Setting up a Crystal Red Shrimp tank

Cycling The Aquarium Tank

Step# 6 - I will let the aquarium tank run for 24 hours before performing 100% water change with de-chlorinated water to continue with the cycling. This helps to clear up some of the debris (if any) in the water.

Some aquarium shops will try to promote soil gravel that do not contain ammonia so that you could introduce shrimps into the tank just after three days. Without proper tank cycling, you will run into problem sooner or later. Always remember the importance of the Nitrogen Cycle that I have mentioned at the beginning of this article.

Tip# However, you can shorten the cycling time by using the following tips, but do not attempt to ignore the cycling process.

• Aerating the water
• Maintaining water temperature at 28-32 degree Celsius
• Keeping pH around 7 (Typically the pH is lower when using soil gravel, you can buffer with coral chips to increase the pH.)
• Using age filter media from another tank
• Introducing commercial live bacteria, example Fritz-Zyme #7

Patience, Patience, Patience

As most of us do not have the equipment to measure the numbers of bacteria at home, we can only base our assumptions on other water parameters and judgments to know if the tank is ready.

Check for Ammonia every alternate days using a commercial ammonia test kit, you will notice that Ammonia will start to reduce on the first 7-14 days. Nitrite level will rise.

If you can recall what I mentioned in the Nitrogen Cycle, with the Ammonia gone, Nitrobacter will thrive and starts to convert harmful Nitrite to Nitrate. It will takes another 14-21 days to reduce the levels of Nitrite. Constantly check the presence of Ammonia and Nitrite, sometimes there will be a certain surge in Ammonia level. This is normal, you just have to wait for the tank to get cycled. There is no way we can measure bacteria at home without the sophisticated equipment. So do we know when the tank is ready?

Tip# Check for at least three consecutive days of zero Ammonia and Nitrite.

Once the tank is fully cycled, there will be a large amount of Nitrate presence in the water for the first occurrence. Perform a 100% water change with de-chlorinated water. After the first water change, make sure that Ammonia and Nitrite level remains at zero. Biologically, the tank is now ready. The rest is just water parameters that you need to control. For those living in the warmer climates, I suggest you use a chiller to control the water temperature. Since soil gravel is used, you will need to buffer the pH to prevent it from falling below pH 6.2.

Setting up a Crystal Red Shrimp tank

Canister Filter and Filter Media

Step# 5 - Pro Hobbyists like to use canister filter as compared to other filter system. This is due to the fact that canister filter can provide the best biological filter system. A good filter system will maintain a balance in the Nitrogen Cycle.

Choose a canister filter that has a two to three times flow rate of the total water volume in your tank. For example, if the total water volume in your tank is 100 liters, choose a canister that has a flow rate of 300 liters/per hour.

The brand and type of filter media used in the canister filter is a closely guarded secret of many Pro Hobbyists. A typical canister filter has a few filter layers or chambers that the water will pass through in sequence; Mechanical, Biological and Chemical/ Adsorptive chambers. Water will pass through these chambers, get "purified" and return as clean water to the tank. Check the manufacturer user manual to find out the layout of the chambers in your canister filter system.

Tip# Soak and rise your newly purchase filter media before using.

Mechanical - Remove Particles

Mechanical filter media works like a mesh trapping particulate wastes as they pass through the filter chambers.

In this chamber, I use Mr. Aqua Ceramic Ring (S Size) at the bottom to filter large particles. Next I put a piece of Japanese mat on top to filter medium size particles. Follow by a cotton wool pad which filters small fine particles. You can use two pieces of cotton wool pad to further filter away tiny particles.

Biological - Encourage growth of BB

The Biological chamber is to provide the largest surface area for the Nitrifying Bacteria (Also known as Beneficial Bacteria) to grow and thrive.

In this chamber, I use Biohomme Sintered Glass filter media. Sintered Glass has one of the highest surface area and is the most suitable media to house bacteria.

Chemical/Adsorptive - Remove Chemicals

The Chemical/Adsorptive chamber provides the removal of medications or additives and odor.

I will fill this chamber with 80% Mr. Aqua Ceramic Ring (M Size). This is to provide the additional bacteria colonies that CRS need. The remaining 20% is to fill up with Adsorptive media.

Tip# Pro Hobbyists add Active Carbon as an Adsorptive in this chamber. Not all Active Carbon is suitable, insist on only those made from natural ingredients. Remember to change the Active Carbon regularly as recommended by the manufacturer.

For Active Carbon, I choose Mr. Aqua Bamboo Carbon together with an additional cotton wool pad. Please do not add any other Chemical/Adsorptive media besides Active Carbon. CRS are very sensitive to chemicals and you will most probably kill it.

Connect the canister filter to the tank and fill it with de-chlorinated water. Let the new canister filter run.

Setting up a Crystal Red Shrimp tank

Aquatic Plants

Step# 4 - Some aquatic plants require strong light, fertilizers or high CO² consumption. Luckily Crystal Red Shrimps do not require special or fanciful aquatic plants, they will thrive with simple mosses and driftwood. I do not use fertilizer in my aquarium tank, just a bit of CO² at 2 bubbles per second. Some fertilizer can kill CRS, I rather not take the risk!

Tip# In order not to introduce any unwanted pests like snails, bugs, worms and algae into your aquarium tank, you may want to quarantine and observe your plants first. Some pro hobbyists used potassium permanganate disinfectant bath method to remove pests. I do not encourage the use of chemicals, I usually purchase my plants from reliable sources and use the quarantine and observation method.

Tip# Always wash and soaked the driftwood for at least two weeks before placing it in your tank. Driftwood contains tannic acid that will cause "brownish" water effects on your tank. Pro Hobbyists are very skeptical about using bog wood. Bog wood seems to release a kind of sap that will kill CRS.

Note# Some pro hobbyists will not recommend cycling the new tank with the presence of aquatic plants. The plants are introduced after the tank is cycled. Especially with gravel like ADA, GEX, MagicSoil etc, initial pH for these gravel can be as low as 4 which some plants may not be able to survive.

Noticed I used Amazon Swords at both ends of the tank, this helps to camouflage the ugly looking UGF pipes. Add anti-chlorine first before adding water to the tank. Next fill up the aquarium tank with water very slowly using an air hose. This is to prevent water from disturbing the gravel and the mineral rock powder.

With Magic Soil, the water looks clean even on first water top up. No dirty debris floating around. I had added a piece of driftwood with Süßwassertang plant (freshwater seaweed, in German) tied to it. You can create your own design by using different type of mosses and driftwoods.

Setting up a Crystal Red Shrimp tank

The Mineral Rock Controversy

Step# 3 - There has been a lot of controversy regarding the use of mineral rock powder or mineral rock. One common misconception is that the mineral rock will increase Crystal Red Shrimp grading, for example from Grade A to Grade SS. Increase in grades is only possible through several generations of selective breeding.

Mineral rock contains some level of calcium, too much calcium will increase water hardness which may cause molting or hardening problems. However having said that, mineral rock is not all calcium only, it contains other natural minerals that shrimps need in the water to aid in growth and breeding. Always use a GH/KH test kit to test carbonate hardness when using mineral rock or mineral rock powder, it should not exceed GH 3. Some mineral rock dissolves very quickly in water and cannot be used as a decoration in the tank. Choose the type of mineral rock properly.

Personally I like to add mineral rock or mineral rock powder in the tank.

Tip# Evenly spread a thin layer of Mineral Rock Powder on the first layer of gravel, then cover with remaining gravel. If your tank is already setup, you can choose to place a mineral rock in the tank or add mineral rock powder at regular basis.

I like to create a slope from the back to the front of the tank, this gives a 3D effect when view from the front. Notice that the gravel used is at least 4cm (1.5 in) thick?

Tip# Pro hobbyists like thick gravel, this is to provide enough space for beneficial bacteria to grow.

Setting up a Crystal Red Shrimp tank

The Aquarium Tank Setup

Step# 2 - In this section, we discuss the fundamental equipment and materials required for tank setup as well as how to handle them. Bear in mind that any brand recommended are solely individual's preferences, you may substitute similar products from other leading brands of your choice.

Equipment List:

• 91cm(L) x 45cm(W) x 61cm(H) custom-made glass aquarium tank
• Eheim Professional II 2026 External Canister Filter
• Eheim Air Pump 400
• Custom made Lighting with 2x Arcadia T5 Plant Pro 39w Tube
• Standard Under Gravel Filter

Always wash your newly acquired tank regardless of the condition. It does not take much effort, simply use a sponge to run through the tank inside surface and drain out the water. Then fill the tank with water and soak it for at least a day. Drain out the water and dry the tank. Never use detergent to wash your tank. If you really want to wash it clean, you can use a bit of aquarium salt to soak or wash it.

	Next, place the Under Gravel Filter at the bottom before putting the gravel. There are several methods of using UGF, this method is based on the concept of The Nitrogen Cycle. In this design, the UGF serves as a biological mechanism to help breakdown waste, air is pump into two inlet pipes at both end of the tank to provide sufficient oxygen required by the nitrifying bacteria.

What Gravel to use?

You can use any soil gravel, however I recommend to use either GEX Soil or Magic Soil, both are from Japan. I prefer using Japanese Magic Soil with UGF, the gravel is bigger in size and does not contain too much debris as compare to other leading brand.

For this tank size (91x 45x61cm), 3 packs (10 litres each) will be used. Evenly spread out the first pack and make sure it covers both inlet pipes of the UGF. With Magic Soil, no base fertilizer is needed.

Setting up a Crystal Red Shrimp tank

Crystal Red Shrimp (CRS) or Red Bee Shrimp is one of the most sensitive freshwater shrimps to be kept in an aquarium. Besides the narrow pH range of 6.4-7.4, water temperature (23-26ºC or 73.4-78.8F), zero ammonia water and other water parameters, you need clean water. A slight change in water parameters can easily affect Crystal Red Shrimp grading, color and even the survive in the aquarium. Thus, it requires patience and in-depth understanding of how to setup and provide an aquatic eco system for them.

The Nitrogen Cycle & The Nitrifying Bacteria
Ever wonder why your shrimps are dying within a week of introducing to a newly setup tank?

Step# 1 - To begin, you will need to understand and have sufficient knowledge of The Nitrogen Cycle. It is the process in which nitrifying (aka beneficial) bacteria breaks down nitrogen based compounds gradually from Ammonia (NH³) to Nitrite (NO²) and finally to Nitrate (NO³).

Ammonia is resulted from large amount of waste such as excrement from shrimps, decaying plant, leftover food and all other organic matter in the aquarium. Since Ammonia and Nitrite are extremely toxic to Crystal Red shrimp, it is necessary to remove them from the tank through this process of breaking down to Nitrate which will be absorbed by plants.

In a newly setup (uncycled) aquarium, nitrifying bacteria are already presence in the water, gravel and filter system. It is critical that these beneficial bacteria thrive to a large population in order to breakdown the waste that will eventually be produced within the aquarium ecosystem. Even with a cycled tank, as the population of the shrimp increases, more and more Ammonia will be produced. The aquarium requires time to build up adequate nitrifying bacteria to counter the waste produced. This direct relationship between Ammonia and the nitrifying bacteria is commonly known as Bio Load.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE: To start off the Cycle, there must be Ammonia presence in your new aquarium. Since most shrimp tank setup will probably use processed soil as the gravel, this should not be a problem. Nitrifying bacteria known as Nitrosomonas, takes about 7 to 10 days to build up sufficient amount in order to convert Ammonia to Nitrite.

During this period, Nitrite, an equally toxic substance is also presence in the water. This requires another nitrifying bacteria known as Nitrobacter to convert it to Nitrate. Nitrobacter can only thrive well in the absence of Ammonia, it will take another 14 to 21 days for the Nitrobacter to build up and convert Nitrite to Nitrate.

Based on the above, it takes at least 3 to 4 weeks to complete the Nitrogen cycle. In some occasions, it takes up to 6 weeks. During the initial stage, it is recommended to check with Ammonia and Nitrite test kit every 3-4 days. Once the aquarium tank is fully cycled, a monthly periodic check is recommended or whenever the tank has problem.

Although Nitrate is not really a toxic to the shrimps, it is best to keep below 3ppm for your aquarium (Crystal Red Shrimp is sensitive to high nitrate). Too much Nitrate can also cause algae blooms. Nitrate can be reduced by a weekly water change at 10-15%, or consumed by rapid growing aquatic plants like frogbit or waterpoppy.

Both Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are Aerobic bacteria which means they require oxygen to thrive. They will fix themselves in any surface location with a good supply of oxygen, low or no lighting and water current that is not too turbulent. In an enclosed aquarium tank, the surface area in contact with the water flow that matches the criteria is either the gravel or the filter system. This is why pro hobbyists use Under Gravel Filter (UHF), porous filter media to provide enough space to grow these bacteria.

Brief History of Crystal Red Shrimp

Crystal Red Shrimp (also known as CRS in short) is a variety of freshwater crustacean of the genus Caridina. It is exactly the same species as Bee Shrimp; the only difference is in color. Not only has it gained popularity in Japan, it is greatly sought after by aquarium hobbyists around the world.

In 1991, Mr. Hisayasu Suzuki of Japan started breeding normal bee shrimps, which are banded with black stripes. He noticed a single red bee shrimp in a batch of about a thousand shrimps and was fascinated by it. This first red bee died but three generations later, he discovered 3 red bee shrimps among the thousands he had bred. After many cycles of selective breeding from redder offspring, he finally arrived at the true red bee. In 1996, he named it "Crystal Red" and has been awarded a patent for this recessive red mutation of the normal bee shrimp. Since then CRS has been further refined by the founder and other breeders to produce specimens with larger white patches and intensified red.

Of the shrimp species, CRS is the most sensitive to fast changes of water parameters due to a smaller gene pool. In fact, the entire world's crystal red shrimps shared common ancestry from the original 3 bee shrimps. Hence, maintaining a proper environmental condition is utmost importance for keeping and breeding – CLEAN (ammonia/nitrite free) water, soft neutral to acidic pH (between 6.2-6.8), and temperatures in the range of 22-28C.

CRS is a fairly small shrimp, growing to about 2.5 cm in adulthood. Probably due to its size, it is not a particularly great algae consumer; preferring soft mosses, flake food and vegetable matter. However, it is very active but remains quite peaceful towards other tank mates. The average lifespan is about 1.5 to 2 years but the gender is hard to differentiate, especially during juvenile stage. Between the ages of 4.5 and 5 months with a size of at least 2.2 cm, it is ready to reproduce in tank. As CRS can crossbreed with normal bee shrimp as well as bumblebee shrimp and tiger shrimp, which are also of the Caridina species, it is highly recommended not to keep them in the same tank.