Acclimating your new shrimp
While most dwarf shrimp are very adaptable in their water requirements, they do require time to acclimate to a new environment.
This is the step by step method I use to acclimate new shrimp
when I receive them. I like this method because you can go as fast, or as slow as you wish. This method has worked
well for me over the years but I make no guarantee as to how well it will work for you - proceed at your own risk!
I use a plastic container that will hold about 1 gallon of water
for the acclamation process. I generally use an old ice cream container but you could use whatever you have handy.
Just keep in mind that it will need to float in the aquarium, glass containers usually sink...
I use scissors to open the bag the shrimp were shipped in. First
I cut off the top, and then with the bag setting in the plastic container, I cut down the side so the bag opens wide and
doesn't collapse and trap the shrimp inside.
If the shrimp were shipped with plants in the bag, I leave them
in the container with the shrimp. If there were no plants shipped with the shrimp, I'll add a small clump of moss to
the container.
With our shrimp now safely in the plastic container, I often add a few drops of Kordon AmQuel to remove any built up ammonia. If the shrimp were in transit for more than just a couple of days, or there are many shrimp in the bag, I'll add the AmQuel. If it's only 10 or 12 shrimp and I received them in a couple of days, I usually won't add it.
After all this, we're finally ready to acclimating our new shrimp! Using a small container, I start adding tank water to the container holding the shrimp. This is where the fast or slow comes into play. Start out by adding just a tiny amount of tank water, no more than 5% of the amount of water the shrimp shipped in.
From here on, it's simply a matter of adding small amounts of tank water to the plastic container. I like to wait 15 minutes to a half hour between adding more tank water. Also watch how the shrimp are acting. They should remain calm, not frantically swimming around. This is a good indicator that you may be adding water too quickly. Remember, the acclimation process is to slowly change the water parameters that the shrimp are used to living in to the parameters of your tank water.
When I've added enough water that the plastic container is about half full, I float it in the aquarium. I wait until it's half full because my container doesn't want to set upright in the aquarium until it's half full. If the container you're using floats better you could place it in the tank from the very beginning.
I try not to get into a hurry when I'm acclimating new shrimp. I will usually take at least 12 hours of adding small amounts of tank water before I release the shrimp into the aquarium. If I believe the shrimp are very sensitive, or are having difficulty adjusting, I may take up to 36 hours.
After all, it's much less stressful to let your new shrimp spend some time floating in a plastic container getting used to their new home, than to watch them perish one by one when they cannot acclimate quickly enough to a new tank.
Like I said at the start, this method has worked for me most of the time, but your mileage may vary. Enjoy your new shrimp!
