Shrimps may not be as popular aquarium additions as snails, but they have plenty of benefits, too. For one, shrimps can clean
If you’re wondering whether shrimp need a filter, the short answer is yes. Shrimp need a filter in their tank, as well as an air pump and, if you live somewhere cold, a heater. However, the long answer is more complicated than this.
In this article, we’ll answer the question, “do shrimp need a filter” as well as other questions you may have about shrimp care.
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Can I keep shrimp without a filter?
As mentioned above, the answer to this question is quite complicated. Let’s put it this way: you can keep shrimp without a filter, but you can’t keep shrimp without filtration.
What’s the difference? The filter refers to the item you add to the tank in order to keep the water filtrated, while filtration refers to the general act of keeping the water filtrated.
So, while shrimps technically don’t need a filter, they do need filtration.
Here’s the thing. Although aquarium shrimps may not have the physical makeup as fish do, they’re still living, breathing, freshwater animals. And like any other aquarium animal, shrimps need filtration too, for a variety of reasons.
For one, shrimps need an environment with constantly clean water in order to grow and thrive. Unlike other hardy species, shrimps cannot survive in severely dirty water. They may be able to survive in polluted water, but not for long, and definitely not in a healthy way.
What happens if I keep shrimps without a filter?
If you keep shrimps without a filter, or any kind of filtration means, be prepared to do water changes every single day.
That’s because having a tank with no means of filtration whatsoever is the best way to get dirty water fast. By keeping the water stagnant, you’re basically allowing all kinds of bad bacteria, debris, and dirt to accumulate in your tank.
This can cause plenty of problems, including an ammonia spike and various other issues.
Do shrimps need a filter and heater?
We’ve already established that shrimps need a filter in their tank. The next question is, do they need a heater too?
Actually, they don’t. Heaters aren’t required in shrimp tanks, especially if you live in a tropical country where the water is not normally cold, anyway.
Of course, there are exceptions to this. If you live somewhere with a cold climate, a heater is pretty much required, regardless of what type of fish you have.
Can I keep shrimp in tap water?
The answer to this question depends on the type of water that comes out of your tap. If it’s too hard or too soft, it’s not going to be any good for your shrimp. If the pH is wrong, it can also harm your shrimp.
In short, it depends on the condition of your tap water. To be safe, keep a stock of water conditioners or anti-chlorine nearby. They’re quite cheap, and with them in your arsenal, you can use virtually any water in your shrimp tank.
Do you need an aerator for shrimp?
You need some kind of air supply for shrimp, as they won’t survive without one. Aeration helps keep a constant supply of oxygen in the water, which is very important to keep your shrimps healthy.
If you opt for a sponge filter, you can do both the aeration and filtration at the same time. This is a very cheap and efficient option, albeit not the prettiest.
There is one exception to this, though. If you have a heavily planted tank with its own natural source of filtration, such as volcanic rocks or pure balls, you can get away with not putting a filter or aerator in your shrimp tank. That’s because the plants themselves will convert the CO2 from your shrimps into oxygen that they can use to breathe. Meanwhile, the rocks or balls can keep the water clean.
Of course, this is easier said than done, and low-tech tanks such as that tend to need more careful maintenance than regular tanks.
Do shrimp tanks need water changes?
If you’re keeping your shrimp in a tank, then you need to do water changes. Regardless of how amazing your filtration is, the water will not remain clean forever.
In addition to this, there will always be leftover food and waste material that will add to the bioload of your tank. Too much of this can cause a spike in unhealthy bacteria, which can harm your shrimps.
Just take note, the smaller your tank, the more frequent your water changes should be.
Caring for Shrimp Properly
Shrimps aren’t very high-maintenance animals to take care of, but they still need all the basics, including a means of filtration and aeration.
Did you learn from this article? Don’t forget to check our other aquarium posts on our blog!