blue freshwater prawns

luscombe · Post by **luscombe** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:59 pm

I just bought this shrimp, not knowing anything about shrimp. The people at the store told me that they tried to research this type of shrimp but found no information on it. It is called (so stated by the fish store) a blue freshwater prawn. Contrary to the little information they gave me, I watched him grab a hold of my pleco and drag him from one end of the tank to the other! Seems a little more than a community algae eating friend. I also had a female beta of which there is no trace either inside or outside the tank. He is a very interesting creature. He is about 3-4" long and has one of those serated sword looking things along his nose. It looks like one of his arms has been severed and is starting to grow back( if possible?). He does eat some of the algae, even picks up the gravel, cleans it and spits it back out. He hides in the castle mostly but somehow knows, even if I discretely put fish flakes in, comes instantly out and goes nuts. It seems to me he acts like a macro but I really don't know anything about him. I've had him for about 2 weeks, and seems extremely healthy, please give any help you can. Great web site and a reply would be greatly appreciated.

Post by **Mustafa** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:06 pm

It's a Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Search this forum and the internet and you'll find lots of information. It's the largest shrimp species. Yours is still only a juvenile.

luscombe · Post by **luscombe** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:13 am

mustafa, thanks for your reply, can you tell me what size tank I should get? It looks like from the research I've done on your very informative website that Iwas thinking maybe a 55 gal. also should anything go in the tank with it ,ie plants, other shrimp ? and it would seem as though he/she(not very big claws) would need more acidic water, I dont know. But thanks to the research in your website I am ambitious to raise it,
thank you, keith

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:57 am

I've been keeping these for about 2 years. They are highly agressive towards their tank mates and each other. An adult male blue claw with not tolerate any other males in his territory and with normally kill, but sometimes simply remove the claws of other males. Even the females can get agressive towards each other. It is not rre for me to find a female killed in battle in my 300 gallon "pond". I keep mine in a basement kiddie pool.

They eat a wide variety of food and like live plants like hornwort and anacharis. I keep large numbers of guppies with them to snack on when ever they want. I have Endler's Live Bearer as they don't really eat their young and can out-breed the loss from the macros, plus I can sell Endlers and feeder guppies are pretty worthless. large apple snails are also good tank mates if they are quarter size or bigger. Smaller snails like pond snails and MTS are lunch.

I also feed sinking pellets. Looks for pellets that are no more that 40% protien and have plant material as either the 1st or 2nd ingredient. They don't do well with hiiigher protien and need to have plant material as a fair amount of their diet. They love live food of all kinds. Blackworms are a current favorite.

Provide large caves & shelters for them when they molt, or to just hang out. I cut pieces of slate from home depot and prop them up on large rocks to give them hidely holes.

Here is a pic of the "king" with his girls:

Debi · Post by **Debi** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:57 am

Badflash,

I just love your setup!! Wish our basement wasn't dirt and muddy... someday we'll pour a floor and then I would love get a setup like this...

How do you keep the water from going stagnant? Ammonia levels?

-Debi

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:59 am

I use a pond filter with a submersible pump and this discharges to a large home-made wet/dry ball filter. I also keep a drip of ~ 1 gallon per hour going to the pond. I have an overflow setup to maintain a constant water level.

Once every feew weeks I do a vacuum and add water to make up for the loss that causes.

Here is my sump with a float switch & pump to put the water to the drain. This summer it goes to the garden:

Here are the flow through gizmos I built to maintain a constant level with the drip system:

Here is another shot of the pond & ball filter in "winter mode" to limit heat loss and evaporation:

RCSGuy · Post by **RCSGuy** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:55 pm

Excellent pond and shrimp Jack!! I like the solution for winter too

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:57 pm

Thank you for sharing your setup with us

The great part about it is that you made most of the equipment yourself, thus giving you a much better understnding of their workings

Debi · Post by **Debi** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:06 pm

Great photos!! Thanks for sharing them badflash, and thanks for all the info... I think that is WONDERFUL!!