# Bamboo/wood/flower shrimp



## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

Anyone have any experience with these? I just picked up 3 little beauties for my 46g tank. Have not seen them since the night I introduced them... Good hiders? This is a good natured community tank and the shrimp are far too big to fit in anyones mouth.
Thanks for any input.


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## jeff63851 (Feb 23, 2005)

Yep. I once had these little guys in my guppy tank. My bamboo shrimp didn't harm the guppy or the guppy fry so I assumed that it was fish safe. What fish do you have with it? I know for certain that some cichlids can harm it. Hopefully the shrimps didn't become fish food. Why don't you check on the tank at night? Maybe you can find the shrimps.


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## Neon Shrimp (Apr 26, 2006)

They may be big but they are vulnerable after molting and can die from injuries. However, yours are probably shy and trying to learn their environment. Since you have a non-aggressive community tank they should be okay for the most part. Best wishes and have fun!


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## YuccaPatrol (Mar 26, 2006)

You do need stuff for them to climb up on and they also want some fast moving water for filter feeding.

If it is any help, their natural environment is a rocky boulder strewn stream. They cling to the boulders and filter the water as it passes their fans. Try to replicate that. 

Mine do great, and I have some very tall driftwood structures that allow them to climb to the areas of greatest water flow.

I have a can of freeze dried brine shrimp cubes and every few days I will take a pinch of the dust in the bottom and toss it in. They really go nuts filtering that stuff out of the water.


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## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

Thanks for th input.
I do have alot of rocks and one rather tall one right next to the filter flow. I have lace rocks so there are nooks and crannies in many of them and I also have a huge driftwood with a large cave. I'll pull out the flashlight and look awhile after lights out. I do also have some large crypts and swords along with anacharis, java moss, java fern and a few other misc plants.
The tank mates are small angels, gouramis, snails, 1 male betta, some gold severums. All are 1 - 1 1/2 inches now. The new shrimp are at least 1 1/2 " long each.
Once I find them, I'll offer the powder from my freeze dried blood worms. That should work too huh?


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

They hang in the current so watch where your current is and that's where you'll find them. They are great additions to the tank but seem to get little attention in the plant world because they don't eat much algae.

Bill


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## jeff63851 (Feb 23, 2005)

The angelfish might become a problem to the shrimps when they get bigger.


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

jeff63851 said:


> The angelfish might become a problem to the shrimps when they get bigger.


I was thinking the same. Your Angels will nip at the shrimp while they feed when they get a little bigger.....they are cichlids and the tempation is just too much for their nature.

As long as you have a current a feed the tank a pinch or so (I only have one and he gets one pinch) of crushed food everyday your shrimp will be fine. Keep an eye out if your shrimp feed off the floor....this uses up their energy since they are filter feeders.

If you have males and females please let us know if yours breed.

Good luck with them.


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## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

Questions:
Is there a way of telling sex besides seeing eggs?
This is a 46g bowfront tank, my angels I don't think I have Ever seen near the bottom.... but are you saying the shrimp will only feed off the bottom if they are not getting enough to eat? So they will probably be higher up in the tank? Unless they stay low at the point where the filter water comes back in. It is a rather good current, and I have a powerhead as well so pretty much the whole tank has a current of varying speed.. So really they could be hanging anywhere? Or most likely where the currents are strongest? You really think the angels will bother them if they stay lower or sit in the rock crevices?


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## YuccaPatrol (Mar 26, 2006)

Sexing is very easy with these. The males have a much more robust first peripod (walking leg).

As far as I know, nobody has successfully bred these in captivity (yet).


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## aquaboyaquatics (Feb 22, 2006)

They have a larval stage that requires saltwater for proper development. Sure is tricky unless you live by the sea? No, no one has come up with a solution for this one yet without pumping sewater into the grow out tanks. The M. rosenbergii farmers have the same issue.

Mike


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

Hey Mike, nice to see you made it out here! This is James, by the way.


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## YuccaPatrol (Mar 26, 2006)

aquaboyaquatics said:


> They have a larval stage that requires saltwater for proper development. Sure is tricky unless you live by the sea? No, no one has come up with a solution for this one yet without pumping sewater into the grow out tanks. The M. rosenbergii farmers have the same issue.
> 
> Mike


Mike,

Can you give me a reference to an article that discusses their reproductive cycle? I have found very little in the scientific literature on these shrimp, and nothing discussing details of reproduction.

Thanks!

Andrew


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## aquaboyaquatics (Feb 22, 2006)

Hey James, Thanks for the welcome. This forum is the best i have used so far.

Andrew,

There is no material unfortunately but the larval development is believed to be the same as Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Witch is the Traditional manner shared by their saltwater predecessors. If you google Macrobrachium rosenbergii there is a wealth of info from the aquaculture industry. It is a good place to start if you were to try and crack this one.

Mike


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## YuccaPatrol (Mar 26, 2006)

Thanks Mike. I feel it is important that someone begin working with captive breeding of these shrimp. It makes me worried to think that these are being snatched from the wild and widely sold without anyone knowing how to breed them so that wild populations can be conserved.

It is a project I hope to begin work on in the next year. . . it all depends on how my current research goes and if I will have time to add another project to my list.


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## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

Just an update. I was doing a water change and turned over a domed rock I have java moss growing on. I turned it over to check moss connections and there was a shrimp looking at me.. he darted off.. At lease now I know where they hide during the day. Then last week I turned on the light and saw one on the big piece of driftwood. I looked over to the domed rock and one was half out, looked at me and turned around and went back under. Upon closer inspection, there were 2 under the rock.. So all 3 have been accounted for. THey seem to be doing well and coloring up nicely too. I see them now and again. Hope they decide to come out more in the daytime.

I also got 2 more for my 25g tank. These 2 have adapted their color to the tank decor. They are almost jet black (I have black eco-complete substrate) with a tan line down their backs (I have multiple colors of tan pebbles in there as well) They look very nice. I rarely see them filtering, usually I see them on the bottom or on the driftwood hours after feeding. Maybe they just have not become accostomed to the new ritual of feeding time?


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## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

YuccaPatrol said:


> Thanks Mike. I feel it is important that someone begin working with captive breeding of these shrimp. It makes me worried to think that these are being snatched from the wild and widely sold without anyone knowing how to breed them so that wild populations can be conserved.
> 
> It is a project I hope to begin work on in the next year. . . it all depends on how my current research goes and if I will have time to add another project to my list.


So are they treated for disease or anything prior to being sent to the stores where we pick them up? Or are we risking our fish for them?

I too would rather have a "farm raised" shrimp than stealing it from its home, shipping it god knows where. The poor things. THen ending up in these tiny tanks. (even though mine is 46g, in comparison to it's original home, I am sure it is tiny)


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## aquaboyaquatics (Feb 22, 2006)

They are not treated for anything. I quarantine mine for 2 weeks. You could also. I believe you would have more of a risk from the water from a LFS then the shrimp itself.


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## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

aquaboyaquatics said:


> They are not treated for anything. I quarantine mine for 2 weeks. You could also. I believe you would have more of a risk from the water from a LFS then the shrimp itself.


yeah... I never add fish store water. I dump most of it once the temp adjusts and start adding mine. I dump all water and then refill 100% with tank water and let them sit a little longer. Sometimes I even dump that before letting the critters into the tank.


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## aquaboyaquatics (Feb 22, 2006)

Thats always a good measure. 

I am not bashing the LFS either, they just usually have so many fish in and out that it is basically impossible to keep it disease free.


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## Musket (Jun 7, 2006)

aquaboyaquatics said:


> the LFS just usually have so many fish in and out that it is basically impossible to keep it disease free.


I agree


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## cougar1331puma (Feb 22, 2009)

I work at a LFS, and it is very hard to keep the aquariums free of disease...we are always treating some tank or another.


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## cougar1331puma (Feb 22, 2009)

And then I realized how old this thread was. Sorry!


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