For anyone starting a new tank

myuzicman

For anyone starting a new tank with smaller fish, I highly recommend getting freshwater shrimp. They are helpful if you accidently overfeed your fish and they are fun to watch. I keep ghost shrimp in my aquarium that I got at the LFS for 25 cents.

crazie.eddie

True, but you have to be careful what type of fish you have in the tank. Otherwise, you will be giving very expensive fish food to your fish. I keep RCS (Red Cherry Shrimp), Bamboo Shrimp, and another type similar to an Amano shrimp in one tank with otocinclus.

Andrew

Amano shrimp is regarded as being the most effective algae eater, the cherry is prettier- its up to you which is more important lol
I have the amano, the cardinals are my decoration.

Tracy

Agreed, the ghost shrimp are inexpensive, but I tend to not like them as they are so invisible I am afraid i'll vacuum one up! What do the shrimp eat exactly? Are they like catfish that eat the food that falls to the bottom? Do they eat algae?

Nick

I have a Bamboo Shrimp in my tank and its really awesome to watch! It usually glazes around on my plants not really eating stuff on the bottom of the tank. It likes to put it's fans up :D

Yesterday when i was doing a gravel vac i saw some shell like thing i picked it up and it did just like what a flippin snake did and slid out of its old shell thingy and it was an exact module of my shrimp...It was really cool! I dont know a lot about shrimp but I know its what they do when they grow....It's awsome!

Lupin

Shrimps will actually shed their skin from time to time. The time when they shed their skin makes them most vulnerable to predators because their body is soft and fragile.

Shrimps will jump out of your tank if they see your tank unfit for them. Mine haven't escaped but I lost one due to my angelfish. I understand that the angelfish will eat anything that fit in their mouth.

Some shrimps tend to prey on small fish. Amanos are mostly the ones being said as preying on small fish like neons. Can be true if the fish is already weakening or dying. Those with large claws, of course, are not suitable for communities.

dprUsh83

I've always wanted to keep shrimp.....there aren't any freshwater shrimp that are big enough to live with semi-aggressives are there?

Lupin

There are. Never tried Cameroon Blue Shrimp though. It can grow to about 6 inches so they say.
If you intend to put them with oscars, your oscars will probably only eat them.

dprUsh83

That's what I imagined...never hurts to ask though

Andrew

Amano shrimp are cool, they dont prey on fish, they do eat them when they are dying or on their last fins(get it??) but thats a good thing as it stops disease in the tank etc. Shrimp eat anything they are the bottom feeders, fish waste excess food and best of all algae!!!! they are mini walking filters- you have to have them- and like someone said they are part of the fun- just as fun to watch as the fish but not as pretty!

They shed their shells when they grow, however they can shed shell and become smaller if there is a lack of food resource.

One shrimp not to get is the glass shrimp it grows to a large size and will eat your adult cardinals!

Oh one more thing you cant keep shrimp with angels they find them tastey- your safe with most fish but stay away from large tetras, and something a bit frisky llike the loach family.