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Look, I get it. You walk into an aquarium shop or scroll through Shopee, and suddenly you’re convinced you need a $200 wave maker for your 20-liter shrimp tank. Trust me, I’ve been there.

After breeding Caridina shrimp for the past few years here in Singapore, I’ve wasted money on plenty of “must-have” accessories that ended up collecting dust. So let me save you some cash and frustration.

Here are the 7 accessories that genuinely make a difference in keeping your shrimp alive and breeding. Everything else? Honestly, you can skip it.

1. A Reliable TDS Meter (Non-Negotiable)

Why it matters: Singapore tap water is all over the place. One week it’s 80 TDS, next week it’s 150. For Caridina shrimp that need specific parameters, guessing is a death sentence.

I learned this the hard way when I lost half my Crystal Red colony because I trusted my “water feels fine” instincts. Spoiler: feelings don’t measure dissolved solids.

What to get: Any basic digital TDS meter works. You don’t need the fancy $80 version. The $15-20 ones from local aquarium shops do the job perfectly fine. Just calibrate it once a month.

Real talk: If you’re only getting ONE thing from this list, make it this. Nothing else matters if your water parameters are off.

2. Sponge Filter (Not the Filter You Think You Need)

You know what kills more baby shrimp than anything else? Getting sucked into normal filters.

Why sponge filters win: Baby shrimp are tiny. Like, ridiculously tiny. Regular filters with intake tubes? They’re basically shrimp vacuum cleaners. Sponge filters provide filtration without the death toll, plus they grow biofilm that shrimp love grazing on.

The Singapore reality: Our weather is hot. Your water temperature will fluctuate. A good sponge filter helps maintain stable beneficial bacteria colonies that keep your tank balanced even when temperatures swing.

I run dual sponge filters in my breeding tanks. Redundancy means if one fails, I’m not scrambling at 2am trying to save my colony.

Budget tip: Skip the branded ones. The basic sponge filters work exactly the same as the “premium Japanese” versions that cost 3x more.

3. Drip Acclimation Kit (Or Just Airline Tubing and a Knot)

Here’s the thing about Caridina shrimp: they’re drama queens about water changes. Dump them straight into new water? Dead. Acclimate them slowly? They’ll breed like crazy.

What you need: Airline tubing, a knot or valve to control flow, and patience. That’s it. You don’t need the $40 acclimation kit with the fancy bucket and stand.

I literally use a piece of airline tubing tied in a loose knot. Drip new shrimp or do water changes over 2-3 hours. Your survival rate will jump from 60% to 95%.

Pro move: Keep a dedicated piece of tubing just for acclimation. Don’t use the same one you use for everything else. Cross-contamination is real.

4. Remineralizer (Because RO Water Is Dead Water)

If you’re serious about Caridina shrimp in Singapore, you’re probably using RO (reverse osmosis) water. Our tap water just isn’t suitable for most high-grade Caridina species.

But RO water alone? It’s basically liquid nothing. Zero minerals, zero buffering capacity. You need to add stuff back.

What to get: A proper shrimp-specific remineralizer like SL Aqua GH Conditioner. Not aquarium salt. Not random minerals. Get something designed for Caridina that brings your GH up to 4-6 and keeps KH low (SL Aqua targets exactly this).

I use remineralizer for every water change. It’s not optional. The cost averages out to maybe $10-15 a month, and it’s the difference between shrimp that survive and shrimp that thrive.

5. A Dedicated Shrimp Net (The Fine Mesh Kind)

Regular fish nets? Too rough. Your shrimp will grab onto them, you’ll pull, and suddenly you’re doing amateur shrimp surgery trying to untangle legs from the mesh.

What you need: Fine mesh shrimp net. They glide through without catching. Your shrimp stay intact. Everyone’s happier.

Real scenario: I once spent 15 minutes trying to free a berried female from a regular net. She dropped half her eggs from stress. Now I only use fine mesh nets. Lesson learned.

Cost? Like $8-12. Worth every cent when you’re moving expensive high-grade shrimp.

6. Indian Almond Leaves (Nature’s Cheat Code)

This is probably the cheapest item on this list and one of the most effective.

Why they’re magic: Indian almond leaves release tannins that lower pH slightly, have natural antibacterial properties, and provide biofilm for baby shrimp to graze on. Plus they look natural in the tank.

Singapore advantage: You can literally pick these up from Ketapang trees around the island if you know where to look. Or buy them for $2-5 a pack at any aquarium shop.

I keep 2-3 leaves in each tank at all times. When they break down, I toss in fresh ones. My shrimp breeding rates improved noticeably after I started using them consistently.

Warning: They will darken your water. Some people hate the tea-colored look. I think it looks natural and healthy. Your call.

7. A Backup Air Pump (For When—Not If—Things Fail)

Singapore’s power supply is reliable, but pumps fail. And they always fail at the worst time, like when you’re away for the weekend.

Why you need backup: No surface agitation = no oxygen exchange = dead shrimp by morning. It’s that simple.

I keep a cheap battery-powered air pump plugged in and ready. It’s saved my tanks twice during power outages and once when my main pump died overnight.

Cost: $15-25 for a basic battery backup. Cheaper than replacing your entire colony.

What You Can Actually Skip

Now for the fun part—all the stuff shops will try to sell you that you don’t really need:

Fancy LED lights: Unless you’re growing demanding plants, basic lighting is fine. Shrimp don’t care about RGB modes.

CO2 systems: For a shrimp-only tank? Completely unnecessary. Save your money.

Protein skimmers: This isn’t a reef tank. Simple water changes do the job.

Wave makers: Your shrimp aren’t training for the Olympics. They’re fine without artificial currents.

UV sterilizers: Overkill for most home tanks. Focus on maintaining good water quality instead.

Automatic feeders: Shrimp barely eat compared to fish. Just feed them when you’re home.

The Bottom Line

I spent probably $500+ on accessories I didn’t need when I started keeping shrimp. If I could do it over, I’d buy these 7 things first and ignore everything else until I actually encountered a specific problem.

Your shrimp don’t need fancy gadgets. They need stable parameters, clean water, and the basics done right. Everything else is just marketing.

Start with these seven accessories, master the fundamentals, and your shrimp will reward you with berried females and endless baby shrimp. The rest? You can figure out later if you even need it at all.

What’s your experience? Did I miss anything crucial, or do you have accessories you swear by? Let me know in the comments. And if you’re just starting out in Singapore and have questions about setting up your first Caridina tank, feel free to reach out. We’re all in this together.

Looking for quality Caridina shrimp or any of these accessories? Check out our selection at ebiya.sg—because your shrimp deserve the good stuff, not the gimmicks.