How To Setup A Ghost Shrimp Jarrarium? [6 Easy Steps]

Jarrarium is a nano-sized aquarium mainly used to keep shrimps or snails. Those who have space problems but have an interest in keeping shrimps can easily start their hobby using a jarrarium. However, as it is small, you cannot keep any other species except shrimp or snails.

Today, in this article, I will mention the process of setting up a jarrarium for ghost shrimps. This setup will also give you an idea of the basic setup process of a jarrarium so if you are planning to make a jarrarium for any other purpose, this process will help too.

The steps are very easy, and you can set up a jarrarium yourself by following the step-by-step process. So, if you are planning to set up a jarrarium, this is the right article to follow!

Without any further talk, let’s get into the set-up process now!

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Materials Will You Need for a shrimp jarrarium:

Hand Of A Person Inside A Clear Glass Jar With Water

A Jar:

The first thing you need to set a jarrarium is a jar/container. It can be of any type and shape. A glass jar is recommended because it will give you visibility and allow you to see what’s going on inside easily. You can choose a jar from your house, or you can buy one online. You will find jars in different sizes and shapes at local fish stores, too.

Now let me tell you one thing: jarrariums do not necessarily need to be built in a jar. It can be anything like a transparent vase, a bowl-type container, etc. One thing you should consider before choosing a jar is the size.

Remember, the smaller the jar, the more maintenance it will need because it will get dirty easily. So, a moderate-sized jar/ container is recommended, and it will also allow for more life.

Stones & Gravels:

Stones are always recommended for a shrimp tank or jarrarium because algae grow on the surface of it. You can choose either big stones or small stones for the jarrarium. You can buy stones from stores or get them from anywhere outside, but make sure you take the clean ones.

Also, you will need some gravel too.

Gravels, in addition to decoration, help as a biological filter in the jarrarium. As we will not use any filter in the jarrarium, the biological filter will play the main role here in eliminating toxins like ammonia and nitrate.

Soil:

If you are planting live plants in the jarrarium, you have to put soil in the jarrarium as a substrate. You can use soil from your backyard or buy some from a fish store as well. Potting soils are available in most fish stores, and they are very affordable in price.

Live Plants & Moss:

Live plants and moss can be used to decorate the jarrarium. They will not only make the jarrarium look attractive but also help control the ecosystem. Furthermore, plants are a great source of food for ghost shrimps. This is why expert shrimp keepers recommend live plants and moss for a shrimp tank.

Water:

Ghost shrimps are freshwater shrimps, so you will need fresh water to set up the tank at the final step. You can take fresh water from a pond or a cycled tank as long as it is clean.

Lights:

Light is important because without it, the jarrarium environment will become very damp, and algae growth will be low. Depending on the jar size, you have to choose light. Old light bulbs or LED light bulbs are good enough for a jarrarium.

Set Up Of A Ghost Shrimp Jarrarium:

For your convenience, I’ve divided the full setup process into 6 easy steps. Let’s start with the first step:

1st Step: Potting Soil

After you choose your jar/ container, the first step is to Plant soil in it. As I mentioned earlier, I will plant live plants in the jarrarium, so the soil is important for that. If you are not planting plants, you can skip this step.

Now, I always recommend using small and refined soil. If you are taking it from your backward, then you must make sure to clean the soil first and remove all dirt, large stones, small wood pieces, and stuff like that.

These can take away the places where plants can grow and make the water brown. And if you are buying potting soil from a fish store, you don’t need to clean them because it is clean and well-refined.

Pour the soil into the bottom of the jar and make an inch-thick layer. Now shake the jar slowly so that the soil sits on the pot properly. If you have a jar bigger in length, you can add more soil.

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2nd Step: Putting Gravels

After pouring the soil, the next step is putting gravel on the top of the soil. Make a layer of 1.5 inches with the gravel and spread them evenly in the whole jarrarium.

Gravel will help to keep the soil away from mixing with the water. Ghost shrimps are great pickers, and if you leave the soil alone in the jar, they will make a mess. So, it is better to put a layer of gravel after the soil.

Another reason why you need to put gravel is it will play the role of a biological filter in the jar, which I mentioned earlier. Every experienced shrimp keeper suggests keeping a filter in a shrimp tank. But if you put a filter in a jarrarium it can take a lot of space. This is why I recommend using gravel to make a biological filter.

3rd Step: Putting Big Stones And Other Decorative Stuff

Before pouring water, I will put one big stone and one middle-sized stone on one side of the jarrarium. You can use more if you want to, depending on your jarrarium’s size. You can even skip putting stones, but if you are making the jarrarium for ghost shrimps I would recommend putting some stones. Algae will grow on the surface of the stones, and ghost shrimps will love to eat them.

4th Step: Planting The Plants

Now it’s time to plant the live plants in the jarrarium before pouring water into it. Take the plants one by one and plant them properly. Make sure the roots go underneath the soil properly. While planting, maintain space between the plants. Do not overcrowd the jarrarium by planting too many plants.

5th step: Pouring Water

As the jarrarium is almost ready, you have to pour water in it. You have to pour the water slowly, or the plant roots may get detached from the soil. You can also use a pipe to fill the jarrarium with water. This is an easy and safe option.

If you don’t have a pipe, you can use another trick to pour water into the jarrarium. You can simply pour the water directly into stone so that the water doesn’t hit the substrate with full force. Fill the jarrarium near the top but leave at least two inches because when you add species, the water level will increase slightly.

Last Step: Cycling

Leave the jarrarium to cycle for two weeks. During this time, don’t add anything new to it. Keep it undisturbed in a place with moderate lighting.

If you don’t allow your jarrarium to cycle and add any livestock there you can face many problems in the upcoming days. Also, ghost shrimps are always recommended to be put in a cycled tank. If you want to know why an uncycled tank is not recommended for ghost shrimps, you can read this guide for detailed information.

Adding Ghost Shrimps Into The Jarrarium

After cycling for two weeks, it’s time to put the ghost shrimps into the jarrarium. But before I do, I will test the water temperature and parameters to ensure that they are balanced. Ghost shrimps are a very sensitive species; thus, they cannot survive in water with an imbalance in the temperature and water parameters.

People who are new to this hobby usually add ghost shrimps to the jarrarium or tank without ensuring the right water temperature and parameters. This is why the ghost shrimps die soon after being added to the water.

So, I recommend that you ensure the right temperature and water parameters for them before adding them to the jarrarium.

The ideal water parameters for ghost shrimps are:

Parameter	Optimal Range	Limits
Temperature	70-80 degrees Fahrenheit	62-82 degrees Fahrenheit
pH	6.5- 7.5	7-8
GH (General hardness)	5-8 ppm	3-15 ppm
KH (Carbonate Hardness)	5-8 ppm	3-12 ppm
TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)	150-200 ppm	100-400 ppm

How Many Ghost Shrimps Should You Add In A Jarrarium?

Depending on the size of your jarrarium, you have to add the right amount of ghost shrimp. For one gallon of water, you can add 2-3 ghost shrimp. Never add too much because it will make the jarrarium overcrowded and dirty fast.

This can cause rapid changes in the water parameters and make the whole jarrarium environment unhealthy, which is not good for ghost shrimps at all.

A jarrarium of about 1.5 to 3 gallons in size is good for ghost shrimps, and maintenance of these jarrariums is also easy. If you choose a smaller size than these, you will face a little bit of a problem while cleaning, and you cannot add a good number of ghost shrimps after adding plants and other stuff.

The jarrarium will look so crowded from the outside, and the ghost shrimps will not be able to roam inside comfortably.

Conclusion

I hope this article will help those who are looking to set up a jarrarium for ghost shrimps. Setting up a jarrarium is not that hard if you know the step-by-step process. I mentioned all the processes in detail so you can easily set up a jarrarium at home.

For people who have a space problem in their house or want a small place to keep ghost shrimp alone, a jarrarium is the best option. So, if you are thinking of making a jarrarium, follow my step-by-step process and make one today!

Happy shrimp keeping.

How To Setup A Ghost Shrimp Jarrarium? [6 Easy Steps]