View Full Version : African Giant Filter Shrimp
rwilliams254
06-06-2007, 5:40 PM
This think looks awesome!!! Anyone have any experience with these? Found them at http://www.azgardens.com/shrimpfactory.php
http://www.azgardens.com/images/Shrimp-AfricanTHUMB.gif (http://www.azgardens.com/images/shrimp-African.gif)African Giant Filter Shrimp Atya gabonensis
a.k.a. African Fan Shrimp, Vampire Shrimp Size: over 15cm pH: 6.5 - 7.4, Temp: 74-88, Origin: West Africa, Eastern South America
These ARE the largest, newest shrimp we offer. ULTRA RARE!!!! These are NOT wild caught. Ours are all farm raised.
CARE: Require almost identical water conditions and have similar behavior patterns as a Singapore Shrimp (see above) These will also colonize on driftwood, so buy a grouping of them for best results! Absolutely 100% harmless as they have no way to hurt or injure other aquatic animals, so these are ideal for many community tanks.
Size at shipping: about 2 to 3".
Stocking Ratio: 1 or 2 shrimp per 10 gallons.
Your cost 12.99 each http://www.azgardens.com/images/add_to_cart.gif (http://www.azgardens.com/cart.php?action=add&database=aquarium&item_id=100290&category=7) SPECIAL PRICE! reg. price 19.99
Anyone have any experience with these?
EWWWW...no way, might get CRABS!
DarkEntity
06-07-2007, 2:10 AM
Filter shrimp need food in the water colum to feed from, so you would need plankton or the like as a staple food. Ive not had any eat anything else and due to the price of it over here i gave up trying and sold the one i had
WeeNe858
06-07-2007, 2:15 AM
i actually have a singapor flower the finished sheding today ( looks awsome) and i got some cyclopes that im going to inject through a "device" i made... ill post pictures of it on my thread
but that thing looks mean.. ill stick to my singapore :]
rwilliams254
06-07-2007, 1:50 PM
Can you buy plankton?
GoldLenny
06-07-2007, 2:53 PM
Just make sure you get the shipping fees IN WRITING from AZGardens.com. I've read countless complaints about them not telling people the shipping fees and then the people get a HUGE charge to their credit card. Other than that, their site is a good resource for information.
rwilliams254
06-07-2007, 3:36 PM
Thanks for the heads up.
nickmcmechan
06-07-2007, 3:55 PM
one of my lfs over here sells them at $20 each...same requirements as a bamboo shrimp, established tank, high water flow, but more community than bamboo, keep at least 4 together....at $20 each...x 4.....
i feed my bamboo liquifry and powdered fry food, loves it
i plan on having a discus tank and putting them in there....
i think they are top of the range shrimp
rwilliams254
06-07-2007, 4:18 PM
..at least 4? I was thinking 2. That's a lot of shrimp body!
pacalan
06-07-2007, 5:52 PM
I'm not so sure that they are more community that Bamboo. Once in a while, my two vampires do hang out in the same cave peacefully, but a lot of times they push each other around, sometimes quite violently. Mine can be quite tempermental and territorial at times.
My bamboo, on the other hand, are extremely social, always hanging out right next to each other by the powerhead.
RoseFishWatcher
06-07-2007, 6:00 PM
1st: "Not wild caught" is probably a bit misleading. My understanding is that neither these (nor the more common "bamboo" shrimp - another filter feeder) have yet been bred in captivity.
2nd: http://www.petshrimp.com/africanfiltershrimp.html
These are on my wishlist, but I haven't seen any around here (so I would likely have to special order them) and I really can't afford them right now, sadly.
I have heard a lot of compaints about AZGardens. I plan on buying there only as a last resort when I finally am able to get these shrimp.
I wouldn't call bamboo social. They only hang out close to one another (at least IME) since that is where the highest flow is. They also often push and climb on one another, trying to get a feeding advantage.
pacalan
06-07-2007, 10:27 PM
That's interesting. I haven't had that kind of experience with my bamboo. They've never been pushy or shown any kind of aggression to each other or any of the other shrimp. I probably shouldn't have used the word "social" though. I meant that they don't mind being around each other, compared to my vampires, in any case.
1st: "Not wild caught" is probably a bit misleading. My understanding is that neither these (nor the more common "bamboo" shrimp - another filter feeder) have yet been bred in captivity.
I just found out that one of mine is a female, has recently become sexually mature, and is now carrying eggs. I would like to try and raise the offspring, but I've never attempted anything like it before. I hope things work out ok.
pixl8r
06-07-2007, 11:25 PM
pacalan,
Are you familiar with the requirements to successfully breed Atyopsis Moluccensis (wood/bamboo shrimp) or Atya Gabonensis (blue rhino/vampire shrimp)? I'm not sure which of yours are currently berried. But you will need to hatch them in brackish water and at different stages they will need varied degrees of saltwater.
From what I've read, it is extremely difficult, much like breeding some types of ghost shrimp and amano shrimp. I sincerely hope you're successful! Please let us know what you do, with water conditions and foods.
Good luck! :thumbsup:
pacalan
06-08-2007, 8:45 AM
Oops, I guess the statement was a bit unclear. It's the vampire who is berried.
The female amanos in my tank seem to always have eggs, so I have been idly researching what all is involved in with raising the young. Now that I see the vampire with eggs, I've been looking into it more seriously.
I haven't been able to find any information about the vampires' breeding and the requirements of its larvae, but I have found some good articles about amano. Whether or not the process in interchangeable between the two, I don't know.
pixl8r
06-08-2007, 11:39 AM
Pacalan,
I agree, information reguarding breeding vampire shrimp is extremely difficult to find. If you've not already seen these pages, here are a few links to breeding Amano shrimp.
http://caridina.japonica.online.fr./English/Elevage.htm
http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/breeding_yamato.htm
http://www.shrimpbreeding.co.uk/Zax_Amano_Setup.htm
legendaryfrog
06-10-2007, 10:22 AM
I've read that its quite easy breeding flower/singapore shrimp once you have the proper setup and foods. a dedicated medium size planted tank, a couple shrimp, and a phytoplankton reactor.
RoseFishWatcher
06-10-2007, 2:31 PM
I've read that its quite easy breeding flower/singapore shrimp once you have the proper setup and foods. a dedicated medium size planted tank, a couple shrimp, and a phytoplankton reactor.
Where did you hear this? As far as I know, they have still not been bred in captivity successfully.
legendaryfrog
06-10-2007, 6:10 PM
OOPS! I searched around for the same page and it was for saltwater cleaner shrimp.
sorry bout that.
blazingazn
06-12-2007, 3:07 PM
i've had a bamboo shrimp for about 2 yrs and a vampire shrimp for about 1 yr. their care is basically the same... as for the vampire being more social than a bamboo, that im not too sure of. when my vampire and bamboo cross paths, there's always a shoving match. and when the bamboo is in front of a current with its fans out, the vampire will sometimes go over and take its spot, the bamboo steps aside and gets the "loser" spot, lol. although i've seen some mild aggression towards each other, they do not exhibit any life threatening acts towards each other and never bother the other tank inhabitants, fish or invert.
nickmcmechan
06-12-2007, 4:25 PM
when i say more social i meanwith their own species, if you watch a group of african giant filter shrimp they will tend to stick together, whereas bamboos dont seem to bother as much
pacalan
06-12-2007, 5:17 PM
How big of a group have you seen? I'm wondering if in large enough numbers, they take on a swarm type of behavior, sticking closely together.
As I've said and seen from the two of mine, it's more rare to seem them sticking together peacefully, than fighting or keeping to themselves.
nickmcmechan
06-13-2007, 3:45 AM
How big of a group have you seen? I'm wondering if in large enough numbers, they take on a swarm type of behavior, sticking closely together.
As I've said and seen from the two of mine, it's more rare to seem them sticking together peacefully, than fighting or keeping to themselves.
ahhh, good question they are not my own!
have been watching them in the lfs under bogwood and in line with filter output
they all seem to 'cuddle' together all the time, group was about 8 strong!
no fighting at all