I'm amazed how many folks still think you MUST have a filter. With a planted tank, you can keep fish, shrimp, AND snails without a filter. It just needs to be done correctly, keeping a light bio-load in mind. Most of my tanks have small internal filters that run only a few hours a day to circulate water, break up surface tension, and pull small particles out of the water column. The fish, shrimp, and snails are healthy and thriving. I'm getting ready to switch the filtration in 2 29g tanks to the same arrangement - they're both lightly stocked and heavily planted. Other than an intake sponge on both of their HOBs, there's no actual filtration going on - just water circulation and surface agitation. With the exception of my oldest, my tanks are dirted with deep beds and heavy planting (Walstad method) - with plants both below AND above the waterline. Shrimp love them. So much for them to pick at and explore. LOL
I found myself nodding reading your comment. For some reason online, fish keepers continually flex over HOW MANY filters they are running. Surely we should flex about HOW LITTLE filtration we have. Takes far more skill using less filtration than more IMO.
@@FishKeepingAnswers Totally agree. Also, I have to do a LOT less work than they do, so there's that. 😁 I've been amazed at how low maintenance a healthy, minimal filtration setup can actually be.
Anoxic filtration will actually remove nitrates from the water or keep them low enough to not worry. Little hard to explain, but super easy to setup with undergravel filter. My ten gallon shrimp tank is absolutely awesome using this. I really didn't want to change water if these little guys start breeding and the anoxic filter solves that issue. Dr Novak explains so much better if anyone is interested. A little bit of fanboy praise - I held off on shrimp tank until I watched dozens of your videos! Haven't lost any shrimp and they are busy little bees in their own planted tank. Just got my order of Christmas moss for them. Hoping they'll enjoy! Great stuff on this channel and so so so glad I found 😁
Hey, thanks for taking the time to comment. You are 100% right about anoxic filtration. However my videos are very much aimed at newer shrimp keepers and talking about anoxic filtration and plenums will just confuse people. Glad you are finding value in my work. It’s nice to know the hard work is paying off 🥳
I stripped an old tank down once and left it out in the back garden. 2 years later I went to move it and after 2 winters of ice and no filter or heater or plants there where shrimp still alive in the bottom 1/2 inch of slurry.
Thanks for making your videos Richard, I have watched and learned from a few. You are very enthusiastic and fun to watch, plus knowledgeable. You've got another subscriber. Cheers.
Hi thank you for making your channel, I use your videos as my safety net when Im still learning about water parameters for my neocaridina. Do u have videos on caridina or sulawesi shrimp ? Would love to see some!
Hi. Thanks for the feedback. I am glad you are finding my videos helpful. I only keep Neocaridina because my water is naturally perfect for them but terrible for Caridina 👍🏻
There's a bunch of little sponge filters that are perfect for shrimp tanks. I have a Hygger nano sponge filter that is tiny and way too cute! But I think the main thing with filter or non filter set ups is like you said, bio load. If you have more plants than livestock, you really don't need it as your plants are your filter. Also, is your orange and white goldfish blind in one eye?
I mean.. even if you're experienced you might need a filter in the beginning for tactical reasons.. and it's funny from what perspective you're coming from. I go yeah.. finally someone who doesn't use filter.. And then you talk about airstone and water changes.. In a planted shrimp tank. if in sun light and heavily planted.. you don't need air stone, filter, water changes or even feed. Use this as a baseline instead. I mean if you are having an airstone... you might aswell just connect it to a spongefilter instead of an air stone.. same cost.. but with filter surely having the advantage.. waterchanges to keep nitrites out? so you can add them later again for fert? no water changes and heavily planted tank.. you will not have any problems with salts or nitrogen if the lighting is sufficient. PS. Your vids are great.. they deserve more views! Keep it up
@@scotmcpherson I've got guppies, ember tetras, lemon tetras, Endler's, a honey gourami, chili rasboras, various cories, bristlenose plecos. The lemons are the largest, but the tank is heavily planted, so the shrimp do fine. When I see people warn against basically having ANY fish with shrimp, I just roll my eyes and move on. LOL
@FishKeepingAnswers Set up my first breeding tub this morning with some Val, monkey-tail, and java-moss letting it season for 30 days before adding some stock its a 13gal tub. my community skittles shrimps are about to let their babies fly got 2 big berried females that should have hatchlings within the next few days, still waiting for the plants to grow in and the minnows are breeding like crazy so are the shrimp, have a poll up for stocking the breeder tub on my channel.
So you added 6 neo's into the gallon vase? I am sterilizing a 1.25 gallon, I guess it'd be pretty much an imperial gallon (lol) vase that I was using as a hospice container for a shrimp with that Ellobiopsea fungus/ parasite that such one of my shrimp from a local fish store. Luckily the other shrimp seem not to have been infected, 🤞. But since I can't add to that tank, I'm going to set up a vase. If I have moss and floating plants, do you think an air stone is even needed? And would 3 or so shrimp be better to start with? Or just add the six? Thanks!! I have adored every one of your videos!! Keep up the great work!!
Personally, I would add an airstone no matter how many plants you have. An air stone will create surface agitation and create water circulation within the vase, preventing dead spots developing. Also, I would just put all 6 in. The difference in bio load between 3 and 6 in negligible 👍🏻
Have you ever tried without the airstones? The tanks where people don't use them and just have millions of plants always seem appealing, however I'm curious if it reduces things like how often they breed etc. I might set one up side by side with another and test it out, and see what happens with 2 identical tanks.
Hi. The biggest issue I have come across WITHOUT an airstone, is the oily film that develops on the surface. Having no surface movement at all hasn’t really worked for me in the past. Would love to hear the results if you do set up that experiment 👍🏻
Great vid! I’m going to start a 1 gallon shrimp tank. How do you do water changes in it? Just like a regular tank with a gravel vac? Or, do you just top it off every once in a while?
Typically, I just find myself topping off the really small bowls and vases. Small containers with a small number of shrimp really don’t produce much waste, so large water changes shouldn’t really be needed, especially if you also have live plants 😉
Thank you for this. However, would like to know the health of the shrimps which breeds in the unfiltered tanks against the filtered tanks. Will remove sponge filters today from 2 of my breeding tubs to check and compare. B/w wanted to check if you are closing the tub? Believe you have a small opening behind for the airation?
I have never noticed any real difference wether or not there is a filter running. The air line passes through a small hole drilled in the back of the tub. The lid clicks on, but it doesn’t create an airtight seal 👍🏻
Hi. Just to prevent excess evaporation. It’s not totally airtight. The airstone is bubbling away in there so there is plenty of fresh air going in, and stale air will be leaving through gaps around the lids 👍🏻
I've setup an outdoor bathtub pond using a dirt substrate with a deep sand layer and plants. I filter the water by pumping it through a gravel bog filter, and it has several plants growing out of the top. One thing i am having issue with is, the water out of my tap is a PH of 8.5. Its been 3 or 4 weeks since i filled the tub, and the PH is stable at 8.5, but it seems quite high. I don't want to kill anything when they get added to the tank (guppies, maybe some shrimp). I've been thinking of adding some peat moss using a sock or the wife's old pantyhose. I figured i could tie it off somewhere so that it is dangling in the water, so i can pull it out and change if needed. Is that a bad idea? I am not sure, short of buying a reverse osmosis water filter, whether this approach will produce a stable PH, or whether i am setting my future fish up for demise.
Hi. I suspect guppies will be just fine at 8.5 pH. They are usually very hardy, although I would just go for generic, so called ‘mutt’ guppies rather than an especially fancy strain. Typically the fancier the guppy the less hardy they are. Reducing pH without using an RO unit is notorious hard. If you also have a high level of KH (carbonate hardness) then your pH might be pretty stubborn and harder to lower. Truth be told, if I had your water, I would add half a dozen guppies and half a dozen RCS and see how they do 🤞🏻 Would love to hear how you get on. 👍🏻
Hi there, Ive been keeping fish for 3 years, and I want to try shrimp. I have a 20g tall set in a vintage TV.....I also have a small wooden vintage TV that holds a 1g cube.....is that doable?...and how many shrimp would you suggest?
I gotten 10 red cherries in a 3 gallon and 4 of them died within a week after getting them. I do see moldings around. so im guessing they died after molding. I gotten them after my betta died. So if this does not work out, then i guess im gonna keep my tank only with plants.
Maybe you need some research for their habitats, I meant I found a wild ghost shrimp who seems sucked from tap water industry and decided keep it in small half gallon tank because other tank was too overcrowded. As far I know they like small pebble or smooth rock for hide, floating plant, a fine sand as substrates, dark place and they love fish pellets than a veggie I had keep water shallow so they can grap the pellet from surface (I don't had any sinking pellet)
@@kindnessisgold well yeah that was odd some people can keep pet alive with minimal effort and other can't make it despite had proper maintenance, anyway maybe the shrimp you pick was breed for food so they expected life short compared mine who healthy wild shrimp.
I'm amazed how many folks still think you MUST have a filter. With a planted tank, you can keep fish, shrimp, AND snails without a filter. It just needs to be done correctly, keeping a light bio-load in mind. Most of my tanks have small internal filters that run only a few hours a day to circulate water, break up surface tension, and pull small particles out of the water column. The fish, shrimp, and snails are healthy and thriving. I'm getting ready to switch the filtration in 2 29g tanks to the same arrangement - they're both lightly stocked and heavily planted. Other than an intake sponge on both of their HOBs, there's no actual filtration going on - just water circulation and surface agitation. With the exception of my oldest, my tanks are dirted with deep beds and heavy planting (Walstad method) - with plants both below AND above the waterline. Shrimp love them. So much for them to pick at and explore. LOL
I found myself nodding reading your comment. For some reason online, fish keepers continually flex over HOW MANY filters they are running. Surely we should flex about HOW LITTLE filtration we have. Takes far more skill using less filtration than more IMO.
@@FishKeepingAnswers Totally agree. Also, I have to do a LOT less work than they do, so there's that. 😁 I've been amazed at how low maintenance a healthy, minimal filtration setup can actually be.
Anoxic filtration will actually remove nitrates from the water or keep them low enough to not worry. Little hard to explain, but super easy to setup with undergravel filter. My ten gallon shrimp tank is absolutely awesome using this. I really didn't want to change water if these little guys start breeding and the anoxic filter solves that issue. Dr Novak explains so much better if anyone is interested. A little bit of fanboy praise - I held off on shrimp tank until I watched dozens of your videos! Haven't lost any shrimp and they are busy little bees in their own planted tank. Just got my order of Christmas moss for them. Hoping they'll enjoy! Great stuff on this channel and so so so glad I found 😁
Hey, thanks for taking the time to comment. You are 100% right about anoxic filtration. However my videos are very much aimed at newer shrimp keepers and talking about anoxic filtration and plenums will just confuse people.
Glad you are finding value in my work. It’s nice to know the hard work is paying off 🥳
I stripped an old tank down once and left it out in the back garden. 2 years later I went to move it and after 2 winters of ice and no filter or heater or plants there where shrimp still alive in the bottom 1/2 inch of slurry.
Your knowledge has been so valuable for this noob shrimp hobbyist 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
You are SO welcome 👍🏻
All my i struggle to anwers my self abiut this?? Thanks MATE
Thanks for making your videos Richard, I have watched and learned from a few. You are very enthusiastic and fun to watch, plus knowledgeable. You've got another subscriber. Cheers.
Thank you for your kind words and welcome to the channel 🫶🏻
Another top class informative video , so easy to understand you , so helpful
🫶🏻
Thank you Richard you nailed it
Thank you my friend 🙏🏻
Hi thank you for making your channel, I use your videos as my safety net when Im still learning about water parameters for my neocaridina. Do u have videos on caridina or sulawesi shrimp ? Would love to see some!
Hi. Thanks for the feedback. I am glad you are finding my videos helpful. I only keep Neocaridina because my water is naturally perfect for them but terrible for Caridina 👍🏻
There's a bunch of little sponge filters that are perfect for shrimp tanks. I have a Hygger nano sponge filter that is tiny and way too cute! But I think the main thing with filter or non filter set ups is like you said, bio load. If you have more plants than livestock, you really don't need it as your plants are your filter.
Also, is your orange and white goldfish blind in one eye?
Yep, he only has the 1 eye 😕
I mean.. even if you're experienced you might need a filter in the beginning for tactical reasons.. and it's funny from what perspective you're coming from.
I go yeah.. finally someone who doesn't use filter.. And then you talk about airstone and water changes..
In a planted shrimp tank. if in sun light and heavily planted.. you don't need air stone, filter, water changes or even feed. Use this as a baseline instead.
I mean if you are having an airstone... you might aswell just connect it to a spongefilter instead of an air stone.. same cost.. but with filter surely having the advantage..
waterchanges to keep nitrites out? so you can add them later again for fert?
no water changes and heavily planted tank.. you will not have any problems with salts or nitrogen if the lighting is sufficient.
PS.
Your vids are great.. they deserve more views!
Keep it up
yea air stone instead of a simple sponge makes no sense at all
Java moss is brilliant. I use it s lot too
I do a natural setup .like father fish..rarely do i use a filter.just plants
👍🏻
I may have missed it. But theres no air stone in the one gallons correct? How does the oxygen exchange happen in those?
Do you mean the bowl and vase in the shelf? They both have airstones running in them 👍🏻
@@FishKeepingAnswers okay gotcha thanks.
Wait, did you have a guppy in with the cherry shrimp? Don't you know you can't do that? Sheesh... 😆
Great video. Keep them coming 🙃
😳😳😳
😂 thanks for the feedback 🙏🏻
😄
i have fish in with my shrimp. Including guppies. Not sure I would risk mollies though. Both the fish and the shrimp successfully breed and multiply.
@@scotmcpherson I've got guppies, ember tetras, lemon tetras, Endler's, a honey gourami, chili rasboras, various cories, bristlenose plecos. The lemons are the largest, but the tank is heavily planted, so the shrimp do fine. When I see people warn against basically having ANY fish with shrimp, I just roll my eyes and move on. LOL
@@dawnt6791 yeah those sound fine. Pretty much an nano or almost nano fish, and herbivores will be fine.
@FishKeepingAnswers Set up my first breeding tub this morning with some Val, monkey-tail, and java-moss letting it season for 30 days before adding some stock its a 13gal tub. my community skittles shrimps are about to let their babies fly got 2 big berried females that should have hatchlings within the next few days, still waiting for the plants to grow in and the minnows are breeding like crazy so are the shrimp, have a poll up for stocking the breeder tub on my channel.
Sounds top notch. Would love to hear how it all goes for you 🤞🏻
So you added 6 neo's into the gallon vase? I am sterilizing a 1.25 gallon, I guess it'd be pretty much an imperial gallon (lol) vase that I was using as a hospice container for a shrimp with that Ellobiopsea fungus/ parasite that such one of my shrimp from a local fish store. Luckily the other shrimp seem not to have been infected, 🤞. But since I can't add to that tank, I'm going to set up a vase. If I have moss and floating plants, do you think an air stone is even needed? And would 3 or so shrimp be better to start with? Or just add the six? Thanks!! I have adored every one of your videos!! Keep up the great work!!
Personally, I would add an airstone no matter how many plants you have. An air stone will create surface agitation and create water circulation within the vase, preventing dead spots developing. Also, I would just put all 6 in. The difference in bio load between 3 and 6 in negligible 👍🏻
@@FishKeepingAnswersthanks for answering! And thanks for the useful info!🙏
🫶🏻
Have you ever tried without the airstones? The tanks where people don't use them and just have millions of plants always seem appealing, however I'm curious if it reduces things like how often they breed etc. I might set one up side by side with another and test it out, and see what happens with 2 identical tanks.
Hi. The biggest issue I have come across WITHOUT an airstone, is the oily film that develops on the surface. Having no surface movement at all hasn’t really worked for me in the past.
Would love to hear the results if you do set up that experiment 👍🏻
Hello Richard! Do you recommend keeping caridina shrimp without a filter? I currently have neos that seem to do just fine in a planted no tech!
Hi. I only keep Neocaridina shrimp. For questions on Caridina shrimp I would refer you to Mark from @marksshrimptanks 🫶🏻
Great vid! I’m going to start a 1 gallon shrimp tank. How do you do water changes in it? Just like a regular tank with a gravel vac? Or, do you just top it off every once in a while?
Typically, I just find myself topping off the really small bowls and vases. Small containers with a small number of shrimp really don’t produce much waste, so large water changes shouldn’t really be needed, especially if you also have live plants 😉
Thank you for this. However, would like to know the health of the shrimps which breeds in the unfiltered tanks against the filtered tanks. Will remove sponge filters today from 2 of my breeding tubs to check and compare. B/w wanted to check if you are closing the tub? Believe you have a small opening behind for the airation?
I have never noticed any real difference wether or not there is a filter running.
The air line passes through a small hole drilled in the back of the tub. The lid clicks on, but it doesn’t create an airtight seal 👍🏻
Can I ask why you close the breeding tub? Some people say it was preventing the gas exchange is that for prevent outside pest to enter tank?
Hi. Just to prevent excess evaporation. It’s not totally airtight. The airstone is bubbling away in there so there is plenty of fresh air going in, and stale air will be leaving through gaps around the lids 👍🏻
I've setup an outdoor bathtub pond using a dirt substrate with a deep sand layer and plants. I filter the water by pumping it through a gravel bog filter, and it has several plants growing out of the top. One thing i am having issue with is, the water out of my tap is a PH of 8.5. Its been 3 or 4 weeks since i filled the tub, and the PH is stable at 8.5, but it seems quite high. I don't want to kill anything when they get added to the tank (guppies, maybe some shrimp). I've been thinking of adding some peat moss using a sock or the wife's old pantyhose. I figured i could tie it off somewhere so that it is dangling in the water, so i can pull it out and change if needed. Is that a bad idea? I am not sure, short of buying a reverse osmosis water filter, whether this approach will produce a stable PH, or whether i am setting my future fish up for demise.
Hi. I suspect guppies will be just fine at 8.5 pH. They are usually very hardy, although I would just go for generic, so called ‘mutt’ guppies rather than an especially fancy strain. Typically the fancier the guppy the less hardy they are.
Reducing pH without using an RO unit is notorious hard. If you also have a high level of KH (carbonate hardness) then your pH might be pretty stubborn and harder to lower.
Truth be told, if I had your water, I would add half a dozen guppies and half a dozen RCS and see how they do 🤞🏻
Would love to hear how you get on. 👍🏻
Hi there, Ive been keeping fish for 3 years, and I want to try shrimp. I have a 20g tall set in a vintage TV.....I also have a small wooden vintage TV that holds a 1g cube.....is that doable?...and how many shrimp would you suggest?
I would say that is doable. Start with 5 or 6 shrimp and see how you get on. Would love to hear how it goes 🤞🏻
Can shrimp live without any aerator or filter?
Can they? Yes! Is it far better for them and the quality of the aquarium water if they have one or the other? Yes! 👍🏻
Where are the breeding tubs from ?
They are from Amazon
Ppless show yr aquarium of goldfish
Hi Richard - thanks that was very informative! k
🫶🏻
Can i keep them in plastic ball?
Shrimp?
I gotten 10 red cherries in a 3 gallon and 4 of them died within a week after getting them. I do see moldings around. so im guessing they died after molding. I gotten them after my betta died. So if this does not work out, then i guess im gonna keep my tank only with plants.
Sorry to hear you have lost some. Never give up! Persistence usually pays off 🤞🏻
Fish keepers lose fish....I've lost 4 , each in separate tanks within a week....it happens....keep trying, don't give up 😊
Anyone found a silent air pump? I have a small shrimp tankk in my bedroom. They all make so much noise
I run mine on timers. They kick off at 11pm and back on at 7am. Solves the problem
@@FishKeepingAnswers so essentially when I'm about to sleep I let it work all night long but during the day I keep it off and silent? Smart
what about oxygen?
My shrimps are dying. Its very disheartening
That is sad to hear 😕
I can't even keep ghost shrimp alive
😕
Maybe you need some research for their habitats, I meant I found a wild ghost shrimp who seems sucked from tap water industry and decided keep it in small half gallon tank because other tank was too overcrowded.
As far I know they like small pebble or smooth rock for hide, floating plant, a fine sand as substrates, dark place and they love fish pellets than a veggie I had keep water shallow so they can grap the pellet from surface (I don't had any sinking pellet)
I have researched and still they die
@@kindnessisgold well yeah that was odd some people can keep pet alive with minimal effort and other can't make it despite had proper maintenance, anyway maybe the shrimp you pick was breed for food so they expected life short compared mine who healthy wild shrimp.
@@kindnessisgold Check pH and hardness. And temp.