shrimp questions

[psariandras]

I read somewhere(a fishkeeping magazine) that fast growing plants will use up nutrients that shrimp need and may be have negative effects for the shrimp keeper - anyone have any experiance or feedback about this view? I have fast growing plants(some lillys and some others) and I don't want to get rid of them - but I still want to keep shrimp.

I also read(in the same magazine, I think) that you can add old leaves into your tank(once they have sit in water for a while) and that shrimp feed on the decaying leaves. i want to do this, but I don't know what type of leaves to use or when to put the leaves in the tank.

I have done some research but some of what I have read is contridictory. I would like to get some cherry shrimp because my water is hard and has high pH, but I also wouldn't mind keeping a larger shrimp, I am curious if I can keep one of the larger shrimp in my hard water.

I am also curious about compatibility of shrimp species and other animals. Currently I have two ghost shrimp, that seem to be doing fine. Would it be alright to add some cherry shrimp also? Or if not cherry shrimp what about a larger shrimp(if any can be kept in my hard water with fast growing plants)

I saw some small crabs at the pet chain that looked interesting but I am thinking they will kill my shrimp. Some places on the net advise just trying it out and seeing what happens but i would rather have a good idea at the very least; however, I would like to know what will happen to prevent unecessary purchases.

I want would also like to take this chance to confirm that platies and zebra danios will not eat shrimp.


Also, I have some mystery snails in my tank so I need inverts that are friendly towards my snails. I am assuming that any crabs are out of the question. I don't know about larger shrimp and snails, I am assuming they are okay, but I don't know.


Lastly, what kind of tank do shrimp like? My tank is 15 gallons, gravel substrate, some dwarf lily hyrids and lilys, with two pengiun p99 filters. I have two rock caves for the shrimp to hide in. I am wondering whether I should add more hiding places or put in more plants(or both).

Thanks for any advice.

[nickmcmechan]

shrimp questions
I read somewhere(a fishkeeping magazine) that fast growing plants will use up nutrients that shrimp need and may be have negative effects for the shrimp keeper - anyone have any experiance or feedback about this view? I have fast growing plants(some lillys and some others) and I don't want to get rid of them - but I still want to keep shrimp.
my understanding is that plants are almost essential with shrimp, they reduce their stress levels. i believe they feed on micronutrients in the water...i have had suceess feeding infusoria in the shrimp tank, i put one drop in every day

I also read(in the same magazine, I think) that you can add old leaves into your tank(once they have sit in water for a while) and that shrimp feed on the decaying leaves. i want to do this, but I don't know what type of leaves to use or when to put the leaves in the tank. never heard of it, but i makes some sense, however this would require a lot of maintenance in terms of water changes

I have done some research but some of what I have read is contridictory. I would like to get some cherry shrimp because my water is hard and has high pH, but I also wouldn't mind keeping a larger shrimp, I am curious if I can keep one of the larger shrimp in my hard water. try www.petshrimp.com (http://www.petshrimp.com) for good accurate advice

I am also curious about compatibility of shrimp species and other animals. Currently I have two ghost shrimp, that seem to be doing fine. Would it be alright to add some cherry shrimp also? Or if not cherry shrimp what about a larger shrimp(if any can be kept in my hard water with fast growing plants) would be actually fine, however be aware that the larger shrimp may eat the shrimp babies from the cherry shrimp; i have bamboo shrimp with amanos, they tend to stay in their own parts and when they interact with other shrimp they just ignore each other...there are shrimp with are predatory, any which have claws should be strictly avoided for a comunity setup

I saw some small crabs at the pet chain that looked interesting but I am thinking they will kill my shrimp. Some places on the net advise just trying it out and seeing what happens but i would rather have a good idea at the very least; however, I would like to know what will happen to prevent unecessary purchases. crabs will likely eat shrimp...crabs needs basking areas out of water and most that are sold as freshwater are in fact brackish and will not last more than 2 months

I want would also like to take this chance to confirm that platies and zebra danios will not eat shrimp. imo, they will be fine, i think there are a lot of catfish, loaches and gouramis that will, betta are a 50/50 chance


Also, I have some mystery snails in my tank so I need inverts that are friendly towards my snails. I am assuming that any crabs are out of the question. I don't know about larger shrimp and snails, I am assuming they are okay, but I don't know. should be fine, but again aoid the shrimp with claws


Lastly, what kind of tank do shrimp like? My tank is 15 gallons, gravel substrate, some dwarf lily hyrids and lilys, with two pengiun p99 filters. I have two rock caves for the shrimp to hide in. I am wondering whether I should add more hiding places or put in more plants(or both). i would add lots of plants, i'm not familiar with your filter but a lot of shrimp really enjoy fast water movement combined with excellent filtration and water conditions...if you have an ammonia spike you'll likely lose your shrimp first

Thanks for any advice.

[Ralleh]

Hmm, I didn't realize that they would prefer fast water movement. I have had my filter turned down for that reason. I'll have to try it turned up and see how they do.

[nickmcmechan]

particularly the filter feeders...for those i would actually say it is a requirement

[legendaryfrog]

Hmm, I didn't realize that they would prefer fast water movement. I have had my filter turned down for that reason. I'll have to try it turned up and see how they do.

The only shrimp that like lots of water movement are the larger type (bamboo, giant african....) with these little *hands* that look like little fans.

[legendaryfrog]

I read somewhere(a fishkeeping magazine) that fast growing plants will use up nutrients that shrimp need and may be have negative effects for the shrimp keeper - anyone have any experiance or feedback about this view? I have fast growing plants(some lillys and some others) and I don't want to get rid of them - but I still want to keep shrimp.
I really dont believe this. I've had great succes keeping shrimp in planted tanks

I also read(in the same magazine, I think) that you can add old leaves into your tank(once they have sit in water for a while) and that shrimp feed on the decaying leaves. i want to do this, but I don't know what type of leaves to use or when to put the leaves in the tank. I occasionally add a dried oak(?) leaf in my tank. the shrimp really like to clean it off.

I am also curious about compatibility of shrimp species and other animals. Currently I have two ghost shrimp, that seem to be doing fine. Would it be alright to add some cherry shrimp also? Or if not cherry shrimp what about a larger shrimp(if any can be kept in my hard water with fast growing plants)
they will do fine together. If you want a larger shrimp, look into wood (bamboo) shrimp. they like a current in the aquarium, fyi.

I saw some small crabs at the pet chain that looked interesting but I am thinking they will kill my shrimp. Some places on the net advise just trying it out and seeing what happens but i would rather have a good idea at the very least; however, I would like to know what will happen to prevent unecessary purchases. Dont buy crabs. they rarely ever live long in the home aquarium

I want would also like to take this chance to confirm that platies and zebra danios will not eat shrimp. they are compatible


Also, I have some mystery snails in my tank so I need inverts that are friendly towards my snails. I am assuming that any crabs are out of the question. I don't know about larger shrimp and snails, I am assuming they are okay, but I don't know. they're okay together.


Lastly, what kind of tank do shrimp like? My tank is 15 gallons, gravel substrate, some dwarf lily hyrids and lilys, with two pengiun p99 filters. I have two rock caves for the shrimp to hide in. I am wondering whether I should add more hiding places or put in more plants(or both). shrimp like tanks of at least 10 gallons, with lots of plants and hiding places.

Thanks for any advice. no problem

[dixienut]

yes i've read that you use a dried oak leaf, put in the bottom of tank hold with stone or clip..

[thebullit]

soak the oak leaves for a bout a week in water and change it daily befor putting in to ur tank.

[RoseFishWatcher]

I also read(in the same magazine, I think) that you can add old leaves into your tank(once they have sit in water for a while) and that shrimp feed on the decaying leaves. i want to do this, but I don't know what type of leaves to use or when to put the leaves in the tank.

Oak or beech, from what I've heard. I think they feed on the micro-organisms that feed on the leaf. Be aware also that using leaves can affect pH. You can go to petshrimp.com and do a forum search for "oak leaves" or "leaf litter" and will find a lot of discussion about it..

I saw some small crabs at the pet chain that looked interesting but I am thinking they will kill my shrimp. Some places on the net advise just trying it out and seeing what happens but i would rather have a good idea at the very least; however, I would like to know what will happen to prevent unecessary purchases.

I've never heard anything good about keeping crabs (in FW or SW) except for the people who dedicate a species tank to them.

Also, I have some mystery snails in my tank so I need inverts that are friendly towards my snails. I am assuming that any crabs are out of the question. I don't know about larger shrimp and snails, I am assuming they are okay, but I don't know.

I have kept mystery snails with my filter feeding shrimp. For the most part, I don't think either species is aware of the other. One time, I saw a shrimp using a snail as a perch though.

[pixl8r]

Dwarf shrimp are all very peaceful. The only times that they kill is when they're underfed, or encounter a weak, sick, or otherwise incapacitated creature. Generally, they prefer tranquil, slower moving water. There are some species that come from fast moving streams though.

The filter feeding shrimp the Aty* types are the shrimp that require a fairly good flow of water. As stated, they are the shrimp that don't have claws, but instead have fans.

The shrimp that are aggressive are the Macrobrachium genus, or freshwater prawns. Within that group there is a very wide range. Many of the Hendersonii family are very peaceful such as dayanum/assamese. Others that are less aggressive are M. faustinum, M. eriocheirum, and M. kulsiense.

The prawn that is the most notorious for it's aggression is M. rosenbergii. I would only keep them in a tank by themselves, or a mating group (one male with one or two females, depending on the size of the tank).

The best leaves to use are oak or maple, they have the least affect on water ph levels. If they're not available, use leaves that are from a hardwood tree.

[mellowvision]

I'm gonna jump in here with a few observations of my own. I've had a Thai Red Claw crab in a community-ish paludarium set up for 4 months now. the tank is freshwater, and I am moving the crab within the next 2 weeks to a planted brackish paludarium.

I started out with 3 crabs. 1 escaped, 1 I think was injured during moulting by the 3rd crab and died,(or I killed it) and the third is in great shape. he's active, has his own territories in and out of the water, will take food from my tongs, and does a good job of trimming my anubius. lol. it's the only plant he seems interested in, besides the terrestrial moss above water, which seems to be a staple part of his diet. I've even seen him mix worms with moss, and dip moss in algae on the driftwood... before eating it. Algae Sauce anyone?

even though he'll have a good home in the brackish tank, it's killing me to think I'll have no amphibous creature in my larger tank... he's one of my favorites, and the whole reason I got into fishkeeping in april.

I've spent a good deal of time observing the crab with the other species in the tank. he's a poor swimmer, and is just too slow to catch anything but snails. (I never see snails in the tank, btw, and just got a big black mystery snail to see how it fares.)

He's incredibly strong, even at 1.5"... example: I was giving him worms on the end of bent tweezers... he grabbed each side of the tweezers with both claws. when I tried to pull them away, I could not, and began lifting the entire LARGE driftwood that the crab was standing on, out of the water. he was gripping the wood and tongs enough to lift the wood. it was amazing. the wood is probably the size of my calf.

When I first introduced the crab, he spent about 15 minutes trying to catch everything. once he gave up that day, he gave up for good. he no longer chases fish or my amano shrimp, although he does seem to corner my single cherry shrimp, but has never gotten close enough to do anything about it. I recently moved the cherry to a different tank, and he's way more active. I think he was feeling oppressed in the crab's territory.

I also have 2 otos, 3 cherry barbs, 2 small hatchets, and 3 amanos in the crab tank. ( it's overstocked, I know. temporarily.. ) no one shows any fear of the crab. in fact, the amanos will frequently hang out eating algae in or around the crab's cave. the crab doesn't care. the cherry barbs seem to enjoy teasing the crab from time to time. I do think the otos feel more relaxed when they know the crab is above water.

I think it's only when crabs are in too close proximity to one another that they become agressive. they're always snappy and crabby, but that's scared, not hungry...

on a related note, the cherry barbs have shown no interest in the amanos, often plowing right through them almost jokingly... never nipping... but I do see the barbs chase the 1 cherry shrimp sometimes. I think it's coloring... but the amanos are a lot larger as well.

I really prefer the amanos... they have so much personality, never stop working, and seem very active and alert, compared to the cherry I have had. perhaps if I had more cherries, they'd be more entertaining...

both the amanos and cherries love hiding in the plants, but I'd say that the cherry almost never leaves the plants. he spends almost all of his time under the leaves eating and sleeping. I couldn't imagine having a shrimp tank without plants. mine especially seem to like conglomerations of floatering plants under the surface, and the broad leaves of dwarf sag. no one really seems to clean the java moss or tall grasses... and it shows. :)

I think the biggest thing to worry about with shrimp or crabs is fertilizer. so many ferts contain copper... probably to keep algae down. none of the inverts like copper. I stopped dosing my smaller plant tank as heavily with Kent's Freshwater Plants Fert when I noticed how the shrimp spent an hour scratching their tail every time I dosed. it contains copper.

whew. sorry for the rant. once I started typing I couldn't stop.

[psariandras]

thanks for the tips. :)

Do you soak the leaves somewhere else a long time before putting it in the tank or do you put in straight in the tank from the tree?

What size tank do you use for keeping shrimp? Right now I use a 15 gallon tank. I have a 5 but I am hesitant to use it.

one more question, what kind of shrimp is the "bamboo shrimp?"
My local pet chain stocks this every now and then, is this the same thing as the amano shrimp? I think that maybe I should just get cherry shrimp b/c my water is hard and alkaline, the fish mag was saying other types prefer softer water, which I do not have. :o0

LFS rant(related to shrimp)
the LFS was telling me that mystery snails and ghost shrimp count as 2" and 1" of fish each when considering the bio-load. I thought(perhaps incorrectly, but from what I have read here) that these critters did not contribute a lot to the bioload. She told me that in my 15 gallon tank with 2 platies, 3 ghost shrimp and one mystery snail, I had 10 inches of fish left to put in the tank. I was not going to say anything but since the LFS lady was rude I told her that was not a logical way to figure things out since the LFS own instructions violate that rule..

[vampie]

5g will be fine for dwarf shrimps. I'd recommend at least 20g for the larger ones.

The bamboo shrimp is a filter-feeder, definitely not the same as the amano.

The ghost shrimp doesn't do much to the bioload, but the mystery snail can add quite a bit. They don't take up much space though, so the 1" per gallon rule really fails when it comes to them.

[nickmcmechan]

bamboo shrimp are sometimes known as wood shrimp

see www.petshrimp.com

[Stidham]

I saw some small crabs at the pet chain that looked interesting but I am thinking they will kill my shrimp. Some places on the net advise just trying it out and seeing what happens but i would rather have a good idea at the very least; however, I would like to know what will happen to prevent unecessary purchases.

I've never heard anything good about keeping crabs (in FW or SW) except for the people who dedicate a species tank to them.

Also, I have some mystery snails in my tank so I need inverts that are friendly towards my snails. I am assuming that any crabs are out of the question. I don't know about larger shrimp and snails, I am assuming they are okay, but I don't know.

I have kept mystery snails with my filter feeding shrimp. For the most part, I don't think either species is aware of the other. One time, I saw a shrimp using a snail as a perch though.


I've got 2 FW crabs, a number of ghost shrimp and 4 or 5 mystery snails in my 55. I've never seen the crabs bother anything. I buy the females with the small claws so they don't get any ideas.

[pixl8r]

thanks for the tips. :)

Do you soak the leaves somewhere else a long time before putting it in the tank or do you put in straight in the tank from the tree?



Soak the leaves in a bucket or tub, something besides your shrimp tank. You don't really need to worry about putting something on them to make them sink. Just change the water once a day until the water is clear. This usually tanks a week or so. If you soak a large volume of leaves, it may take longer (say more than 20).

[babygeige]

I'm half asleep and I accidentally made a post to this thread when I meant to make a new thread. Can a mod delete this for me please?
Sorry! Thank you! :o