Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

Thanks, I will be using a Fluval 2 filter, which also adds air into the water, so I guess it would be ok. Can I just ask what the 'optimum' temperature would be for M. Rosenbergii? I read this article about them here:-
http://www.miami-aquaculture.com/sm%20s ... crobra.htm
and it suggests that the best range for them is between 26-30 degrees C. I was going to set the heater for 27C, is that the best temp for them though?
Thanks again

I keep mine at 82 degrees F, and have taken it as low as 75 F for weeks at a time with no problems. Temps below 70 should be avoided as they die within a few days. Mine are growing so fast it is absolutely amazing.

Here are some updated pics of the latest molt. This one molted just 2 weeks after his last molt.





I was calling him a blue claw, but it looks like he is actually and orange claw at this point, which is why he is growning so fast. Blue claws grow much more slowly.

I've noticed quite often my M. Rosenbergii shrimp would be missing one of their long arms, sometimes two. I always chocked it up to them fighting, though I've yet to see a battle between shrimp. I have seen the aftermath.

I have a couple isolated with only one shrimp to a tank and today I noticed they also have an arm missing. Anyone else ever see this?

Gorgeous

I figured I'd show some more pics of my 40 gallow breeder tank that I have 7 prawns in. I know that sounds like a lot, but I have caves for each one and keep them well fed and keep the water parameters good with plenty of O2. They don't go after each other even when they molt as I will show in the next few pictures. Things may change when a true Blue Claw emerges, but for now all the males seem to be Orange Claws.

Here is a shot of an OC that just molted. You can see he is on his belly and is pretty helpless. His legs won't hold his weight yet.


Here is a shot of the "appartments" I have set up for them. You can see one of the tenants in the downstairs room.


About 15 minutes later the OC moved to the front of the tank to hang out by one of the "guest houses" I have set up for molters, but it was already occupied.


Here is my male Runt. He is about a third of the size of all the other shrimp.


Male M. Rosenbergii have 3 male forms. The Blue Claw (BC), Orange Claw (OC) and the Runt. Blue Claws will kill each other as they are dominant and there can only be one of them to a tank. The BC has a hormone that will prevent the others from turning to a BC until they are much larger than the current BC. The OC's don't mate unless there is no BC, and really are not interested. They will often maim or kill females that get too close while the BC's are supposed to protect them. When the OC finally does turn to a BC the dominant BC will try to kill him while he is soft. If not the much bigger BC will dispatch the former king when he hardens up. The runts will mate if given the chance. They look for chances via stealth. Often they can sneak in and fertilze a freshly molted female without getting caught and eaten by the BC.

If it was that tough for me, I think I'd be a monk.

Hello badflash

After reading your post . It sounds like you have your hands full with these M. rosenbergii.

Thank you for all the information on this species. It will be helpfull in the future.

Have a Great Day
John

Prawns are not a lot of trouble. They eat just about anything, so if you don't put oil or seasoning on your food before you serve it, left overs work pretty well. They love chicken, beef, eggs, most veggies. They are messy eaters, but the live in help (read a koi and a bunch of endlers) tidy up during the week and I just need to vacuum and water change on the weekends. Conditioned tap water works fine for them.

If you get into exteme shrimping, a kiddie pool is the way to go. 300 gallons for $15. I insulated it from the basement floor with foam board, wraped & covered it with bubble wrap, and heated it with junk water bed heater and a 300W submersible heater ($20) for fine control of 82 degrees. I even made a nice ball filter from walmart tubs. The pool pump was $30 and came with a nice pre-filter so I'm not sucking in the post-larvals I'm raising. The entire setup set me back $100 as I never throw anything out.




The ball filter system gives me lots of O2 in the water so I can cover the top to reduce evaporation and heat loss.

Extreme

I like the low Tech. approach.

Keep the updates comming.

Have a Great Day
John

Wow, awesome setup!
Do you keep any other fish with them apart from the Koi you mentioned? Im just wondering what other fish would be suitable tank mates - that wouldnt eat the prawns, and would be unlikely to be eatan by them.

I'm keeping Endler's Live Bearers with my Post Larvals at this point. As long as the prawns are kept well fed there is little loss of the guppies except for the ones that die natural deaths. The guppies eat the left overs, or the snails do, and the prawns eat anything that stops moving. It seems to work well. I don't put Koi in there until the prawns are at least 1.5" and can scare off a bigger fish. Endler's are very gentle and can't hurt even a 1/4" prawn. These guys are agressive even at that size and run the endler's off of the food.

I want fish that have some sort of value with the prawns now that i know they don't really take too many.

Hi Badflash,
I just wondered if you could please help me with a few questions :-
-How you can tell a Blue claw apart from a runt if you only have the one M. Rosenbergii? (so I cant compare)
-Do runts eventually become Orange claws or Blue claws, or do they always stay as a runt?
-How are females different to the males? Can you tell them apart if the are not carrying eggs?
-What is their absolute favourite food?
Thanks in advance

If you have a shrimp for 3 months and he is not at least 3" (body along) he is a runt.

Runts do change into OC's eventually and OC's do change to BC's eventually.

The females are very difficult to tell apart when young. My observations are that they have light blue arms rather than dark blue arms. Their body tends to be fatter and the males tend to be streamlined.

Thanks Badflash
Can I just ask what you have found to be their favourite food? (what do they go crazy for!)
Thanks again

Food. They eat anything. See food diet. They see food, they eat it. Look for foods with 30-40% protein. Give them a mix of vegetable and animal protein. I use left over raw checken & veggies. I stay way from the cole family. A Shrimp with gas would be more than I could deal with. They love snails. If they eat each other put in more animal protein. Be sure there are loads of hidely holes. They kill for sport. Something really primal about these shrimp. Anti-cherry.