Shrimp tank water change
Shrimp tanks get smaller and slower changes than a fish tank. The figures below come from one shrimp supplier's care guides, so treat them as one keeper's practice and compare with what your shrimp's seller says.
What the guides say
| Figure | Neocaridina | Caridina |
|---|---|---|
| Change per week | 10-15%, weekly | 10% at most, weekly to fortnightly |
| Replacement TDS | within 10-20 of the tank | within 5-10 of the tank |
| Temperature | within 1 °C (1.8 °F) | within 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) if possible |
Sources: Gensou, water changes in a shrimp tank and Gensou, water change temperature matching. Fahrenheit values are my conversions.
Dripping the water in
The first Gensou guide adds new water at 2 to 4 drips per second, which spreads a 10% change over 30 to 60 minutes. The temperature guide says the same for shrimp: drip over 30 to 60 minutes, while fish tanks can take the water in over 10 to 15 minutes.
The temperature guide notes that Caridina can die from a 2 °C (about 3.6 °F) shock during moulting, and that a thermometer in both the tank and the bucket is the most reliable check. It calls the wrist test rough.
Before the water goes in
Tap water needs a conditioner first. The dechlorinator calculator gives the dose for the volume above. Check the product label for shrimp, since some tanks run on remineralized RO water instead of tap.
My suggestion: shrimp tanks rarely need a big change for nitrate, because the load is small. If a reading is high anyway, work out the full plan on the nitrate page and split it into several 10% changes over days. For a fish tank, see water change by tank size.