Algae Eater With Guppies - 10/17/2005
Hi,
<Hello.>
I have a 36 gal tank with guppies and live plants. I have had some algae growth on my plants and hoped you might suggest a good fish to add to my tank that will eat algae on the plants but is safe to keep with guppies and their fry. One of the people at the LFS I use a lot suggested Otocinclus.
<A very effective, but very sensitive fish.>
I've also read about using Plecos, but that they can damage plants if they are large.
<Ancistrus "bushynose" Plecs are a good choice, and stay under 5" roughly.>
The algae on the plants appears to be mostly green hair algae. There is some on the glass and a little on the substrate that appears to be more of a green slime. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.
<You might consider shrimp of genus Caridina or Neocaridina.... the "algae-eating" shrimp, Caridina japonica, and the "cherry" shrimp, Neocaridina denticulata sinensis v. red, are both readily available in the hobby now and excellent consumers of algae. Not to mention cute!>
Thanks, -Rob
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Oh Golly Mollies, Salt, pH, etc. - 10/21/2005
Hello I am new to salty systems. I've always had freshwater aquariums which I still run two. But I saw some Dalmatian Mollies and had to get some. I have one male and three females. I do plan on adding maybe two or three more mollies and an algae eater and that's all this tank will have in it. I don't want to overcrowd them. I talked to three different fish stores to set up my system to get it ready. (I wish I had found this site first.) So I set up a 29 gallon tank with one teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons of water. Should more salt be added?
<Nah. Especially not if you plan on an animal for consuming algae. With salt in the water, I would recommend using Caridina japonica, the "algae-eating" shrimp, as these fare well in slightly salty conditions.>
I have an Aqua Tech 20-40 power filter at a flow rate of 160 Gph with bio fiber. Is this ok or would a bio wheel be better?
<Mm, whatever you prefer. If you've already got the Aqua Tech, I see no reason to buy something different.>
All the stores said a pH of 7.2 was right; mine's between 7.4 and 7.8.
<This is fine - BUT - please don't let it be *fluctuating* between these.... far too much fluctuation between 7.4 and 7.8 to be safe. A steady pH is pretty important.>
The temp is at 80 degrees. I see on you're site you recommend a high pH so should I get some crushed coral sand to raise it, or is it okay at the level I have?
<Constant, steady pH is better than precise pH. You'll be fine with what you've got, I think.>
Also I do test the water with strips but this just shows a range of where it should be. So should I get a better testing kit if so what do you recommend?
<I would. Look for a quality liquid-reagent test kit.... Kordon makes 'em, so does Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.... You'll need pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate most essentially.>
Thank you for your time. -David
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Fish, Shrimp, and Thanks
Our fish would like to say thank you to the WetWebMedia crew. (tank you, tanks, tanka)
<To you and your fish - you're very welcome!  Please forgive the delay in response; I've been having computer issues, but it looks to be all sorted out now.>
We have had a lot of fun with our new freshwater tank and several learning experiences. Our first fish was a "Betta in a bowl"  purchased by my two eldest, they saved their allowance to do this and we ended up with two new family members, Blootie a Betta, and Pickles, an African frog. A few months later we knew we wanted an actual aquarium so we soon had Blootie and Pickles housed in a ten gallon with five neon tetras, several plants, free snails which appeared out of nowhere and every thing was fine; we do a 20% water change weekly and add some aquarium salt and dechlorinator.
<Sounds like great fun!  Please remember, when you add salt, only add enough to compensate for water you *remove*, not water that has evaporated, as salt does not evaporate.>
Our tank is held at 78F and we have several plants which we prune every two weeks, we run a Whisper filter with activated carbon, every other week we switch the carbon for Ammocarb, though I am not sure it does anything,
<Only the carbon is needed; test your water regularly for ammonia, with your water change/maintenance scheme, I doubt you see a trace of it.>
we have a shallow smooth gravel substrate. We feed a mixture of flakes, bloodworms, brine shrimp and a pea every night about an hour before lights out.
<Mmmmm, yummy!>
Our first problems started when we obtained two new fishes, Odie and Sink (Otocinclus).  The primary pea consumer was Blootie but after Sink and Odie arrived things changed. Sink metamorphosed into a new fish we called Stink. He chased everybody, the tetras, the frog, the Betta and especially Odie, Odie lived in perpetual fear, Stink would charge the full length of the aquarium to get him.
<WOW.  That does *not* sound like normal Oto behaviour!  Please check out the following links, perhaps you have something different....  First, on Otos: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/otocinclusart.htm  on SAEs (and non-SAEs): http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saes.htm >
Stink actually latched on to Blootie a couple of times leaving a white mark which has now cleared up.
<Yikes....>
Stink may have been starving when he arrived but that passed, he turned into a very messy fish and was getting visibly fatter and  meaner.
<He's sounding an awful lot like a "Flying Fox" or "Chinese Algae Eater" at this point....  notoriously mean buggars.>
Pretty soon everybody started hanging out somewhere safe from the seriously deranged Stink and this caused problems, nobody was eating the pea, our water started to get cloudy and green algae started to grow on our floating plant. The tetras which previously tested every floating speck to see if it might be food, stopped doing that and spent their time up high, avoiding Sink. Blootie stayed at the top of the tank, ready to run, Stink couldn't eat all the food but he was determined to try. We finally decided Stink had to go and things are back to normal. Our water is clear again, nobody is chasing anyone and everyone seems happy. (We gave Stink to an unsuspecting local fish store, not telling them he was an insane fish.)  
<*Laugh!*>
I have been reading the freshwater links (I have actually been reading everything I can on your site as time allows) and my question has to do with adding a crustacean of some sort. We really do not want a repeat of the Stink trials and we really would like to add a shrimp or something. Given our current happy tank is there anything we could add that would probably be happy.
<Stick with shrimps of the genera Caridina and/or Neocaridina; these primarily algae-eating lovelies include "the" algae-eating (aka "Amano") shrimp (Caridina japonica), cherry shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata), bumblebee shrimp (Neocaridina sp.), red-fronted or "Rudolph" shrimp (er, I think a Neocaridina species....), red-tailed tiger shrimp (another Neocaridina), to name a few that are occasionally available in the US.  Ghost shrimp would be a safe addition, as well (and cheap, to boot - and commonly available).  Filter feeding shrimp, such as Singapore/bamboo/flower shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) are commonly available, and also perfectly safe to add to your tank; this last would probably be the most "fun", as they are large, diurnal, and uber-cool.  Stay away from "big-arm" shrimp of the genus Macrobrachium; these are nearly all carnivores that will prey upon your fish.  Same goes for crabs, they'll eat anything that holds still long enough - and some things that don't.>
I have read about the shrimps in the freshwater shrimp section
<Currently and unfortunately very lacking in information - I intend to rectify that with an article or two as soon as I dig up some time, I promise!>
but I am still not satisfied that I won't get it wrong.
<One important point - please dose the tank with iodine if you get shrimp.  This is easy and cheap.  Get a bottle of Kent Marine Iodine from your fish store (geared for saltwater tanks).  Ignore the directions on the bottle completely, as your freshwater shrimp have nowhere *near* the iodine needs of a saltwater tank - add only one drop of the iodine once every week (use a pipette or a medicine dropper from the pharmacy).  Doesn't sound like much, but it makes all the difference in the world.>
In addition to adding a shrimp to our ten gallon, we intend to get another ten gallon aquarium and move the frog (Pickles) in with two fire newts, for which my oldest boy is saving his pennies, is this going to work ?
<Oh, wow, I have absolutely no idea....  I'll pass this along to Gage for his input; hopefully he'll be able to help you on that one better than I can.>
Thank You
<You bet!  Wishing you and your critters well,  -Sabrina>

Water Needs of FW Shrimp - 03/15/2004
Hello,
Thank you for a wonderful website!! It gave me a lot of  good tips and answers to questions concerning tapwater I had.
<Glad to hear it, and thank you for the kind words.>
I have been using P.A.T. by Aqua Craft, Full Spectrum Multipurpose Water Conditioner for water changes, now I'm not so sure that that alone is enough.
<I must say, I'm not familiar with these products; I'm assuming we're in geographically different places?>
I had a problem with slimy black algae last year and the pet store told me that came in our tapwater??
<Uh, not *quite*.  The algae didn't "come in" your tapwater, but was probably there due to the presence of nutrients that it could feed off.>
I live in Northern Washington.
<Ah, bet it's nice and cool, there!  It's already like summer here in sunny silicon valley.  I'm envious.>
I purchased 6 algae eating shrimp a day ago (about 1inch long, transparent) and they seemed quite happy roaming around the tank and on the glass eating.
<Truly wonderful critters.  I recommend dosing the tank with iodine - I use Kent marine iodine, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons weekly (NOT the marine dose).>
This morning they were all hovering around the top (plastic knob) of the aquarium heater. The aquarium temperature is 78. Is that to cold for them?
<Not at all, this sounds fine.  Out of curiosity, do the shrimp have sort of a "cloudy" look to them?  Healthy shrimp, even opaquely colored ones, can be discerned from unhealthy ones by an almost "clear" quality to their color.>
I have a 46gallon tank with 6 cardinals, 6 gold tetras, 2 Otocinclus. Would it be safe to add 4hatchet fish, or would that be overcrowding?
<Sounds like an excellent addition to your tank.  You have room in your tank, plenty and to spare.  Do please be sure to employ a quarantine tank, hatchets are notorious for bringing in ich.  I'd recommend getting six or so, though, as they're happier in groups, like the tetras.>
That's a lot of questions...hope you can help me.
<Hope so, too!  Everything sounds good, to me.  The only thing to be very concerned of with the shrimps is metals like copper in the water.  Look for that "clear" quality in your shrimps as a telltale sign of good health.>
Eliza
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Water Needs of FW Shrimp - II - 03/21/2004
Sabrina,
Thank you for you quick reply and the tip about adding iodine to keep my shrimp healthy.
<Yes, a very important issue, I'm glad to have been able to help.>
They are doing an amazing job of cleaning the tank!
<Wonderful critters, eh?>
They are so opaque that I have trouble locating all six of them at one time.
<Er, do you mean clear?  Or really mean not-see-thru?  Basically, clear = good, cloudy = bad, and both qualities can be observed on shrimp that are an opaque color (like wood shrimp, cherry shrimp, etc.).  Now that I re-read my previous message, I realize how er, "unclear" my wording was - sorry about that.>
Will they eat fish food when they run out of algae?
<Yes.  I would try to offer them foods high in veggie content, perhaps something like Ocean Nutrition's frozen "Formula Two", or things like blanched zucchini, cucumber, etc.>
Eliza
<Thanks for writing in, Eliza.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Shrimp.  It's What's For Dinner. - 07/13/2004
Hi,
<Hi, Tim, Sabrina here, this evening'!>
I have bought a number of freshwater shrimp (japonica) to help control hair algae.  However, they apparently are being consumed by someone in the tank.  
<What leads you to believe this?  Are you missing shrimp, or have you found shells and/or dead shrimp?>
I have a long-standing 30-gallon tank with 10 golden white clouds, 5 green neon tetras, 3 marble hatchets, 3 Kuhli (sp?) loaches, 1 spotted Cory cat and 1 stick catfish.  
<By stick catfish, do you mean a Farlowella/Sturisoma cat, or something else?  I don't see anything in this list that looks like a shrimp eater, provided that cat is in fact a Farlowella or Sturisoma....>
Any idea who the shrimp eating culprits might be?
<No clue whatsoever.  None of the above animals seem like something I'd think twice about....  I have a large Sturisoma aureum in with my japonicas, and haven't seen any problems....  Also, how big are your shrimp?  And are you *positive* they're being eaten?>
Thanks,  Tim
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Shrimp.  It's What's For Dinner. - II - 07/14/2004
Hi, Sabrina,
<Hi, Tim!  Glad to hear back from you.>
I've bought maybe 18 shrimp over the last six months - four in the last couple of weeks. I saw 2 yesterday (none now but they could be hiding in the plants - Amazon Swords).  
<They are a good critter at hiding.>
Their size is maybe 1/2 to 3/4 inch.  
<Pretty small, but even still, I don't see how any of those tankmates could be at fault.>
Yes, I've seen some shells, which I expect are molting, and occasionally I see what appears to be the meaty portion of a shrimp body on the floor of the tank.
<Some things to consider, here.  Do you dose the tank with iodine?  And have you ever, in the life of the tank/substrate/decor, used ANY medication containing copper?  AquariSol, Cupramine, and CopperSafe are just a few.>
My "stick catfish" is a Farlowella (according to the pictures).  
<A very cool fish.  I would not expect this animal to go after shrimp, at all.>
Still stumped, but thanks for your thoughts.  Tim
<My best guess is that the shrimp are dying for reasons other than predation - first and foremost, I'm thinking a lack of iodine.  I used to lose a few ghost shrimp a month before I began using iodine in my shrimp tanks; now, not only am I not losing any, but everyone's breeding.  I use Kent Marine Concentrated Iodine, marketed for reef tanks, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons every week - NOT the marine dose!  The other idea I can come up with for your losses is toxicity of the water; copper naturally comes to mind, possibly ammonia or nitrite....  Do be testing.  I hope we can get to the bottom of this!  Wishing you and your inverts well,  -Sabrina

Little Eaters of Algae
Hi!
<Hello!>
I have an Eclipse 6 aquarium.  I have had it for 6 weeks....it is finally done cycling....no ammonia an no more nitrites.  
<Wonderful.>
I have 4 platies and 1 Cory catfish.  Is it okay to purchase an algae eater....can you recommend something small?  
<I can, indeed.  But you'll find I'm extremely biased, here - getting into my favorite subject, an' all....  Your best bet all the way around is to look for freshwater algae eating shrimps.  These pleasant little creatures come in pint-sized packages packing a punch to pulverize your putrid algae problem - uh, sorry 'bout that....  Do try to find cherry shrimp or bumblebee shrimp, as these seem to stay the smallest and are avid attackers of algae.  You could easily keep half a dozen of either of these kind in your tank.  If you can't find those, next in line are 'the' algae shrimp, or Amano shrimp, the well-known Caridina japonica.  These get significantly larger, so you'd probably only want two or three in your tank.  If you're lucky, you might find 'rainbow' shrimp in as contaminants with the Amanos.  These have a slightly more prominent 'hump' in their back, though not much, and they have a few stripes running perpendicular to the stripe down their back (the Amanos lack these stripes, and the stripe running down their back is much narrower).  They also become neat colors as they age, blue-green or red-brown, and they stay smaller than the Amanos, too, though not as small as cherry shrimp or bumblebee shrimp.  And, failing shrimps altogether, you'd probably be safe to get a single Otocinclus catfish.  These tiny little guys do a number on algae, but aren't nearly as fun as shrimp (uh, in my obsessed mind, that is).>
I don't have much algae yet.  
<Good!!  Though you might have to feed your new algae-eating-critter on other veggie matter, too.>
I don't want to purchase a larger algae eater because of the size of the tank.  And the algae eater has to get along with catfish and platies.  Is the catfish good enough???  
<Corys don't eat algae much to speak of (they also like to be in groups of three or more, but in a small 6g tank, that's virtually impossible).  Whether you choose an Otocinclus or any of the abovementioned shrimps, you'll be absolutely fine, in terms of compatibility.>
Also, with a tank this  size.....should I do a water change about every 3 weeks....like a 25% water change?
<Well, I'd do water changes closer to every week, but only on the order of 10-15%.  Less water, more often is usually the best bet.
Thanks!
<Any time!  -Sabrina, the shrimp-obsessed> 

Cherry Shrimp, guppy comp.    9/27/08
I was just wondering, would my guppies eat red cherry shrimp?
<No; have mixed Limia (closely related to Poecilia) with Cherry shrimps and ended up with lots of babies of both.>
Are red cherry shrimp good cleaners?
<Excellent; though as ever, it's YOUR job to keep the tank clean. Do this my minimising what goes in (i.e., don't overfeed) and maximising what comes out (i.e., via water changes). Both Guppies and Cherry shrimps are primarily algivores, so do provide them with a diet rich in greens.>
Does their exoskeleton shed a lot and does it make a big mess?
<Yes they shed their exoskeleton, but the shrimps eat them to recycle the calcium. So usually not a problem.>
thanks!
-Sarah
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Cherry Shrimp   9/28/08
Hello Crew,
In addition to my other e-mail, I was wondering if the red cherry shrimp would eat my baby guppies. all of the babies are between 2-4 months old.
_thanks
_Sarah_
<Sarah, please do read my e-mails thoroughly: as stated, both baby guppies and baby shrimps will coexist with parents of either species. You might lose or two, but not enough to matter. Cheers, Neale.>

Cherry Shrimp Compatibility, w/ Corydoras   8/20/08
Hello,
<Amanda>
I hope whichever of the crewmembers that gets this is having a good day.
<I hope we all are>
I have a quick question. I am pretty sure I already know the answer, but I read over the facts (both shrimp and Corydoras) and just wanted some confirmation either way.
I have the opportunity to purchase some cherry shrimp (they aren't very common here). I am very interested in getting some but only if I can house them safely. The only tank I have which is suitable to their needs at the moment is populated by 10 Corydoras (five C. aeneus and five C. sterbai). My gut feeling is that the Corydoras might try to eat the cherry shrimp (on the Corydoras section on WWM it is stated "Corydoras et al. are more carnivorous than omnivores... eating mainly insect larvae, worms, and crustaceans in the wild." If this is the case I will not get them, but if you feel housing them together will be safe I'll pick them up.
Thank you
Amanda
<If this tank is large enough (let's say 29 or more gallons), and there is sufficient habitat (rocks, plants, wood...) these shrimp and Callichthyids should be fine together. Bob Fenner>

Advice on new additions please!! Shrimp sys., much more...  6/10/07
Hi Crew!
<Hello!>
I've been trawling your site all morning and can't seem to find any info on my new tank mates I purchased yesterday!
<Oh dear.><<Heeeeee! RMF>>
Normally I wouldn't buy something without researching it first but these guys were irresistible!
<Uh-oh.>
My tank is 100lt, recently cycled (upgraded from a 60lt) Ph 6.4-6.5, GH between 6 and 7, KH 0, ammonia and nitrites 0 and nitrates about 15. The temp is usually 24C but its hot here at the moment so has creeped up to 26C!
<Water conditions sound very good a nice variety of soft water tropical fish. Increasing the turbulence (i.e., bubbles or splashing) at the top of the tank can help add a little more oxygen to the water in warm weather, but 26C isn't too high for most species.>
In the tank are 4 Leopard Danios, 5 Corys and 3 Japonica shrimp. I also have 4 Pearl and 4 Yellow Kerri Danios in QT.
<All interesting and worthy inmates. Shrimp tend not to do universally well in soft/acid water, so try to make sure the pH doesn't drop below 6.5.>
So, on to the new additions! Yesterday I bought 2 shrimp labeled 'Chameleon Shrimp' and have so far narrowed that down to either Macrobrachium eriocheirum or Macrobrachium lammeri but the only info I found was that they need harder, alkali water! :o(
<Macrobrachium spp are among the WORST additions to aquaria. They vary in size from fairly small things not much bigger than your Amano shrimps through to giants around 30 cm long. Ever eating freshwater tiger prawns? Those are Macrobrachium. Very widely cultivated in fresh and brackish water pools across Asia and increasingly elsewhere. Now, the deal with Macrobrachium is that they are omnivores and HIGHLY territorial. The "omnivore" bit means that while they will happily eat catfish pellets and the like, they will also catch small fish. The "territorial" bit is a warning: once they take charge of a burrow or cave, they demand to be left alone. Males of the species fight with one another. I've seen the big ones coexist with robust Central American cichlids, and some folks have the smaller species in community tanks, but still, they are not really 100% safe aquarium denizens. So watch them carefully.>
I have some crushed oyster shell, would this help?
<Potentially. I'd suggest placing some in a filter media bag and then placing it in the filter. Adding crushed oyster shell to the substrate works fairly well for a while, but eventually gets covered in algae and bacteria and its buffering capacity drops off. Better to put the stuff in the filter where you can clean/replace every couple of months. This said, you're aiming for neutral pH and moderate hardness, otherwise your other fish won't be so happy, so don't go bananas. Add a small amount, wait a week, measure the pH and hardness, and then adjust up or down as required.>
They have claws, are they a threat to my japonicas/Corys?
<Potentially, yes. Macrobrachium will take smaller fish if the opportunity presents itself. The problem won't be so much while you're feeding normally, but when you go away for your vacation and the fish are left alone for a week or two, a hungry shrimp might turn its attention to any small fish...>
The current inhabitants are all present so far! What do I need to feed the new guys?
<Macrobrachium spp are all omnivores. So a mix of vegetable and animal foods. I'd be using algae (such as Plec pellets), Sushi Nori, bloodworms, shelled mussels, etc. Calcium-rich foods are important, for shell production. For that, you want to be using some shell-on foods periodically. Krill would be ideal for small specimens, or unshelled prawns for larger ones.>
Managed to hand feed the one I could find a cichlid stick but that wouldn't be much of a balanced diet!
<Cichlid pellets not a bad start. But variety is important. Like crayfish, Macrobrachium basically eat anything organic, and in the wild to some extent are sifting mud for general detritus. So they aren't fussy. This is why they are a popular fish-farming species: they can be reared on what is basically refuse (like tilapia, chicken, and pigs, really).>
Plus I cant find the small one to feed it anyway! How do I sex them and will they fight each other?
<Males will certainly fight. Males generally tolerate females, assuming they aren't fighting over space. But there's no guarantees here.>
I also bought 2 fish called 'Chinese Butterfly Suckers', they've already cleaned the algae from the QT tank!
<Oh dear... these are likely Beaufortia kweichowensis. Certainly a member of the Hillstream Loach family, Homalopteridae. Among the least reliable aquarium fish in the hobby. Few survive any length of time. They live in relatively cool, highly oxygenated, spotlessly clean mountain and forest streams. In the wild they eat almost nothing but "aufwuchs" -- the mix of green algae and tiny animals they scrape from rocks. In the aquaria, they need algae, whether "real" or supplied via things like Sushi Nori or algae wafers. Vegetarian flake food smeared onto rocks might be worth trying, too. Small animal foods such as bloodworms should also be provided. The problems most aquarists have with them are these: [a] water quality; [b] getting enough food into them; and [c] too-warm an aquarium. They're essentially subtropical, and ideally want to be maintained at the cooler end of the spectrum, around 20C being about right.>
They are the cutest fish ever and look like tiny black Plecos with white spots all over you can see their little hearts beating, stuck onto the glass!
<Yes, they are lovely. But specialist fish.>
I think they might be river fish, but my filter kicks out a strong current so hopefully that will suit them... what else do I need to know about them?
<Well, I think I've covered the basics. Just keep thinking about what these fish are -- they live in streams with shallow water, lots of green algae, very high oxygen levels, and tonnes of water movement.>
Will they be okay in my tank?
<I wouldn't be the house on it. Your water chemistry and quality are actually very good for these fishes. BUT, your problems will be keeping them cool enough (or at least bumping up the oxygen level to compensate) and ensuring there is thorough water flow throughout the aquarium, especially at the bottom where these fish "hang out". You also need to ensure they have enough to eat. So, you have your work cut out for you. That said, in a tank specially set up for them alongside species from similar conditions (such as danios and White Cloud Mountain minnows) they are not actually delicate fish and some people have had great success with them. But they aren't "easy fish".>
What should I feed them when they have eaten all the algae?
<More algae. Plus a certain amount of animal protein. I'd be going 60% algae, 40% bloodworms and the like.>
Sorry for the huge email but I felt so bad about buying them without knowing how to care for them!! :o( Any help would be much appreciated!
<To be fair, hillstream loaches aren't actually featured in that many aquarium books. But investing in something like Baensch's Aquarium Atlas (which does include a number of them) is one of wisest things any aquarist can do. Good aquarium atlases pay for themselves over and over again by letting you identify fishes when you're shopping, so you can decide there and then whether to buy what you've found.>
Thanks!
Ruth.
<Good luck, Neale>

Apistos and Shrimp    5/21/07
Hello,  I was wondering if it would be ok to keep Apistogramma and Caridina serrata together. I have plenty of room for them and they would be going into a planted aquarium. I'm just worried that the apistos would eat the shrimp. Thank you, CJ
< Apistogramma cacatuoides have a pretty good sized mouth. If the shrimp will not fit in their mouths then they will probably leave them alone until the shrimp moult. When the shrimp moult their skin is very soft and leaves them vulnerable to be eaten by fish. If there are plenty of places for them to hide they will be fine.-Chuck>

Re: Betta Compatibility, Cherry Shrimp - 05/21/2006
Hey Sabrina,
<Hi, Xiaosong!  Incidentally, you have a beautiful name.>
Thanks for your help!
<And thank you for giving me the opportunity to help!>
You were right about the size of the shrimp; they are more like 3/4th of an inch. So I had a quick follow up question. Once I get the shrimp, do you think it would be better to pull the Betta out of the tank for a day or two to let the shrimp get acclimated to the tank or should I just put the shrimp in with the Betta right away?
<I'd get just a couple to start with, and go ahead and put them in.  That'll give you the best idea of how the Betta is going to respond to them, I think.>
When I first introduced the Betta to the tank with the rasboras, I put the Betta in the tank in a breeding net on the side for a day but I didn't think it made a difference in the end with the rasboras.
<Sounds like a plan, then!>
Thanks!
<Any time.>
Xiaosong
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

More FW crustacean stocking  - 04/20/2006
Hello WWM Crew!!
<Hello, Don!!>
I've been reading (and enjoying) the copious information on your website and I'm very grateful that there are people such as yourselves that take the time to further (and better) the aquarium keeping hobby.  
<Thank you very, very much for these kind words.>
Now that I've gotten the accolades out of the way, on to the questions.  First off, Hi!  I'm Don!  
<Hi!  I'm Sabrina!>
My partner, Richard and I, are in the process of losing our freshwater, planted aquarium-keeping virginity.  
<Oooooh, exciting!>
So.... we have a 37 gallon, bow-front, acrylic tank that currently houses:
6 fancy guppies
6 Rasbora tetras
6 Penguin tetras
10 Neon Tetras
6 freshwater clams (I suppose they're there, I've never seen them!)
<These actually fare very, very poorly in aquariums....  They need copious amounts of free-floating algae and other micro foods to stay alive....  if they're not gone now, they will be soon, I'm afraid.  I heartily advise against getting these again.>
2 Flower Shrimp (one passed)
<Sorry to hear this!  Shrimp are my fave....>
3 (I think, but I've only seen 2 as of late) Cherry Shrimp
<The third's probably in there somewhere.>
3 Japonica shrimp
6 Otocinclus catfish (they've been miracle workers when it comes to clearing out all algae growth in our tank!!)
and various snails (I believe there are 3 Ramshorns, 3 black mystery and 6 zebra)
we have 2 medium sized pieces of natural driftwood, adorned with java moss (that has yet to take root but has been tied/anchored with peat moss)
and many many live plants.
<So far, so good, aside from that shrimp....>
Our water has a pH of 7.6 out of the tap, and in the last few days we have had a measurable ammonia concentration of approx. .25 ppm.   
<Disconcerting, but not "deadly" as yet....  do please try to bring this to zero.>
Nitrates and Nitrites remain at 0.
<Yikes!  Still cycling??>
Herein lies the issue.  I've learned from reading on this site about the cycling process that  
one should endure when setting up a new system.  We have not followed those guidelines, unfortunately, and are now likely experiencing the fallout from such rash behavior.  
<Yup.  But you're learning....  and I'm very happy for that.>
Needless to say, we have overstocked our tank (a sign of our eagerness to house and grow live  
aquaria)
<Mm, I wouldn't say you're overstocked, but stocked too much too quickly.>
and after becoming attached to our inhabitants, are doing our best to ensure their ongoing well-being.  So here's where I need a little guidance in the process.  Since the damage is pretty much done and we've overstocked our new, un-cycled tank, what measures are required to keep the aquaria we're currently  
housing, relatively healthy and un-dead, for lack of better terminology.  From what I've read on this wonderful site, water changes are pretty much par for the course and we're doing those (approx. 5 gallons a day, sometimes twice a day depending on the ammonia concentration) to keep our inhabitants as happy and healthy (not to mention un-dead) as possible.
<Perfect.>
We have also used Marineland Bio-Spira (last weekend) and are currently using Fritz-zyme Turbo 700 to hasten the cycling process and as a stop gag measure to stave off any further loss of life.
<Perfect again.>
We had a blue crawfish (Procambarus sp.)
<Yeeeeeee-ikes!  Not with the shrimp, please, nor with any slow-moving or bottom-dwelling fish - they'll all become snacks.>
and one of our japnionca shrimp recently pass on (not sure if this was due to the un-cycled-ness of our tank or the trauma suffered during shipping).
<I hate to say it, but be glad for the lack of the Cray.  Crays are GREAT, but really ought to be with critters that they can't or won't hurt.  The shrimp and otos are not in this category.>
So I suppose my formal question is:  Should we be doing as many/as frequent water changes as we are doing, in lieu of the cycling process not being completed, even though we've used the previously  
mentioned products (Bio-Spira/Fritz-Zyme Turbo Start)?
<I would, yes.>
I guess I could/should make that a little clearer...  Are we doing more harm than good by changing the water so often, or should we allow the ammonia to build to a level, just shy of tolerable for our  
tank inhabitants in order to promote bacterial growth, or should we continue with the water changes to keep the ammonia concentration at a less-than-lethal level for our overly stocked tank?  
<Though it will prolong the cycling process, keep up with the water changes....  The cycle will establish, it'll just take a little longer.>
Other issues we're grappling with are whether or not the 3" fluorite substrate has a negative affect on our invertebrate aquaria (after-all we did lose 2, I've read about copper being adverse to their livelihood and I'm not sure if fluorite is detrimental to their well-being)
<If it helps any, I've used fluorite in plenty of shrimp-containing tanks with no apparent negative results.  I would not be concerned here.  In all honesty, freshwater shrimp are not always cared for properly at stores and wholesalers; these animals may have been doomed prior to purchase.  When you buy shrimps and crays, you should look for a certain quality of "clarity"....  Hard to describe, but once you've seen/recognized what I mean, you'll understand.  "Cloudy" shrimp should be avoided.  This "clear" vs. "cloudy" can be seen even in totally colored shrimp, like wood/fan/Singapore shrimp.... again, it's tough to explain.>
and does iodine (added as a supplement to aide our invertebrates) have any affect on the fish we're keeping?  
<Nope, not a problem at all - and of vital importance to the inverts.>
We do plan on getting another blue crayfish (Procambarus sp.) to replace our recently deceased
<I recommend strongly against this.>
and we'd like to add a few more fish (probably compatible tetras or another species you'd recommend that's compatible with the above mentioned, currently housed aquaria and more shrimp (they're too cute to resist)).  
<I bet you'd really delight in the antics of a handful of small Corydoras cats, or if you fear outbreaks of undesirable snails, a few Botia striata....>
Thanks in advance for your informative response
<Glad to be of service!>
and sincere thanks for providing a forum for all of the unlearned yet eager novices (such as myself) new to the 'trade'.
<And again, thank you VERY much for these kind words.>
Don Anderson
<All the best to you, Richard, and your new tank!  -Sabrina Fullhart>