After the bedroom racks of early 2017, 2018 brought my first major expansion.
I moved from 4 small racks to 15 racks, with 9 tanks on each rack, inside a 40ft container. The shrimp now had a dedicated building of their own.
1 · Beginning
Valves, lines and top-off floats were installed while work on the container was still under way.
2 · Cycling — ready for stock
By the middle of the 2018 build, all tanks were cycling. The water, air supply and filters were running, ready for stock to be added.
Aisle cycling
Every tank was filled and cycling, with soil in place and sponge filters running. No shrimp had been added yet.
Filters & valves live
Orange valves, airlines and dual sponge filters were in place as the tanks cycled together.
Ready for stock
The tanks had clear water and a steady air supply, ready for the first shrimp to move in.
3 · Fully stocked
Later, the same 40ft container held fifteen stocked racks, with nine tanks on each rack and shrimp across every tier.
What changed
- The farm moved from a few bedroom racks into a dedicated container.
- I expanded from 4 small racks to 15 racks, with 9 tanks on each rack.
- The extra space let me separate breeding lines, grow-out groups and experiments under one roof.
Farm note: Moving into the container was a turning point. It meant giving the shrimp their own building and committing more space to the work.
Timeline so far
- 2016 — Australia: I discovered Caridina in a local aquarium shop and began keeping Crystal Red and Blue Bolt. I have no photographs of that first encounter.
- Early 2017 — Vietnam bedroom: I set up my first breeding racks, and The Brothers Shrimp began to take shape.
- 2018 — 40ft container: I expanded from 4 small racks to 15 racks, with 9 tanks on each rack.
- Mid 2020 — new room: I built a dedicated room for 35 racks.
- Today — Vietnam: I run two farms, in Vũng Tàu and nearby, with 116 racks between them.
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