Cherry Shrimp

[JayP]

(Seriously one bad water change or top-off will damage and kill them )

Perhaps it's in the link you shared, but I have to ask, what constitutes a "bad water change or top-off"? Other than the first cherry shrimp I got when my first tank was still not very mature, all the shrimp I've had since have been seemingly indestructible.

 

[BenB]

I think my number one tip for keeping shrimp is not to rely on them getting 100% of what they need from fish food or clean up waste.

In your scenario of "fish food or clean up waste" there is theoretical food, but not definite. So they might not have anything to eat, and yeah, I can see that they would suffer. I have a good bit of algae. I was not planning on feeding them until there was a noticeable reduction in algae. Do you still think I should supplement minimally to make sure they are getting a proper diet or they should be good to go as long as there is algae?

Perhaps it's in the link you shared, but I have to ask, what constitutes a "bad water change or top-off"? Other than the first cherry shrimp I got when my first tank was still not very mature, all the shrimp I've had since have been seemingly indestructible.

I only read the section in the link that described acclimatizing. I don't know what a bad top off is, but a bad water change could be too hot or cold or yank the pH or hardness too far one way or the other long enough to shock them before it was corrected.

 

[ElleDee]

I had the thing where my original neocaridina were all adult imports and they didn't last more than a few months in my tank even though the parameters were very similar to what they came from and I was being super careful about everything. They did breed before they died out though, and their offspring have been very hardy, making a mega colony spread over all my tanks.

I have since heard this is not an uncommon experience and I don't know that there's anything I could have done differently to save the original group. They were never going to fully adjust. I felt like such a bad shrimp keeper at the time, but I was actually so much more careful with them compared to now. These days I add a few young shrimp to new tanks as soon as they are cycled. I doctor up all my water the same way, so there isn't really anything they need to adjust to and they can get to work processing organic matter.

 

[BenB]

I think my number one tip for keeping shrimp is not to rely on them getting 100% of what they need from fish food or clean up waste.
In a big community tank it can be hard, but generally losses are less from diet/molting and more predation anyway.
In my shrimp only tanks, I changed to feeding them a shrimp specialty food (this one: Shrimp Sticks)

Ugh... went to order some of the shrimp sticks. Forgot you were in Australia. Not sure if they are available here in the states, but maybe I can find something similar.

I've used THESE in the past. Not sure how the products compare.

 

[ElleDee]

Ugh... went to order some of the shrimp sticks. Forgot you were in Australia. Not sure if they are available here in the states, but maybe I can find something similar.

Did you get a Shrimp Envy sample in your AGA bag? I'm a big fan because it's mostly vegetables and my shrimp love it.

 

[BenB]

Did you get a Shrimp Envy sample in your AGA bag? I'm a big fan because it's mostly vegetables and my shrimp love it.

Oooohhhhh... I haven't looked. I'll do that now. Was just trying to clean everything out.
I realized that I want them to eat the algae, but the first few days until they get settled, it might be best to supplement them do whatever to get them on their feet.

I'm thinking I wouldn't want to over do supplementing their diet because they might decide they like wafers and not eat the algae even if I cut them off, but I need to provide some extra just to make sure.

 

[BenB]

Did you get a Shrimp Envy sample in your AGA bag? I'm a big fan because it's mostly vegetables and my shrimp love it.

Found them! Up close they look like deer turds. They are from NC too!
Just enough to get me started, and I'll make an order when I see how things go.

 

[JayP]

I buy a product called Lowkeys Ultra Supple on Ebay. It's from Japan and isn't cheap, but all my shrimp go absolutely nuts over it. Since I only give them a few pellets once or twice a week it lasts quite awhile. I, too, don't want to treat them too much because I'd rather them rely mostly on "natural" sources in the aquarium and not become reliant or addicted to the treats.

Oh, actually, you mentioned Shrimp Envy and they sell the Ultra Supple as well, but haven't had in stock when I checked in the past. They do now.

 

[Kwyet]

I second the Shrimp Envy. Also, if you just throw in a catappa leaf now and then, it’s great for the shrimplets.

 

[ElleDee]

Also, if you just throw in a catappa leaf now and then, it’s great for the shrimplets.

Oh yeah, great suggestion. You can use dried magnolia leaves too. Even if you don't want to look at it, there's usually a secret corner you can tuck a leaf away. I always have one wedged between some plants and the glass and I forget it's even there.

 

[JuJuFish]

You can use dried magnolia leaves too.

@ElleDee Any particular kind of magnolia leaves? We have sweet bays in our yard.

 

[gnatster]

The shrimp here have a veritable Smörgåsbord. Shrimp Envy Sticks and Complete Envy, Shrimps (sic) Pro Seafood Patties, Glas Gardens Shrimp Dinner2, and ShrimpFit+, KatsAquatics 3-in-1, plus I have a habit of ordering interesting shrimp foods I find on Reddit and Etsy. I always add a new food to each order. I like to think they enjoy the variety.

 

[ElleDee]

@ElleDee Any particular kind of magnolia leaves? We have sweet bays in our yard.

I've only seen it done with Southern magnolias, Magnolia grandiflora, and those are easy to find where @BenB and I are. I'm not saying sweet bay leaves can't work per se, but they are so fleshy and aromatic it gives me pause. I have seen people recommend oak as well, and those are pretty prevalent everywhere.

 

[BranchScape]

Found them! Up close they look like deer turds. They are from NC too!
Just enough to get me started, and I'll make an order when I see how things go.

I use their food, well I did until my red breast acara ate all my shrimp. I like them too much to be mad.

 

[BranchScape]

I've only seen it done with Southern magnolias, Magnolia grandiflora, and those are easy to find where @BenB and I are. I'm not saying sweet bay leaves can't work per se, but they are so fleshy and aromatic it gives me pause. I have seen people recommend oak as well, and those are pretty prevalent everywhere.

Sweet bay will work just fine and can be used for human consumption cooking as well.

 

[Beza]

I do not keep shrimp myself yet, but one hot tip I keep seeing is that shrimp love stinging nettel (Urtica) leaves. Can be dried or fresh, some people wash them / dunk them in hot water, others just drop them in.

 

[Koan]

went to order some of the shrimp sticks

Daku has some

Shrimp Envy Food Fight , Monti Clay Minerals and Snowflake pellets are all awesome

Chewy, of all places, has some really great dried Mulberry Leaf pellets that my shrimps adore



By far my all-time favorite food is from Shrimply Canadian.. because it's food dust!



It blows all over your tank in itty bitty little bits, for the shrimp to harvest up off surfaces, as they are designed to do!

Comes with this extraordinarily tiny scoop so you don't overfeed your tank, it doesn't muck up your substrate, doesn't require a dish.. magical

 

[Capraquaria]

I really like the Shrimp Envy products, but also occasionally use some of the GlasGarten shrimp foods, too. They love Mineral Junkie. For fun I purchased some nettle seeds from Mountain Rose herbs, and am growing some in a shadier spot in the garden this year for shrimp snacks. Last year I used their nettle leaf powder.

 

[BenB]

Anybody who told me about Shrimp Envy @Koan , @ElleDee , @Kwyet , @gnatster , @Capraquaria I was feeding shrimp today that I was acclimating in a bucket. Do these pellets disintegrate? Either the shrimp ate them quickly or they fell apart. There was some black stuff in the bucket, but seemed too tiny and not enough to be the SE stick I put in. I broke it apart into 3 small bits.

 

[Kwyet]

I haven’t fed mine in a bucket, so I’m not sure how quickly they break down. I know the shrimp are attracted to it quickly and will try to carry off any small pieces. I break it up before putting it in too.

Edit: The description says it doesn’t dissolve very fast. Maybe they were just starving.