How to Keep Crystal Shrimp? A Detailed Guide to Breeding Techniques and Precautions

Crystal shrimp are very delicate creatures, and a moment of carelessness can put their lives at risk. Therefore, one of the most important things in keeping healthy crystal shrimp is maintaining excellent water quality. Crystal shrimp differ from ordinary ornamental shrimp in that they are extremely sensitive to the water quality of their environment, so in addition to observing changes in water quality and removing microorganisms from the substrate, you must also constantly monitor the pH value of the water.

How to Keep Crystal Shrimp

1. The most basic requirement for keeping crystal shrimp well is the choice of aquarium. The glass tank selected should not be too small; it is best to choose a tank of 60cm or above. A tank that is too small holds little water, and water quality is hard to control. The impact of water quality fluctuations in a small tank is often the factor determining the survival rate of crystal shrimp.

2. Filters. Broadly speaking, these can be divided into undergravel filtration plus canister filtration, or canister filtration alone. Personally, I prefer to use ordinary canister filtration equipment, just like in a planted tank. Regardless of whether it is undergravel filtration plus canister filtration or canister filtration alone, the most important purpose is actually to filter out dirty debris from the water and cultivate enough beneficial bacteria in the filter canister to break down components harmful to aquatic life.

3. Generally speaking, the most common and commonly used substrate for keeping crystal shrimp is soil. Alternatively, you can first lay a layer of volcanic rock on the bottom and then cover it with soil. The bottom layer of volcanic rock has the function of cultivating bacteria and helps break down components harmful to aquatic life.

4. Driftwood and other equipment. Moss is the most commonly used type of aquatic plant in crystal shrimp tanks; its growing requirements are very low, and it needs hardly any care. You can simply tie it to driftwood and it is ready to use. It helps the shrimp hide, especially during the period when the shrimp are at their most vulnerable after molting.

Precautions for Keeping Crystal Shrimp

1. A good habitat is the primary prerequisite for successful breeding, and the most influential factor is water quality data. Generally speaking, the standard values for keeping crystal shrimp are pH 6.2~6.8, GH 4~6, and TDS 150~220, while the water temperature should be maintained at 24~26℃. The female shrimp expends a great deal of energy during the egg-carrying process and is much more fragile than usual, and may even drop her eggs or die suddenly as a result, so you must be especially careful with water quality and temperature.

2. Having a small amount of algae in the breeding tank is beneficial. However, not all algae are eaten by crystal shrimp; for example, blue-green algae and filamentous algae will multiply more and more until they cover the entire tank. Although they will not affect the crystal shrimp, they are very unsightly and need to be removed. But remember, crystal shrimp are very fragile aquatic creatures, so never use any medication to deal with algae.

3. Regardless of whether the crystal shrimp are large or small, you must try to keep the water quality stable. Sudden drastic changes are a great threat to their lives, especially for shrimp born in the tank. The water quality referred to here includes the minerals (trace elements) in the water, water temperature, pH, GH, and so on. Therefore, when changing the water in a crystal shrimp tank, try to avoid changing too much water at once; it is best to change only about 20% at a time.

Crystal Shrimp Diseases

1. Taura syndrome virus disease, abbreviated as TSV. When the water temperature reaches as high as 28℃, crystal shrimp become prone to this disease. Water transparency is low, pH is above 9, and ammonia nitrogen content is above 0.5 mg/L, with the shrimp having been kept for more than two months. This disease is highly harmful to crystal shrimp and has a very high mortality rate. Taura syndrome virus is mainly transmitted horizontally, and the incidence rate is low in crystal shrimp raised in freshwater.

2. White spot syndrome, abbreviated as WSSV. The symptoms of white spot syndrome are: affected crystal shrimp greatly reduce their food intake, or even stop eating. They move slowly and sluggishly, and their jumping is weak. They float on the water surface or lie motionless at the bottom of the tank by the edge. The head-thorax carapace and abdominal carapace are easy to peel apart, and the body color of diseased shrimp often turns slightly red or fades to a dull color, with dirt adhering to the body surface. White spots on the inside of the shell can be seen directly with the naked eye.

What Crystal Shrimp Eat

1. Mainly feed spinach, kelp, and various pesticide-free vegetables. Frozen bloodworms and fish food for small tetras.

2. Use lighting equipment with red tubes. Just like the meat products displayed in supermarkets, even meat products that have been left out for a day or so will appear very fresh under lighting equipment with red tubes. Therefore, when setting up a planted tank for crystal shrimp, you can make use of this visual illusion.

Crystal shrimp currently have high market value, so keeping crystal shrimp is certainly very profitable, but only with effort comes reward. The various difficulties and dangers encountered along the way also require us to face them with the utmost vigilance, so here I share some experience with everyone for your reference and correction.