Last week, I decided that Asian dwarf shrimp might be a great enterprise for the homestead. And I still mostly think that. But as I’ve been doing my research, I keep running into what could be an absolute deal-breaker in practice. Shrimp can be extremely finicky about water chemistry. This might force me to violate one of my fundamental rules of fishkeeping. Don’t F$%k With the Water.
I’m trying really hard to embrace a simple ground rule for this homestead:
Biology beats Chemistry, But Physics always wins.
Homestead Rule #1
If I have to constantly re-engineer the water for the shrimp by using RODI and synthetic salt inputs, the enterprise will probably be doomed to failure. Every dollar I spend on external inputs increases both the environmental and monetary costs. More importantly, I need the maintenance load on the aquariums to be as low as possible for this to work. More process than money is time, And more precious than time is freedom and flexibility. I can’t allow myself to be chained to constant water changes and rigorous maintenance routines.
Despite these concerns, I’m still moving forward with the project. All of the other arguments I’ve made for pursuing the project still stand; it could make a lot of sense. And my business plans don’t suck so far. I’ll just need to be very careful about tracking my expenses. Above all else, my previous experience with cherry red shrimp shows that they can handle Chicago tap water and a fair amount of neglect.