First shrimp tank diary

ToddnBecka · Post by **ToddnBecka** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:07 pm

No filter in the tank? I use an air-driven DIY sponge filter in my 10 gallon invert tank to circulate the water. Judging by the hundreds of healthy cherry shrimp, snails, and a few dwarf crayfish, it works very well.

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 8:50 am

There's supposed to be a filter... I have a sponge filter, but the air pump that was supposed to be powering it snuffed it, so the sponge is aging in my community tank. Guess I forgot to mention.

Haven't gotten a new one yet, because I was already over my official "fish money" limit for the month. I think three mystery snails should be fine for a little while without a filter though, at least for a little while. They seem fine anyway. *hope*

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:42 am

The snails will be alright until you get another filter. Just don't add a little amount of food so the bioload is not too high. I would also find an airstone to keep the water circulating during the cycle, until the new filter arrives. Best wishes

The Fisherman · Post by **The Fisherman** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:58 pm

Neonshrimp wrote:I also enjoy reading your diary John, you showed us step by step from the start for a new hobbyist. Thanks, great job

John did do a good job... you were very helpful!

Awww, thanks!

Yeah, your tank is looking great!

I should post an update photo..my tank is looking pretty cool too

Sorry I haven't been around recently!

-John

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:33 pm

Yeah, holidays REALLY eat me alive. You all post too much, I haven't been on the site in what must have been ages and there were so many posts to catch up with.

Anyway we have filtration again! But also tiny worms! I guess I was feeding too much, but I put my betta in there and he ate them all within a day or so. Betta back in his bowl, and I've got a couple of ghost shrimp in there now... one of the LFS had some that looked really healthy, so why not. Don't see them much, as I have lots of hiding places in the tank, so I'm thinking some RCS would be nice, but not until after Christmas... we're going out of town, and all I would be able to think about would be my shrimps back home! Not much of a vacation, and I would drive my family nuts.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:03 pm

Thanks for the update. Nice use of your betta to clear the tank.

all I would be able to think about would be my shrimps back home! Not much of a vacation, and I would drive my family nuts.

Spoken like a true shrimp fanatic

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:24 pm

Neonshrimp wrote:Thanks for the update. Nice use of your betta to clear the tank.

Thanks... the betta seemed happy in there too, so everybody wins... I have no more worms, betta got to eat worms, and future shrimp don't have to deal with chemicals I might have otherwise used to get rid of worms. I prefer to use natural means to solve tank problems when possible, less chance of unintentional disaster that way.

Neonshrimp wrote:Spoken like a true shrimp fanatic

More like a paranoid person, I have this irrational part of me that's convinced if I don't watch new critters REALLY closely they're going to roll over and die on me.

The Multiple Tank Syndrome has definitely evolved into the incurable Shrimp Bug though. They are related, I'm sure.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:10 am

Actually, most flat worms can survive in water so bad everything else dies. You should remove it before it multiplies. Once you have a reproduction cycle going you won't be able to stop it without bombing the tank.

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:49 am

Aw, dang it.

I thought the flatworm was cool too... I haven't seen it in quite awhile though, if it showed its face (?) while the betta was in there it probably got eaten, but I'll probably turn over the rocks to make sure I can't find it... if it's already too late, I'm fairly certain it was a planarian, and I guess I could live with those... stupid worms...

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:18 pm

Turned over all the rocks. The good news is, I found exactly zero flatworms, as well as all of my ghost shrimp... they hide a lot so I was starting to wonder. I also figured out why this tank never has many pond snails in it... I saw a ghost shrimp DEVOURING a snail! I'm not sure if the shrimp killed it, or if it was already dead, but it was kind of cool to watch. Shrimp have such clever little arms.

The bad news is two of my ghost shrimp have squiggley white things in them, just behind their heads.

Search of the forum revealed that they are parasitic worms, I guess I can't really do anything about it... I've got them isolated, and hopefully none of the other shrimp have worms that I just can't see, although I put them all in a bowl and examined them closely with a magnifying glass, and it looks like the other three are ok. This is rather disappointing as the two that are sick (although still acting fine, so far...) were my biggest two, with the best markings. Stupid worms.

I guess the shrimp weren't as healthy as I first supposed...

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:45 pm

I had the same tapeworm parasite infect one of my ghost shrimp a while ago. the shrimp will pass the worm when it gets long enough and the shrimp might survive as mine did. The work was 5 inches long when it was passed

! I had to fid tweezes to pick it out of my sponge filter, it worm had a tough body and did not break as I plled it out of the sponge even though it was pretty well embedded in it.

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 7:25 pm

Ew GROSS!

It's good to know there's hope for the little guys though, one of them the worm is pretty small, but the other it is MASSIVE, and seems to be starting to travel down the shrimp's tail. Hopefully it will pass soon then, the shrimp is a monster for a ghost, and still fairly active even with all that worm in her, so hopefully she will be ok and able to rejoin her buddies soon.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:50 pm

I do have to recommend you get rid of the worm ASAP when they are passed to make sure the worms do not lay more eggs

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:14 am

One of the shrimp passed the worm, and is more active today, so I think she's going to make it! The only problem is, she looks kind of... interesting, for a ghost shrimp. She's getting little white stripes on her back, and cunning black tiger stripes and spots on her face... here are some (bad) pictures...

She also has some little bumps along the top of her rostrum, that I couldn't manage a decent picture of, and is a good two inches long (big for a ghost shrimp, no?). I'm starting to think maybe she is actually something else... Anyway a couple of more pictures, since I just figured out how to get my camera to focus on my shrimp instead of the plants:
The two in quarantine:

One of the two amano shrimp my husband got me because the other ones were "dying":

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:41 pm

It looks like the American Freshwater Glass Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) shown in the shrimp varieties page

Take a lot at the profile and tell me what you think.