# Guppies with RCS



## Th4nhPh0ng (May 12, 2008)

Im new to the hobby...do guppies cause any threat to the shrimps? and since my amano and RCS cant reach the glass...what snail is recommended to remove algea?


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Nerites are a good algae eating snail but they will eventually leave little white eggs everywhere that are hard to remove. Ramshorn snails will also eat a good bit of algae, but they're a bit pickier as to which types they'll eat.

I've no experience with guppies and shrimp. I haven't risked it since my guppies seem willing to try and eat darn near anything except their own babies. Adult shrimp might be okay but I think the guppies would consume any baby shrimp they came across.


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## Th4nhPh0ng (May 12, 2008)

how long do netrite snail live?


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## Erirku (Oct 5, 2004)

Th4nhPh0ng said:


> Im new to the hobby...do guppies cause any threat to the shrimps? and since my amano and RCS cant reach the glass...what snail is recommended to remove algea?


For breeding purposes of the the shrimp, I would suggest a "NO" with guppies and shrimp. Guppies tend to pick on shrimp and I hear otherwise. It is up to you. If you don't care for a breeding population, then it is up to you. But be forewarned that guppies are bullies!


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## Tokyobaby (Jul 26, 2007)

Hi, I have adult Guppies in with my wild coloured cherry shrimp and they leave them well alone, they seem to ignore them completely, they might eat the tiny baby shrimp but they leave my adults and juveniles alone...not sure if this is just the temperament of my Guppies though...

I think if your tank is heavily planted then some babies will survive and grow up, RCS breed like crazy!


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## Tokyobaby (Jul 26, 2007)

I did a search regarding the lifespan of Nerites and it seems that some say 1 year and others say 3-5 years! pretty inconclusive...


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## Th4nhPh0ng (May 12, 2008)

Thx guys...reason why i ask how long the live because if if they only live to about a couple months and its 5 dollars each then i might was well just leave the algea to the pond snails...


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## FilteredFun (May 13, 2008)

RCS breed like crazy!

Question(s) from a real beginner ...

*How do you breed Red Cherry shrimp [RCS]?*

We would like to plant a 46 gallon tank and breed Red Cherry shrimp. I have no clue what is required to succeed and how I go about the process.

How many RCS do I buy to begin this process?
What do I feed the new born RCS?
What do you recommend for plants?
What do you recommend for shrimp food for the adults?

Many Thanks,
FilteredFun

aka Matt


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## yum (Feb 11, 2008)

Answers from a real beginner 

I have adult red fire guppies and guppy fry in a heavily planted soil substrate 20 gallon. My guppies don't seem to even see the shrimp, even when they are all jockeying for the same piece of food. I have had 3 hatchings since March and more on the way. The tank is basically an overgrown salad with tons of java moss, which is most likely where they hatch and grow until they are about the size of a grain of rice. Then they venture out to explore. If I were a shrimp in a tank with fish, java moss would probably be the one plants I'd really want to hide in. I have mine in 2 large clump/mats on the ground.

I started with 7 shrimp, had a hatching, then added 5 more from a different breeder and had 2 more hatchings. This morning, I have 3 females berried and half a dozen others developing saddles. It really is easy and nothing to sweat about in my experience. They are extremely hardy and seem to be thriving in my tank. Keep in mind that I have no filtration in my tank. Just a heater and lights and tons of plants. So, no special set up or high maintenance at all. As for food, they eat just about anything that makes it to the bottom: crushed fish flakes, mini wafers, algae tabs.

I hope that helps you and calms some of your fears.



FilteredFun said:


> RCS breed like crazy!
> 
> Question(s) from a real beginner ...
> 
> ...


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## tranr (May 20, 2009)

*what about small tetras with RCS?*

I've been thinking about keeping some RCS since I have never kept shrimp before and as much as the CRS look tempting, I have heard that they are more finicky (and hence, not for beginners). However, I would like to keep some fish with them as well - does anyone know how small tetra varieties might do with RCS and their young (if they end up breeding)? I was thinking about either neon tetras or smaller ones like ember or glowlight tetras...


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## dgphelps (Jan 1, 2008)

Most all fish, except Ottocinculus, will eat shrimp. They will eat the largest ones they can fit into their mouths which in the case of guppies is decent sized though not the larger juvies nor adults. Some guppies are known to harass a shrimp to death and even kill adult shrimp that are molting. If they can, they will eat them. I have heard it really depends on the individual guppy.

I have fish with my shrimp and they are able to breed, though the population growth is much slower than in my shrimp only tanks. I chose fish that stay relatively small, Celestial Pearl Danios and Boraras maculata. The CPDs will stay at the bottom of the tank and will actively search out baby shrimp though many make it through to a size where they are safe and my populations growth. The B. maculata stick to the upper areas of the tank for the most part (like guppies tend to do) and they don't get as many of the tiny ones.

If you want your shrimp populations to go nuts, don't keep them with fish. If you'd like them to reproduce but not at crazy rates, provide them with plenty of plants to hide in like mosses or even dense growths of stem plants like rotala and they should be fine.

I have heard and seen that tetras, even the smaller ones, tend to be more aggressive to shrimp of all sizes. I had to return some tetras once because of this.

To Tranr, CRS can be just as easy if you choose lower grades. The higher graded CRS are the really finicky ones. The lowers grades; C, B, and even A can be kept in very similar conditions as RCS though you won't want to skip water changes. If you keep the tank clean on a regular schedule and provide stable parameters they should do fine.


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## tranr (May 20, 2009)

dgphelps said:


> If you want your shrimp populations to go nuts, don't keep them with fish. If you'd like them to reproduce but not at crazy rates, provide them with plenty of plants to hide in like mosses or even dense growths of stem plants like rotala and they should be fine.
> 
> I have heard and seen that tetras, even the smaller ones, tend to be more aggressive to shrimp of all sizes. I had to return some tetras once because of this.
> 
> To Tranr, CRS can be just as easy if you choose lower grades. The higher graded CRS are the really finicky ones. The lowers grades; C, B, and even A can be kept in very similar conditions as RCS though you won't want to skip water changes. If you keep the tank clean on a regular schedule and provide stable parameters they should do fine.


Thanks for the note on CRS, Dgphelps. I am still in the process of reading about shrimp/etc, but this is very encouraging and I will likely start out with a shrimp only tank until the plants grow in more densely. I don't really want the shrimp population to explode...


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## dgphelps (Jan 1, 2008)

Ha, that's what you say now. RCS are just the beginning to an addiction. I started with 7 RCS in January of 2008 I now have three tanks, each with shrimp. I have probably had over 800 shrimp since then and have either sold or given them away to local club members, shipped them to people across the country via for sale forums or they've been eaten by the fish I have.

They are very interesting to watch and they will cause people to spend a lot of time looking in your tank to see how many they can count.

My favorites are definitely my CRS and had I not put my foot down, I would have had Blue tigers. 3 tanks was as much time and attention I could safely give without neglecting things in my life.


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