Ostracods in shrimp tanks
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They should not negatively impact each other. There is the possibility that the shrimp could prey on young ones. If you can achieve balance between the two, and theres not too much waste, I don't see a problem.
Uberhoust
Fish Herder
Only had them once, the shrimp didn't seem to mind them. In the end I believe they were outcompeted by the shrimp and the snails. At some time, I stopped seeing them and I was sad about that.
Little known fact. Ostracod shells contain low-magnesium calcite, a substance that fossilizes so well that they have the most complete fossil record of any animal, dating back 425 million years to the Cambrian period! Scientists can use these ostracod fossils to help figure out how our planet and its climate have changed through time.
Another fact: ostracods are known to close their shells and are protected when fish eat them, so much that they often pass out the other side completely intact and alive. As such, they don't make for the best live food for fish and fish won't control their populations.
That said, they're harmless to shrimp. Neat little guys. I like the bigger ones with the spots on their shells.
That said, they're harmless to shrimp. Neat little guys. I like the bigger ones with the spots on their shells.
Harmless, seems a little too much, in my observations. (For a shrimp only environment)
While they represent some food competition to a certain degree. I concur that they are not going to starve cherry shrimps anytime soon.
They are by far the best substrate and glass maintenance crew you could ever get.
But there seems to be an annoying "factor" where their presence makes the cherries very nervous during molting time and you can see freshly molted shrimps trying to escape "something" in the tank. In addition of strange disappearance and somewhat unexpected deaths.
Since there is nothing there besides, the seed shrimps makes wonder !?!
In a tank with fish it's another story... They have a really interesting cycle of life, that force them to have a swimming period in addition of a resting period. So they become fair game for snails that eat their eggs and then fish that eat them when swimming.
As for their their resistance to intestinal "travel", I believe that most fish stomach will dilute that little calcium supplement in no time, loll.
A single betta was able to to extinguish any attempt to put them in a food web. and I was seeding heavily.
While they represent some food competition to a certain degree. I concur that they are not going to starve cherry shrimps anytime soon.
They are by far the best substrate and glass maintenance crew you could ever get.
But there seems to be an annoying "factor" where their presence makes the cherries very nervous during molting time and you can see freshly molted shrimps trying to escape "something" in the tank. In addition of strange disappearance and somewhat unexpected deaths.
Since there is nothing there besides, the seed shrimps makes wonder !?!
In a tank with fish it's another story... They have a really interesting cycle of life, that force them to have a swimming period in addition of a resting period. So they become fair game for snails that eat their eggs and then fish that eat them when swimming.
As for their their resistance to intestinal "travel", I believe that most fish stomach will dilute that little calcium supplement in no time, loll.
A single betta was able to to extinguish any attempt to put them in a food web. and I was seeding heavily.
Some academic sources on the digestion thing (a couple may be paywalled):
This one has a plethora of cool facts about them:
This one has a plethora of cool facts about them:
Whenever I find Ostracod seed shrimp I take it as a sign of a healthy aquarium . Anytime little critters like them and cyclops show up I’m happy .
Me too... But they steal the food from my cherries, loll.
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