fishgirl

My hubby just got 10 CRS, they are in a planted tank with 2 otos and 1 cory cat. After reading about shrimp I still dont know what thay need. I read that dwarf shrimp can be fed old, brown tree leaf litter that has been conditioned by bacteria and fungi in the tank(is this right?) and flake food.
But I dont know what type of old leaf to use? (from what type of tree)
how to condition it?
how to tell if they are getting enough to eat?
I have already looked at the info on petshrimp.com
Susan

Chief_waterchanger

Our dozens and dozens and dozens eat algae and I guess graze on very tiny flakes left by fish in the tank (although I doubt if there is any viewable by the naked eye left in the tank) it is a tank with corys, brokis, bristlenose, a betta, a large piece of driftwood with plants growing out of it. (attached plants to the driftwood with ties I think long enough for the roots to grow into it) They seem to be fine without anything special, and breed like mad, of course. Perhaps drop an extra shrimp pellet in once a week. They pretty much should survive off of leftovers of the other fish, decaying plant matter, and algae.

Good luck.

susitna-flower

I have reciently added CRS to my tank, 25, which were more like 30 or more. Several carrying eggs, the tank is a 55 gal, with neon dwarf rainblow, 5 platties, otoes, 2 bristlenose, and MTS. The tank has Java moss, driftwood, shells, and a big rock with holes in it. PROBLEM, I feed all in tank flake, brine shrimp, wafers, both complete and algae, the water paramaters are 7.4 pH, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 5 nitrates. I change 25 % water every 2 or 3 days. The number of shrimp keeps dwindling..... At least 4 I have found dead, nothing is picking at them, they just die... the last one was full of eggs, and I found it on the filter intake. Any ideas?

Chief_waterchanger

They like the current on the filter intakes, or atleast ours do. Perhaps take a heavy-duty sponge, slit a hole lengthways in it and put it over the intake. That will give more bacteria surface as well as the shrimp a place to eat. (our holding females are always on there) Not sure if the platies or rainbow would be munching on them or not, we've never kept shrimp in with platies and we don't have rainbows. They are vulnerable when they molt... oh and make sure you aren't mistaking their molted flesh for a dead body, but if the "body" had eggs it definately was a body. Hmm. I'll ask Dino what he thinks, this afternoon.

Dino

Yes, we do have rainbows, heeh, but only in 2 tanks, so I guess I can forgive CWC for overlooking them.

Adding a sponge prefilter may help, as CWC said.
We keep a large number with bristlenose catfish, who i thought would munch them, but have had no problems.

I do not know if adding more hiding places would help, but I do not see how it would hurt.

Please keep us posted as to what happens.

griffin

i've had some instances where the molt had eggs too.

a surefire way to determine if it's a shrimp or a molt is the color - a shrimp will turn pink, whereas the molt is a clear white.

Chief_waterchanger

Oh wow, learn something new everyday or two . Thanks for the info about the eggs, Griffin. You are certainly right, a molt will be clear or white on cherry shrimp and will feel like the stuff you peel off of shrimp sold as food.



I so knew we had rainbows, was testing Dino... hehe

fishgirl

Thanks for all the info on the cherry reds.
Susan

susitna-flower

Well, all is not lost, there are at least 15 or so CRS s left in the tank, and one is REALLY full of eggs. I have seen the molt, and you are right it may be the unprotected shrimp that are dieing. But, like I said nothing seems to be bothering them. The rainbows are really small, (not even big enough to eat bloodworms), the Liberty mollies are small, but a little more agressive, hummmm maybe, and the rainbow platties are busy, just had fry, but not paying the shrimp any attention. I forgot to mention, there is also java fern on a driftwood, actually a lot more hiding places than the shrimp take advantage of. I am hoping they start replenishing soon. I also just added 6 magenta apple snails to this tank. WOW, what fun. I am so used to my bigger fish, that a colorful tank with all small fish is a hoot!