Starting a planted FW shrimp tank... diary... Day: -1

I'm starting a 10 gallon planted shrimp tank. I've got a Zoomed Aquasun T5 dual bulb light fixture (24") for lighting and using a Marineland Penguin 100 for filtration. I will be cycling the tank and adding plants before I add the shrimp, but my question here is: Does anyone know of where to get Red Crystal Shrimp (Caridina sp.) locally in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex? I have found where I can buy them online, but I'm not so sure about that....

So far: the empty 10 gallon is cleaned and awaiting, well, basically everything!!!

I included a poll to gather your opinions!

Bamboo:

Crystal Red:

Red Cherry:

Ghost Shrimp:

I voted for Red Cherry only in this case for a few reasons.

Tank is new. Red Cherry's will do the best out of all of them in a freshly cycled tank. However, tank should still be well cycled even for them

With that point, CRS should only be kept in a well established tank.

At a 10g tank, it is going to be a bit on the small side to house multiple species when you take into account breeding.

Bamboo's like good current flow. Helps them filter better.

Just some food for thought.

i voted for red crystal since i like them so much... time i get some.... but while thinking about them,,,, JUMBO GULF SHRIMP came to mind... but i guess i was just HUNGRY....

I vote red cherry's as well, they seem to be fairly hardy and easy to breed. If you went with a 20g long you would have enough room for 2-3 species and all the young they will produce.

Crystal red!!!

I think I will just leave my Bamboo and Ghost Shrimp in my 75 gallon and do just one species in the 10 gallon.

I vote cherry red also for a new tank and tank size.

i like ghost shrimp and crystal reds but the bamboos kinda creep me out. But i voted for the crystal reds, bamboo and ghosts :)

cherrys would be your best bet for starting out, especially with that tank size.

the others would all want larger tanks to increase the breeding and survival.

i know crystals and cherrys don't require brackish for the eggs to hatch, but can't recall if the others do.

LvMyPuffer wrote:

the others would all want larger tanks to increase the breeding and survival.

i know crystals and cherrys don't require brackish for the eggs to hatch, but can't recall if the others do.

10s are actually good setups for single species.

As for the rearing aspect. Bamboo shrimp do require salt conditions and some species of ghosties do as well.

Hey james this is off topic but do you have any of those green shrimp for sale

Status Update:

Tank is setup:

Tank begins cycling process with some of my fish from another tank and borrowed gravel, fake plants, a few real plant clippings and Stability:

thanks for sharing Miranda... keep us posted on the shrimpy tank...

Real plants are the way to go with shrimp if you can. Mine love cruising about on them picking off stuff.

The fake plants are just there for sharing good bacteria and will be taken out once theres enough real plant growth in there. Theres just something about live plants, you just cant beat em!

ps: i love your new avatar and signature!

Looking good!

LvMyPuffer wrote:

ps: i love your new avatar and signature!

Whose avatar and signature?

yours miranda lol

LvMyPuffer wrote:

ps: i love your new avatar and signature!

Thanks! But I've had these same ones for well over a year... I kinda like making these little do-dads for sigs and such. It's fun, but I like my current ones too much to try to make any new ones for myself right now! Lol!

well I guess I had not noticed it before, silly blonde thing i guess.

If you ever get bored, feel free to play with the name crystal ;) lol
or LvMyPuffer lol