# Mix of the Two



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

I'm mixing the two threads I had going about my Amano Shrimp, and my Mystery Snail.

The snail, at first glance, is brown, and very big now. But when to take time to observe it, you can now notice there are many lines of darker brown, and lighter brown designing its shell. And on the side, there is a very light brown, or dark creamy colored swirl. You can see the new shiny shell that has grown in since it arrived to it's new home, in my bedroom.

Take more time, and you'll notice that what seemed to be a dark, and greyish body. But in reality, it has some bold orange spots, though they are small ones, all over it's antennae, and what would be the face. The bold orange, and dark grey make for a deeply mysterious combination. I also go to see it's eyes, for the first time. It has grown HUGE! Unfortunately, it still thinks it's small enough to climb on some of my smaller stem plants, and it's knocking them over. But it's okay, for now I"m happy with him. If he annoys me tomorrow, I'll flick it, or something. But he is SO entertaining to watch.

My shrimp, which only arrived yesterday, are all now double the size. I doubt they'll have as fast a growth every day, but I am happy that they felt happy enough, and full enough to have molted and grown. They have settled down some. They do still dart about, from time, to time, and that when I get my laughs. However they mostly have settled on to cleaning the intake's sponge. I REALLY feel like putting up a flashing neon sign on top of the HC that says, "EAT AT JOE'S!" I want them to finish up cleaning the HC.

Though I must admit they have already done about half of the job cleaning the HC, they are cleaning up the substrate very well, and they have completely polished up the Alternanthera Reineckii. About which I am saddened to say, that of almost 130 stems, only about 20 remain. /moment of silence for the slow buggards!

I am very happy with my shrimp, and snail, and I hope the plants soon grow out to the sizes I envisioned.

Today was not a good day for my with my health. So I had to share the great news of my newly cleaned tank. There's still more cleaning to do, but it's only been a day and a half, and already it looks so much cleaner than it was. /singing Happy!


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

AH! I love my inverts!

They have cleaned up my Alt. Reineckii, and most of my HC, and most of the substrate. Unfortunately the shrimp have spent most of their time eating from the sponge, -.-. I don't need them to "filter" my filter. I WANT them to clean my HC! I'm considering installing a bright, flashing neon signs, "Eat at Joe's," pointing at the HC. But for now I'm just happy they're happy. I'll let them enjoy their spong (-.-) while they grow.

Speaking of growing, they are all twice the size of when they first arrived... THREE DAYS AGO! Wow, they grow fast! I hope all that eating, molting, and growing means they're healthy, and happy.

The Mystery snail is HUGE now too! My sister named him Turbo (how original), but I'm thinking of calling it Elephant. Have you seen animal documentaries that show how elephants will walk from point A, to point B without any care in the world of what's in between the two points, like TREES!? Yup, my happy not-so-little snail plows right through my Alt. Reineckii -.-... I am not amused! Lol, actually I am, but I fear for my poor plants. He hasn't broken one, yet, though. Oh, and I can see its eyes now. I lol'd! (Yes, I'm easily entertained.)

The two dots, that I now know are baby snails, are still there. One started getting freckles on its shell. The other is still quite transparent.

Oh, question: I saw pics on Google of supposed Mystery Snails the size of a human hand. Can they really get that big?


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

So I bought my snail some cuttlebone. I have left a small piece of it in the tank. Neither the snail, nor the shrimp have touched it.

I put some cucumber in there today. I first blanched it. It is a VERY thin slice. One shrimp happened to land on the slice, and nipped at it for a few seconds. That was it. Nothing else touched the cucumber.

Yesterday I sliced a grape in half, and put the two pieces in there. The snail ate a bit of it. That's it.

The shrimp just want to stay on the sponge. They eat bacteria also, right?

So do I have finicky eaters? Or so I need to do something else to the veggies?


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Another update on my shrimp:

So I bought 12, for my 10g tank. Only 11 arrived, but that was good enough. In three days, they doubled in size. I REALLY thought I had enough algae, and plant decay to keep them eating for a few weeks, probably a month. Nope. It's been almost a week since they arrived, and my tank is clean. I will be buying algae wafers soon, unless someone has better recommendations, or answer to my previous post.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

One of my shrimp is carrying eggs! AH! I always feel like it's a compliment when my critters feel happy enough in my tanks to procreate.


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Yay! Try to get pics when you can! That is so awesome when you see your critters making baby critters


----------



## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

Just an FYI, but amano shrimp won't make babies. They need a salt environment for the larvae to mature. But eggs is a good sign that they're healthy


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Oh yeah, Tugg is right on that. i completely forgot you have amanos. I was thinking you got cherries or something as well. If you want amano babies you can set up another tank for salt/brackish water and put the berried female in there after careful acclimation so the shrimplets can grow.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Tugg, you meanie! =b

Yes, I had already read about the salty habits of the larvae. I wasn't planning on doing the whole project. I am just happy that they're showing signs of being healthy, and happy.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Now two of my shrimp are carrying eggs!

Pandragon, I tried taking pics, but I only get very blurry images. I will try again later, but I don't have a decent camera.


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Ya need a fast shutter speed and a lot of light to catch pics of speedy shrimp. I have been very surpised at the camera quality of new phones, not sure if they would take a decent shrimp pic or not though.


----------



## Tikulila (Feb 18, 2011)

Its doable, but you will need to practice a lot 

Try not to scare em with the camera, and to find the right moment.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Okay, I had placed my betta in a small container while I waited for my Amano shrimp to grow. I decided to place him back in the tank, Sunday.

I am happy to announce that the only near-death experiences were my own heart attacks, and gasps for air whenever the betta got near the shrimp. I sat there with the net in my hand, and half way in the water. I sat there for fifteen minutes, immobile and without blinking, like a praying mantis waiting to snatch him out of the water at the slightest sight of danger.

It was actually a bit odd. After I placed him back in the tank, he floated there, motionless for a little bit. I supposed he was trying to get oriented again. While he did, some of the shrimp actually started coming out of their hiding spots, and darting about near him. I don't know what that was about. At first I thought, "Aw! Look at them. They're coming out to greet him. Well aren't they stupid little appetizers?" But nothing happened. He did not move.

Then he started moving about, and doing what he always did before, exploring, and being curious. But then he started getting near them, and my heart attacks started. I was sure he was going to charge at them, and I'd see pieces strewn about. Nope. He just kind of pushed them around a bit, like a dog would a tennis ball, wanting to play. Most of the shrimp darted out of his way, except the two females.

The females, each at different times, when the betta got near, they would turn to face him, and start using their whiskers (feelers?). I don't know if it was intentional, but they'd poke him in the eyes, and he'd flinch and "swim away! Swim away!"

The one unexpected result, which I'm actually happy for, is that he decided to make the nooks in between the one ounce flower pots his own; which is where the shrimp had been all gathering since I placed the pots in there.

It was difficult for me to get a headcount before, but now they've been evicted, and they all sit in the middle of the tank; right in the open. So I get to do a daily headcount to double check the betta has not been nibbling them.

So I keep him fed, he keeps them out on the open, and we're all happy. Except maybe the shrimp. =D


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Sounds like he found his territory. Hopefully the shrimp can find new hiding places to feel more comfortable. If the betta gets too territorial, you might consider getting a separate tank for the shrimp or a bigger tank all together so that betta can have his spot and shrimp can have theres sectioned off by tall plants and stuff so the betta doesn't see them as a threat.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Actually the pushing around only happened during the first half hour, or so of the first night. I do have some cabomba where the shrimp can go high, but apparently they don't consider the betta enough of a threat.

They spent most of their time out in the open, and now they just go back and forth between the open and back to the pots when the betta isn't there. So far I'm happy with the result.


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

As long as they feel safe and no one gets eaten, I guess it is good. I have always been scared of putting bettas with anything from the stories I have heard about there aggressiveness.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Yeah, the first time I bought shrimp, I thought the betta was going to gorge itself to death. I felt very stupid, and very worried about the betta. I felt bad for the shrimp, but there was nothing I could do about it after they were already in the betta's gut.

So the next batch I first grew to adult size, and then put them in. I did the same thing again, this time around. I waited a few weeks until the Amano grew a bit, and then put the betta back in.

Three egg filled females, now, btw!


----------

