# 12 Step program for shrimpers



## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

Group,

Things are way out of control. Been out of the hobby for years. Last summer, it all started with a one gallon nano salt water reef "experiment". Then a 6 gallon nano tank from JBJ. Then a sprinkling of small tanks in the kids rooms, under the guise of learning and bonding. Can you see a pattern? Then I stumbled onto a freshwater planted website and it was game over. Now I have a 100 gallon planted with the small ones sprinkled here and there. So, I now have Amano shrimps in the 6 gallon planted and need to move them into the big tank so I can put the cherries in the 6 gallon. I have a number of fish, inlcluding 2 Bolivian Rams, 2 Rainbows, a few dwarf gouramis, a sprinkling of emperor tetras and rummynose tetras cruising around in the big tank. It is heavily planted, but the way the rams nose around the bottom hitting any little scud that jumps out of the glosso, I'm thinking the amanos will provide great entertainment for them. Any advice? I have read that shrimp do best on their own, but I hopeful that I can get the big tank set up such that the amanos could live "peacefully" there, and house the incoming cherries in the jbj nano tank by themselves. 

Anyway, this is an incredible hobby. Great website. I have already benefited from the feedback and generous support of many of the trusted senior membership. As a side note, no pun on the 12 steppers, I just feel like this thing can be all consuming. I have to travel in my work and I get crazy wondering what is happening back home at the "fish and plant" ranch. Sad, isn't it. I need to get a life. However, someone is bound to read this and think to themselves, "yeah, I know just how that guy feels.".......... Back to the original request, feedback on housing the shrimps is appreciated. I hate to subject the amanos to a threatening environment and will probably trade or give away the fish if I have to. Also, what about ferts for the shrimp? What can and can't go in for fertilizer? I am guessing trace elements with copper, etc. is a no-no? Thanks for listening, Darrell


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

Darrell,

I have my amanos with Bolivian Rams and they are doing great together. With the fish you mention, they should be fine.

Cheers,
Pedro


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

Rams are ok with cherry shrimp?


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

Shrimp&Snails said:


> Rams are ok with cherry shrimp?


Big cherries can survive with Rams. Just provide hiding.
Amanos have no problem. My amanos take the food out of the rams mouth.

Cheers,

Pedro


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

Darrell,


I use the EI method to fertilize the tank where the amanos are with the Rams. My traces has small amount of copper which have not been toxic to my amanos.

Cheers,
Pedro


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

Thanks Pedro. The shrimp add a nice dimension to the hobby. I enjoy all of their activity and buzzing around. It reminds me a lot of an ant hill. Sorry I got so verbose on my previous entry. Just one of those days. 

D


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## CrownMan (Sep 12, 2005)

Darrell,

I know how you feel man. I started 3 weeks ago with an order from Tom and a dedicated 10 gallon tank. I am learning as I go. Pedro and all of the members on this forum are a great help. I now have another 10 gallon tank and a 20 gallon CO2 tank that I am dosing EI that have cherry shrimp only that I bought last week from DiabloCanine. The stability of the ph, gh, and kh is most important from what I read. Even though they are a very hardy shrimp species, they don't like drastic changes in water conditions. That's why I don't do large water changes in my CO2 injected shrimp tank. 

These were my plant grow out tanks and are now my dedicated Cherry Shrimp tanks. However, I have yet to move any of my shrimp into my other heavily planted fish tanks. They just aren't big enough yet (and may never be). I will probably change my tune if they start breeding like crazy.

I noticed you said that yours are darting around like ants. Mine seem only to do that for a couple of hours after water changes. Otherwise, I have to drop some food into a clearing to get them to gather (Pedro advised me to setup a clearing in my heavily planted shrimp tanks for that purporse). It's the only time I can get a rough count of how many shrimp I have in that tank.

Anyway, enjoy them. I do think they are as fun to watch as the fish and ghost shrimp in my other 5 tanks. BTW, I have my first pregnant female cherry and will hopefully have many tiny cherry shrimps show up in my 20 gallon in about a month.

Mike


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

Thanks for the feedabck folks. I am moving things around in my 100 gallon tank and am going to move the Amanos in there. The PH is very stable, the CO2 is stable and the temperature is stable. Do you guys feed with Algae wafers to supplement their diet? I have been dropping some small pieces in and they come in grab a chunk and head off. I have an order of cherries hitting the porch tomorrow from Tom. They are going in the current Amano home. I have them in a JBJ 6 gallon nano, and the parameters have been good in there as well. It is heavily planted and has a number of good hiding spots and no fish. I have to come up with something to screen the intake for the filtration system which is built into the back of the tank. I am thinking of using pantyhose for the cover? Thoughts? I was at a LFS over in Bedford today that sells ghost shrimp as feeder shrimp. They had a bunch of pregnant females in the holding tank. Selling price, $1.99/dozen!!!! Supply and demand..... 

Anyway, I dose my tanks using Seachem products. I have not dosed the nano since I put the Amanos in, put need to soon. Do you guys think that is safe. Is copper the only heavy metal in the ferts to avoid? Thanks again for the feedback.

Darrell


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Hi Darrell.

On the flip side of things, I'd personally leave the Amano's in the tank they are now in and put the Cherry shrimp in with them. It would make an interesting shrimp only tank with both kinds in there.
While some of the above fish will leave them alone, there are others of the same species that may not. You may have the same success of others in the big tank, but there are lots of other algae eaters that may be more interesting in such a large tank. Even in my 30 gallon tank, it's big enough that I seldom see the Amano's unless it's time to eat.

You're right, the copper is one of the bigger things to watch for in ferts.

The pantyhose works well for an intake cover, but you just have to be sure to check it often to make sure it's not getting clogged with debris.

BTW, I hear you about the 12 step program. LOL!


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## CrownMan (Sep 12, 2005)

Darrell,

Bedford, Texas? If so, Winnies or Petorama?

Anyway, I bought 30 ghost shrimp from Winnies and put them in 2 of my tanks with other fish. They are doing great and get along with my cories and lemon tetras. I feed them and my cherries Hikari Algae wafers, Omega One Color flakes and Wardleys shrimp pellets. The Pellets list copper as an ingredient but I've been told its not enough to do any damage.

Mike


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

*Shrimporama..........*

Well, some very good feedback, I would love to leave the Amanos in my nano tank and not hassle with the transfer, unless they starting eating, harrasing or whatever on the cherries:flame: Then it would be an all hands on deck to seperate the cherries from the amanos. I travel during the week often, so my luck is everyone looks happy, joyous and free when I leave and then whack, close the door and the cherries are toast. Okay, I think the cherries from Tom hit tommorow sometime, so, please chime in with your thoughts. I am certainly welcome to housing both and the tank is small enough that if things looked bad, I could find the amanos and move them to another tank.

Thanks for the advice about ferts. I PMed John for his take and he had some very good advice about dosing and shrimp health.

Yes, Petorama.............. I was very tempted to buy the dozen ghost shrimp for $2 and take the pregnant ones also. However, I have already chewed off enough with the cherries coming in so I held out. More later...........


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

what do you guys use as your source of calcium for the shrimp? Any other important tidbits to this I should be thinking of? Thanks


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## CrownMan (Sep 12, 2005)

After every water change I use Seachem Equilibrium. This adds potassium and calcium carbonate. Some use crushed coral in the filter. But only if you have soft water.

Mike


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Darrell, I've always kept Amano's with my breeding Cherry's and never had a bit of trouble. I even see the tiniest of babies out and about without a care in the world about the Amano's being around.
I'd say it's very safe to keep them together.


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

Well, sounds good. They arrived about an hour ago and I have been prepping the tank, etc. and will acclimate them in the next few minutes. I will add some photos later tonight. Thanks, Darrell


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

*New Cherries!*

So far, we have a successful co-habitation arrangement with the Amanos and the cherries. The cherries arrived in awesome condition. All stages of developement were included in the shipment as well as one carrying eggs. Not one loss as far as I could tell. We'll see what happens from here. Darrell


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

Oooo keep us posted please.ray: 

I have never dared add any of my cherrys to my amano tank.


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## raven_wilde (Nov 16, 2005)

I wouldn't worry about this at all, I've had the two mixed in my 30 gallon for the last 10 months and there haven't been any problems... the Amanos are more agressive at feeding time of course, as they are somewhat larger, but as long as there is enough food to go around there should be no trouble. And the cherries breed like crazy too, even despite the presence of the Amanos, so you'll be fine.


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

*cherries/amanos*

So far, everyone seems to be co-existing together. Attached are a few photos of the clan.


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## dstephens (Nov 30, 2005)

things are good today. How do you post photos with updates?


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

First host your pictures somewhere. Hosting is free here on APC. 

Then copy and paste the URL in between [ img ] [ /img ] , but without the spaces inside of the brackets.


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