Substrate is very important for shrimps, whether it is neocaridina or caridina shrimps. The choice of your substrate can greatly impact the lives of the shrimps. If the choice is not suitable, then you might face problems later on.
So, in this article, I am going to provide you all the substrate options for cherry shrimp. I have talked about multiple substrates here, each for different purposes. The one you’ll choose depends on your budget and plan with the shrimp tank.
But before diving into the details of the substrate, we need to educate ourselves with the terms inert substrate and active substrate. These terms are very important and you need to have a clear idea of them for setting up a shrimp tank.
Inert Substrate vs Active Substrate
Before getting into the details of the substrate, we need to know what are inert and active substrates.
Active Substrate
Active Substrates are those substrates that can lower the pH level of the tank water. We want active substrate for shrimp species that prefer a low pH level in the tank. In most cases, these are caridina shrimps like crystal shrimp, tiger shrimp, etc.
There are many active substrates in the market. In this article, I am not going to dive details into active substrate as cherry shrimps don’t need active substrate.
Here are some of the popular active substrates for caridina shrimps:
- Brightwell Rio Escuro-M
- Brightwell Rio Cafe-F
- Fluval Shrimp Stratum etc.
You can choose either of these for caridina shrimps, but I like the first one most.
Now, for cherry shrimps, we don’t need any of these substrate. In the rest of the article, I’ll describe what substrate to choose for cherry shrimps, or for that matter any neocaridina shrimps.
Inert Substrate
Inert substrate doesn’t lower the pH of the water or affect the water parameters in any way. This type of substrate is preferred for neocaridina shrimps such as cherry shrimps, snowball shrimps, etc.
Like active substrate, there are also many inert substrates in the market. Though you can choose any you prefer, I’ll talk about the ones that I personally like and recommend for cherry shrimps.
Here are the inert substrates I’ll be talking about in the rest of the article:
- Pool filter sand
- Seachem Flourite
- Eco Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate
But before we get into the details of each of these substrate, we need to know actually how much substrate we should use in our shrimp tank.
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How Much Substrate Do You Need To Use?
There have been many discussions in this topic so far. Every shrimp keeper and breeder has their own method about the amount of substrate to use.
Personally, I like to keep things simple and straightforward. If you are planning for a planted shrimp tank, then put about 1 to 1.5 inches depth substrate layer.
This depth of substrate is required for the plants to grow a strong root system. I won’t recommend going higher than this for a shrimp tank.
For a non-planted shrimp tank, you can go lower than the height I recommended. It won’t be a problem. However, a decent layer depth is visually appealing for the shrimp tank.
| Substrate | Good For Plants? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bare Bottom Tank | NO | Nothing |
| Pool Filter Sand | Moderate | Very cheap |
| Seachem Flourite | Yes | Moderate |
| Eco Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate | Best | Can Be A Bit Pricey |
Bare Bottom Tank: No Budget For Substrate
If you’re frowning right now at the screen thinking “what is it?” then let me explain first.
Going bare-bottom for a shrimp tank is actually an option if you are low in budget. This is only applicable for neocaridina shrimps.
Going bare-bottom is not the recommended approach, however, you can keep neocaridina shrimps perfectly well in that type of setup. This statement is backed up by Robert Lupton from FlipAquatics.
You can check out this video where he talked about the bare-bottom option for cherry shrimp tank:
Here is a quick tip:
We know that dark-colored substrate or bottom is preferred for shrimps as the dark color encourages the shrimps to show off their true potential color. So, for a bare-bottom tank, you can replicate that by painting the bottom of the tank black.
Of course, don’t paint the internal side of the tank bottom. Paint the external bottom side so that there is no chance of the paint getting into the water.
This way, the cherry shrimps can show off their true potential color.
Pool Filter Sand: No Plan For Plants
Pool filtration sand is a type of sand that is designed to be used in the filtration system of the pool. This is a properly graded as well as dried sand that can be used in the aquarium as well.
If you don’t have any plans to put plants in the shrimp tank, then you can go with pool filter sand. They are even capable of growing some low-demanding plants like amazon swords.
Pool filter sand is extremely easy to use and cheap. With only a few bucks, you can get a big bag of this sand. It is certainly the best budget option for shrimp tank.
After getting the sand, remember to rinse it thoroughly a couple of times before using in the shrimp tank. There are lots of pool filter sand out there in the market. I use the one from AquaQuartz.
This is perfect for shrimp tank. This sand doesn’t get clogged up or solidify in the presence of water. Also, the sand is completely free from chemicals which is a must for shrimp tanks.
As this sand is primarily used for filtration, it has the natural ability to filter out algae, oil, hair, dirt, dust, leaves, etc. which helps to keep the shrimp tank clean and healthy.
Lastly, this pool filter sand from AquaQuartz is odorless, doesn’t get stained and perfect for a low-maintenance setup.
Amazon is currently having the best deal on this sand. You can check out the latest price by clicking here.
Seachem Flourite: Low Budget Option
Seachem Flourite is a pretty good option for starting your planted shrimp tank. It is a good substrate and can grow almost any plants. Cherry shrimps also love this substrate.
Seachem Flourite is a type of porous clay gravel that enhances the feel of the natural habitat of shrimps. The gravels are black which is essential for your shrimps to show off their true potential color.
You don’t need to mix any other additive when using Seachem Flourite. It works best as a single integral substrate bed in the shrimp tank. So, there is no need to spend money for any gravel modifiers. However, if you want, you can mix it with other gravels too!
Before using, it is better to rinse the substrate under running water. Seachem manufactures this product already pre-washed. However, as flourite is a natural product, it can contain some dust particles. So, I always recommend to rinse it under running water before placing in the tank. You don’t need to get crazy with the rinsing. Just a moderate cleaning will do.
After you’ve put the substrate on the aquarium, you need to fill the water gently. Otherwise, the tank can get too much cloudy for your liking. Here is a good tip you can follow when filling the tank with water:
Place a large bowl over the substrate and pour the water over the bowl. This way, the water doesn’t directly impact the substrate and cause a messy havoc in the aquarium.
Even if you’ve filled the tank with water gently, it is normal to see a bit of cloudiness initially. It will go away within a day or two. So, don’t worry!
Lastly, as the substrate is not coated with any type of chemical to alter the pH of the water, you don’t need to replace it after a certain time. A pretty good deal for cherry shrimp tank, right?
If you want to check out the Seachem Flourite, you can find a good deal on Amazon. Just click here to check out the latest price there.
Best Substrate For Planted Shrimp Tank: My #1 Recommendation
Lastly, I’ll talk about my most favorite substrate for planted shrimp tank. It is the ‘Eco Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate’ from Carib Sea.
I absolutely love this substrate for two reasons:
- Great for neocaridina shrimps such as cherry shrimps. It doesn’t alter the water parameters and acts as a perfect inert substrate.
- The substrate is equally good for growing plants. I’ve grown hundreds of plants in this substrate. From low-demanding plants to high-tech plants, each grew pretty well in this substrate.
Eco complete planted tank substrate is formulated with a secret formula for enhanced growth of the plants and their roots. The secret lies in the rich-growing soil of Bali, Hawaii, and Costa Rica.
In those places, the plant’s growth is ebullient as well as lush. Carib Sea wanted to take the high-plant growing property of that soil and put that in their Planted Aquarium Substrate.
Eco Complete is a volcanic basaltic soil that contains the following ingredients:
- magnesium
- calcium
- iron
- sulfur
- potassium and 25 other rich elements
Though the substrate is primarily manufactured for growing plants, it works perfectly for a cherry shrimp tank. It is a complete substrate both biologically and mineralogically. As a result, it doesn’t promote extra algae growth in the tank.
As the substrate is rich in Iron, you don’t need any other additive for it such as laterite. The granules don’t contain any artificial chemical, dye or any kind of painting. So, it is perfectly safe for using in a shrimp tank.
The grains are spherical in size and very porous. It provides optimum diffusion in the tank. Also, the substrate contains Heterotrophic bacteria which can convert the fish waste into plant food very quickly. Consequently, your shrimp tank can stay cleaner and healthier for a longer period of time.
Lastly, you don’t need to wash the substrate before adding in the shrimp tank. As the substrate contains live bacteria, it is recommended to not wash the substrate. You can use it straight from the bag in your shrimp tank.
When filling with water, follow the procedure I’ve mentioned in the earlier section. It will create less cloudiness. Even many shrimp keepers stated that Eco Complete substrate doesn’t create that much of a cloudiness at all in the tank.
If you are interested in this substrate, I’ll recommend to check out this deal on Amazon. If you have the budget, just go for it. Trust me, it is the best substrate for using in a cherry shrimp tank.
How To Prepare The Substrate Before Adding To The Tank?
Here are the step by step procedure to prepare your substrate before adding it to the shrimp tank:
- Cleaning the substrate is a messy job. So, I’ll recommend doing it in your lawn. If you are living in an apartment, then you’ll need to do the job in the bathroom.
- Take a large bucket and fill it with the substrate. Now, take a garden hose and start to fill the bucket with water.
- Once the bucket is filled with water, rinse the substrate thoroughly. The water should get cloudy and muddy pretty quickly. After rinsing for a couple of minutes, throw out the dirty water.
- Now, fill the bucket with water again. Repeat step 3 until the water runs clear. It may take 4-5 times depending on how dirty the substrate is.
- If the substrate comes pre-washed, there is no need to rinse the substrate 3-4 times. Just a quick rinse under running water will be enough.
- If the substrate contains live bacteria like Eco-Complete planted aquarium substrate, then there is no need to wash it. Just use the substrate straight in the shrimp tank.
Why You Need To Go For Darker Substrate?
Cherry Shrimps are very small and delicate. They are often hunted down by bigger preys in the wild. So, they have learnt to camouflage with their surroundings in order to save themselves from potential preys.
This camouflaging technique has become a natural instinct for cherry shrimps. So, if you keep a light-colored substrate in the shrimp tank, the cherry shrimps will try to match their body color with the substrate. As a result, the redness will get much dimmer and lighter.
On the other hand, by using a dark-colored substrate, the cherry shrimps will try to increase their body color to camouflage themselves with the substrate. This increases the redness of the cherry shrimps and encourage the shrimps to show off their true potential color.
That’s why it is always recommended to use a dark-colored substrate in your cherry shrimp tank.
Conclusion
I hope by now, you have a clear idea of what substrate you should choose for your cherry shrimp tank. Though I have talked about multiple options here depending on your budget and purpose, I’ll definitely recommend the Eco-Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate for all time.
I have tried hundreds of substrates and came back to it every time for my cherry shrimp tanks. So, if your budget allows, just get this substrate and try it out on your cherry shrimp tank.
Trust me, you’ll thank me later!
