Going To Try Shrimps

[black angel]

Ive got a 3 foot tank thats going to be empty in roughly a months time, maybe less.

I ordered some fish for my main tank (over £80 worth) and in there were 3 shrimp... yes I ordered them and no I wasnt really sure what I was getting..

out the bag was 1 cherry shrimp and i think 2 amano...i just didnt realise how small these guys would be..lesson learned.

You can imagine my reaction when i was watching it fend off a baby neon with its little front legs and then wham get eaten by my angel..an angel that i honestly didnt think had a mouth big enough..i was stunned and upset...the other two shrimp i havent seen since so maybe they are out of sight somewhere...maybe

anyway, after that catastrophe I decided I liked the little blighters and decided to set up my 3 foot tank just for them..this is where i need help on stuff....

the idea is a pea gravel bed..any other suggestion welcome...but ive already got the main tank with sand so i thought a different media if possible....maybe none?

on top of this i wanted driftwood/bogwood with mosses and java.. some java sticks on the vertical for them to climb....sound ok?

what about filtration? ive all sorts of filters including fluvals..and an eheim external which i can cover the intake with mesh if necessary..

now for the inmates...i want diversity but i dont want to over crowd..ive seen shrimps i like..including the little pink ones and theres yellow ones and bamboo shrimp ive seen...can all shrimp be mixed happily? how many of each and do they have territories? how many types can i have?

as far as fish go I was thinking maybe 10 galaxy rasbora to add some colour and fill the water level..what you all think? what about temps too..do they all like the same?

 

[saltynay]

Substrate doesn't really matter that much. They love moss so perhaps get several different types and make a moss wall, moss carpets and patch the moss on the bogwood. Shrimp do like to swim and climb although it does tend to be a bit haphazard compared to fish . Filtration has to be very mature so that water quality is really stable as shrimp are sensitive to dynamic water quality, also perhaps a small internal filter so that there is some current although it shouldn't be strong it will help to move debris round the tank and perhaps use it as mechanical filtration.

Not all shrimps can be mixed happily but if you use your head you should be fine. Filter shrimps are good but will need an area to perch which is in the main current.
The temp ranges are quite localised as shrimps metabolisms are linked to temps its generally good to keep a temp around 22-24C.
Personally I would do a three species tank perhaps so crystal red shrimp, amanos and bamboo shrimp with quite a few snails. The CRS will breed in fresh water quite profusely so start with a colony of 10 and within a couple of months you will have a good colony established. The amanos shrimplets only survive in brachish water so a colony of 10-20 they are quite bit larger but not as colourful. Bamboo shrimp I would get just 2 as they grow really quite large and aren't very shy. Then make the tank heavily planted and it would look gorgeous.

I am not sure about keeping rasboras with shrimp, however most fish over 1-2" will happily eat a shrimp especially if it has a history of being nippy.

 

[shroob]

For substrate I'd go for black sand, it brings out the colour more, especially of red shrimp.

I'd say for diversity it isn't much of a problem getting shrimp that will live together, quite the opposite the trouble is avoiding hybridization. A simple rule is to avoid housing caridina with caridina and neocaridina with neocaridina. However you can still have shrimp that can't reproduce in freshwater in with this. For example you could have a tank of: Cherry shrimp, tiger shrimp, bamboo shrimp, amano shrimp and red nose shrimp. The tigers and cherry's can't hybridise and the bamboo, amano and red nose shrimp all need brackish water for their offspring.

The pink and yellow shrimp you have seen are most likely cherry (pink) and yellow shrimp (yellow ), these are both Neocaridina and will hybridise so I wouldn't keep them together.

In a 3ft tank you can have numerous dwarf shrimp, for those that reporduce easily in freshwater (cherry, tiger, snowball etc.) I would start with 10 and let nature take its course, their population will limit itself anyway. For those that don't reproduce in freshwater (amano) I would order say 15 or however many you like up to 30, shrimps produce very little bioload.

A good chart Here. However you may find conditions for one shrimp won't suit the others eg. crystal red shrimp wont hybridise with cherry shrimp but CRS prefer cooler water so not the best companions.

Also fan shrimp require a mature tank, so I'd leave it at least a couple of months to build up the microrganisms they feed on.

Re. filters - I'd go for sponge filters, they are the safest filters to have around dwarf and baby shrimp as well as providing extra grazing spots.

Galaxy rasboras should be safe with adult shrimp, however will prey on shrimplets if they are small enough to fit in their mouths, if you really do want these fish I'd allow time for the shrimps to grow on, as you found out before mail order shrimps are often minute and have plenty of moss for the baby shrimps to hide in.

 

[black angel]

thanks for the help, it gives me ideas to go with..i really want fish in but want something colourful and will get along with the shrimp..any ideas on that front?

 

[shroob]

Really, the only shrimplet safe fish are oto's. You can of course get fish that are 'more shrimp safe than others'. The table below gives a guide, taken from ukshrimp Page Here

# 100% safe for any shrimp, including shrimplets: Otos.
# Generally safe for any shrimp, most shrimplets will be ok due to the shape of the fishes mouth: Cory Catfish, Smaller plecs.
# Safe with adult dwarf shrimp, shrimplets may be eaten: Bumble bee gobies, Small Tetras, Rasboras, Microrasboras, Livebearers such as Platys or Endlers, Danios, Kuhli Loach, Small Rainbows such as Threadfin or Dwarf Neon's.
# Hit-and-miss with dwarf shrimp, Amano will probably be ok: Dwarf Puffers, Betta species (including Betta Splendens/Siamese Fighting Fish), Dwarf Gourami
# Generally not safe for dwarf shrimp, depending on size may be ok with larger variety's such as Amano Shrimp or filter shrimp: Gourami, Rainbowfish, Barbs, smaller loaches such as Yo-Yo loach. Small South American Cichlids like Rams.
# Generally not safe for any shrimp: Most African Cichlids (partly due to water chemistry, partly due to aggression), Larger South American Cichlids such as Oscars, Headstanders, Larger Loaches, Most Catfish not already mentioned.

The Rasboras would come under 'safe with adult dwarf shrimp, shrimplets may be eaten', so if you get a good colony started, let the shrimps get to a number you're happy with then introduce the rasbora it should be ok. I have had the experience of a fish and shrimp tank, guppies in my case and can say that now the guppies are gone I see baby shrimp I never saw before, I have noticed an increase in the population and the shrimp are definately more active. I also had some cape lopez lyretail killifish with the shrimp at one point, they were definately colourful.