Am I overstocked?

[TallPaul]

Hi everyone. I'm sure by now some of you have some idea of my tank as I'm constantly posting about it. But my question really is......

....can I add some Blue Jelly Shrimp???

A quick rundown of the tank. It's an Aqua Manta Nano 35ltr (9 US gal approx) and it is kept at 26°C so pretty close to the top end of tropical temps I assume.

The pH is always 6.9 pretty much rock solid. The water out of the tap is on the soft side but I'm away from home now and can't give details on it.

In the tank already are 4 x Otocinclus and 11 x Ember Tetra (bought 10 and got a stow away)

The tank is very well planted with a forest of hygrophilia at the back and a selection of crypts in the middle. There is also a big piece of bog wood and java moss and anubias. More money has been spent on plants than livestock.

I would really like to keep some shrimp, I didn't want red cherry as the Embers are orange and the substrate is a dark clay colour so I want blue jelly or blue velvet.

Could I get away with squeezing 6 of them into the tank? I have a strict maintenance schedule of twice weekly water changes and a good clean of glass and gravel etc once a week.

 

[SeaAngel]

You’re getting pretty stocked there. Remember, it’s not just about cleaning but also about space. Do your livestock have enough space to live well without being stressed?

 

[TallPaul]

You’re getting pretty stocked there. Remember, it’s not just about cleaning but also about space. Do your livestock have enough space to live well without being stressed?

There's a surprising amount of room in the tank. The Embers are quite happy shoaling around. They rest amongst the plants and then usually go on a tour of the tank through the day.

The Otos are always attached to a plant or the glass or the air line and never interfere. That's why I want shrimp that would just buzz about on the substrate and in the moss. I don't see them bothering the other fish

 

[Sarah73]

I would up the number of otos. I think adding some shrimp wouldn't be a big deal. But you got to keep up with your water changes.

 

[TallPaul]

I would up the number of otos. I think adding some shrimp wouldn't be a big deal. But you got to keep up with your water changes.

I do it twice a week. Wednesday and Sunday without fail. Water is always in good condition for them

 

[Sarah73]

The blue jelly's are very expensive. You should start with red cherry shrimp. I know it's not what you want right now, but losing over 100 dollars just for 6 shrimp I don't think you want.

 

[Sarah73]

Also if you use any iron for the plants, you need to not get shrimp until the iron is gone.

 

[seangee]

The blue jelly's are very expensive. You should start with red cherry shrimp. I know it's not what you want right now, but losing over 100 dollars just for 6 shrimp I don't think you want.

I suspect he is referring to a blue coloured cherry shrimp (Neocaridina) which, at least in the UK, are a similar cost to the red varieties.

Bioload is pretty minimal and they are fairly prolific breeders. I bought 10 red rilis online from proshrimp. 7 Survived the postage and acclimation around 6 months ago and now I have, err well actually I have no idea how many I have .
Unlike livebearing fish they won't just keep reproducing until your tank explodes. The population will level off once a sustainable level is reached. Your fish will also feast on the shrimplets - don't stress about it, enough will survive. FWIW your shrimp will feast on fish eggs too.

Agree with what the others have said about adding a few more otos.

 

[Byron]

On the otos, I would not add more. There are four already, and it is only 35 liters (say 10 gallons). Adding more could cause issues; new otos need algae or they will generally starve before they learn what algae disks and similar prepared food is. And a group of four is fine; I had three in one tank and two in another for years; the three increased to five when two fry appeared once.

 

[TallPaul]

The 4 Otos seem perfectly happy in the tank. Blue Jelly and Blue Velvet shrimp are a variation of red cherry shrimp, they are relatively inexpensive £2 to £4 per shrimp.

I'm fine with them breeding and with babies being eaten. I expect the population to level off.

 

[seangee]

On the otos, I would not add more. There are four already, and it is only 35 liters (say 10 gallons). Adding more could cause issues; new otos need algae or they will generally starve before they learn what algae disks and similar prepared food is. And a group of four is fine; I had three in one tank and two in another for years; the three increased to five when two fry appeared once.

Oops forgot the size. Assumed it was a 15G for no valid reason.

 

[Sarah73]

The 4 Otos seem perfectly happy in the tank. Blue Jelly and Blue Velvet shrimp are a variation of red cherry shrimp, they are relatively inexpensive £2 to £4 per shrimp.

I'm fine with them breeding and with babies being eaten. I expect the population to level off.

I'm thinking about the more expensive ones. Also otos do best in groups of 6 or more. And I don't want to be harsh, but just because they "seem" happy doesn't mean they are. They are happiest with 6 or more in a tank together.

 

[Sarah73]

Yeah I thought it was a 15 gallon...

 

[TallPaul]

The problem with adding more Otos is that I can't guarantee enough food for them. These just will not take to algae wafers at all, they just completely ignore them. Blanched veggies do well though and they usually rasp the skin from cucumber and courgette/zucchini in a day.

In fact I am quite certain that Otos are NOT eating much algae at all. I have had to scrub spots of green algae from the glass myself. They demolished the diatoms that first appeared on decor and plants, after that they have been eating biofilm that must accumulate on the surface of everything.

 

[Byron]

In fact I am quite certain that Otos are NOT eating much algae at all. I have had to scrub spots of green algae from the glass myself. They demolished the diatoms that first appeared on decor and plants, after that they have been eating biofilm that must accumulate on the surface of everything.

Fish that eat algae will only feed on certain species of algae. In the case of Otocinclus species, they will readily consume diatoms and common green algae, but not "problem" forms like green dot, brush, beard, hair, etc. Bristlenose plecos and Farlowella species, are much the same. They graze surfaces because all submersed surfaces develop a biofilm, and in addition to algae these biofilms contain various microorganisms on which most fish will feed, and which are especially good for fry.

If otos are introduced to an aquarium relatively free of common algae or diatoms, they usually starve. Dried leaves such as oak, beech, maple can be collected after they fall, dried, and placed in an aquarium. Otos will graze these incessantly, due to the biofilms and the infusoria that readily appears on dried leaves once submersed is the best food for fry of any species.