How to Keep River Shrimp in an Aquarium? A Detailed Guide to Practical Breeding Methods

SummaryFor keeping river shrimp in an aquarium, a simple aquascape can be chosen, laying a layer of soil about 10cm thick on the bottom of the tank. River shrimp need a stable water environment, so the water should not be changed frequently; even when changing water, it must be done slowly, and top-up water must also be added by slow dripping. Do not disturb the mud at the bottom of the tank, and try to minimize the impact of fluctuations caused by water changes on the shrimp. Some gentle, small-bodied fish can be kept together in the aquarium.

I. How to Keep River Shrimp in an Aquarium

1. Choose Suitable Species

If you are keeping river shrimp in an aquarium, pay attention to choosing suitable fish. River shrimp are gentle and small in size, so do not keep them together with ferocious, aggressive fish. River shrimp are omnivorous animals and can also eat decaying matter. They can clean up the leftover food from the fish in the aquarium and can also eliminate algae from driftwood, substrate sand and aquatic plants. Therefore, keeping fish and shrimp together is a very good breeding method.

2. How to Aquascape

River shrimp like darkness and dislike bright light, so the aquarium should be kept simple when aquascaping. The shrimp tank mainly contains plants, algae, worms and other microorganisms, but these things have almost no effect on the growth of the shrimp. However, shrimp are relatively sensitive to chemicals, so do not put arms carrying chemical residues deep into the aquarium to fiddle around. If necessary, you can use long tweezers with a length of 38cm or more.

3. Keep the Water Stable

River shrimp need a very stable water environment. Stable water means that the various parameters in the water remain stable without changes and stay at fixed values over the long term. There is no need to change the water frequently, because changing water will destroy the stable environment of the water. When changing water, try to minimize the water quality fluctuations caused by the water change; you can slowly siphon out and add back water. When siphoning, do not siphon away the shrimp, and do not disturb the mud at the bottom of the tank. The slower the top-up speed, the better; water can be added by slow dripping.

II. Preparatory Work for the Shrimp Tank

Lay a layer of soil about 10cm thick in the shrimp tank. For breeding beginners, the thicker the soil, the less conducive it is to controlling water quality. If water fleas or planaria appear in the water, you can add 1-2 guppies, and the guppies can eat these microorganisms. Add the shrimp after the water in the shrimp tank has been properly established. At the beginning, the water quality is unstable, and aquatic plants may show melted or yellow leaves.