1. The right sized tank
   1. You should not go smaller than 15 gallons for shrimp. Otherwise, it will be hard to provide stable water conditions. Research your local pet store for the sizes of tanks they carry. Make sure you get a tank that is the size and look you want.
2. Tank stand
   1. Your shelf is not going to be strong enough to hold your tank. Neither is your dresser. When you buy your tank, ask about stands. Oftentimes, larger tanks come with stands. Do what you must to make absolutely sure that your tank will not crash to the floor.
3. Light
   1. Whether you have plants or not, you will want a light that will let you see your shrimp. And if you do have plants, you will need a strong enough light for them. We recommend about 3W per gallon. Again, do your research. Your pet store will have some great options, so get what will get the job done while fitting your budget.
4. Water dechlorinator
   1. You will only need this if you use tap water, which contains chlorine in an effort to kill off bacteria. The chlorine will kill your shrimp and the bacteria you need to create a healthy ecosystem. Most dechlorinators do a great job, but you can research them if you want to.

Contact the Shrimp Tank or explore our forum with any questions you have!

Do you have the time?

Maintaining a shrimp tank can take a good deal of time, especially if you have a large tank. If you have a busy schedule, do yourself and your future shrimp a favor: find shrimp and plants that are low-maintenance. Everyone will be glad you did!

Do you have the money?

If you do enough research, it is completely possible to build and sustain a gorgeous shrimp tank on a tight budget. Just remember to consider everything, including water and electricity usage. A large tank (or many tanks) will consume a lot of water, and if your plants need special lights, you will quickly find that your bills have gone up. Hardy shrimp that will not need as many special products are also a good idea.

Do you have a good location?

Your shrimp tank will need a place that is far from windows in order to avoid sunlight and drastic temperature changes. First floors and basements are usually ideal, because they stay cooler. Make sure the floor is level and that there will not be a lot of traffic that could knock the tank over.

At The Shrimp Tank, we are experts at raising and caring for shrimp. Check out our secure online store or explore our forum for more advice. We look forward to doing business with you!

When I lived in Phoenix my 120 gallon tank was set up as a high tech planted tank with CO2 and Metal Halide lighting (2 175w). When we moved to Denver last year I wasn't planning on setting up my 120 gallon tank as a planted tank again, I wanted to use it as a giant shrimp breeding tank. My wife decided she wanted it set up as a goldfish tank so naturally I was overruled.

Despite my original reservations about getting goldfish, the tank quickly became my favorite. It is low maintenance and both my wife and I enjoy sitting in the room, watching the goldfish slowly swim around (or quickly if they being fed). If you have a big low tech planted tank and are looking for a large low maintenance fish, I would highly recommend trying some Ryukin goldfish. I would love to hear about your experiences with planted Goldfish tanks too so if you have had one before please leave a comment!

Tank Details

Tank: 120 gallon tank. I have the 5' version instead of the 4' or 6" version so mine is 60x18x26 (LxWxH).

Substrate: Primarily Eco-Complete with a little old lava rock mixed in.

Filtration: 2 Rena X3 filters filled primarily with mechanical filtration, one tray in one filter has some Ehiem ceramic balls for biological filtration. I have the spraybars on either side of the tank. pointing towards the center of the tank.

Lighting: I was using 2 shop lights but they were "ugly" according to the wife so I bought a 48" AquaticLife T5 HO Dual Lamp Light Fixtures which gives me 108w of light. Since I have a 60" tank the light doesn't span the whole tank but I have a glass top that the legs sit on and it works just fine. I wouldn't buy another 5' tank because they are so harder to find lights for.

Heating: The tank is in a semi unheated front room. Since we have a couple of Bushynose Plecos in the tank we wanted to keep the temp high enough to keep them happy. I use 2 200w Marineland Visi-Therm heaters and an Azoo Micro Temp Controller to control both heaters. I keep the tank at 70 degrees.

CO2: None.

Fertilizers: None (other than goldfish waste).

Food: We feed two pinches of Saki-Hikari™ Fancy Goldfish Color Enhancing Formula every other day.

Fish: The tank has 5 Goldfish (1 Black Moor and 4 Ryukin), 4 Dojo Loaches (1 normal and 3 albino), and 2 Bushynose Plecos (1 Male and 1 Female).

Plants: I currently have some Java Fern, Willow Leaf Hygro, Anubias (both Nana and a larger variety.

We are a Top Rated NationalⓇ seller of aquarium products, but our services do not end there. Our expertise is also at your disposal. We are hobbyists just like you, and we have years of experience with many shrimp breeds. We know how to solve problems and to help you achieve the goals you have for your shrimp tank. Not only that, our site features a healthy forum where you can discuss your shrimp with other owners. Do not miss out on the benefits of this great community of like-minded and knowledgeable people!

If you are looking for actual shrimp or you need supplies, we have what you need. We sell many different types of shrimp depending on what is in stock, so keep an eye on our shrimp species. If you are not sure which breed you want, peruse our pages on each breed and read up on them. We offer complete descriptions and facts for each breed. Additionally, we have several breeds of freshwater snails for sale.

Once you have shrimp, the game is all about keeping them healthy and happy. After you get help from our forum, you can explore our shrimp care products. We carry everything from food to pest and disease control. Whatever issue you need to address, we can help.

Explore our site or contact us today!

They were about the size of young Blue Rili’s when I got them and their color wasn’t great so I really had to look closely to pick them out from the Blue Rili’s. They have grown quickly in the last month and now are larger than my Blue Rili’s and are a beautiful orange.

CPO’s max out around 1.5 inches but they are feisty little guys and will often face off with each other and flash their claws. Sometimes they will fight more and one will lose a claw which will regrow over time. When I walk by the tank they also flash their claws at me too

It is said they don’t eat plants but mine seem to have torn up my giant hairgrass in my tank. I only had 6-8 plugs of it but now I have 1 or 2 and those have been cut down to about an inch vs the 6 inches they were before. I haven’t seen them catching any shrimp but they will sometimes charge at them but the shrimp have been faster so far. I added some Cholla wood to their tank to provide them hiding places. Without enough hiding places they can cannibalize each other. They are particularly vulnerable just after molting.

These guys have a lot of personality and are more entertaining to watch than shrimp. Hopefully I will start seeing berried females soon!