ZajelZajel عربي Get the app

Shrimp tank: step-by-step setup

4 steps from choosing the spot to adding the first fish.

  1. 20–40 L on a sponge filter

    Sponge filter (safe for babies), lots of moss. Caridina needs soil and remineralised RO (TDS 100–200); Neocaridina live in normal water.

  2. Cycle the tank (the key step)

    Fill with dechlorinated water, run filter and heater, add an ammonia source (a pinch of food daily or 2 ppm ammonia) plus bottled bacteria. Test every two days: ammonia rises, then nitrite, then nitrate. Ready when ammonia and nitrite read zero three times in a row and nitrate shows (2–6 weeks). Log the tests and Zajel shows the stage.

  3. No copper

    Any copper medicine kills shrimp. Stability first: only 10% changes weekly.

  4. Strains and grades

    Neocaridina: sakura, fire red, bloody mary, blue dream. Caridina CRS/CBS from C to SSS. Keep colours apart or they revert to brown.