First shrimp tank diary

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:50 pm

Hey, I don't WANT it to be something else.

It looks quite a lot different from my other ghost shrimp though, with the stripes and all, is almost twice as big, and acts a bit different -- never swims to get food at all, rather waits for it to sink -- so I couldn't help but wonder. You're probably right though, I have been reading too many accounts of mistaken (shrimp) identity.

It and it's sick buddy might become permanent residents of the other tank though, I can't get the net around the plants to fish them out, and they never come out in the open or swim about. Aside from the fact that they are DANG fast. Going to have to look into a smaller net.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:07 pm

This hobby is always full of surprises

Have fun and please keep us updated

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:25 pm

I just came back from visiting a LFS and I think I solved the question about why your shrimp changed color. The store had three tanks with American Freshwater Glass Shrimp (ghost shrimp) in them. In first tank the shrimp were clear, in the second tank they were striped/spotted and in the third they were intermediately marked.

The difference was that the tanks had different sustrates. The first tank was a bear bottom tank and the shrimp were clear. The second tank had black gravel and the shrimp were strongly striped/spotted. The third tank had mixed light and dark gravel and the shrimp were intermediately marked.

All of the shrimp cam in the same shipment from one supplier and were later divided up. I chalk it up to the shrimps' ability to blend in with their surroundings

RCSGuy · Post by **RCSGuy** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:32 pm

Im new here, first post, good Shrimp Diary so far

Very interesting.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:04 pm

Welcome RESGuy, do you keep shrimp and if so what type? Maybe you can start your own diary when your ready

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:33 pm

Neonshrimp wrote:All of the shrimp cam in the same shipment from one supplier and were later divided up. I chalk it up to the shrimps' ability to blend in with their surroundings

Shrimp are amazing... the one I moved back to the invert tank has paled some, so you're probably right.

Anyway, I am back in town and all the shrimp survived! This despite one of the snails dying!

It looks like it was pretty much immediately scavenged to an empty shell by the shrimp and other snails, so didn't have time to effect the water quality too much. I'm beginning to think the snails had some sort of internal parasite when I got them, they seem to be one by one closing up, rapidly shrinking, and dying. Whatever it is it doesn't seem to harm shrimp though, so I'll just have to chalk up one more thing to never buy from Petsmart again.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:37 pm

Are your snails apple snails? The reason I ask is because I bought some apple snails from the above mentioned chain store and they have since died. They must be real sensitive to water or they were not healthy to start with

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:04 pm

They were, brigs to be specific. I don't know what happened to yours, but mine (except for one, which I talked about in the other inverts section) acted completely normal, eating like crazy, then one day they just closed up and started to shrink. It was like they were starving, only in fast motion, over two or three days. I don't have any any more, it is kind of sad I liked them.

On a shrimp related note (also parasite related), the shrimp that had the worm but passed it is developing a saddle, I think. Yay! The other wormy shrimp is still wormy, but very active (I caught it harrassing pond snails today, it was cute), so there's hope yet.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:51 pm

Apple snails need to be fed, and fed a lot, or they starve. Brigs need fresh slightly cooked veggies like zuccini, summer squash, or romaine to be happy. The shrimp like this too.

Keeping shrimp & snails together is a bit of a challenge as the snails make the water filthy and they need better water than the shrimp. On the postive side, you don't need tofeed the shrimp anything. Just feed the snails.

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 2:06 pm

badflash wrote:Apple snails need to be fed, and fed a lot, or they starve.

I know... I was giving them a variety of cooked veggies, the reason I think it was parasites is, they were eating fine one day and then shut up on the bottom ignoring the food the next, even when I tried to hand it to them (which they previously loved, lazy things

). Then they went from so fat they barely fit in their shells to a good half inch of extra shell over the course of about a day and a half. They are tricky, it's hard to tell when they're sick until it's too late... I think I'm going to wait awhile before I try brigs again, it is too depressing when they die. The shrimp, however, are getting fat on all the snail meat, I'm sure...

On second thought, maybe the worms from the ghost shrimp somehow jumped to the snails? None of the shrimp have visible worms except the one that's still in quarantine, so I kind of doubt it, but I wonder...

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 3:56 pm

It is more likely water quality. Apples actually need better water than shrimp & crayfish. Not many parasites go from shrimp to snails, but I'm sure there are some like flukes.

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 12:45 pm

So, I love water change day. I make a big ruckus with the siphon, and since I plant so heavily/use so many rocks, it's about the only time I get to see all my aquarium life at once. Wormy the shrimp was actually riding around on the siphon for awhile, it was entertaining. Anyway, the big ghost is definitely developing a saddle. Yay! The java ferns are also making babies. The only problem is, a couple of the baby ferns are trying to take root in the sponge filter. Is that a problem, or can I just let them, I wonder? They look kind of cool, but they are still very tiny, so maybe I'll just remove them. Functioning filtration is more important.

Also, cherry shrimp are coming... I finally made up my mind! They should be shipped by Monday, so I'll get them some time next week, I'm very excited.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:08 pm

The java ferns are also making babies. The only problem is, a couple of the baby ferns are trying to take root in the sponge filter. Is that a problem, or can I just let them, I wonder? They look kind of cool, but they are still very tiny, so maybe I'll just remove them. Functioning filtration is more important.

My thoughts exactly as the ferns will get bigger and sprout more roots.

Best wishes with the cherries and keep us updated

marusempai · Post by **marusempai** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:57 pm

I freaking hate the mail system, the shrimps were supposed to get here today or tomorrow and they didn't get here today.

That does mean they'll get here tomorrow though (hopefully, knock on wood).

The impatient lady is done whining now.

Anyway, the wormy shrimp is worm free now! Yay! It's active and foraging, so I think it's going to make it. Two for two survival rate, yay! Can't find the worm though, so I'm going to give the tank a big dose of Excel and change the filter cartrige (once the shrimp is out, of course). The plants will like it anyway, and I've found Excel is really good for killing pest critters and algae, so hopefully it will work on the worm.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:50 pm

I freaking hate the mail system, the shrimps were supposed to get here today or tomorrow and they didn't get here today.

I think they are trying to recover from the holidays

Anyway, the wormy shrimp is worm free now! Yay! It's active and foraging, so I think it's going to make it. Two for two survival rate, yay!

Yay! Good news!