# Filterless, heaterless shrimp tank- is it possible?



## Sacha (28 May 2014)

As above really. 

I currently have a wabi Kusa bowl that I have made using an old baby biorb (~15L). 

I was thinking it would be cool to flood the tank and use it for shrimp. But it would have to be without a filter and without a heater. And the tank will only hold about 8-10 litres of water. 

Can this be done?


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## sciencefiction (28 May 2014)

Yes, I haven't had a heater on my small cherry shrimp tank since last year because it stopped working. I think they can tolerate quite a range of temps. And of course it can be filterless if stock is low and plant mass high.


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## Sacha (28 May 2014)

Thanks! 

Is 10 litres enough for them considering it won't have any filter?


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## sciencefiction (28 May 2014)

Yes, you can surely have a few shrimp in there. Just careful feeding them without filter. I'd first wait and see if the plants grow well submerged before adding critters.


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## allan angus (28 May 2014)

my shrimp tank is also unheated ( 5 galls ) i would be tempted to withhold ALL feeding in such a small size as your tank mine is well filtered and air-ratted i would think it would not take a lot of wast to foul such a small amount of water . but give it a go let us know


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## sciencefiction (28 May 2014)

I would not subject the shrimp to no feeding. I've been there, tried that, they can't grow literally. They need food.[DOUBLEPOST=1401312182][/DOUBLEPOST]Shrimp can eat from a small little plastic tray. Then you can take it away with the left overs and you'll get an idea how much to feed. A few small pellets now and then would be enough or a piece of veg you can take out easily before it starts rotting.


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## Rasbora (29 May 2014)

The bigger the tank, the easier to is. I kept shrimp (RCS, Ammano) for years in a large (120x60x60cm) palludarium stuffed full of plants. Very small volumes of water experience much bigger swings in temperature and chemistry so will be harder. Thermostatic heaters and filters level these swings out.


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## Manrock (29 May 2014)

I have 3 Walstad Bowls in my classroom - all without heaters and only 5-6 litres. They all hold Cherry Reds and Ramshorns and are now in their second year. In the winter the temp drops to about 15C and hits 20C in the summer. The CR's breed in the summer months and are less active in winter. I don't add any food except for the occasional pellet to help with calcium etc. Some of the sag in one bowl is even flowering now.


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