Diatoms for Amanos
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 12:46 pm
I have had a small group of Amano shrimp for almost ten years. At one point, I counted an extra shrimp that must have somehow survived growing in fresh water. (Yes, these are absolutely Amanos. No misidentification.)
I have had zero success growing the zoes in salt water. My latest attempt is in a heated plastic container, in commercial salt water around 32 ppm. I have a couple pounds of live rock, placed upon a sand bed, and a sponge filter operating at a very slow rate. Container is heated. I feed tiny amounts of powdered livebearer food, green water (15-20 drops), and a phytoplankton mix purchased from my local PET World pet shop, where the staff is knowledgeable and helpful.
My zoes last between 2-3 weeks, then die off, every time. I am assuming they are not getting the diatoms they need, but I cannot figure out how to get diatoms to them. Live rock and phytoplankton do not seem to do the trick. Pet store is out of ideas, as am I. Can anyone offer suggestions?
BTW, full disclosure. I have posted here before, under the name 75mav, but changed my e-mail since my last posting. Since I can't remember my old password, I couldn't access my account... It was easier just to re-register!
I have had zero success growing the zoes in salt water. My latest attempt is in a heated plastic container, in commercial salt water around 32 ppm. I have a couple pounds of live rock, placed upon a sand bed, and a sponge filter operating at a very slow rate. Container is heated. I feed tiny amounts of powdered livebearer food, green water (15-20 drops), and a phytoplankton mix purchased from my local PET World pet shop, where the staff is knowledgeable and helpful.
My zoes last between 2-3 weeks, then die off, every time. I am assuming they are not getting the diatoms they need, but I cannot figure out how to get diatoms to them. Live rock and phytoplankton do not seem to do the trick. Pet store is out of ideas, as am I. Can anyone offer suggestions?
BTW, full disclosure. I have posted here before, under the name 75mav, but changed my e-mail since my last posting. Since I can't remember my old password, I couldn't access my account... It was easier just to re-register!