Good Algae Eating Shrimp?

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:21 am

I will soon setup a 30G cube and I was looking for a shrimp with good algae eating capabilities. I know most shrimp out there eat algae, but some are better at it than others. The Tiger species is at the top of my list, but I'm not sure how good they are at eating algae? I'm assuming the Cherry shrimp is the best.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:45 am

I like the amanos as they are large with big appatites. My experience with most of the shrimp is that unless they have nothing else to eat, they don't do a very good job with algae. Even then they mosly just keep it nibbled short and don't actually do a way with it.

If you want to keep a handle on your algae, keep your phosphates in the 0-1 ppm range. I've been battling Beard algae for some time and now that I've gotten my phosphates down the stuff is dying out. Now that it is turning grey the shrimp are finally going after it.

Shady · Post by **Shady** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 9:15 am

That's a good point about shrimp prefering other food, and dying algae. My shrimp seem to go after everything from decaying plant leaves to their own moults and poop before touching the algae. However, I have also noticed that when my algae begins to turn grey, they seem to attack it more than whn it is actively growing.

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:05 am

Basically, they're scavengers?

Ibn · Post by **Ibn** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:16 am

Amanos hands down would be the best algae eaters. Cherry reds also do a decent job, but nowhere near what an amano is capable of.

Shady · Post by **Shady** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:44 pm

most shrimp are omnivores. Most omnivores feed first on what best satisfies their nuritional needs, namely protein and carbohydrates. Algae doesn't always offer the best nutritional value, although I think it can be a complete source of nutrients for Amanos.

DatDamWuf · Post by **DatDamWuf** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 4:10 pm

My amanos eat algae but they pounce on blackworms, even chasing off the dwarf puffers.

one thing I've found to work with algae is a product called Excel by Seachem. At my wits end with *every* kind of algae there is I tried using it with Flourish, Iron and Potassium supplements and whammo! The algae was almost completely gone in days, and under control since, I hope my new denizens will take care of the rest.

I have a half planted tank that's been set up for months, just added: 6 green shrimp, 10 cherries, 6 amanos, a couple of unknowns and a vampire shrimp, 6 otos and 6 kuhli loaches. Finally I have livestock! and they are all happily munching on algae, except the kuhlis who get black worms and, LOL, the little shrimps that manage to wrestle a blackworm to the mat

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 11:56 am

So most everyone has shrimp for display?

Tigers will do fine for that purpose, thanks everyone for their insight.

Algae is caused by a nutrient imbalance; limiting one nutrient will only make it worse. Keep NO3 between 10-15ppm, PO4 at 1.5-2ppm and K between 10-20ppm and the algae will slowly disappear.

DatDamWuf · Post by **DatDamWuf** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 1:04 pm

I don't know about everyone but I got the shrimp because I love to watch them, their algae eating is secondary but still important to me (the Otos do a better job of that).

I need to get a phosphate test kit, I just suck at chemistry though. The current parameters I do check are:
Nitrate - 10 ppm
Nitrite - 0
GH - 120
KH 100 (it's been rising since I started mixing RO and well water instead of trying to re-constitute the RO)
PH - 7
Amonia - 0

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:16 am

So shrimp are great at eating uneaten food? That would be a great advantage in my breeding tank.

DatDamWuf; just add some PO4 via Fleet Enema. But remember it is very concentrated, so only use a couple of drops.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 8:22 pm

You never need to add phosphate as plenty arrives in the food and waste. Adding phosphate only brings on algae, the type that shrimp don't eat. Don't temp phate!

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:58 pm

Sorry to bring this back up; but are Cherry Shrimp good scavengers? I mean I want to use them as a clean up crew in my breeding tank; could they do the job of eating the leftovers?

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 8:53 pm

Snails work a lot better for that. What are you growing in ther besides shrimp? SAE's and Nerite Snails are really good cleaners. Lots better than shrimp.

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:09 pm

I just bought some Cherry Shrimp, but I was wondering how docile and timid are they? Will they steal food from other fish, etc.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:53 pm

Cherries are very shy. It is best not to keep them with any but non-agressive fish. Even large guppies have been know to hurt little one.