Setting Up a Dwarf Shrimp Tank

A shrimp tank needs a mature, cycled system rich in biofilm, a gentle sponge filter, the right substrate for your species and absolutely no copper. Here is how to set one up for success.

Shrimp are sensitive grazers, so a successful shrimp tank is less about gear and more about establishing a stable, mature little ecosystem before any livestock arrives. Dwarf shrimp can be kept in small aquariums from around 10 litres (about 2.6 gallons) upward, but a slightly larger volume holds parameters steadier and is more forgiving for beginners.

Start with a cycled, mature tank

Shrimp should only go into a tank that has been fully cycled and ideally running for several months. Cycling establishes the beneficial bacteria that convert toxic ammonia to nitrite and then to far less harmful nitrate, and a mature tank also grows the biofilm and microfauna that shrimp graze on continuously. Adding shrimp to a brand-new, uncycled tank is one of the most common fatal mistakes.

Substrate by species

Choose substrate to match your shrimp. Neocaridina do not need a buffering substrate and thrive on inert materials such as gravel or sand. Caridina, which need soft acidic water, are usually kept on an active, buffering soil that lowers and holds down the pH, paired with remineralised RO water.

Filtration and flow

A sponge filter, driven by an air pump, is the classic shrimp filter. It is gentle enough that it will not suck up baby shrimp, it provides good circulation and surface agitation without a strong current, and its surface becomes a colony of beneficial bacteria and a grazing surface for shrimp. If you prefer a powered filter, fit a pre-filter sponge over the intake to protect shrimplets.

Plants, moss and biofilm

• Add live plants and especially mosses; they give shrimp cover, grazing surface and a sense of security.
• Driftwood and botanicals become colonised by micro-organisms, providing a continuous natural food source.
• Match the water chemistry to your species and keep it stable, and keep nitrate low with regular small water changes.