# Shrimp -- different types



## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

I don't have a lot of shrimp, just several dozen of cherry reds that seem to be multiplying very well. At least it doesn't seem like I have a lot of them since they are spread out in larger tanks. I also have a few ghost shrimp. They all seem to be great bottom cleaners and co-exist well with certain types of fish. Some other fish I don't think they would do well with, goldfish, for example, would probably love them--for a meal!

I would be interested in a short forum discussion on the topic of shrimp. There are at least a couple of other members who have lots of shrimp, understand them well, know which ones are easy to care for and which are a real challenge. Some, I understand can be switched from salt water to fresh water but won't breed in fresh water (could be wrong on that). 

So, those of you who have a real interest in shrimp, what do you like about them, what can you say about the different kinds of shrimp, how hard are those different kinds to care for, etc.???

Don


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

This may be a be a good topic for our March Meeting since we do not have a topic for that meeting yet! Renee and Liz are probably the most knowledgeable shrimp keeping members but if neither of them can write something up I may be able to give it a go  Maybe the three of us can come up with something to present at the meeting.

Is there any specific info you are looking for?


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

Mainly I just thought it would be an interesting discussion topic, but it would be interesting to have it as a meeting topic also. If these are not very fragile, maybe a show and tell could be set up with different kinds of them at the meeting?

I know that the cherry shrimp would travel well. We got some that were supposed to be in water that the bag broke during shipping. Most if not all made it safely to our home but there was moss in the same bag, which kept them pretty damp.

What I would be looking for in a meeting or discussion are things like:

What kinds are available?

What do the different ones look like?

What are general guidelines for the care and feeding of them?

Are there more specific guidelines for certain varieties/species?

What precautions do you need to take when putting them in to an aquarium (kinds of fish to NOT put them with, ones that work well with them, etc.)?

What do the shrimp fanciers like about shrimp keeping?

Etc.


Don


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

i thought about getting a slideshow together and do a talk on shrimp, but with school, my time is... welll... i dont have much.

i think most of these questions can be answered with a search of the forums. i can answer secies specific questions about cherry, sri lanka dwarfs, and blues. ive killed the other species i recently bought, accidently, due to a tank/copper problem. dont buy tanks from auctions FYI.


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

I would love to hear a discussion or presentation about this I'm very interested in shrimps but I've never had them before.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

t2000kw said:


> Mainly I just thought it would be an interesting discussion topic, but it would be interesting to have it as a meeting topic also. If these are not very fragile, maybe a show and tell could be set up with different kinds of them at the meeting?


Since the March meeting will be at my house (see  This Thread for Details on Future Meetings) there won't be a need to move any shrimp to the meeting site 

I have Cherries, Crystal Reds, New Bees, Blues, Snowballs, and Tiger Shrimp so far. Also on my shrimp rack Renee has Amanos, Ghost, Bamboo, and Vampire Shrimp. By the time of the meeting she will have probably moved her Crystal Reds and Cherries to the rack also, assuming she isn't in Cleveland by then.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

Looking forward to it.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

It's much more interesting to see these up close, or in a PowerPoint presentation, than simply read about them in forums and believe everything written there. If someone in a club that you know does the presentation, there's an element of trust there that isn't in a forum.

About the copper in a used tank, there must be some chelating agent that would bind the copper and form a compound that would wash out???



Six said:


> i thought about getting a slideshow together and do a talk on shrimp, but with school, my time is... welll... i dont have much.
> 
> i think most of these questions can be answered with a search of the forums. i can answer secies specific questions about cherry, sri lanka dwarfs, and blues. ive killed the other species i recently bought, accidently, due to a tank/copper problem. dont buy tanks from auctions FYI.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

Just found something that chelates copper out of an aquarium.

E.D.T.A. (Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acidic Acid) 

Have to do more research on it but it was mentioned in an article I stumbled across. It inactivates the copper to make it safe. Just thought I'd mention it in case Liz might want to check it out.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

cool. ill have to check it out more in depth. although i already used that used tank i bought for an emersed bamboo set-up. havent killed any yet


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## Paywan (May 21, 2006)

since this was brought up, thought I'd throw out a specific question I've wondered about before:

Why are the crystal red shrimp so much more expensive than others? And what's the deal with the different grades? I know the grades are based on how much white the have (or something like that), but why is that so much more desireable? Is it simply the rareity factor there?

Anyway, I've thought those crystals are pretty neat looking, but didn't think they were pretty enough to warrent the difference in price (at least the higher grade ones). Anyone have an opinion?


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## tefsom85 (Jan 27, 2007)

I have wondered the same thing about the prices on the crystal reds. I do think they are very nice looking shrimp. Haven't said that, if I pay $30+ for a shrimp, I want it to be served with a steak and a large baked tater!! 

I would like to learn more about them though. Not only the CRS but all the different types as they are all interesting, IMO.


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## CincyCichlids (Oct 14, 2005)

The shrimp really are neat little buggers. I obtained some Cherry Red Shrimp a while back and they started reproducing quite well. Then I found some "mixed-grade" Crystal Red Shrimp. These are NOT the $30+ shrimp, but there's some white and the banding looks really cool. IF I had a small planted tank (say like a 10 gallon or so) I think a small colony of these would be cool, as the fry are really tiny and neat looking!

Now, why are some so expensive? Well, it's kinda like asking why Thoroughbred horses, show dogs, and Vintage Shelby Cobras cost so much... there's not as many, and they're a "collectors item." I believe a lot of this started in Japan where they are more sought out because in my opinion their culture is much more focused on quality and not quantity. When my shrimp have some white bands, they're not as "good" a quality (but hey, they're cute and they breed in my water, that's enough for me!). They even have the ones with little "suns" like their nation's flag... 

Would I mind some.. no.. however, I fear that if I make that investment, I won't get my money back. I don't think I'd have a problem selling them for $5-6 each.. it's still a good deal, and it isn't like THAT many people have them yet. In a few years they'll probably be as common as Cherries... but they do take longer to drop fry and they grow slower too.


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