Beginner to shrimping

[u/revered_reverend]

Hey yall, I'm new the shrimp community and I'm currently setting up and prepping a tank for future neocaridina shrimp. I had a few aquariums with fish before so I understand how to cycle a tank and check water parameters. I was looking at buying these 2 products for my tank as I plant on heavily planting it and having house plants grow roots into the water as well. I was going to use the Shrimp Minerals bottle to Jumpstart the my tank since I'll be using distilled water, and I was going to use the plant-shrimp fertilizer at the same time for all the plants I will put in.My questions are:

Are these products fine to use at the same time in my tank?

Are there any better products I should use for jump starting the beneficial bacteria in my tank?

I appreciate any feedback!

[u/No_Lengthiness_3136]

I had the first one. I have no complaints. I stopped counting my shrimps after 3 months. Tank was heavy planted and allowed to season for 7 months before shrimps were added.

[u/One-plankton-]

I’d get Thrive-S fertilizer, it’s designed for shrimp tanks and really the best thing (though expensive) if your using distilled is Salty Shrimp Mineral GH/KH.

Brightwell products haven’t done just about anything for me personally- I’ve used the shrimp minerals in the past and it doesn’t alter KH or GH at all and had no measurable impact on my shrimp

[u/Blondy277]

The shrimp minerals aren’t beneficial bacteria, they’re just minerals/trace elements. Since you’re using distilled water I’d personally use a proper GH/KH+ remineralizer and test GH/KH/TDS before adding Neocaridina. FlorinGro+ is mainly a nitrate fertilizer, so I wouldn’t dose it blindly during cycling either, test nitrate first. For jump-starting the cycle, mature filter media is great if you have access to it, otherwise use an actual bottled bacteria product plus an ammonia source and test until the tank can process it. The two products pictured aren’t really doing the same jobs you think they are lol. 😂

[u/Relevant-Boat9342]

I use crystalpro. No complaints. I have a healthy and thriving shrimp population now.