Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

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JayC
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Re: Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

Unread post by JayC »

Hello,

I couldn't help but stop by to make a comment on this topic.

Firstly, you have been given sound advice about keeping fish with shrimps.

Secondly, I have personally seen with my own eyes, Cardinal and Neon Tetras attack shrimps.
They "used" to live happily together. Then one day they turned shrimp murderers. Not 100% sure what triggered it. My guess was they tasted a dead shrimp one day, and grew an appetite for them after that.
Sure the adult shrimps don't fit into a Tetra's mouth. But have you seen a Lion swallow a wilderbeest whole? No! They bite chunks out of it. Same with the Tetras, I saw them 'hunt' the shrimp, circle it, each taking nips at the legs and antenna until the shrimp was dead.
Same goes for all fish. Even if you think it's too small to fit in it's mouth.

I don't know how much shrimp are where you're from, but shrimp here in Australia is expensive, because of lack of supply. I'd rather not take the risks with my expensive shrimp.

Thirdly, the fish you have really need different water parameters to shrimp. Technically, the Tetra & Pleco would prefer acidic waters high in tannins and humic acid similar to amazonian waters. The molly, SAE, and danio prefer different parameters again. Arguably, you can train them to live in the tank parameters you have. But it's not ideal. Shrimp however are not going to be so tolerating depending on what shrimp you get. Assuming your tank is slightly acidic to neutral (what's your pH), then the best option is only cherries, which will tolerate higher pH values.

Fourthly, the temperature requirements for fish are vastly different to shrimp. Your tropical fish need warm waters approx 26degC.
Cherries can 'survive' 26-30 degC temps, but it's not ideal. Forget Crystals or the more exotic Caridina genus.
Notice I said survive, not thrive. The Cherry or Neocaridina will survive in such warm temps. But they do even better in cooler 23deg C temperatures. Their colours improve, risk of catching diseases decreases, less susceptible to ammonia, they will be more active, and baby shrimps have a higher % of survivability.

Fifth, dosing fertilisers into a tank with shrimp is not advisable. Certainly not the EI method. A shrimp tank should be simple drift wood, and mosses, and any plants that don't require much light, CO2 or fertilisers. Fertilisers themselves might not kill the shrimp immediately, but it's the build up of dissolved solids that will eventually kill. Too much CO2 will kill, however. This can be maintained however ... with stringent water changes and monitoring of TDS. But then, why dose ferts when you need to be throwing it out again at water change to maintain shrimp friendly water parameters??

You won't have such issues with a planted fish tank.
A shrimp tank should really be a shrimp only tank for ease of maintenance and the comfort of it's inhabitants.

The moral of the long story here is ... think about your tank inhabitants. Don't just think about what you'd like to see in the tank.
Just imagine if you got thrown into a room with Lions in it. Oh sure lots of hiding space has been provided. The temperature is an uncomfortable 45deg C in the room. Extra CO2 is pumped into the room, for the plants you hide in (from the lions), cause it's good for the plants. But you like O2, oh well. the plants come first.
Will you survive? Yeah maybe, by hiding alot. Will you thrive? No.
Same goes for your shrimp buddies. Put the livestock that is in your care into an environment that is suited for it, so it can thrive without being in danger from fish.
Yeah I know, it's a stupid, over exaggerated example. But it's essentially, what you are doing to shrimp.

If you want to add fish (Really? After all that :D ) , find ones that are small and will accept the same water parameters and temperature.
Suggestions: based on the fact that shrimps spend most of their time on the bottom, you want fish that spend most of their time in the upper regions of the tank.
Spotted Blue-Eye Pseudomugil gertrudae, Threadfins and Endlers are good suggestions.

Ottos are safe and cute, but let's admit it. They are boring as batshit to watch in a tank.
Tetra's are out, for the above reason. And have you seen the teeth on Tetras? Google it. They are like mini piranhas.
Cory's of any kind are out too. They don't go outright to hunt for shrimp, but being bottom dwellers, they inadvertently bumble their way onto shrimplets and hoover them up.

There you go. Many good reasons to heed the advice first given.
If you still proceed down that path of keeping fish with shrimp, you know the risks. All of it, not just that fish might eat shrimp.

Hope this helps with your decision. takeca
Last edited by JayC on Fri Sep 26, 2014 7:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
vijendra_s123
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Re: Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

Unread post by vijendra_s123 »

JayC wrote:The moral of the long story here is ... think about your tank inhabitants. Don't just think about what you'd like to see in the tank.
Just imagine if you got thrown into a room with Lions in it. Oh sure lots of hiding space has been provided. The temperature is an uncomfortable 45deg C in the room. Extra CO2 is pumped into the room, for the plants you hide in (from the lions), cause it's good for the plants. But you like O2, oh well. the plants come first.
Will you survive? Yeah maybe, by hiding alot. Will you thrive? No.
Same goes for your shrimp buddies. Put the livestock that in your care into an environment that is suited for it, so it can thrive without being in danger from fish.
Yeah I know, it's a stupid, over exaggerated example. But it's essentially, what you are doing to shrimp.
Very nicely put forth Jay….

When we make planted tanks we have to keep nutrient levels high, pumping in macro and micro elements at rates which are way higher then what these fish encounter in the wild and to top it up we keep CO2 at alarmingly high levels. We choose fish species which contrast with the green and red colour of the plants and are least concerned about their wellbeing.

What I believe is if you want to keep fish then keep Fish, if you want to grow plants then grow Plants and if you want to keep shrimps then just keep shrimps (What I want to say is set up your tank accordingly and concentrate only on what you want to keep, adjusting and maintaining the parameters which suits the fish or the shrimp or the plants). Don’t mix all, as only one of the above will thrive and the rest would just SURVIVE.
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Re: Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

Unread post by djmankotia »

:1 Well said Vijendra sir and JayC :clp
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Re: Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

Unread post by VishaalDalal »

djmankotia wrote::1 Well said Vijendra sir and JayC :clp

:clp :clp :clp
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Re: Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

Unread post by JayC »

vijendra_s123 wrote: Don’t mix all, as only one of the above will thrive and the rest would just SURVIVE.

Vijendra has got it!!

You see, that phrase is catching on. "Survive is not the same as Thrive."

Always think about which livestock you are placing priority over. Is it the Plants, the Fish, or the Shrimps?
Only one will thrive.

But if you keep Shrimps, and some plants. Then it's one equation less to worry about. And you prioritise everything you put into the tank for Shrimps, then it is the shrimps that will thrive. The plants will just have to make do. So don't go buying High light, high CO2, fast growing plants for a shrimp tank.

Sometimes even with Plant only tanks you can get things wrong. I have two plant only tanks with rare aquatic plants collected from all over.
Both side by side. One tank, Algae thrives. The other the plants thrive, no algae. :cnf
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Re: Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

Unread post by mats »

Explained so beautifully. :clap
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Re: Want to add shrimps to my tank. What changes do I need?

Unread post by vasishta.sushant »

Thanks JayC. Outstandingly elaborated. Appreciate taking out time to write all that. I am definitely planning to get a separate tank for the shrimps but atm, I'll have to make do with the one that I own. Your suggestions are valued greatly.

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