Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

Thanks for all the info! Do Ghost Shrimp eat algea at all?

From my experience with them I would have to say no even though the shrimp varieties page says they can eat (hair and string algae or "anything edible"). I guess they prefer not to eat algae unless it is all that is available.

I have a very effective method of keeping my algae eaters well fed.
Try and buy a marimo/moss ball (cladophora aegagropila). It's not actually a moss, but a kind of algae. I have several small ones in my tank, and as a result, my amanos are never hungry. They also seem to like eating the white fungus that grows on mopani wood (a common 'problem' with new pieces of mopani).

Marimo also help to stop other less desirable algaes like 'green spot' from growing, by out-competing them for the same nutrients.

'Algae eaters', though, will quite happily eat anything else available. Actually, I've found that they benefit from a little protein sometimes. Mine always pick up the leftover food from my larger two shrimp.

Neonshrimp wrote:From my experience with them I would have to say no even though the shrimp varieties page says they can eat (hair and string algae or "anything edible"). I guess they prefer not to eat algae unless it is all that is available.

The reason I asked is because I had major hair algea in my Java Moss, and I ended up pulling all of it out by hand. I still have some on the java moss that is in the cherry tank, so hopefully they will eat it. The Ghosties never ate it, and it was taking over my tank!...although they will eat algea wafers (hirki?)...I know...NO Copper!. They will leave the wafers if there is flake food floating past.

I believe that Hair Algae is a sign of High Nitrates.

John

Newjohn wrote:I believe that Hair Algae is a sign of High Nitrates.

John

It Java Moss came with the hair algae...I bought it off of Ebay...lesson learned...I'll only by from people on the forums I am on.

My Nitrates are low...don't remember at last test, but I know they were low...like 5.0ppm?...something like that.

I've found that java moss can thrive in water with 2 tsp/gallon sea salt. This kills the hair algae in under a week. If you have a tank with fish that like a little salt, that is the way to kill it off. It kills pest snail eggs too.

My ghost shrimp seem to do OK with that salt level as well.

I will keep that in mind! I needed a way to kill snails besides the bleach solution...1:20 bleach to water.

It doesn't seem to kill the snails, just prevents the eggs from hatching. To remove 99& of the snails I do this:

Fill a bucket with COLD tap water (no dechlorination). Drop the plants in and agitate. The snails drop off due to the cold and chlorine shock. Remove the plants, feed the snails to a turtle or near-by puffer.

I like that even better. During the summer when the tap water is not as cold, I could add ice to the water! I am trying to get rid of pond snails! I have some red ramshorn and brown ramshorn that I am keeping in a different tank...I want my RCS tank snail free.

Just an update on salt tolerance of my Palaemonetes paludosus. One of my females is now berried up, so 2 tsp/gallon does not seem to be an issue for them.

You might want to indicate the salinity in SG or ppt (parts per thousand). That way it is easier to compare with scientific literature and others' experiences. Different salt mixes can give different ppt or SG readings even if you use the same teaspoon amounts.

Having said that...according to some scientific literature I have read out there P. paludosus has been found occuring naturally in brackish water up to 1.010SG (about 13-14ppt). Tests in the lab confirm that it can survive for a while in about 25ppt...but it's not too happy at that salinity. From my own experience it can live and breed in very soft water (about 40-45 ppm TDS) in the alkaline ph range. It's definitely a very adaptable animal.

I'd have to measure it to know for sure and I don't have something sensitive at that low range. My instructions for the sea salt say 1/2 cup per gallon =36 ppt. If I'm doing the math right (4oz=36 tsp) then this would be about 2 ppts. This is a pretty standard salt level for a fresh water aquarium.

Ghost shrimp were the first shrimp I got...cheap and easy to find. I kept them in a 10g with a salt content of 2 tsp per 10g...or 1tsp per 5g (regular aquarium salt found at walmart). I had about 30 babies or so between 2 berried (at purchase) females. I have 6 (can find 3) babies left, and have moved the three females to a 5.5g...same salt content...and one of them is heavily berried again. I would say (conferming Mustafa's article) that these shrimp do not need brackish water to breed or raise the young.

I didn't mean to indicate that salt was needed. I've bred them in pure fresh water. I just wanted to let people know that a little bit of salt won't hurt.