Changing substrate in shrimp tank

This might not be the right section for this but I have a 5.5 gallon low tech tank that I'd like to do a big overhaul of. I just have a few cherry shrimp and a mystery snail in it. I also have a bunch of crypts, jungle val, java ferns attached to small pieces of cholla wood and some dwarf sag. It's terribly over grown and I'd like to thin it out and rescape it. I also would like to change the substrate. I was wondering what people think is the best way to go about such a big change. I'm leaning towards switching to fluval stratum substrate. Any ideas on how to safely collect the shrimp or on anything else I might be missing?

 

This might not be the right section for this but I have a 5.5 gallon low tech tank that I'd like to do a big overhaul of. I just have a few cherry shrimp and a mystery snail in it. I also have a bunch of crypts, jungle val, java ferns attached to small pieces of cholla wood and some dwarf sag. It's terribly over grown and I'd like to thin it out and rescape it. I also would like to change the substrate. I was wondering what people think is the best way to go about such a big change. I'm leaning towards switching to fluval stratum substrate. Any ideas on how to safely collect the shrimp or on anything else I might be missing?

I recently watched a video of someone rescaping their shrimp tank. They removed all of the plants/hardscape, then sloped the substrate (higher at the back), then drained the water until only some water was left in the front of the tank. All the shrimp collected in the shallow water at the front of the tank, making it a lot easier to catch all the shrimp!

I hope that made sense!

 

I recently watched a video of someone rescaping their shrimp tank. They removed all of the plants/hardscape, then sloped the substrate (higher at the back), then drained the water until only some water was left in the front of the tank. All the shrimp collected in the shallow water at the front of the tank, making it a lot easier to catch all the shrimp!

I hope that made sense!

Was it MD fish tanks by any chance...?

 

Was it MD fish tanks by any chance...?

Haha it was!!

 

I'm new to this and haven't really even got to the stage of getting myself any shrimp yet, but one thing I'd suggest that you do is to store the water that you are draining if you don't use a filter that has a stock of beneficial bacteria. This would help at least bring back some of the microflora/fauna that aid in building a healthy aquarium. Some would also be present on your plants, but the more the merrier. Also, it would help if at least some of the parameters are familiar to the shrimp, especially any younger shrimp that you may have.

Again, take my advice with a grain of salt, a total newbie here. Good luck!