# My 29 Gallon 'Colossus' Shrimp Farm Journal



## John N.

I see great things in stored for this Shrimp Farm! Well..I at least I'm hoping for great things. 

*Tank Specs*
Standard 29 Gallon Tank
Substrate 100% Eco Complete
Eheim 2213 Filter
Coralife 65w on adjustable mounting legs










I used 3 bags of Eco Complete to give me a good 3" layer.









I think I'm going to have to get a Python for water changes. Carrying the bucket back and forth, and pumping water via a powerhead will get tendious soon enough.










But now the tank is filled and ready to go. Right now, a few plants are in, but it's too cloudy to get anything good happening. More to come...stay tuned! opcorn:


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## h4n

i cant wait to see it


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## SottyDont

UPPPDATES!!!! what type of shrimp you putting in? pics?


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## h4n

yes, details would be great


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## david lim

Shouldn't this be a shrimp ranch? ?


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## JerseyScape

That's looking very "high-tech" for just a shrimp ranch.


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## Valtown

Don't just leave us hanging...Tell us more!! [smilie=n:


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## Phillyman

Are you going to cycle tank with any fish or are the shrimp going in directly?


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## BrianK

I found that the Eco-Complete really speeds up the cycle. I am relatively new to this, but I tested the nitrates, nitrites and ammonia levels and everything was good to go after 3-4 days. I have continued monitoring the levels after adding plants and fish and everything is still doing well.


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## John N.

*Due to High Demand! A Massive Update!*

I haven't decided if this is going to be a high tech or low tech setup. So I have equipment to go both ways. I will be sticking the shrimp directly in without a cycle. :der: Not the smartest way to go, I know but so far so good.:biggrin1: I think I answered most comments...soooo on with the update!


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## John N.

So here's the tank was a few days ago. I don't have many plants so I'm stuck with what I brought with me.










At first I was too lazy to replant the Hemianthus micranthemoides in the front left. So that's why it so messy. But after realizing I should make it look presentable, here's what it looks like after a replanting a few hours ago.










It took some work getting the HM down though. Phew! But I think it looks a lot better. I'll work on getting the aquascape even nicer. As of now, I'm waiting on some more plants to help me get started. Since this is a shrimp tank I'm still debating on high tech vs low tech. Hmm....decisions, decisions!


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## John N.

*And Finally: What You've all been Waiting For!*

I'm sure you're wondering what kinda shrimp farm or ranch this is going to be. 
I'm not 100% sure myself! I already have a Red Cherry Shrimp tank. 
So maybe I'll make this a Crystal Red Shrimp Tank!

The grades for these aren't great, but they still look good. My higher grade ones are in the cherry tank but when things get more stable I'll stick them in here too...maybe...










There's a horde in the back hiding while I was rescaping the HM in the front.










There are some that are almost all red. I think I almost prefer that over the striped look. But as it is, I'll be working on getting some higher grade CRS in the near future.










There is one that's pregnant. It's kinda shy, so I'm having a hard time getting any close ups. But if I do I'll be sure to post it!

Stay Tuned! opcorn:


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## h4n

great tank come them pictures coming


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## SottyDont

NICE!!! i have a 20G high with no fish or shrimp wondering what to throw in it, to bad theres not one type of shrimp avalible around here  oh wait we have ghost!!!


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## spcyamada

*Looks like fun.*

I really enjoy looking at your tank and those awesome shrimp. How are you going to control algae if it starts growing on the glass? Are you going to use algae eating fish or just manage your fert schedule closely? I'm also trying to set up a shrimp only tank on a 2.5 gallon and I'm wondering how you do it.


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## John N.

Thanks for all the comments so far!

Well so far I'm going wait until I get a few more plants in there before I start dosing (that's if I dose). I don't think I'll have an algae problem but if it starts growing I'll take whatever measures necessary to deal with whatever algae starts growing. 

For shrimp only tanks, it's usually better to have it no tech with no dosing.


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## John N.

*Quick UPDATE!*

Alrighty Tank Fans!

I got a great package of plants over the weekend. Lots of easy fast growers.
I planted patches and plantlets of glosso over on the front right. And lots of jungle vals in the center. The plant on the left is Ludwigia repens, and on the right a few stems of creeping jenny. The creeping jenny looks really good. First time having that plant. I can't wait till that grows out more!










And for you shrimp fans out there, another picture. This time a side by side, crystal red verse cherry red shrimp.










Enjoy!


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## lowell

very nice!!!hope those shrimps can be shipped here in the Philippines.


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## redFishblueFish

Don't exactly know why, but the jungle val right in the center _really_ look nice to me.  Keep us posted.


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## PiranhaStein

Looks great, keep it up.


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## user367

Please?answer-your shrimps have children?
If they have<-what^s kind of food you give them?


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## John N.

Thanks again for the comments. It's slowly evolving into something better! Yippe! 

I haven't seen any shrimp "children" yet.  I'm expecting some soon though. Usually the baby shrimp will eat whatever is available to the parent shrimp. That would be algae wafers in my case. 

-John N.


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## John N.

*Took some time...but I finally got one!*

I spent a good dab of time trying to take this picture. But I finally got it!

Here's a picture of one of my pregnant CRS.










Nicely brown and round.


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## JerseyScape

Very nice pic.....let's hope she gives birth to some nice grade CRSs.


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## John N.

Thanks JerseyScape, I'm hoping for some nice CRS as well! I saw a mini baby tooting around somewhere in the tank recently. Not from the pregnant shrimp above but from another. It looks pretty good, I wonder if it will maintain its coloration until adulthood.

-John N.


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## Blazerfrs

Looks excellent John!

I must admit, I was wondering how she was going to give birth to nice Cold Rolled Steel (CRS) for a few seconds there...  Too many engineering classes :-D

Good luck with the shrimp


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## milalic

John,

Very good progress...Have you gotten your high grade CRS?

Cheers,
Pedro


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## John N.

Hey Pedro, thanks for the comment. I'm deep in the process of getting some higher grade CRS. They're so pricey, it makes my head spin! Getting them into to the US is very risky. ahhh!

-John N.


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## John N.

*Pregnant Red Cherry Shrimp*

Thought I'll post a picture of my Red Cherry Shrimp. I only had eight to start when for this tank, I just saw two pregnant ones. WOW! :der:










Nicely yellow in the bellow...


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## JerseyScape

Tell me about it....I just asked one guy how much he would be willing to sell his GRADE A CRS's and he quoted me 40 bucks each. I would rather take that money and spend on getting a few more Dwarf Orange Crays from Germany. 

I do notice that more and more people are starting to get the high grade Crystal Red Shrimp so the price will eventually drop. Some people were telling me that Cherries were about 20 bucks each when they first came out a few years ago. I got mine three months ago for 1.00 a piece with shipping included. If I can get 10 GRADE A Crystal Reds for 150 shipped I would be all over that.


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## John N.

Hehe, totally get what you mean. Don't know how far CRS prices will be going down, but I'm sure they'll be going down slightly. But right now they are still relatively rare.

-John N.


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## John N.

*UPDATE: March 1*

Figure I'll throw in a update picture of what the tank looks like now.










Foreground HM flew to a better home. 
Now to think of something to replace it. #-o


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## h4n

thx for the HM John  oh ya and nice progress on the tank


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## milalic

JerseyScape said:


> Tell me about it....I just asked one guy how much he would be willing to sell his GRADE A CRS's and he quoted me 40 bucks each. I would rather take that money and spend on getting a few more Dwarf Orange Crays from Germany.
> 
> I do notice that more and more people are starting to get the high grade Crystal Red Shrimp so the price will eventually drop. Some people were telling me that Cherries were about 20 bucks each when they first came out a few years ago. I got mine three months ago for 1.00 a piece with shipping included. If I can get 10 GRADE A Crystal Reds for 150 shipped I would be all over that.


Prices have been very high for years on CRS. I doubt they are coming done as cherry did. One thing that helped cherries come down in price is that they breed faster and are easier to keep than CRS. The price given to you is pretty good for them. I have had quotes on them higher than that.

It well be a long long long time before they go down in price. They are breed for uniqueness and features like deeper white, v-shape, etc. the cherry red is not.

Cheers,
Pedro


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## milalic

Very good pictures. What camera are you using? Is this the only shrimp you currently have here?

Also, depending on your source, shipping is okay from outside the USA. They know how to ship them. I have not had a shrimp coming outside of the USA confiscated at customs.

Cheers,
Pedro


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## John N.

Thanks Milalic (Pedro) for the comments. I'm thinking about moss on a mesh actually. I got some weeping moss on something right now. 

I'm using a Canon S400 to take the photos. Some of the photos are taken using a magnifying glass, and taking the shot using the addition enlargement. Very clever and nifty. I even use the smaller (size of a dime) magnifying section of the magnifying glass, which gives me greater 5x magnification. That's why some of the photos have a little blur around the edges. 

-John N.


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## infrared

*CRS Shrimp*

Hi..

I couldn't help but notice the discussion here about availability of CRS shrimp. I literally just bought 10 crs shrimp from petshrimp.com for $1.50 a piece two weeks ago. USPS Priority mail shipping was about 12 dollars and change, and I think the total transaction came out to 27.95 (or thereabouts). They were shipped quickly, packed well and all are doing well in a 10g tank right now. From time to time, he has other different varieties of freshwater shrimp available.

..Peter


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## John N.

Hi Peter, 

I think there might be some confusion CRS = Crystal Red Shrimp. They are typically striped like a candy cane. I believe you may be talking about Cherry Red Shrimp. Totally red. No? 

-John N.


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## infrared

*CRS Shrimp*

woops - sorry, yes I was referring to cherry red shrimp. Sorry for the confusion.

..Peter


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## GekkoGeck0

Forgive the ignorant question, but what is the plant slightly in front and to the right of the jungle val? It's neat.


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## John N.

Hi Gekko,

Not an ignorant question at all, I often wonder what plants are what all the time. That particular plant is _Hemianthus micranthemoides_, often known as baby tears or pearl grass.










It's a really interesting and versatile plant. I also had some as a foreground in my earlier pictures.

-John N.


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## John N.

*Tank update*

Things are certainly growing for this tank that's for sure. Here's a shot of what the tank looked like a few days ago.










As you can see, the glosso has grown in dramatically, and filling up pretty quickly. I may have to replace the glosso with something else. We'll see. 

-John N.


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## GekkoGeck0

Gorgeous. I love the bright greens.

HC is a good plant to replace the glosso with, if you can get your hands on it.


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## John N.

Quick little two week update.

Plants are growing well. Not sure if any aquascaping will take place. It's kinda of a get plant place it down type method right now. So far it's working, and I'm liking what I'm seeing.









_Replacing glosso with HC_

I'm slowly phasing out the glosso, and hopefully my patches of Hemianthus callitrichoides on the bottom right will start growing and replace the glosso lawn. But I bet it'll take a while.

-John N.


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## Shaggathai

GekkoGeck0 said:


> Gorgeous. I love the bright greens.
> 
> HC is a good plant to replace the glosso with, if you can get your hands on it.


. TTotal newbie, more art training than anything useful lol. But I'd like to see some contrast in your leaf shapes in the part that looks all the same. do you see it, and or what I mean

You arenn't amano, you must have some idea of pretty, you guys do it!


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## John N.

*Short little Update*

I haven't been updating as much as I wanted to, but not much has changed.

Here's a cool blurry picture of some the grown out CRS.










-John N.


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## turtlehead

Nice crystals, how much did they cost you?


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## magb321

Are you using CO2? DIY or pro?

By the way, what do you feed CRS? Anything special, im planning to make my own farm.

Thanks!!


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## Dusty

Reading through this has definitely been a good inspiration to me to get mine started. I have a few empty tanks and have really wanted to do just this. You've done a wonderful job!


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## Mikee

I love your shrimp farm I plan to use my 10 gal as one in the future but right now still busy with my 50 gal 36x18x18.. short of cash right now though  2-3 weeks till I can buy!


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## JArtiles305

Hey John, great looking tank and amazing shrimp. Are you selling on Aquabid?


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## John N.

Thanks for all the comments guys. I do enjoy this shrimp farm. My pride and joy. Turtle head, I try not to think about how much it costed me, but it was in the range of $25/shrimp. JArtiles, I'm not at the point to be selling yet.

Hardest thing about this tank seems to be pruning the plants and trying not to disturb the water when rescaping. So I can't rescape and make it look as pretty as I want it. But that doesn't mean I won't try. 

-John N.


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## Jimbo205

This is all no tech, with no dosing??
How do you do it? It looks luxurious. You did not put any supplement underneath the substrate either, did you? 

How do you grow shrimp with no dosing and grow such great plants?


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## heidisue

What a cool garden. Something about not having the pressure of aquascaping made it extra fun to just see the plants take off over time. And what a relief to see that green plastic tube turn into a black plastic tube that is now barely visible 

Such pretty growth.


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## Naja002

Lokks Great! Just wondering how You trim the Plants with all of the shrimp in the tank without any hitching a ride on the trimmings...?


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## John N.

Naja, A good little shake and the shrimp like to swim down towards the bottom when I trim. 

Jimbo thanks for the comments. Yup no dosing besides the addition of pressurized CO2 to keep the pH low for the shrimp. I think the key here is to choose plants they are easy to grow, and don't require much, such as Jungle Vals, and Ludwigia Repens. The shrimp themselves are relatively easy to breed and keep, water changes every 2-3 week or so. Keeping water parameters stable seems to be very important for their well being. It just happens all the plants, and shrimp grow really easy without any dosing or maintenance involved. 

Heidisue, Wow, you're the first to see the change in spray bar. I spray painted it black to hide it. It worked very well!  I'm glad the aquascaping is easy too. When things are growing well, and planted in bunches, everything looks really good and lush. 

Thanks for all the comments guys! I'm glad folks are getting inspiration, and ideas for shrimp tanks, no tech tanks, etc. If I can do it, you can do it. 

-John N.


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## Jimbo205

John, maybe I can do the low tech / NPT thing.

But I thought the only way to keep the algae away was to daily dose all the Seachem/other supplements.


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## Tiapan

the tank looks great, good job, i wish i was around where cheery shrimps are only a buck but the only shop i can find in town is 3 a piece, and everything else has none, but again great job on the tank its looks amazing


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## John N.

*Night Stalking UPDATE*

You don't see to many pictures of planted tanks with moonlights. So I thought I would snap a few shots of my 29 tank with it.









_Odyssea Moonlight_










Not the clearest pictures, but the moonlight really looks great in person, and it's fun watching the cories and shrimp swim around more in the light and in the open. Anyways, enjoy! 

-John N.


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## ranmasatome

John.. wonderful moonlight shots.. really makes the tank look erie.. i love it.


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## jeff63851

Nice lookin' moonlights! Where did you get them? How much were they?


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## John N.

Thanks guys. Those pictures just don't do the moonlight justice. 

The moonlight is a _Odyssea Moonlight_ purchased for $20 shipped. One of those accessory you don't really need, but I love watching the shrimp and fish swim at night. It's very peaceful and adds a new dimension to the tank.

-John N.


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## Sudi

Nice moonlight!
The shrimp are having a party!

Great work


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## John N.

*Baby CRS Update*

Hehe, Yup Those shrimp are rockin Sudi! 

So I cleaned out my Eheim 2213 canister filter and found a bunch of shrimp. I didn't use a foam prefilter and the result was picking out shrimp through the muck for a couple of hours. I would have dumped the whole lot but I noticed some baby CRS floating around in there.

Anyways, the CRS breeding process isn't as productive as I would like it. Over the course of a couple of months I've had several pregnant CRS but no offspring. The offspring that do survive are few and far between.

With the new filter cleansing, I have increased my baby crs population. Here's a blurry shot of one of them hanging out on some Eco complete and under some weeping moss.









_Baby CRS_

With a prefilter now installed, hopefully we'll see an increase of CRS population. The Cherry shrimp on the other hand are reproducing like mad. I started with about 15, now have probably at least 100.

-John N.


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## jeff63851

John N. said:


> With a prefilter now installed, hopefully we'll see an increase of CRS population. The Cherry shrimp on the other hand are reproducing like mad. I started with about 15, now have probably at least 100.
> 
> -John N.


Yep...that's what happened to my shrimp tank. When I added prefilter foam, I saw a dramatic increase in my baby Cherry shrimp population. Do you mind if I go over to your house and clean out your filter? 

Anyways, nice lookin' shrimps!


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## abnormalsanon

Oh wow, the moonlight looks great! I always wanted lunar lights, and this seems like an easy/cheap way to do it. Did you submerge it into the aquarium, or fit it into the hood?


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## Burks

Congrats on saving some and having a healthy RCS colony. 

Those lunar lights do look fantastic. Might just have to get some for my tanks as well.


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## John N.

With the Moonlights, you can submerged them, but I think they look best when actually outside the water and above. I typically prop the moonlights using the suction cups and clips against the black foam board, and the glass. This allows me the mobility to move the moonlight to another tank if I so desire, and also keeps things out of the tank.

Burks, thanks a bundle. My goal for the cherries is to produce them enough to "give away" to APC folks, and also the CRS I'm hoping to breed them in an amount to where people can actually afford these wonderful shrimp.

-John N.


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## kweeheng

*too bad*

Too bad they dont sell CRS Shrimps in my area....  Malaysia here .


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## edinjapan

kweeheng said:


> Too bad they dont sell CRS Shrimps in my area....  Malaysia here .


You should be able to find the wild version in any typical stream or small river.


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## ranmasatome

edinjapan said:


> You should be able to find the wild version in any typical stream or small river.


I'm sorry but i have many doubts about that...especially the word "any".

nice going there John.. i've enjoyed reading this..


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## Jimbo205

John N. any new photos from August of your nice shrimp and beautiful tank?


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## Mikee

This tank is awesome! healthy looking plants..i demand new pics


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## John N.

The tank isn't looking tip top and aquascaped as of late because I'm afraid to stir up the scape and kill some shrimp. The shrimp are growing very well, I see more and more babies of crystal red shrimp. On the other hand, my cherry shrimp population has exploded.

I'll see if I can carefully clean up the tank, and take a shot to update the progression here. I have a couple of slower growing plants floating in the tank right now to take the place of all the faster growing plants. I think it'll be a better plant selection to minimize toying with the tank too much, for the sake of the shrimp. Thanks everyone for your interests, I'll be updating soon. 

-John N.


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## Jimbo205

John N. 
do you have a link to a good thread for those of us that know nothing about growing shrimp? (Complete Beginners)

Of course, I just packed my 10 Gallon Tank with a beautiful assortment of fish..... But I would still love to know!

By the way, I don't think an aquarium has to be in perfect shape to be posted. But I understand. 

But that is the difference between posting photos of your tank, and submitting photos for an entry to a contest or something like that. 

So, how many 'little ones' do you have now (Dad)?


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## Jimbo205

How do you keep your fish from eating them?


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## bioch

Is the white net on the intake of the filter to prevent shrimps from getting sucked up?


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## gabeszone

Sweet! Im also in the process of making a shrimp farm for this fall. Im using a 60cm nisso tanks or 20gals. I like your filter choice 2213. I was thinking of getting a 2213+ a subfilter. What kind of plants will you use. Im thinking of going all moss and just built a 60x30 x-mas plastic mess wall. I will be breeding SS-SSS CRS in it. Cant wait to see more pictures from you!


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## Petfairy

Your shrimp look really nice, and i love the growth pics.


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## jon

I love this post, it is so inspiring. I am always into discus, but after reading this I have decided to try and breed shrimps. Thanks John, I might look you up in the future when I set up my tank and see if I can purchase someshrimp from you.

Jon


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## Tiapan

tank still looks great. i have started my own cherry shrimp tank. i gtried crystal reds and they did not do soo well so i went with cherries. they are doing great. just waiting for the population to grow.


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## Brad99

Great tank John!! Gives me some ideas of what to do with that old 20 gal tank collecting dust in the basement. 

I read somewhere that the best food for shrimp are old oak leaves, do you use that? Too bad I read about this tank today. It just snowed 2 inches here. (and all those lovely oak trees only 200 feet away)

Are there any readers of this thread from Canada that are keeping shrimp? The only ones I see locally are ghost and algae eater shrimp (not sure of the scientific name). The LFS has never heard of Cherry or CRS. I looked at petshrimp.com, but unfortunately he doesn't ship outside the USA. Anyone know of a source of cherry or CRS that ships to or within Canada???

Thanks

Brad99


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## bijoon

I am really interested in breeding shrimp. Are there any websites or books you would recomend? And would cardinals, cory cats and amanos cause a problem for breeding? Because if possible I would like to use my 58 gallon because it has peaceful fish, but I'm worried they will eat the eggs.


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## John N.

*Update soon to come!*

Hey everybody! Sorry for not replying earlier, but I'm happy to see that it's brought alot of inspiration to all you future shrimp keepers. It has been a neat and fun experience with this tank.

The white mesh covering the intake is to keep the shrimp out of the tank. It's been the most effective way in protecting the shrimp, and from keeping me searching through the filter for tiny shrimp during cleanings.

Bijoon, I currently keep cories and otos with the shrimp, and the populations have exploded still. Cardinals might pick off the baby shrimp if there's not enough plant cover. Keeping them with other Amano shrimp poses no problems.

As for instructional books there's not much out there that I know of. I would visit APC's shrimp section and run a search there for whatever information you need. There's definately a wealth of information there.

I'll try to give another photo update in the coming weeks. Hope to see other shrimp tanks out there! 

-John N.


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## bijoon

Thanks for the insight, nice tank by the way.


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## Pyro

John,
I've seen your name in a few discussions on CO2 diffusion, and I was wondering what type of CO2 diffuser you use in this tank (or is it even pressurized) and whether you like it or not? I have a 29 gallon with almost the same specs. 

Thanks!


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## fish newb

How about an update for the new year? 

You won't see pictures of my shrimp tank soon.... its just a jumble of mosses and shrimp 

-Andrew


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## John N.

Pyro said:


> John,
> I've seen your name in a few discussions on CO2 diffusion, and I was wondering what type of CO2 diffuser you use in this tank (or is it even pressurized) and whether you like it or not? I have a 29 gallon with almost the same specs.
> 
> Thanks!


I have a pressurized CO2 system, using a Nano Glass Diffuser but switched to use a Sweetwater Diffuser after I broke it. It's placed under a powerhead to help diffuse and mist the whole tank. Works very well for me.

-John N.


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## John N.

*Update*










Both Red Cherry Shrimp and Crystal Red Shrimp populations have steadily increased, with of course the cherries reaching populations of 100+.

-John N.


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## user367

Dear -John N.
I congratulate you happy New Year lives of your tank. I and my shrimps wish your shrimps of health, a long life and plentiful posterity))))


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## Burks

Tank looks great just like always.

The Java Fern is quite impressive.


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## John N.

-John N.


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## Jimbo205

Beautiful!


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## FazTeAoMar

Very nice John.

It seems that you have reached the balance that your shrimps needed: low maintenance plants and many hideouts for them to feel safe. 

You have very nice shrimps over there. I would risk to grade them as some S and others A? Personally, from C to SSS, I like S the most. They have very thick whites and reds in good proportions and for me, that´s the true Crystal Red.
Please, snap more pics from your shrimp population whenever you feel like it.

Also, I am curious about the intake mesh you have talked about. Don´t you have close pics of the material so we could see what exactly to look for? 

Regards,
André


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## irish

FazTeAoMar said:


> Also, I am curious about the intake mesh you have talked about. Don´t you have close pics of the material so we could see what exactly to look for?


I would also like to see that, as I am planning a shrimp tank of my own.

Irish


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## John N.

I'll see if I can take some more pics of the tank and the shrimp.

Here's the mesh that you can find at your local fish stores. Works out great!











-John N.


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## Ankit

Is a single one of those all you need to prevent shrimp fry from getting sucked in? Would you recomend two of those maybe?

This would be an alternative to use a sponge, right?


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## John N.

This an alternative to a sponge. I only use one. Haven't seen a shrimp in the filter since. As you can see in the photo, it's a single cut in half mesh bag with a rubber band to secure it on the intake. I once panty hose, but that was too thick and got dirty really quickly. 

In the beginning, the mesh would get clogged fairly easily, but after making the mesh as streamline as possible over the intake, and leaving enough open area around the intake, I haven't had to clean it or remove it for months.

-John N.


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## ElTurco

Old fashion sponge solution with air pump really works well


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## Burks

Over 2 months and no update?

How's it going with the tank John? Are your shrimps well? The ones I bought off you in September are doing awesome!


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## cydric

I want an update, too! Since I have a 29g shrimp farm also breeding RCS and CRS in it.


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## UG Dude!

New Pics!?


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## John N.

-John N.


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## Suikei

Wow, I can hardly believe its the same tank as the start. O.O Good job John!


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## jazzlvr123

awesome tank john I’m not sure when this thread started but its very interesting to start at the first page of the thread and go all the way though to the last pic it give me a sense of how certain plants grow in so I know what to expect when I throw them in my tank. I like all of the photos you took and great job at updating it with current pics. Its fun going pic by pic watching a tank develop before your eyes awesome, presentation, documentation, and shrimp-ation hehe


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## rchaves

The red one with the green one of bottom is seen very well


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## UG Dude!

Any updates, John? Tank looks great...


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## ereefer

Yes Updates?
Very good thread, how is the colony of shrimp growing now?


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## John N.

**Mini Update**

Thanks everyone for the comments. Not much has changed in terms of plant layout. In fact the plants may be a bit overgrown and in need of a major thinning. But I'm excited to report the Crystal Red shrimp population has reached well over 100. The population boomed right after the switch from Eco Complete to ADA Aquasoil. It's probably due to the lower pH and KH. In addition, I have added in sponge filters to increase surface aggitation, and to help increase dissolved oxygen levels through the tank. The combination of the oxygen and Aquasoil has made breeding the crystal red shrimp a tremedous success.

The Red cherry shrimp population as always continues to grow exponentially without any effort. I hope to give a pictorial update soon.

-John N.


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## jazzlvr123

haha nice John ada aquasoil did a HUGE difference for my crs too i swear if there were an equation to breeding CRS it would be, clean water + Food (i use Shirakura products)+ plus adequate filtration + ADA aquasoil= CRS babies. just curious what do you use for feeding? i only use the Shirakura food and mirco power and have not really tried feeding anything else : )


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## John N.

*Jazzlvr*, the CRS love eating the Shirakura Wafers, but also enjoy Hikari Algae Wafers, H&B Lobster Bites, and Hikari Crab Cusine. I don't use the Shirakura micro powder regularly as it they don't seem to mind eating the other stuff. Also, I don't have the patience to make fresh blanched veggies or believe they need it.

-John N.


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## Chuppy

*Re: too bad*



kweeheng said:


> Too bad they dont sell CRS Shrimps in my area....  Malaysia here .


Hey they do sell CRS in malaysia.. loads of them in fact... and quite affordable for a Grade SS.. RM 40~60 (at about $15~20)... and the wild types are really wild.. hence the mixed up forms of shrimp in my tank


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## Chuppy

Woops.. my last post is really out of topic.. John! great work on the shrimp tank.. makes me think of making a shrimp-only tank...mayB a shrimp tank... and John to my experience.. Shirakura wafers work best with CRS!! makes their white more'solid' hence higher grading..


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## jdmstop

John, So what is your current setup of the tank? what filter system are you running? and are you running co2 as well? thanks


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## John N.

*Chuppy*, I've noticed Shirakura wafers also seem to bring out more of the colors on the CRS. I may have to feed it exclusively in the future.

*Jdmstop*, my current setup as of August 2007 consists of:

Filter: Eheim 2213 + two Elite Sponge Filters on during during the day
Lighting: Coralife 65w
Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Amazonia
Fertilization: None
CO2: None 
Fish: 3 Otos, and 4 cory cats
Shrimp: Red Cherry Shrimp and Crystal Red Shrimp

I wanted to limit the CO2 and ferts added, so I am only using hardy plants such as Java Fern and dwarf sag. So far it's been working out well.

-John N.


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## Chuppy

Glad to be off help.. I'm going to journalize my shrimp farm soon too....... lol u made me get one


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## John N.

*Here's a picture update.*




























The Crystal Red Shrimp population continues to grow, but the cherry shrimp population is declining. My guess is that the Crystal Red shrimp are out competing the cherries. CRS are postulated to be more aggressive during feeding, so it's possible the cherries are not getting as much food as the crystals. I don't believe genetics have anything to do with the cherry population regression since I took a sample cherry population and have them breeding robustly in a separate species only tank with similar parameters.

-John N.


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## Haeun

Wow, lucky you. My RCS population waaaaaay out numbers my CRS population. I ended up setting up a separate tank to throw in my RCS and Dwarf crayfish. I'm wondering if a large population of one species represses another species population...

I'm wondering because my CRS could definitely be breeding faster...


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## colonel mustard

wow how it has evolved and now lots of shrimp!!


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## Sintei

really nice looking shrimps! How is your ratio CRS vs Black CS?


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## kenny1tothe6

Hows the Tank? I am actually personally putting my shrimp in with my fish because there is litteraly a layer of plants that would serperate them...LOL  The last thing is Your tank looks great!!


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## Tex Gal

Can you mix the Eco-Complete with pea gravel and laterite? I already have the last 2.


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## John N.

kenny1tothe6 said:


> Hows the Tank? I am actually personally putting my shrimp in with my fish because there is litteraly a layer of plants that would serperate them...LOL  The last thing is Your tank looks great!!


The tank is doing great. I'm getting bored with the Java fern and the rest of the plants. I'm afraid to disturb the setup and mess up the environment that the CRS are doing so well to breed in. The ratio of Black to Red striped shrimp would probably be 1 to 10. But we'll see in the next few weeks if I do anything for the layout. With the holidays coming around it's getting tough to think about it.



Tex Gal said:


> Can you mix the Eco-Complete with pea gravel and laterite? I already have the last 2.


You sure can. Might look a little funny with the different looks, colors of each but other than that there is no real issue. Most people just prefer to keep their substrates "pure" with a composition of one substrate.

-John N.


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## Cliff Mayes

John: Forget about changing anything!

It is simply time to set up a few more tanks.


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## kenny1tothe6

Send those plants to me!!! LOL...my tank is now bear....i cleaned it again (the java moss takes over it in a week now!!!!) My fishies are sad...they love the java moss but I cant see them...and i dont want any dead fish decompsing where i cant find them...how much did the canister filter cost you(and the light, soil, etc!!??)


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## John N.

I don't know if I can manage, or sneak in another tank! 

The price of the whole setup is definitely something I want to forget. But the Eheim 2213 was $80, Light ($60), 1 9L ADA Aqua Soil Bag ($32), 29 gallon $40, plants and livestock ($100s). One of the reasons I cut back the plants and moss was so that I could see the shrimp better. 

-John N.


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## Cliff Mayes

Good heavens! Stop adding up costs! You will shock us all or get a lot of people in trouble or just chase people out of the Hobby if they know what everything costs. Hoppy is just trying to convince everyone that tanks are cheap. Which they are.

Just put the new tanks in and complain that they are so cheap you could not afford to do it.


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## kenny1tothe6

John N. said:


> I don't know if I can manage, or sneak in another tank!
> 
> The price of the whole setup is definitely something I want to forget. But the Eheim 2213 was $80, Light ($60), 1 9L ADA Aqua Soil Bag ($32), 29 gallon $40, plants and livestock ($100s). One of the reasons I cut back the plants and moss was so that I could see the shrimp better.
> 
> -John N.


I just took out all of my plants  the java moss is to takey over and my other plants are dead so i can see my fish and shrimpies now (i have ghost and amano shrimps right now!!) Btw: cliff:i guess that cost is just for buying quality stuff because my first tank was only about 100 $ for everything(and i had tropicals!!)


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## Cliff Mayes

Kenny: Just wait partner, you ain't seen nuthin' yet!

I sometimes call this Hobby an addiction. I suspect John knows all about this.


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## kenny1tothe6

Cliff thats the first time i laughed tonight!!! my betta and my 2 cories got sucked up into their filter...here is the details i gues: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...8enzE0eMbGpg9YAmnPQ--&paid=asked&msgr_status= im upset  PLUS I GET THIS FOR MY BDAY AND I DONT GET TO GO TO THE FREAKIN PETSTORE FOR MY BDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!


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## kenny1tothe6

Sorry John i wasnt trying to take over your page....just out of curiosity what plants would you recommend for a 33 gallon aquarium: low light, no co2 (yet) and no facy substrate (yet).Im guessing your light is about moderate to high right? mine is only 20 watts


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## kenny1tothe6

Hey!! UPDATES!!! Did you reaquascape it??!!


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## John N.

Haven't had the time to redo the tank. I may just leave it be until after the holidays. Been so busy here for the last month. Oh, for your low light and maintenance tank I would recommend a similar setup with easy plants such as java ferns, anubias, and crypts.

I hope to have something of a photo update when I get the chance. Thanks for your interest.

-John N.


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## kenny1tothe6

that would b cool! my new plants are growing new leaves and are doing great....for my BDay I got a new 5 gallon tank witch I PLANNED to use shrimp but I got a betta and he was VERY mean to the Ghost shrimp (only one..trail?)...so yea...i moved them to the community and because i 4got to change the cartridge I had a mass die off. I went from haveing about 200....to about 4!!!!  oh well they are cheap.....so i can replace ....now I gotta get the other betta a new tank ...so does my mom!!!


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## modster

hey john.. how often do you change water? i am tempted to start another shrimp tank, but dont want to do extra water change 

also, did you do anything to the aquasoil before adding into the tank? I have read that ammonia = CRS number 1 killer.


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## kenny1tothe6

I have my shrimp tank as an El Natural.....but I keep the filter on and do 50% water changes every saturday.....(along with my other tanks!)....my shrimp tank has 2 ghosts, 1 male betta, and *soon* 3 -5 WCMM! I plant to have more shrimp and all but yea.....the LFS is outta town


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## kenny1tothe6

JustOutOfCouriousity, What kind of plants do you have now?...list


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