Water Parameters at a Glance: A Quick-Reference Cheat Sheet
One page to bookmark. The target ranges we work to for snails and shrimp, pulled together in one place instead of scattered across a dozen guides.
Target Ranges
These are general working ranges for the species we breed, not species-specific extremes — always check the individual care notes for anything unusual you're keeping alongside them.
| Parameter | Snails | Neocaridina Shrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 18–26°C | 18–24°C |
| pH | 7.0–8.0 | 6.5–7.5 |
| GH | 8–12 dGH | 6–8 dGH |
| KH | 3–8 dKH | 2–4 dKH |
| Ammonia / Nitrite | 0ppm, always | 0ppm, always |
| Nitrate | Under 40ppm | Under 20ppm |
Zero for ammonia and nitrite isn't a target to get close to — it's the only acceptable reading. Any detectable amount of either means the tank isn't cycled yet or something has gone wrong with an established one.
Where to Go Deeper
This page is deliberately a cheat sheet, not a full explanation — for the reasoning behind each number, our other guides go into proper depth: GH & KH Explained for hardness, Ammonia & Nitrite Spikes for what to do if a reading is off, Temperature, Heating & Thermal Shock for getting temperature right and stable, and Water Testing 101 if you're not sure how to get an accurate reading in the first place.
- — Ammonia and nitrite: always zero, no exceptions
- — Shrimp generally want softer, slightly more acidic water than snails
- — These are working ranges, not hard limits — stability matters as much as the exact number
- — Test regularly rather than relying on how the tank looks
Jack — Jack's Aquatics · Medway, Kent
UK Bred. Mineral Supported. Never Imported. — jacksaquatics.co.uk