Tank Talks
colony of 12 → 60
Featured · Shrimp

Why your Neocaridina colony stopped growing.

A healthy cherry shrimp colony grows like a slow-motion explosion. When yours just sits there — same dozen shrimp, month after month — it's almost always one of five fixable things.

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Published · May 9, 2026 Tank 03 · Planted shrimp Reading · 7 min
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Start here

↓ the basics All reference data →
Cycling the tank

Ammonia & nitrite levels

What "cycled" actually means — the thresholds fish can tolerate during cycling, why nitrite kills more fish than ammonia does, and the salt trick that protects them through the spike.
Water parameters

Safe nitrate ranges

What shrimp, plant, and community-fish keepers actually target — and where the federal drinking-water number fits in.
Quarantine & decon

Treating new plants

Freeze, boil, bleach, vinegar — kill snails, leeches, and hitchhikers before they reach your main tank.
Don't dump

Releasing tank life

Why you can't release aquarium fish or plants — and where to report invasives if you spot them.

This week's reads

↓ this week All articles →
★ new Blue Neocaridina davidi shrimp — common color morph shipped to home aquariums
Shrimp · 6 min

How to acclimate new shrimp: the drip method, without overcomplicating it

You spent $40 on shrimp. They arrived alive. The next two hours decide how many are still alive next week.
Bucephalandra leaves with bluish iridescent sheen
Plants · 7 min

Bucephalandra: the beginner's guide to keeping "buce" alive

I killed my first three. Drowned them in CO2, baked them under a too-strong light, and — the fatal mistake — buried the rhizome.
Chili rasbora (Boraras brigittae) in breeding coloration
Fish · 6 min

Best nano fish for a 10 gallon planted tank in 2026

There are roughly fifteen species commonly recommended. Most are fine. A few really shouldn't be in a tank this size.

More from the tanks

↓ keep going All articles →
★ classic Marimo moss balls
Shrimp · 6 min

Marimo moss balls: why every shrimp tank needs one

A clump of slow-spinning algae is a more useful tankmate than most fish. Biofilm grazing, gentle infusoria nursery, the only "plant" that survives most beginners.
Java moss
Plants · 5 min

Java moss vs Christmas moss — which is actually better?

Christmas moss looks better. Java moss survives more. The honest tradeoff for shrimp tanks, hardscape attachment, and slow-grow vs no-grow setups.
experiment Planted 40 gallon tank
Experiment · 8 min

How I finally cracked nitrate control — 6 months in my 40 gallon

High nitrates were killing plants and stressing rasboras for months. I tried everything wrong before I tried the right things — including $200 of nitrate-removing media that didn't work.

Common problems

↓ if something's wrong All 19 troubleshooting answers →
Fish gasping at the surface?
Test nitrite first — brown blood disease moves faster than ammonia toxicity or low oxygen. 50% water change, dose salt if your stocking allows.
Read the fix →
Nitrite test reading something?
In a cycled tank, nitrite is always 0. Anything detectable = water change + look for overfeeding, dead fish, or antibacterial dosing.
Read the fix →
Water turned cloudy overnight?
New tank = bacterial bloom, harmless, clears in days. Green = phytoplankton, cut light. Brown = tannins or substrate, usually fine.
Read the fix →
Cherry shrimp colony not growing?
Almost always one of five things — TDS, nitrate, copper, food, or temperature. Diagnose in order; the article walks all five.
Read the fix →
Plants slowly dying off?
Light hours first — cap at 8. Then read the fast-growing stems for visual cues. Don't dose a nutrient bottle without knowing which deficiency.
Read the fix →
Algae taking over the tank?
Algae diagnoses the problem; killing it doesn't fix it. Cut light, raise plant mass, add Amanos or Nerites. Skip the algae-killer bottles.
Read the fix →