Cherry shrimp help! bubbler/filter needed?
I have 9 cherry shrimp which i plan to be put in my 10 gallon tank with my betta fish (if he gets aggressive i will take them out)
problem is, my tank is not done cycling, so i will have to wait a few weeks until it is safe for the shrimp.
(don't worry i've been doing daily 40% water changes to keep levels down for my betta)
i am currently keeping them in a 2.5 gallon tank with no filter, or bubbler either. i was wondering if this is okay for them. i'm not too familiar with invertebrates so i don't know how much oxygen they need. there is a small bit of java moss in there, but that's about it.
will i need a filter/bubbler for my shrimp, or are they okay for a couple of weeks until i can transfer them into the big tank if i do water changes every day?
answer: i think it is a bad situation for the shrimp either way ... cherry shrimp, while one of the easier shrimp, do require a fully cycled tank to live ... and since you do not have a fully cycled tank, i would be surprised if the shrimp live ... if they are pale in colour, like not bright red, that means they are stressed ... and in a 2.5 gallon there with no filter, no heater, there is just no way to keep stable water conditions ... i am not sure where you got them, but where i live they cost five dollars a piece, i would return them to the store and buy two when your tank is cycled and see if the betta will try to eat them ... i had a 5 gallon tank that i cycled and due to it being such a small tank it was hard to keep the water stable and they all died ... i have over 50 now in a 15 gallon ...
you could probably put the shrimp in the tank already as long as you dont overfeed the betta. the shrimp wont affect the bioload of the tank very much so i would just put them in already. if you dont feel comfortable with that then yes it would be best to add an air stone to the shrimp tank.
Even without the shrimp your betta needs a filter. You should have a larger tank, 5 gallons if you want to house ANYTHING with the betta. Get a heater and filter, skip the bubbler as shrimp and betta both do not need it.
