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.>