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High flow in shrimp tank. 12/26/17 Please help. Wood shrimp med. poisoned
8/24/16 Ich with shrimp and Kuhli loaches
11/28/12
Bamboo Shrimp; sys., nutr., I2
11/24/11
Bamboo shrimp, gen. care
2/12/11 Wood Shrimp - Missing Filter Arms After
Molt 7/13/10 Whisker shrimp 5/11/10 Bamboo shrimp, tank mates, feeding
2/4/2010 Food for Bamboo Shrimp 10/2/08 Hello. I'm always using your site for various information but I could not find the info I needed so I decided to ask you. I have a 60 gallon freshwater tank and I have 3 Bamboo shrimp. (I had 4 but 1 suddenly passed away 1 week after purchase). <These are Atys or Atyopsis spp.; the most common species is Atyopsis mollucensis. Like all shrimps, they are sensitive to a few things that don't necessarily bother fish, most notably copper. So be sure and treat the water with copper-removing water conditioner (most brands do this anyway) and avoid using copper-based medications in the tank. As with a marine reef tank, you need to quarantine new livestock before adding them to the community tank with the shrimps.> I religiously do my water changes of about 30-40% every other week and my ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are always at 0. I keep the tank at about 78F. <Slightly warmer than I'd recommend; 25C/77F is best for most tropical fish anyway, and with shrimps being particularly sensitive to poor oxygen concentration, raising the water temperature has the potential to stress these animals (warm water contains less oxygen).> My tank has been going for about 1yr now. I have had the 3 for about a month and they seem to be doing well, and 1 had its first molt the other day (no I do not add iodine to my water but I plan on buying some in the next few days). <Good; while iodine seems to be less of an issue with shrimps than crabs or crayfish, it won't do any harm.> Anyways, they seem to be eating ok but I do not want them to prematurely pass away and I read on your page that they like macroalgae (the kind you feed corals) bc they don't usually get the nutrients they need just from the water. (I crumble fish food to a dust and drop it in along with frozen baby brine shrimp). Anywho, my question is this: can I buy macroalgae @ my LFS to feed to the shrimp <Yes; "herbivore flake food" is based on algae, often Spirulina. Algae wafers, such as those fed to Plecs, contain algae as well. Do also remember Sushi Nori, widely sold even in British supermarkets, as well as Asian food stores, is good quality algae ideally suited to feeding fish and invertebrates.> or are there other things u suggest other than food that dissolves to a powder (what brand/kind do you suggest of that)? Also is there a such thing as freshwater microorganisms I can buy to stock my tank (kinda like saltwater tanks and copepods?) <Usually not necessarily to do this. Atyopsis will usually find enough to eat in big tanks, provided at least some food is left out for them and not eaten by catfish or loaches. Periodically using a pipette or turkey baster to squirt a suspension of finely powdered flake food or even drops of Liquifry-type baby fish food will augment their diet well. Do this a couple times per week, or more if you want, but do take care not to put so much food in the water you cause water quality problems. Less is more!> Thanks for your help its always appreciated. <Cheers, Neale.> Java fern and wood shrimp... where's that Sabrina? 1/19/06 Wow, and double wow with regards to the, very, useful forum at Wet Web Media. In a 30 gallon tank (pH 7.4, KH 4, no nitrates, nor ammonia). Four month old, natural sponge filter on a powerhead, producing decent current and bubbles. Good fluorescent light. Substrate and gravel bottom, 26 degrees Celsius. It is a freshwater setup for, now, two wood (or flower) shrimp. Stuff seems to thrive, like Daphnia, hydra and some plants (some grass and a well established lotus that can't be stopped, cut from another tank setup). <Neat> This is a second tank, because the first ten gallon has a very mean skunk loach (didn't know they come equipped with knives along the gills which to stab at Chinese algae eater and others attempting to share space under bogwood), so now it gets it's own tank. The first shrimp, a larger one died, but the two much smaller ones seem to be doing fine once I started to hand feed them with microalgae via eyedropper injected into the current they filter from. <Good technique> They have settled, not looking for the exit, even at night. From the many unorganized questions about aquarium habitats, two are pressing. I have some Java Fern and Java moss in this tank. Not much salt and rather soft water. Will the fern do ok in the tank -- not brackish? <Yes, likely so. Once established, is tolerant to a broad range of conditions/environment... just a slow grower> They look fair now, darker green, some black spots, and some bearded algae did show up. The second question, a more depressing situation. That I have read up on, including aquaculture perspectives from overseas; no one has had luck in getting these shrimp to thrive in a closed systems. Have you heard different? If not, why on earth are they sealing them as pets? Mark <Am going to send your question to Sabrina Fullhart, who knows most re this group... I do think that some of the Europeans, especially German aquarists have done better and better here. Bob Fenner> Java fern and wood shrimp... where's that Sabrina? 1/22/06 <<In and out, hopefully mostly in for a while....>> Wow, and double wow with regards to the, very, useful forum at Wet Web Media. In a 30 gallon tank (pH 7.4, KH 4, no nitrates, nor ammonia). Four month old, natural sponge filter on a powerhead, producing decent current and bubbles. Good fluorescent light. Substrate and gravel bottom, 26 degrees Celsius. It is a fresh water setup for, now, two wood (or flower) shrimp. Stuff seems to thrive, like daphnia, hydra and some plants (some grass and a well established lotus that can't be stopped, cut from another tank setup). <Neat> This is a second tank, because the first ten gallon has a very mean skunk loach (didn't know they come equipped with knives along the gills which to stab at Chinese algae eater and others attempting to share space under bogwood), so now it gets it's own tank. The first shrimp, a larger one died, but the two much smaller ones seem to be doing fine once I started to hand feed them with microalgae via eyedropper injected into the current they filter from. <Good technique> <<To be quite honest with you, I have only once seen truly healthy wood shrimp in an aquarium store.... And that was at Ocean Aquarium in San Francisco - Justin's tanks are nicer than any of mine will ever be. Happy shrimp. Uhh, the point I'm trying to make here is that it is VERY hit-or-miss whether you can rehabilitate newly purchased wood shrimp.... I would say you have a 50/50 chance of your newly-purchased Atyopsis living past a week. If you can get 'em past their first moult and they end up with a less "foggy" look, you're probably in the clear. I urge you to quickly get some sinking food that breaks into a "powder" in a short time after sinking - any/all freshwater filter-feeding shrimp will dip their "fans" into this powdered food and gobble it greedily.>> They have settled, not looking for the exit, even at night. From the many unorganized questions about aquarium habitats, two are pressing. I have some Java Fern and Java moss in this tank. Not much salt and rather soft water. Will the fern do ok in the tank -- not brackish? <Yes, likely so. Once established, is tolerant to a broad range of conditions/environment... just a slow grower> They look fair now, darker green, some black spots, and some bearded algae did show up. The second question, a more depressing situation. That I have read up on, including aquaculture perspectives from overseas; no one has had luck in getting these shrimp to thrive in a closed systems. Have you heard different? If not, why on earth are they sealing them as pets? Mark <Am going to send your question to Sabrina Fullhart, who knows most re this group... I do think that some of the Europeans, especially German aquarists have done better and better here. Bob Fenner> <<These are very easy animals to care for if you observe a few key points - iodine, food, hidey-holes, and "clear" or "uncluttered" space. Unless you do VERY frequent water changes, I recommend you add iodine to the aquarium - I use Kent marine iodine, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons every week - notice that this is NOT the marine dose!! Regarding food.... Most folks are duped by the term "filter" feeder into thinking that these animals will get what they need right out of the water of our aquaria. Not so, as you obviously know! Feeding with microalgae, though certainly helpful, is likely not enough for them, unless it's constantly in the water in a high volume.... They really need a lot of food. I've had a single wood shrimp completely clear a 70 gallon aquarium in which everything was covered by a fluffy diatom algae - in just a few days. You could literally see the paths in the algae left by the animal. Crazy. Tetra makes a sinking tablet food that breaks into a fine dust; this is a very useful food item for them. Larger wood shrimps or their giant African Atya cousins (A. gabonensis, A. "camarunensis"....) will be delighted with the smallest forms of the Marineland foods or Hikari's micro-pellets. Do keep in mind that some of these animals are very secretive and like to be hidden. Make sure there are plenty of spaces where they can pile up on or near each other in close confines. A pile of driftwood or a piece of slate leaned against the back wall in the corner of an aquarium will please these guys. And uncluttered space.... I sometimes think these beautiful fan-handed lovelies are as dumb as stumps. They can really get "freaked out" by a lot of plant cover or just "stuff" in general that gets in their way. They'll grow accustomed to it eventually, but try to let the bumbling beasties have some empty space to roam around, and try to feed them in that space. It'd be nice if that space opened out right in front of their hidey-hole(s). All in all, they can live for quite some time - my Atyas stuck around for some years, even carried eggs (though I never found young). They're really quite interesting to watch, especially in groups. A couple males to a handful of females is perhaps best. One male will grow very large and display dominance - it's funny to see them "battle"; with no weapons, two sparring shrimp will "face-off" by walking headlong into one another and trying to climb each other. Whoever gets bored and wanders off loses; the other is the winner. They make excellent and fascinating aquarium pets, as long as their needs are met. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>> QUARANTINE FISH TO SAVE SHRIMP Hello! Just a quick question about my dear little Bamboo/wood/Singapore shrimp... I was unaware that these little guys could jump so well! I had a problem with a parasite on some of my other tropicals - Blue and Dwarf Gouramis and a couple stray fruit tetras, plus three Pictus Cats. The cats brought some sort of white parasite in with them.. much smaller than any ick I've seen, more like dust. I'm thinking (and treating for) fish lice, but the meds I have cover the bases for gill flukes etc as well. Any thoughts? Anyhow, he needed to be separated since the meds said NOT FOR USE ON INVERTEBRATES on them. I had him in my hospital tank, just a 2g with a small filter/airstone and heater, but I left the lid off. Hearing a noise, I discovered he was GONE. I found him, about 5 minutes later, on the carpet. Will this kill him? Anything I can do to help him? He seems shocked. Well, any input appreciated! Thanks a million! Krystin < Most aquatic arthropods can handle some terrestrial time as long as the gills are not allowed to dry out too much. Your problem stems from not quarantining your new fish prior to placing them in your main tank with the shrimp. Many medications can harm and even kill shrimp so treat your new fish in a hospital or quarantine tank to keep your invertebrates alive and well in the regular tank.-Chuck> Molting, Dead, or a Shell? Ok, I've had this bamboo shrimp for several months and when I woke up yesterday it wasn't moving. <Yikes, sorry to hear it!> Well, I know a dead/ sick/ injured fish when I see one but I don't have much to go on when it comes to shrimp. Its legs are still spread out as if he's about to start walking and yet there he stays not moving any appendage at all. <Do check that this isn't an empty shell - I have been fooled a few times by shells left over from molting.> Well, the shrimp and other crustaceans I've seen curl their legs inward as life ceases but those are usually served with cocktail sauce. So, not wanting him to be dead I convinced myself that he is/ was merely molting therefore I should leave him be. <It should be fine to remove the shrimp/shell. If the shell is empty, your shrimp is probably lurking around somewhere in there. If it turns out to be a shrimp, well, my apologies. :( > However, if he is dead I don't really want him to decay in my tank. <Agreed.> How long should I wait before removing the body (exoskeleton or carcass) from the tank? <Go ahead and remove it. My shrimps usually devour their shells before I get to them, so I've given up trying to pull them out. If the shell/shrimp is still in there, and still not, well, alive, go ahead and pull it out. I'd also like to mention, adding iodine to the tank will help your inverts out tremendously. I use Kent Marine iodine in my freshwater shrimp tanks, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons every week. Since doing this, I have experienced tremendous results with my shrimps. I do wish you and your fan-handed pal the best! -Sabrina> Ich medication is not working Hello there, I am having a problem treating ich in my tank. I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank. I have a few hatchet fish, and some black phantom tetras (I did have cardinal tetras, but they all died) <A tough fish to keep, indeed; very, very sensitive to medications and water parameters.> The hatchet fish were the first to show symptoms. I also have a wood shrimp, which I took out before adding any medication. <Ahh, good move!> First I got Kordon RidIch, I have been using this for over a week and it does not seem to be doing anything. <It may take a while for the meds to become effective, especially if you are using it half-strength (recommended with sensitive tetras, etc.).> After I started using it, I noticed that the black phantoms started to get spots, it looks like the hatchet fish have more ich now than when I started. <It may appear to get worse before it gets better. I would strongly recommend reading the following article for a better understanding of this illness: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm > I have been following the directions, and doing a water change before each treatment. <Wonderful.> I went to the pet store today and bought some Mardel CopperSafe, it doesn't give me very much information about it. I also read some where that if I use copper in my aquarium, I won't be able to put any invertebrates in the tank, and I would like to put my wood shrimp back in. <You are *exactly* correct! Copper will adhere to your substrate, decor, etc., and leach out slowly over time. Returning the shrimp to the tank after copper treatment is very, very risky - I would not use the copper, at all. Ananda introduced me to a product called "Eco-Librium FW" made by Fish-Vet; she has informed me that it works very, very well, and has thus far been safe for her scaleless buds - but I do not know how shrimp-safe it would be; no ingredients are listed. Here is the manufacturer's rundown: http://www.fishvet.com/pages/disease2.tmpl?sku=09202001140509 .> Do you have any suggestions? <By far, your best option is to remove the fish from the tank and use whatever medication you prefer on the fish in a separate quarantine/hospital tank. Then, you will not have to worry about the shrimp, and he can go back to his home after you clean the RidIch from the tank.> Thank you so much, <Any time.> Leeann Pippert <Wishing you well, -Sabrina> Wood Shrimp Have just acquired a Wood Shrimp. Have looked at many web sites, but have not really found that much information about them. The LFS I buy from is long established, well-respected, and staff is quite knowledgeable and always available and helpful. They always have healthy live-stock; both Marine and Freshwater, and interesting inverts. They admit they also are not yet completely knowledgeable about the shrimp. At any rate, the first one we bought home this past Friday was dead by this past Sunday morning. I tested our water quality with two different test kits: pH=7.4, KH=4.5, GH=9, Nitrate=0, Nitrite=0, Ammonia/Ammonium=0. The tank is well-planted (all plants doing well), it is a 46 Gallon Bow Front and has the following members: 4 quarter-sized Angelfish 1 small Pearl Gourami 1 dwarf Flame Gourami 1 dwarf Honey Gourami 6 Amano shrimp 3 Kuhli Loaches 3 small Clown Loaches 2 Blood Fin Tetras 5 ghost shrimp (I am fairly sure, but not absolutely positive these have all been eaten by now; have not seen any in about 2 weeks) 6 small Siamensis 5 Otocinclus 6 pygmy Corys 3 green Corys 3 Sterbai Corys 3 Panda Corys 11 Harlequin Rasboras 1 Pair- Sailfin Mollies 1 Pair- Sword-tails Mollies 3 small Clown Plecos 3 very small Borneo Plecos (butterfly loaches) The tank has been up since 3/26/04. Everyone doing fine, looking fine, eating well. I bought the Pearl Gourami, 3 of the Amano Shrimp, The 6 Siamensis, and one of the Angelfish at the same time I got the first Wood Shrimp. I returned the deceased crustacean along with a water sample to the LFS, and they agreed with my water tests. They believe as do I, that the Wood Shrimp dying that quickly is more than probably a reflection that something was wrong with it to begin with. They gave me another Wood Shrimp that has appeared and behaved much more actively and interested than the first one. I am interested in your opinion, (s) regarding this death and my tank numbers. I would also be very interested in any and all info about Wood Shrimp and Vampire Shrimp. I enjoy research and reading and do not mind technical jargon ( I give anesthesia for a living). I appreciated Kevin's remarks regarding setting up my 275 Gallon reef tank and am looking forward to hearing from you regarding the above matters. Thanks so much, Dave Harvey <<Dear Dave. Here are some sites for Atyopsis moluccensis, a filter feeder: http://www.plantedtank.net/woodshrimp.html http://www.fishpondinfo.com/shrimp2.htm#wood http://www.azgardens.com/shrimpfactory.php etc etc...I get the feeling there isn't much info because there isn't much to say about them :P basically, they're filter feeding inverts that look cool but are a tad more sensitive than other shrimp species. Dave, btw, your tank is WAY overstocked. I am very concerned regarding the fact that your NITRATES measure zero, to me this means something is wrong with your testing kits. I have not seen such a stocking rate with zero nitrates. It is physically impossible unless you have so many plants in there that you can't fit any water in. Is there a freshwater plenum being used? Please re-test your water. You may want to keep an eye on your pH, if it starts to fall, the substrate may be becoming anoxic. Chances are, there are sections already anoxic (or anaerobic) in the tank, small gaseous emissions like sulfide or methane may be killing your shrimp. You can read up on anaerobic substrates here: http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/roots.html or you can check the WetWeb plant section, or do a Google search. You might not want to add any more shrimp for a while, it is obvious they will not survive in this tank. When you do decide to add them, you may want to drip them, as you would a saltwater invert. A nice slow drip may make the difference in acclimating the sensitive shrimp to your tank parameters. Or better yet, put one into a small cycled quarantine tank, and observe it for a week or so before adding to the 46g. But please, buy yourself a new nitrate test kit. Ammonia and nitrites at zero are logical. Nitrates need to go somewhere, but in your tank, I fail to see where! -Gwen>> Atyopsis moluccensis; Molting, Behaviour - 06/14/2004 Hello Bob, <Hi, Michelle, Sabrina (the freshwater shrimp-obsessed) with you, today!> Recently we bought 2 bamboo shrimp for our tank a couple days ago. We thought that one of them died because he was laying there. But when we looked at it we found both shrimps and what we saw was a shell. My question is if they shed or lose their shells, or why are they doing that? Thanks, Michelle <This is totally normal, Michelle. All shrimp - and even crabs, lobsters, and crayfish - shed their exoskeletons (their shells) as they grow larger. They form a new shell beneath their old one, and when they've grown too large, the old one splits and is shed off. The new shell is soft when this happens, and then hardens after the old shell is off. This process of shedding shells is called 'molting', very much like lizards or snakes shedding their skin. If you feed them well, your shrimp should molt regularly. Wishing you and your shrimp well, -Sabrina> Lookin' for Atyopsis - 09/10/2004 I saw three rather large shrimps (larger than the typical ghost shrimps) while browsing in a pet shop. <There are indeed quite a number of freshwater shrimp that grow larger than ghosties.... Even one carnivorous monster that'll reach nearly 20 inches....> Unfortunately I did not purchase them. Now I would love to have three or four of those guys in my aquarium. The pet shop does not know when they will get another shipment. Know of someone who sell the type of shrimps mentioned on your website? <I do, indeed. Frank Greco, of http://www.franksaquarium.com/freshwatershrimpfarm.htm , sells a number of freshwater inverts. You might send him an email regarding the particular species you're interested in and see about availability. Also, Toyin at Rehoboth Aquatics http://www.rehobothaquatics.com/index2.html carries a couple species of Atya (including my all-time favorite, Atya gabonensis). I got my own five A. gabonensis from him, about a year ago, and all are doing quite well today. Also, do be sure to check out your local stores - I've seen some very nice Atyopsis moluccensis at Petcos, and they're also carrying M. rosenbergii, the "blue prawn" (largest, most aggressive freshwater shrimp - and tasty, too!). Do beware of this blue prawn, as they WILL grow up and eat all their tankmates. Mom'n'pop fish stores are almost always willing to order what you want, as long as it's available - definitely check with any local stores around you to see what's available to them.> Betty <Wishing you well, -Sabrina> Diatoms, and the shrimp that eat them Hello! <Hi, Lemia! Sabrina here, today, fighting the algae war with all you algae-hatin' folks> I've been reading the many FAQ's and other info on your site concerning Diatoms. Most of them seem to address this issue with regard to marine/saltwater aquaria (unless I am misunderstanding some of the abbreviations). <Nope, no misunderstanding, you're right.> I have a freshwater aquarium that is almost 4 months old. Some of the specs are as follows: 46 gallon, Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel filter. No live plants or rocks. Water levels as follows: Ph-7.0, Ammonia <.5 ppm, Nitrite=0, Nitrate=60 ppm (I will be doing a water change tomorrow). KH=5 dKH and GH=9 dGH. <Fish, yet? Get that ammonia to zero. And YIKES! at that nitrate reading!! There's the cause of your problem (or at least part of it)!> My problem is that over the past 2 months I've been developing diatoms that just keep getting worse not better. Before I confirmed they were diatoms I tried increasing the lighting, <Increasing lighting will only help the algae grow....> an algae eater (neither helped at all or made things worse) <Depending on what fish you mean by this, it might not even recognize diatoms as food.> and a chemical algaecide (only helped a little). <Yuck. This should be kept as an absolute last resort. Could be quite harmful to plants, should you ever choose to keep them.> I have since confirmed through my local fish store that I definitely have diatoms. <Kind of a brown, mucky, dust-looking stuff?> They believe (as do I) that it is due to excess silicates in the tank. <Although silicates are likely a contributor to the problem, the extremely high nitrates are very much to blame, too. Also high phosphates are definitely suspect.> They recommended use of the Phosguard product by Seachem. I began using the product a week ago with no noticeable improvement. <Cool stuff, really. I've not had need of it in my freshwater aquaria, but it is helpful in my nano-reef when necessary.> I purchased a silicate test kit and determined that the tank has 1.5 ppm of silicate. My understanding is that for freshwater aquaria that level should be at .02 ppm. I have tested my tap water, which is what I use for water changes and evaporation top offs and determined that it has over 2 ppm of silicates. <Yeah, probably a contributing factor, but you've got a lot going against you what with the super-duper high nitrates. I'd like to know your phosphate levels, too, I bet they're high.> As a result, I believe that continued use of the Phosguard will not remedy my diatom problem. <Correct. You need to get to the source of it, cut off its nutrients. Phosguard will help, though, in starting to control the problem.> I have been reading up on diatom filters but from what I read, I'm just not sure if they are the correct solution. I also saw on your website notes on Reverse Osmosis water?? Where would I be able to get that?? I also saw info on Deionization units/water?? <Please start reading here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rofaqs.htm , then if you're still uncertain, read some of the gobs and gobs of related FAQs :) I think you'll have more than you ever wanted to know.> I am hoping you can expand on what some of these items are, what they'll do, how will they effect other factors in my aquarium, etc. Also, if you can give me your feedback on what the best solution would be to remove the diatoms and manage the tank to prevent future breakouts I would be most appreciative. <Ahh.... Now I start in.... First off, please do consider planting the aquarium. Anacharis/elodea will help with sucking up some of the nutrients, as well as feed some fish. You might want to plop some water lettuce in the top of the tank, to provide shade as well as to soak up nitrates. Water sprite, Vallisneria, Amazon swords.... the list goes on and on. But even more fun.... Bamboo shrimp. Also called wood shrimp or Singapore shrimp, Atyopsis moluccensis are EXTREMELY adept at consuming diatomic algae. When first starting out my 72g planted aquarium, I had major diatom issues while the tank was still extremely sparsely planted. I grabbed some Amano shrimp (Caridina japonica) to try to help, but they weren't too adept at nailing the diatoms (though they did a number and a half on some green algae that was forming). Just for kicks, I dropped in a wood shrimp. The thing was a diatom lawnmower! He truly left an obvious path behind him where he'd been grazing. You could track him by the path in the stuff. Just one single wood shrimp in a 72 gallon aquarium cleared up the diatoms in less than a week. However, I will caution you - there is a drawback to this shrimp - once the diatoms are gone, you'll have to drop in food for him regularly, or he will starve. These are filter feeding animals by nature, and will simply hold their 'fan-hands' open in the current in the wild to catch bits of food suspended in the water. But our tanks are just too clean for that to happen; they really must have food that will break into particulate matter (I use Hikari sinking wafers/pellets) for them to 'shovel' into their mouths. If ever your shrimp is 'fanning' in the current for long periods of time, this is likely indicative that he is starving to death. From my experience, when well fed, they will only filter-feed when they are at rest. One more drawback is that you can never, ever use copper in a tank containing invertebrates. If interested in shrimp, you may also want to dose your tank with iodine weekly at a rate of one drop of Kent's iodine supplement (made for reef tanks) per ten gallons of water. After I started doing this in my tanks, there was an extremely noticeable increase in health, activity, growth, and color in all of my shrimp species. Wonderful animals, they are.> Thank you in advance for your assistance and for your patience in reading my lengthy note. <And thank you for my patience in my lengthy reply! (I'm shrimp obsessed ;D ) Lemia M. Bamboo shrimp, green water 9/28/07 Hello - I am raising plants in a tank that gets 2.5+ hours of direct sunlight a day (it is a bit of an experiment on my part). Surprise, surprise, I've get a green water problem. While the plants seem to be slowly winning, I thought I would accelerate the process by introducing a bamboo shrimp. He appears to be happily eating. My question: is he eating the single-celled algae that are the green water, or is he *just* eating the daphnia that are the other animal I introduced to try to combat the greenness. Thanks! -- Greg <Hello Greg. The answer is a little from Column A, a little from Column B. Atyopsis spp. shrimps are opportunistic feeders, and will take both zooplankton and phytoplankton. They also eat decaying organic matter, which in terms of aquarium husbandry means they happily eat things like catfish pellets and algae wafers. If you're looking for a way to turn green water clear, Atyopsis almost certainly *won't* do that. They just don't strain the water efficiently enough at the size bracket of things like planktonic green algae. The true phytoplankton specialists in freshwater ecosystems are things like bivalves at the large scale and planktonic crustaceans (including Daphnia) at the small scale. Cheers, Neale> Re: bamboo shrimp, green water -- 10/09/07 Thanks for the input. Interestingly, the water has gotten much less green since the shrimp's introduction, and he is producing poo pellets at a riotous rate. Perhaps phytoplankton species come in different sizes, and he is filtering out the larger varieties? If you are interested, I'll keep you apprised on how the experiment goes. -- Greg <Hi Greg, Thanks for the update! I imagine the water is getting less green for other reasons than the shrimp (typically, "green water" comes and goes in blooms). But if you're finding evidence to the contrary, so much the better. Useful to know, and share with others in similar situations. And yes, do let me know how things work out in the long term. Cheers, Neale> Re: bamboo shrimp, green water -- 10/09/07 Thanks for the input. Interestingly, the water has gotten much less green since the shrimp's introduction, and he is producing poo pellets at a riotous rate. Perhaps phytoplankton species come in different sizes, and he is filtering out the larger varieties? If you are interested, I'll keep you apprised on how the experiment goes. -- Greg <Hi Greg, Thanks for the update! I imagine the water is getting less green for other reasons than the shrimp (typically, "green water" comes and goes in blooms). But if you're finding evidence to the contrary, so much the better. Useful to know, and share with others in similar situations. And yes, do let me know how things work out in the long term. Cheers, Neale> FW shrimp molt gone awry 6/24/07 Hey Crew. I have a female wood shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) that molted about two days ago. Something went wrong with the molt, and the plate over her "shoulder" area (over the walking legs) didn't form properly, it is flared out from her body, exposing the flesh underneath. She seems to be alright for now, although she's climbed up onto some roseafolia, and isn't moving around much, or fanning the water for food. I assume the risk to her now is infection, with her flesh being exposed to the elements. I would hope that this problem can fix itself the next time she molts; is there anything I can do to help her through this for now? Thanks in advance for your help. <Greetings. "Faulty" moults are one of the risks of keeping any crustacean in captivity. The physiological process behind moulting is incredibly complex, and everything has to work 'just-so' or the whole thing messes up. The short answer as far as the aquarist is concerned is to [a] make sure water quality is excellent and appropriate to the species being kept (which typically means hard/alkaline); [b] the diet is correct and supplies all the essential nutrients, including trace elements (i.e., feed as varied a diet as possible); and [c] make sure the crustacean has somewhere to retire to during the moult so it cannot be damaged by other animals in the tank (i.e., some sort of cave). The problem with the family Atyidae (or fan shrimps) is they easily starve in aquaria. While not exclusively filter feeders, they aren't "scavengers" in any real sense, and do need regular supplies of nutritious food. So your shrimp should have been getting at least a couple of krill or a few bloodworms per day alongside whatever algae and detritus it was picking up in the tank. Failure on this count puts the shrimp at risk of starving, if not in overall terms of energy, then certainly with regard to specific minerals and trace elements it needs for moulting. (The parallel in humans might be anaemia -- it's easy to eat lots of food, and yet be anaemic, because the food you're eating contains too little iron.) In theory at least crustaceans can and do repair faulty moults "next time round" but as you say, there is a risk of secondary infections as well as damaged structures interfering with the functioning of essential systems like the gills. That your shrimp isn't eating is certainly grounds for concern. Medical treatment of crustaceans is basically non-existent as far as the hobbyist goes, so this really is a case of "wait and see". Provide the right diet and optimal water conditions and see what happens. Definitely keep her away from any animals that might attack her or otherwise express unhealthy interest -- other shrimps, territorial cichlids, nippy tetras, etc. Cheers, Neale> Wood Shrimp - Atyopsis moluccensis - Mysterious Molting Deaths - 03/17/2007 I just lost my poor little wood shrimp this morning, this is the second one that has died in more or less the same way. They molt, and then they just keel over dead. <Good observation - and a common occurrence, unfortunately.> I haven't gotten either of my deceased shrimp past the first molt. Water conditions are as near perfect as can be, and the fish in the tank are 3 platies, 5 zebra danios and 2 Cory catfish (15 gal tank.) The shrimp had good hidey holes etc, and was an enthusiastic eater- until he died! What happened to my poor shrimp? <There are perhaps at least a few possibilities, but the likeliest are that they died from a toxin in the water (heavy metals, especially copper, that may be in tapwater are quite dangerous) or simple lack of iodine and/or calcium. The realistic solutions to these problems are to use as "good" a source of water as possible, and to supplement with iodine - Kent or Seachem or other marine preparations will be fine, but do NOT use the marine dose - just a drop or two per ten gallons on a weekly basis is fine.> -Jen <I am sorry for your losses, and hope that your future shrimp will fare very well for you. All the best to you, -Sabrina> Wood Shrimp / Atyopsis Losses - 03/07/2007 I just lost my poor little wood shrimp this morning, this is the second one that has died in more or less the same way. They molt, and then they just keel over dead. <Perfect observation - some very important clues, here.> I haven't gotten either of my deceased shrimp past the first molt. Water conditions are as near perfect as can be, and the fish in the tank are 3 platies, 5 zebra danios and 2 Cory catfish (15 gal tank.) The shrimp had good hidey holes etc, and was an enthusiastic eater- until he died! What happened to my poor shrimp? <There are a number of things that may have contributed to this - have you ever used copper medications in the aquarium? Any other medications? Use water out of the tap, and have copper pipes? The primary thing, though, is likely an iodine deficiency and/or a calcium deficiency. If your water is relatively "hard", I'd wager money that it'll help immensely to supplement your water with iodine. Kent iodine or Seachem iodide, or other iodine solutions for marine/reef use would be beneficial to you, here - but DON'T use the marine dose, instead just a drop or two per ten gallons every week will suffice. After starting this in my tanks, I no longer lost shrimp mysteriously. I hope the same will happen for you!> -Jen <All the best to you, -Sabrina> New bamboo shrimp 02-05-06 Hello, <Hi there> I just got a bamboo shrimp tonight and am super excited that there is a shrimp out there that can live with my goldfish and snails! <Can> I have been trying to read up on what I should feed this new guy and understand now that he or she will eat A LOT. I keep running across, "see on the net re: cannot live on pellets alone," but cannot seem to find it, so if these questions are redundant I truly apologize. <... try to use the Google search tool as described here: http://wetwebmedia.com/faqstips.htm Putting in the terms "Bamboo Shrimp Feeding": http://www.google.com/custom?q=Bamboo+Shrimp+Feeding&sitesearch=wetwebmedia.com Look at the cached versions...> I feed the snails sinking algae pellets that break down, and flakes to the goldfish. Does "cannot live on pellets alone" mean algae pellets, fish food pellets or something else entirely? Do I need to buy special food for this shrimp? By the way, he seems to be enjoying himself so far, running around the tank and checking out the intake tube. |
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