CO2 Safety Range
Keep CO2 under 35 ppm — shrimp tolerate less than fish. Drop-checker green, not lime green.
CO2 overdose kills shrimp within hours. Use pH controller or solenoid timer to prevent overnight buildup.
Copper in Fertilizers
Copper is toxic to shrimp even in trace amounts. Check trace element mix — some use copper as micronutrient.
Shrimp-safe fert brands: Shrimp King Specialised, NilocG Thrive, Tropica Specialised.
Flow and Oxygenation
Shrimp need oxygen. High-tech tanks with lots of plants have low surface agitation to keep CO2 in.
Night-time when CO2 off, increase surface agitation via wavemaker or air stone for 2-4 hours.
Predators to Avoid
Angelfish, discus, tetras larger than 5cm, cichlids, loaches — all eat shrimp or shrimplets.
Safe mates: small otocinclus, small rasboras (chili, exclamation), sparkling gourami.