# Inverts?



## LolaQuigs (Mar 28, 2010)

My Cosmos passed away last week.  I was thinking of getting another betta for the now-empty five-gallon tank, but now I'm starting to wonder if I'd like to try some inverts. I would loooove a purple mystery snail. I was also thinking about Blue Velvet shrimp; does anyone have any experience with this? Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated, as I am just dipping my toe in the invert pool here.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

No info on mystery snails, I've never kept them.

Copy-pasting this over from another thread. I posted it originally for cherry shrimp but blue velvets are _similar_. 
*NOTE*: you should research tds, pH, and temp ranges ideal for blue velvets, cherry shrimp are adaptable to a wider range than some of the other shrimp species.


Shrimp keeper starter info:
1. Know your water
2. Pre-cycle!
3. Plant before/during cycle
4. Let tank age for several months (keep filter cycled)
5. Slow drip acclimation
6. Small water changes are better than large
7. Effects of some substrates, hardscapes, and metals

1.Shrimp are very sensitive you should look at your local water report, make sure there is not a lot of copper in the water, or ammonia or nitrates. If you do not have one already get a fresh water API liquid master test kit, as well as a GH, KH test kit, and a TDS meter (can get this online for $17). Cherries may be the most tolerant shrimp but they still have limits to what water they can live in. 
First thing to look for after ammonia and nitrate straight from the tap is pH: does your tap contain co2? test water straight fro tap then set some aside in a glass/cup for 2 days and test that. If pH goes up after a few days you have co2 in your tap which means it off gasses to get to its true pH. This ultimately means you must age water (let set out a few days) before use for water changes/filing tank etc. 
Next is GH and KH-water hardness and TDS meter (follow meter instructions and do maybe 10 tests, average the results). Very high hardness makes it difficult for shrimp to molt and grow which can lad to death. TDS you'll want to keep an eye on tank TDS and water prepped for a water change-sudden swings in TDS from a water change can cause the shrimp to molt-if they molt too soon after their previous molt it can kill them. Some people use RO water and re-mineralize with shrimp products means to get to a certain hardness/tds level but this can get expensive-its usually done for the fancier shrimp species like crystal red shrimp.


2.You need to do a fishless or in this case shrimp less cycle-I'd recommend use of pure ammonia-Ace hardware janitor strength ammonia is a good safe ammonia source. Why shrimp-less cycling? Because shrimp do NOT tolerate any ammonia, nitrite, or high nitrates. So the tank must be pre-cycled and have a good beneficial bacteria colony. Because its not wise to do large water changes, a shrimp-in cycle with prime won't work either.

*edit for this post: *If you have a already cycled filter add a pure ammonia source or a bit of fish food to keep the beneficial bacteria fed and alive until you get your shrimp.


3.Shrimp love, need plants-they provide hiding places to feel secure and can naturally grow microfuana the shrimp eat (moss being a great candidate for both-and on the symbiotic relationship note the shrimp keep the moss clean). Plant the tank before/during the cycle is best, not right before shrimp come. Why/ some sellers grow plants emersed (or get from nurseries that grow plants emersed. Emsered means above water, immersed means below. If grown emersed the plants may need up to 2 months to transition to imersed/submerged life to be able to absorb ammonia/nitrates. Planting well in advance of getting shrimp also gives you time to figure out what does and does not work for your setup. 
If you'd like a list of some low light easy plants let me know ^^

4.After the tank is fully cycled wait at least 2 months, let the tank age and naturally grow plentiful amounts of the microscopic food the shrimp eat. The shrimp forage constantly so this ensure they don't go hungry (and you don't spike nitrates over feeding to compensate if they were put in early), and ensure the tank is stable. Well versed shrimp owners who have pre-cycled filters from other tanks and are harvesting plants from existing tanks may be ale to throw a shrimp tank together in a day or two but if it is your first time owning shrimp DO NOT RUSH IT.

*edited for this post:* If the tank is already planted and has been for several months than don't clean/dip the plants for algae and they will have natural food ready for the shrimp.


5.When you get the shrimp DO NOT simply float the bag ad release! The sudden change in pH, ammonia/nitrate, hardness/tds will shock and likely kill them within 24 hours (you'll notice erratic sharp backwards darting all over the place as the shrimp are messed up). When you get shrimp you need to drip acclimate. You don't need an "acclimation kit" just some clean airline tubing and a little plastic air pressure valve used for air pumps to control air flow. If you use the tetra whisper air pump it comes with this. If not you should have able to get a pack of these at a lfs for $1-2. Instructions below assume you are buying shrimp locally
Open the bag the shrimp came in and assets the amount of water the shrimp have. Plan to use a clean container that will keep the shrimp under water with what they start with in the bag but lets you add 4xs that volume (or plan to move them to a larger drip container as you go), carefully pour shrimp and their water into the container. If the bag is big enough to hold 4x or more the volume of water the shrimp come in, prop it up inside another container and leave the shrimp in the bag. Put the pressure valve on the airline tubing and turn it so its fully open. Put it into the tank the shrimp are going in and suck to start a siphon, then turn the valve nob to make it only 1-3 drips per a second and place that in the shrimp bag (note-gravity makes water come out faster, when adjusting the drip, keep the tubing low-near the shrimp's level but not directly over the shrimp's water until properly adjusted. Drip the shrimp for a *minimum *of 1 hour-longer is fine I've done a 2 hour drip before. Water volume at end of drip acclimation should be *at least* 1/4th shrimp water. 3/4ths tank water (more is better). If the container cannot hot that much water periodically scoop out a small amount of the water and put it down the drain (not in the tank). After the drip acclamation I bag the shrimp in a zip lock style bag (I don't re-use tore bags ad they usually have sharpie ink on them) and float it on the tank for 30 minutes to ensure shrimp are at proper temp then I open the bag and net the shrimp into the tank. I try not to let any of the old shrimp's water into the tank as I don't know what may be in it from the store.


6.Always remember to dechlorinate! I'm a big can of Seachem Prime for dechlorinator. Smaller water changes are better than large ones-never do more than 25-30% water change. 
When you add new water in make sure it is the same temperature and pH and tank water, and close/same TDS. Its best to add new water lowly-I use an airline tubing and put the bucket above the shrimp tank to do a simply gravity fed siphon. If you quickly cup and dump in new water tot eh tank it can shock the shrimp (especially if TDS is different). The airline tubing way has been very successful for me, though it does take longer to finish and needs to be monitored to avoid overflowing the tank.

7.Not done yet! When you are setting up the tank you need to know your substrate and hardscape. Some substrates can effect pH and hardness (put in water and test after 3-7 days compared to tap. Also be aware that sub 'enriched substrates" will release ammonia for the first few months (great help to starting a cycle) such as 'eco complete' and 'amazonia'.
If you plan to use any rocks or driftwood you need to know how it will effect the water. Some rocks are not safe as they release harmful minerals over time. There is a thread somewhere on this forum that lists safe rocks but I cannot find it. Some rocks that are fish safe can still effect pH and hardness, example: Seiryu stone raises pH and hardness. You don't want to use texas holy rock (limestone), or this stuff (sometimes called zebra stone):








it shots gh and kh off the charts-not shrimp live-able.
If you use driftwood or leaf litter you need to test your tank water over time to see if it is lowering pH. If so you need to pre-lower pH of water you want to use for a water change. A way to get around this is to boil wood and leaves before use to leech out all the tannins which are what lower pH.
Aaand finally a note on use of metal in the tank: stainless steel is the only shrimp safe metal for a shrimp tank. Do not keep any metals in the tank that are not stainless steel. If you plan on buying any plant that is a "__mat" (java fern mat, dwarf baby tears mat, etc). Ask the seller if it is warped in a green coated metal mesh. If they say yes DO NOT BUY IT! I learned the hard way this metal is NOT stainless steel. 2 days in a shrimp tank killed over 1/2 the colony! I ripped the mats out, removed the metal and put the mat and pant on stainless steel mesh I bought and there were no more shrimp deaths. I spoke with the person i bought these mats from, they insisted it was shrimp safe, but my half eradicated colony said other wise (the mats were the only change in the tank in months-nothing else could account for the deaths)

Ok that about covers it.. other tips: don't over feed! Shrimp are tiny and don't need that much food, especially if you properly age the tank.
If you'd like more info on anything (like plant list, or cycling) let me know.


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## LolaQuigs (Mar 28, 2010)

Wow, thanks so much for all of the great information! I will continue to add food to maintain the cycle until it's ready to stock. The only live plants in the tank right now is one anubias nana and a marimo ball. I've had really bad luck with plants in the past. :/ I was thinking of trying my luck with a banana plant; I may also get another anubias or two, since I have somehow managed to keep that alive thus far. What types of moss might be good for someone with a brown thumb? How long should I wait after adding new plants before stocking shrimp?

What about substrate? I have read that sand is best, but is gravel ok? I'd rather not go through the hassle of changing substrate if it's not really necessary. 

Is a sponge filter suitable?

Looks like I need to get researching about the makeup of my city's water. Hmm. My apartment is in an old building; I wonder if there is a way to find out whether the pipes are copper.

EDIT: Found the water report, but I'm not sure how to interpret it. What is considered an acceptable amount of copper? The report says the water tested at .0437 mg/L copper and .69 mg/L for nitrates + nitrites.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Java moss is a fairly indisturctable beginner moss. I'd wait a month minimum preferably 2 after adding miss before adding shrimp to let it settle in and grow the natural microscopic food the shrimp will forage off of it. Sponge filter is fine as long as it is cycled.
Substrate sand or gravel are fine.
I can't answer the copper question, you may need to google that.


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## LolaQuigs (Mar 28, 2010)

Great, thanks!


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