# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Tell me about SHRIMP



## catfish (Apr 17, 2003)

I've kept crabs, but never shrimp. Do they escape out the top of the tank like crabs? I'm getting an opened topped mini tank and would love some grass or amanao shrimp.


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## catfish (Apr 17, 2003)

I've kept crabs, but never shrimp. Do they escape out the top of the tank like crabs? I'm getting an opened topped mini tank and would love some grass or amanao shrimp.


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## Justin Fournier (Jan 27, 2004)

I have kept Japoinca (amano), Grass, Ghost, Cherry, Color and Rudolph shrimp, Some specimens for over 4 years, and have never had one escape. One I found anyways! However a co worker added 20 Japonica to her 48G and overnight they all jumped out the back of her tank. She says it was because Shrimp are stupid. I said it was because she has a GIANT pair of breeding Angels in there, who were probably going to eat the shrimp had they not jumped out.


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## Tony B (May 13, 2003)

I had a glass shrimp that I bought when he was like 2 inches. he fed on anything including brine shrimp, flakes, pellets and tablets. The problem is that he grew up to 4 inches in approx. 5 months and started to attack my fishes, ripping their tails. The best part is that he learned to feed from my finger and he swam to the top of the tank and stick to my finger while he was eating flakes.

Tony B.


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

I keep Caridina japonica ('Amano' algae-eating shrimp) and Neocaridina denticulata (cherry red shrimp). I love them to bits - both species. The Amanos are incredible for eating hair algae. I don't know if the cherries do as thorough a job of eating algae, but they're cute as buttons. 

I have had Amano shrimp escape, only to be found months later as crispy remnants covered in lint. Once I found one still alive, but it was too late - it was already red (a bad sign with Amanos) and died after I put it back in the tank. 

Some people have the darnedest time keeping shrimp alive. So I suggest that you "test" your hand at keeping them by buying just one and seeing how it goes. If it makes it through a couple of molts without any problems, get a few more. Absolutely NO copper-containing reagents and NO large fish that might eat the shrimp. I lost a bunch of shrimp to either insecticide or plant toxins when I added a new Lobelia cardinalis, once. It was still in the emersed form, so the cause of the shrimp deaths could have been either of the two. Otherwise, these guys are hardy as heck. The Amano shrimp will last you a couple of years. Not sure about the cherries, yet.

I highly recommend shrimp! They're great fun to watch.


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## jpmtotoro (Feb 13, 2003)

shrimp don't walk out of water like crabs/crayfish do... but they will jump out if tank conditions stink... but most fish do that as well. if the water is bad, they'll make a leap of faith... if a huge pair of angels are going to eat them, they'll make a leap of faith... otherwise they usually prefer to just stay in the water.

JP


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

I've had 2 Amano shrimp that jumped ship and one walked about 30' to another bedroom. I don't think it was bad water conditions as I change 30% twice a week and the tank didn't have any fish larger than the shrimp. I've always wondered why they wanted to leave home. Maybe it WAS water conditions, but I tested pH, nitrate, ammonia, KH, etc., TWICE a day with good results. 

The shrimp did breed regularly in the tank. Maybe they were hen-pecked males, lol.

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## catfish (Apr 17, 2003)

Cool! I was hoping that would be the answer.









I'm starting a 2 gallon nano tank to feature the mini nana Robert is selling. I thought these fellas would be great occupants.

What else should I know? I hear you should add iodine to the water for them also. What type would be the best for a small tank?


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## jpmtotoro (Feb 13, 2003)

honestly you might not need to... i don't dose any... i just take care of my plants and do water changes when needed. i guess there is enough iodine somewhere.







they molt regularly and are doing fine. finding some iodine might not be a bad idea, but it's not necessary unless you really have a lack of it for some reason.

JP


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## Jon Mulzer (Mar 9, 2003)

If you were to dose iodine for your shrimp would you have to use the reef supplement type or would pharmacy iodine be sufficient?

I read something about just a drop at every water change being enough. Is this right?

Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

I'm with JP. Unless you're having problems keeping shrimp alive, I wouldn't bother with adding iodine. I don't, and it's very rare that I "just lose" shrimp to unknown causes. Since I have VERY soft water, I do make sure to add a bit of calcium and magnesium, but even these are really only needed in trace amounts. 

I would indeed go with the reef supplement type. It'll tell you how to dose, and you don't want to overdose iodine.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Catfish, I have 12 Amano's in my 6-gallon tank and hope to get 3-4 Cherry' when the LFS gets it's shipment. That might be too many but I love watching them. I have those sinkin algae waffers just in case, lol.

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Jessy (Mar 29, 2004)

The only shrimp I've had jump out on me were several rudolph shrimp. No idea what caused them to do it. My water quality was o.k. and they jumped out as soon as I got them. I've been careful to keep the back covered since then.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I have been keeping shrimp in open top tanks for 8 months now and only had two to jump out one survived and one did not. With a open top tank there is always that chance that a shrimp etc. will jump out.

I do not use iodine and they molt & grow a lot.


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## Aqua Dave (Mar 16, 2004)

I have a 150 gal tank that I would call moderately planted (though it's growing in more every day). I have a pair of adult angels in the tank. Would shrimp survive in this tank or would they be tasty snacks for the angelfish? The angelfish don't seem to bother the bigger snails (while they do eat the smaller ones), but shrip may be different. Also, what about loaches? Will they eat shrimp?

Thanks.

David


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Aqua dave...Angel fish will eat shrimp, I saw mine suck up one. I have three YO YO loaches in with Amano,Tiger & Ghost shrimp and so far so good.


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## Jessy (Mar 29, 2004)

Loches eat shrimp, at least cherry shrimp. I lost my first six cherrys to a yoyo loach I've since gotten rid of and now the new ones are doing fine. Big amanos should be ok, but I would get a few cheap glass shrimp to test it first. 
Does anyone know if kuhli loaches would eat cherry shrimp? What about cory cats?


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Jessy, Cory Cats will not eat shrimp.


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

Are you 100% sure trenac? not even baby shrimp?

My amano kicked off 100+ baby shrmp today. They are small and transparent which makes them look like a spec of white color dust in the water. Most of them are around 2-3 mm; this include the 2 mm almost transparent tail.

Even IF they can grow in the tank water, I doubt they will survive 3 large sterbai in the tank..


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## George Willms (Jul 28, 2004)

most fish will eat the baby shrimp if they can find them. I've seen my Celebes rainbows eat baby cherry reds if they were swimming through the water!


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

How long will it take for them to turn from skud to shrimp? They are constantly moving around in the water by the spray bar. They are still alive, I see them occasionaly swim to another spot in the water.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Edge...That's possible with baby shrimp, I was referring to larger shrimp.


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## George Willms (Jul 28, 2004)

Edge,

I don't know how long it will take with the amano's. They've never bred in my tank. I've always seen them carrying eggs, but have never seen any young.


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

The youngs are very hard to see. I was lucky enough to see the female, move her flappers(?) in and out to kick out the small, almost transparent, baby. If the sterbais in the tank stir up the substrate, they will disapppear into the free flowing matter until it settle. 

They are so small, the sterbais dont even see them and don't go after it as a food source in the water.


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