Amano Shrimp

[jread]

Well, the LFS finally had some amano's when I went there today, so I stocked up (10 of them for my planted tank).

First of all, I have to admit that they creep me out a little bit. I don't like the way they skit around.... their legs are creepy. They remind me of roaches or something. They're also the only shrimp I've ever seen that will start running on the net when you catch one!

Anyway, was just wondering what they eat besides algae. Do they make good scavengers? My ghost shrimp would eat any leftover bloodworms that my fish didn't want. Will the amanos eat them too?

Are there any other general care tips that you might have?

Thanks :)

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by jread
Well, the LFS finally had some amano's.... they creep me out a little bit. I don't like the way they skit around.... their legs are creepy. They remind me of roaches .. Great..

I hate roaches - real bad...

I will try and block out your description of these Amano shrimp since I really do want to get some...! :(

(edit)
There are some Amano shrimp "experts" here... I hope they change the subject soon......:eek:

[Kagh't]

amanos will eat anything they can get their claws on (including your fingers, they make quite a nice exfoliating team for your skin), so yes, they will eat the leftover bloodworms.

i find my little dudes are always happier when they have a bit of bogwood in the tank, maybe because there is a lot more micro-algae growth on it, or they like the taste of wood, but it's worth bearing in mind.

apart from keeping good water conditions (hard, ph 7-8), theres very else you need to do, apart from cover every possible exits, as they will get out, and they can wander (10 meters or so is the record so far from one of mine) quite a distance.

it is worth bearing in mind it is best to do water changes more regulary (around once a week, but only 10% or so) to keep calcium levels up in the water. amanos, especially for their first year or so, moult practically every few weeks, and will suffer if their isn't enough calcium in the water to build their new shells.
old discarded shells are normally eaten to recycle minerals within a couple of days, but if not, it's best to remove them.

[RTR]

I strongly agree with Kagh't's comments on Amano behavior in the tank. It is just a bit much to have an Amano on your hands and the Cherry Barbs tring to eat the hairs on your arms. Also the comment jread made about their running on the net when caught can be extended to up the net handle and up your arm... But how ofen do do catch shrimp anyway?

In my tanks they only tend to wander out of the tank when newly introduced. Once settled in, they are not an escape problem for me. I have a number in open-topped tanks, but the first few day to a week plus are high loss periods. The only exceptions are certain fish which either chase them or frighten them by their bulk - I can't keep them with some of my larger Synodontids (which are filter feeders and will not eat a shrimp or even a newborn guppy) but which by their bulk and nocturnal activity frighten the shrimp out of the tank.

I think they are elegant critters and love to watch them.

They are good scavengers as well as soft green or hair algae consumers.