Acclimatization of newly acquired shrimp.
Shrimp do not like stress. Transferring them from one container to another should be done with strict adherence to all precautions prescribed for such operations — gradual adaptation, and smooth equalization of physical and chemical values. Sudden changes in water parameters are not recommended; when transferring from soft water to hard (or vice versa), water should be added gradually.
Otherwise, you may witness an “extra” molt of your pets, triggered, in particular, by pH shock. It is very important to acclimatize shrimp to new environmental conditions and ensure they adapt to their new habitat before moving them to their permanent home.
Shrimp are very sensitive to water parameters. You should never abruptly transfer them to a new home straight from the bag. When introducing shrimp into the aquarium, they must be given the opportunity to acclimatize: the bag is placed floating in the aquarium, securing the top with a clothespin, for 45-60 minutes, while gradually adding water from the aquarium itself. This will help the shrimp get used to the water parameters and temperature in their new home.
For especially valuable species, such as wild Sulawesi shrimp, drip lines are used for slow and even addition over two to three hours. In winter, when it is cold outside and the transportation time is long, shrimp fall into a kind of cold torpor. In this case, it is especially important not to rush into releasing them into the aquarium, as they recover their body temperature very slowly. It is better to let the bag of shrimp sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Do not submerge the bag of shrimp in the aquarium to equalize the temperature and water parameters if you received them by mail in a special “breathable” bag. Special breathable bags freely let oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. If such a bag is submerged in water, the shrimp may suffocate from a lack of oxygen.
Removing shrimp from the bag can be difficult. It is not wide enough to use a net for this purpose. If you start pouring water out of the bag, you risk leaving the shrimp trapped inside. If the water runs out, removing them will be extremely difficult. Without opening the bag, place it in a transparent container. Take scissors and make a cut from top to side, starting slightly below the tied knot. Begin pouring water out of the bag while simultaneously submerging it. This allows the shrimp to stay in the water at all times and avoids contact with air.
Continuing to hold the bag submerged in the container, cut off its top part (below the tied knot). The bag will be completely open and fully submerged in the water. At the same time, the shrimp will swim out of it directly into the container. Then, using a plastic spoon, remove the moss from the bag, as shrimp can cling to it. After making sure there are no shrimp left in the bag, remove it from the container. All shrimp should have swum out of it on their own or with your help. Then the unnecessary bag can be discarded, having first checked that no shrimp are trapped inside.
Scoop a cup of water from the aquarium (about 10% of the volume) and pour it into the container with the shrimp. In this way, the water from the bag is diluted with aquarium water, allowing the shrimp to gradually acclimatize to the temperature and other parameters of their future environment. Repeat this procedure at intervals until the water volume in the container becomes three times the initial volume. It is recommended to transfer shrimp from the container to the aquarium using a small net.
Feeding the shrimp should be delayed; do not do this immediately after their move. First, you need to let them get used to the new aquarium. Usually, they are fed 24 hours after transfer. But the shrimp’s trials do not end there. They still have to molt in the new water. A typical picture the next morning: white skins are lying at the bottom, and the shrimp themselves are nowhere to be seen. But after a day or two, they crawl out of their hiding places and begin their daily activities if everything is fine.
Fresh, newly acquired plants should not be placed immediately into the shrimp aquarium. In aquatic plant nurseries, water plants are treated 
with poisons to prevent pest infestations. In addition, plants are supplied heavily fertilized. Therefore, plants must first be washed and kept in a separate container for several hours, or better yet, leave them there for a week to remove toxins. If you have a second aquarium for fish, you can use that first. After a week of quarantine, the plants are safe for shrimp and can be placed in the shrimp aquarium. You must be careful when fertilizing plants. In case of an overdose, you can kill the shrimp. In addition, some fertilizers contain copper.
Oxygen content. Most shrimp in nature live in very clean rivers and streams. This means, on the one hand, a high oxygen content, and on the other hand, a very low bacterial density due to constantly fresh running water. Our shrimp depend on these two factors: low bacterial density and sufficient oxygen. Artificial aeration will help provide enough oxygen in aquariums. Where a fish will survive, a shrimp may die of suffocation.
Fish have another important advantage: a swim bladder that allows them to float closer to the surface, where oxygen is much higher due to gas exchange with the air. Shrimp are heavier than water and cannot swim for long. The only salvation for them is floating plants, which they can cling to and breathe right near the surface. Filter feeders are the most demanding of oxygen. Cherry shrimp are considered the least picky.
Unfortunately, shrimp always create a high nitrate density in the aquarium. This happens largely because food remains in the filter or on the substrate surface. Flake food decomposes very quickly, and many small particles scatter around the aquarium. For this reason, pellet food is certainly easier to control. After some time, these substances accumulate in the filter, so the filter must be cleaned regularly, after a time that depends on the amount of food. In addition, regular water changes are necessary.
Nitrates (NO3) are not very toxic to fish; they tolerate high concentrations. However, shrimp are more sensitive and react to this substance. When nitrate levels are high in the water, shrimp experience molting problems. Tolerance varies from species to species, but in general, stream-dwelling shrimp have more trouble with nitrates, such as Tiger, Bee, Bumblebee shrimp, etc., as well as many Caridina species and those originating from very clean habitats and ancient lakes on Sulawesi Island.
Shrimp originating from stagnant and slow-moving nutrient-rich waters, like Neocaridina, are much less susceptible to nitrate-related molting problems. In aquariums with stream-dwelling shrimp, the maximum nitrate level is 10 mg/l, while others can survive even at 25 mg/l or more.
Parasites. One of the causes of shrimp death is planarians. Planarians come in various sizes and types. Ranging from small white ones 2 mm long to dark-colored ones 15 mm long. 
They are easy to recognize because they all have a triangular head that looks like an arrowhead. A way to get rid of these parasites is the drug Flubenol. This drug can be purchased from veterinarians. It works by destroying all worm-like creatures via a digestive enzyme. This drug is completely safe for shrimp because their digestion is not affected by this enzyme. Metered Flubenol powder at a concentration of 0.2 g / 100 l is mixed in a liter of water following the proportion, and then poured into the aquarium. This mixture is kept for at least 3 weeks, replenished once a week until all planarians disappear.
Blue-green algae. Blue-green algae (various species of cyanobacteria) contain neurotoxins (nerve poisons) which can lead to respiratory paralysis and thus slow suffocation of the shrimp.
Quarantine for new shrimp.
To ensure that the joy of buying new shrimp does not turn into disappointment over their death or the death of pets already living in your aquarium, newcomers must be put through quarantine. Experienced aquarists advise quarantining newly arrived 
shrimp only if they are going to be introduced into an aquarium where shrimp already live. And it is impossible not to agree with this. An already established, self-contained aquarium with settled biological balance represents a “jungle” with new, unfamiliar microflora for new shrimp. At the same time, the newcomers may pose a threat to your pets due to the potential introduction of unknown diseases brought along with them.
Besides illnesses, shrimp can be carriers of many other uninvited guests: planarians, trematodes, spores of various fungal diseases, etc. During quarantine, these pests will reveal themselves, and it will be much easier to destroy them in a separate quarantine container without harming the other inhabitants of your aquarium, while using smaller doses of medications than would be required for a large aquarium.
Substrate does not need to be added to the quarantine aquarium, but plants (at least a moss ball), hiding places, aeration, and heating (if necessary) should be present. It is essential to consider the stocking density of shrimp; there should be no more than 1 individual per 1-2 liters of water. And the larger the shrimp, the higher the water volume requirement should be. To avoid stress in newly arrived shrimp, it is best to place the aquarium in a shaded area of the room. The quarantine duration should be at least a month.
For quarantine, you need to adjust the water parameters in the quarantine tank to match those of the tank where you will be placing the shrimp. Pay special attention to testing the water in the quarantine aquarium for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites should be completely absent. In the first two weeks, you should change 30-50% of the water every three days. For the next two weeks, perform daily water changes, but no more than 2% of the water volume. And do not forget about aeration.
Parasites and their larvae can hide under the shrimp’s shell. Some aquarists advise “sterilizing” shrimp in a quarantine aquarium for a week at a temperature of 30-31°C. However, it should be noted that such a method can be fatal not only to unwanted guests but also to the shrimp themselves, as for most shrimp species, such a temperature is critical and can lead either to protein coagulation and death, or to the loss of reproductive capability.
Such heat treatment can only be recommended for Sulawesi shrimp (Caridina cf. spinata, Caridina loehae, Caridina cf. spongicola, Caridina cf. masapi), bumblebee shrimp Caridina breviata and Caridina serrata, dwarf babaulti shrimp Caridina cf. babaulti, blue shrimp Euryrhynchus cf. amazoniensis, and Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata). In addition, shrimp are very demanding regarding oxygen content in water, and when water is heated, the amount of oxygen decreases, which can negatively affect them.
Keeping and caring for shrimp.
