How to set up a cherry shrimp tank

1. Choose the tank and its position

For your first shrimp tank, I recommend at least 5 US gallons, approximately 19 litres. Going larger makes it easier to keep conditions consistent. Put the aquarium on a level, suitable stand away from direct sunlight and rapid changes in room temperature.

Leave access for maintenance. Before adding animals, measure the water temperature at different times of day. I keep some of my tanks without heaters because the room provides suitable conditions. That doesn’t mean you should leave yours unheated without checking its temperature first.

2. Choose a substrate that suits your water

If you want to keep the setup straightforward, I suggest an inert aquarium sand or gravel that won’t deliberately change the water chemistry. Check the product information: some active soils lower pH and may release ammonia when new. Materials sold for soft-water shrimp are not automatically the easiest choice for Neocaridina.

Test your tap water before buying products to alter it. If it is already suitable, maintaining consistent replacement water can be much simpler than repeatedly correcting the aquarium with additives.

3. Add filtration, plants and shelter

A sponge filter combines gentle filtration with a surface for grazing. If you use a hang-on-back or external filter, fit an appropriate intake guard and check it regularly. Arrange flow so the surface moves without sweeping shrimp around the tank.

Moss and other aquarium plants provide cover and surfaces for growth. Leave space to inspect the feeding area. Choose aquarium-safe decorations, and check that new plants have not been treated with substances harmful to invertebrates. Follow the supplier’s preparation instructions.

4. Cycle without shrimp

Use a recognised fishless cycling method and follow the instructions for its ammonia source and tests. Keep filtration running throughout. Monitor ammonia and nitrite until the system can process the method’s intended waste input; both should return to undetectable levels before stocking.

An empty tank can read zero simply because no waste has entered it. Nitrate alone is not proof of a completed cycle either: it may already be in tap water, and plants can consume it. Record the sequence of readings, not just the final colour in one tube.

Please don’t use shrimp to test whether a new aquarium is ready. Cycling and maturity are related but different: a working biological filter does not instantly create plentiful natural grazing. Give plants and surfaces time to establish.

5. Make the final checks

Before you bring your shrimp home, I recommend working through this checklist:

• Ammonia and nitrite are undetectable after the cycling process.
• Temperature, pH, GH and KH are stable and appropriate for the stock.
• Replacement water is conditioned and its chemistry is understood.
• The intake is protected, plants are established and shelter is available.
• The supplier’s arrival instructions are ready before the shrimp arrive.

Stock gradually and keep checking the water after introduction. Rinse a clogged sponge gently in removed aquarium water; avoid replacing all established filter media at once.