In this article, we are going to explain to you all the essential steps to get your shrimp tank off to a good start: how to properly install your filter, how to choose the right substrate for the shrimp… We are also going to tell you about the steps to take for the preparation of the plants. to put in your aquarium, the impoundment of the bottom with the ideal parameters and finally, how to acclimatize the residents.

Choice of aquarium

To start, you can choose to take a small aquarium of 15 to 20 liters . This will be more than enough for your shrimp. These days you can have aquariums that already have a lighting unit, pump, transformer, diffuser stone, filter cartridge and ceramic material for the bottom.

Installing the filter

If you have an aquarium that comes with a filter, it should be attached with suction cups. However, it can be a real challenge to install it since the suction cups always end up not sticking and your filter can therefore come off very regularly. In this case, the trick would be to glue the filter using an aquarium silicone. All you have to do is apply it around the edge of the filter and stick it to the desired location in the aquarium. Then you have to let it dry for 24 hours. The filtration will no longer move. Once the 24 hours have passed, we will be able to start installing everything.

Setting up the bottom of the aquarium

For the bottom of the aquarium, you can take an active bottom substrate that promotes plant growth. You must therefore place it at the very bottom of the aquarium, creating a small, gentle slope towards the front. Thus, all the fish and plant waste will roll in front of the glass and it will be easier to recover. You can add small rocks and it's all done!

Preparation of plants for the aquarium

We will finally be able to start preparing the plants. In the trade, you have the possibility of buying either plants in pot, or in bouquet or plants already fixed on roots or rocks.

For potted plants, the plastic container must first be removed. Next, we will remove the plant from the moss it came in. The game will consist of removing as much foam as possible to free the roots. Then we must rinse and examine well if there is not a small snail lying around. Indeed, although we are careful, sooner or later they will appear. Sometimes you don't see a tiny speck of snails on a leaf and that's how it all starts.

However, rest assured, snails are not a sign of imbalance in the aquarium. We just have to control their proliferation. For plants in a bouquet, make sure when buying that they still have some good roots. This will be a guarantee of a good recovery. The ceramic ring must be removed as well as the ribbon moss that surrounds the plant. Then rinse well.

Plants on roots

For a plant on roots, make sure that its support is in good condition, ie no mould, no snails…and above all don't forget to rinse them well. Indeed, you should know that when you buy a root in the trade, you must remember to clean it well. The ideal is to start by boiling it for good disinfection. Then we can leave the root in the water for a few days so that it soaks up completely and finishes releasing the tannin.

Tannins are plant substances that give water a yellowish color. Not dangerous for fish, but especially annoying for some. The hardest part is finding the right size pot.

This whole process will prevent the plant from floating on the day of installation. You can place small plants in the front and large ones in the back. Be sure to push the roots well into the ground until they are completely locked. And later, you can add plants that the shrimp like like java moss and playa.

Filling step

Once the plants are planted, we will move on to the filling stage. Since tap water is far too hard to accommodate shrimp, we can soften it by cutting it with rested water. You can do 50 50. This should be a good mix for a good start. All that remains is to adjust the heating between 21 and 23 degrees for the shrimps and install the filtration media, including the decantation.

And to get the nitrogen cycle off to a good start, we will add live bacteria and a small pinch of food to feed them. Then it's time to wait a minimum of three weeks before introducing your first shrimp.

Resident acclimatization

Shrimp are very sensitive to chemical variations in the water. You will have to acclimatize them with a good drip for at least two hours. To make a drip, you need a piece of aeration pipe. Then make a good knot at the end and then siphon. Here, the drip is gone to reduce the flow, you just have to tighten the knot or to increase it, loosen the knot.

Once the 2 hours have passed, you can release your first shrimp. Observe these colors, these movements. It's an ever-evolving show.