Hi - I have never had either snails or shrimp but I would like to include some in my 8 gal. (12w X 14h X 12d) coldwater nano tank. It is fully planted with a few small rocks and pieces of root wood which provide plenty of hiding places. The tank is stable and currently houses 7 white cloud juvies. The heater is keeping the water at 72F and it is filtered (Fluval nano filter.) I am wondering if there are shrimp and/or snails that would be happy in this temperature. Ramshorn and Trapdoor snails have been suggested...any others? Are there any types of shrimp that aren't too hard to maintain (I am a complete noob with invertebrates)? Will white clouds bother either? I also need to know numbers. Thanks!
Cold water tank stocking question.
- Thread starter bulldogsnbettas
- Start date
The White Cloud minnows may go after the newly hatched shrimp. In the wild, they eat small insect larvae, such as mosquitoes. If you're planning on the White Clouds breeding, the shrimp may eat the fish eggs.
As for easy to maintain shrimp, I would try Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus, or Palaemonetes sp. that is their genus and species name). They are commonly available at pet and fish stores. They are extremely inexpensive, they are commonly used as live food, and sold for 25 to 40 cents each. With any sized shrimp colony, the ideal is to have young that are able to mature. Colony size can be controlled by food. You may also try RCS, Red Cherry shrimp. They are a little more expensive, but are easy to keep and breed. As long as your room temperature does not drop quickly, frequently, or drasticly,, you can keep them just fine. For your tank size, I would start with a group of two males and four females. If the shrimp die, you're not out a large amount of money.
Snails are able to survive in environments much harsher than fish, or shrimp. The temperatures shouldn't bother them. However, snails can produce high volumes of waist. MTS, Ramshorn, or pond/bladder snails will reproduce prodigiously, their populations are primarily controlled by how much food is available. So, if you are not careful with how much you feed (or if there's a lot of light, creating more food), and you have snails like those I listed, you will need to closely monitor the water quality in your tank. At the very least, I would vacuum the substrate biweekly.
Mystery snails need a large flat surface, above the waterline, to lay their eggs. If your tank does not have this, and is not fully covered, you may loose snails. They will climb out of the tank, get lost, then dry out and die. Other snail types may also be viable, but they can cost more, or out grow your tank.
As for easy to maintain shrimp, I would try Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus, or Palaemonetes sp. that is their genus and species name). They are commonly available at pet and fish stores. They are extremely inexpensive, they are commonly used as live food, and sold for 25 to 40 cents each. With any sized shrimp colony, the ideal is to have young that are able to mature. Colony size can be controlled by food. You may also try RCS, Red Cherry shrimp. They are a little more expensive, but are easy to keep and breed. As long as your room temperature does not drop quickly, frequently, or drasticly,, you can keep them just fine. For your tank size, I would start with a group of two males and four females. If the shrimp die, you're not out a large amount of money.
Snails are able to survive in environments much harsher than fish, or shrimp. The temperatures shouldn't bother them. However, snails can produce high volumes of waist. MTS, Ramshorn, or pond/bladder snails will reproduce prodigiously, their populations are primarily controlled by how much food is available. So, if you are not careful with how much you feed (or if there's a lot of light, creating more food), and you have snails like those I listed, you will need to closely monitor the water quality in your tank. At the very least, I would vacuum the substrate biweekly.
Mystery snails need a large flat surface, above the waterline, to lay their eggs. If your tank does not have this, and is not fully covered, you may loose snails. They will climb out of the tank, get lost, then dry out and die. Other snail types may also be viable, but they can cost more, or out grow your tank.
Thanks! I appreciate the input. The temperature is constant, the tank is covered and I already do weekly water changes just because...I'm anal? I have seen ghost shrimp at the LFS and hopefully they will know how to sex them and can teach me. I would like to try a snail also and if it doesn't work out in the nano tank, I do have a 65g that just finished cycling and currently has 9 long fin leopard danios convincing me that the fishless cycle is really stable. I can move the snail if need be.
ghost shrimp may not breed for you since there are many species sold under that name. why not just get some cherry shrimp or something thats not as aggressive that looks better.
If you ever decide to restock it for fish (some white clouds will have to go) Then I reccomend you check out Rhinogobuis Wui. Very cool and small coldwater fish...
I say go for RCS. Start with 10 and provide java moss for cover. (you don't need java, but it helps A TON)
I say go for RCS. Start with 10 and provide java moss for cover. (you don't need java, but it helps A TON)
digitalphrage
oh god how did this get here i am n
Determining the gender of ghost shrimp is a bit subjective, so the fish shop is almost certainly not going to be able to tell you definitively one way or another. I think the only difference in the sexes is that the females get a bit larger than the males. Obviously if you happen to spot a berried shrimp (carrying eggs) you'll know she's a female...other than that there's no clear way of knowing. If you go for the ghosties, you just need to buy a number of them (10 - 12, they're CHEAP!) and that'll be more than enough to virtually guarantee that you have some males and females in the mix.
That being said, I'll second the suggestion of getting cherry shrimp if you're hoping to have a breeding colony because the cherries are easier to sex and are virtually care free in terms of breeding.
That being said, I'll second the suggestion of getting cherry shrimp if you're hoping to have a breeding colony because the cherries are easier to sex and are virtually care free in terms of breeding.
digitalphrage, since you didn't know, here's how to sex Ghost shrimp.
Once a shrimp goes through sexual maturation, it is possible to sex them. In the case of dwarf species, the females are much larger than the males. With ghost shrimp you must go by the shape of the bottom of the tail. Mustafa, at petshrimp.com has uploaded excellent pictures of male and female Ghost shrimp. This is also how you can sex Macrobrachium shrimp.
Here's an adult female,
Note how the digestive 'vein' arcs above the bottom edge of the tail. The vein runs just above the bottom of the tail, that dark line, with the bottom edge of the tail, form the shape of an eye, or football. This illustrates the protected area where eggs are stuck to the swimmerets.
Here is a picture of an adult male.
The swimmerets are essentially flush with the bottom of the tail, just below the tail.
Hope that help