• We welcome content that is not political, divisive, or offensive. If we feel your content leans this way or has the potential to, it may be removed at any time. A hot pepper forum is not the place for such content. Thank you for respecting the community!

Shrimp Tanks

Nightshade

Nightshade

anybody else raise freshwater shrimp. I'm new to it but I enjoy them want to get a couple more types.
IMG_5919_zps38c3f624.jpg
 
Red cherry shrimp... they breed, dependably, but slowly. They will kill and eat some juveniles, rather like guppies. Live, fresh algae, growing in the tank, is a good nutritional 'tonic' for them. Tolerant of cooler water than most aquarium fish. They like live plants and whatnot (ie.:driftwood, rocks) for a sense of security/shelter.
They'l die in 24-48 hours on a bare-glass aquarium floor of fatigue -- their limbs will constantly skitter for purchase, they won't feed... it's an ugly death, trust me,

Females are the bigger and showier (brighter red), which is unheard of in nature.
Some reversion to the wild (drab, beige-colored) strain may occur. Cull these.

Biggest killers are crowding and water impurities. Keeping fish or other competitive species with them is usually disastrous. Keeping other-colored breeds of the same species (there are at least 3 strains i've seen) will lead to muddy-colored variants in a few generations (same problem as with open-pollinated peppers, in a way...).
For variety in an otherwise single-species tank, try a hardy-but-pretty snail (ram's-horn snails -- NOT the giant species -- are good).

That photo looks perfect -- if those are yours, you're doing great. I love the little beasts. Nice!!
 
mikeg said:
Red cherry shrimp... they breed, dependably, but slowly. They will kill and eat some juveniles, rather like guppies. Live, fresh algae, growing in the tank, is a good nutritional 'tonic' for them. Tolerant of cooler water than most aquarium fish. They like live plants and whatnot (ie.:driftwood, rocks) for a sense of security/shelter.
They'l die in 24-48 hours on a bare-glass aquarium floor of fatigue -- their limbs will constantly skitter for purchase, they won't feed... it's an ugly death, trust me,

Females are the bigger and showier (brighter red), which is unheard of in nature.
Some reversion to the wild (drab, beige-colored) strain may occur. Cull these.

Biggest killers are crowding and water impurities. Keeping fish or other competitive species with them is usually disastrous. Keeping other-colored breeds of the same species (there are at least 3 strains i've seen) will lead to muddy-colored variants in a few generations (same problem as with open-pollinated peppers, in a way...).
For variety in an otherwise single-species tank, try a hardy-but-pretty snail (ram's-horn snails -- NOT the giant species -- are good).

That photo looks perfect -- if those are yours, you're doing great. I love the little beasts. Nice!!
Click to expand...
yes they are mine thanks for the compliment. do you raise some? I would like to buy some other colored species, im really liking the Carbon Rili and black king kong
 
I haven't kept them for about 4 or 5 years (moved into an RV). I miss them, and wax nostalgic.

Mine were the old-school red cherry type not the somewhat more vividly red Sakura shrimp (which yours appear to be). They showed quite nicely under warm-white (ie.: red-predominant) fluorescent lighting with dark green Java ferns.

I paused to Google Carbon Rili and Black King Kong varieties -- very nice!

By the way Java ferns cans be trained to grow on driftwood quite nicely... slow to establish, but very vigorous when established. Adults seemed to like posing on them, as if awaiting a National Geographic photographer. Cute!

Also, water wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) seemed the best shelter for juveniles. As a bonus, the lacy leaves and green-gold color contrasted nicely with the spinach-green coarse-leaved Java ferns.

Do you have a full-view picture of your tank? The focused view of the shrimps suggests you have already 'aqua-scaped' it nicely, and i'd really like to see it.

Thanks
 
I will get one its quite algae filled

Grass Snake said:
I have 2 peppermint shrimp in my saltwater tank. I would take a picture but they're hiding in the live rock some where. I like em they do a great job keeping the tank clean.
Click to expand...
Beautiful shrimp I'm thinking of doing two more tanks and doing some breeding
 
Nightshade said:
 
I will get one its quite algae filled


Beautiful shrimp I'm thinking of doing two more tanks and doing some breeding
 
Click to expand...
That would be a nice challenge. If you wanted to try and sell, depending on their size, peppermint shrimp go for about $10 each. Not sure how much fresh water shrimp go for but it would be cool to have regardless.
 
Interesting, it's true you learn something new everyday. Never knew there was a hobby to raise decorative shrimp in aquariums that didn't include fish. Pretty cool but damn that's expensive for a shrimp (the black king kong)
 
You said earlier your tank had alot of algae thats why I asked. Algae thrives when your nitrates are high(organic matter breaking down}. Bad lighting could also contribute to the growth. Control your nitrates by doing frequent partial water changes , don't over feed or over stock, make sure you got a good filter, and don't let direct sunlight into the tank. If your using florescent light bulbs don't wait till they go out before you change them. And make sure your water is adjusted to the proper ph. Sorry if its too much info but I hate algae.
 
Good sound advice. And nitrates are much more toxic to freshwater crustaceans than they are to most fish. And algae can be hateful.

Once, though, i made it work for me.. i had to leave home for a week. I added extra lights, put them on timers, and it helped feed my fish.
They were tilapia, and can graze it off rocks/whatever.

...But, yeah. You're absolutely right.


Nightshade, beware of even the most minimal traces of copper. It's kryptonite for your shrimp. Lethal doses are in the 1-part-per-million range (or thereabouts) if i recall aright. Maybe less. Kryptonite.

If you have hard water -- particularly traces of calcium carbonate -- that's actually safer, since it renders copper ions insoluble in water.
 
mikeg said:
Good sound advice. And nitrates are much more toxic to freshwater crustaceans than they are to most fish. And algae can be hateful.

Once, though, i made it work for me.. i had to leave home for a week. I added extra lights, put them on timers, and it helped feed my fish.
They were tilapia, and can graze it off rocks/whatever.

...But, yeah. You're absolutely right.


Nightshade, beware of even the most minimal traces of copper. It's kryptonite for your shrimp. Lethal doses are in the 1-part-per-million range (or thereabouts) if i recall aright. Maybe less. Kryptonite.

If you have hard water -- particularly traces of calcium carbonate -- that's actually safer, since it renders copper ions insoluble in water.
Click to expand...
I got a feeling somebody is gonna tell us to take our ass back to the fish tank forum. lol
 
Yeah but I would address the nitrates first which is probably your main culprit. Nitrates are fertilizer and I heard of people using water they change from the aquarium to water plants and get very good results. I would try it but I have a saltwater tank so it wouldn't work for me. You should get a sacrificial plant and experiment.
 
Grass Snake said:
Yeah but I would address the nitrates first which is probably your main culprit. Nitrates are fertilizer and I heard of people using water they change from the aquarium to water plants and get very good results. I would try it but I have a saltwater tank so it wouldn't work for me. You should get a sacrificial plant and experiment.
Click to expand...
I have a moss ball or whatever it's called in there should I get another plant I have been thinking about it anyways.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top