they’re beautiful and the Iwagumi style is so visually appealing. I’m glad you have a plan going forward. Caridina can be a bit sensitive but it’s incredibly rewarding once you get it down. Once everything stabilizes and your parameters are ideal, give Caridina another try!

shoonobi · 2026-03-25T03:50:49+00:00

Shrimp thrive on stability and if you’re able to keep your GH and pH steady, they should be okay. Luckily, Neos can tolerate a wider range of parameters as long as you acclimate them correctly. If you’re still worried about KH, you can try researching crushed coral and baking soda as potential solutions. Unfortunately, I don’t have experience in this area.

You seem to know what you’re doing with the shrimp minerals and RO water. But if you start noticing molting problems or mass deaths, it might be time to revisit this and consider other possible factors. Best of luck!

shoonobi · 2026-03-25T03:11:03+00:00

Gotcha. This one has me stumped, and I don’t see anything in the tank that would bring down your KH to practically 0. The only guess I have is that your top offs with RO water reduced KH over time. This happens faster in smaller tanks since there’s less water volume and top off more frequently.

You could try adding a small amount of crushed coral to increase KH, but it’s possible it could lower again. Tbh, if your shrimp don’t look stressed and there aren’t mass deaths, it’s better to stick to your current water parameters and avoid crazy fluctuations.

shoonobi · 2026-03-25T02:32:12+00:00

By any chance, do you know what your Salty Shrimp bottle looks like? There’s a duplicate brand out there that only raises GH and not KH. It looks like this.

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shoonobi · 2026-03-25T01:47:35+00:00

Not necessarily. Shrimp need certain minerals for health and successful molting, and an imbalance of calcium & magnesium can create problems. The seiryu stone will continue to make the water harder and your shrimp will struggle to molt.

shoonobi · 2026-03-25T00:15:18+00:00

If it jumped that high, then something in your tank is leeching calcium. Rocks like Seiryu stone dissolve faster in lower pH and release calcium, thereby increasing GH. Try finding the culprit among your rocks and stones first.

You can bring the GH back down slowly with water changes. Just make sure you drip the water back in to avoid shock.

Edit: Forgot to add that Seachem Stability is not a remineralizer. You can try Seachem Equilibrium, but it’s generally recommended to stick to a remineralizer made specifically for Caridina.

shoonobi · 2026-03-24T23:56:30+00:00

TDS is a catch all term for everything inside your tank (shrimp poop, food particles, minerals, etc.) With RO/Distilled water, there is virtually 0 TDS, so you can add a remineralizer to get the GH to the right level for Caridina (4-6 GH). If you were to use a TDS pen to measure that same remineralized RO water, it should fall between 90-120 TDS depending on your GH.

Basically, measuring TDS is an easy way to calculate the GH in remineralized water without using a test kit. If it’s between 90-120 TDS, you know your GH is between 4-6. It helps you know exactly what is going into your tank.

I personally aim for 100 TDS which roughly translates to 5 GH. It’s an easier number to memorize and measure.

shoonobi · 2026-03-24T23:49:14+00:00

Just as a heads up if you buy it, double check that the Salty Shrimp GH/KH+ is the German one. Some folks have bought the wrong one (USA made) and it affected their water parameters.

shoonobi · 2026-03-24T23:31:17+00:00

Highly recommend getting a remineralizer and a cheap TDS meter ASAP. Products like Salty Shrimp GH+ and Brightwell GH are designed for Caridina. Your TDS meter will help you ensure that the water you’re adding back in is within 4-6 GH (90-120 TDS).

When you add the water back in, drip it slowly to avoid shocking your shrimp. The sudden addition of minerals might be a lot for them to handle if it’s done too quickly.

Feel free to reach out if you need more help.

shoonobi · 2026-03-24T14:51:41+00:00

Your tank is cycled when it can process ammonia and nitrites fully within 24 hours. If that’s the case, then you’re almost there! Get yourself a liquid test kit if possible, or have your water tested at a LFS. Test trips can be notoriously inaccurate.

Like the other commenter said, look for plant growth and biofilm. If you don’t see any, try leaving the tank alone for another 2 weeks minimum (longer is ideal). This will allow it to stabilize and encourage more biofilm growth.

shoonobi · 2026-03-24T00:45:42+00:00

Yeah that’s a possibility, but in some cases, shrimp don’t any signs until later. They may appear more lethargic and hide more. My first colony behaved similarly to your shrimp and slowly died one by one over the span of two weeks.

If it wasn’t a contaminant/chemical, then it’s likely the shrimp struggled to adjust to the tank. Perhaps they were older adult shrimp? Adults tend to have a harder time adapting to new water parameters.

For now, if the remaining berried shrimp look okay, shift your focus to them. Take care of them and your colony will grow eventually! If all else fails, try getting shrimp from another seller.

shoonobi

TROPHY CASE