Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

I've had these 3 bamboo shrimp for about a week now and they seem to be very happy from what I can tell. I have a small tank for these shrimp (sorry), it is only 2 gallons (I change the water every other day, so hopefully it shouldn't be an issue) . But i have a very nice current running through it with plenty of hiding and open spots for the shrimp. One shrimp has already moulted and grew back its shell, it finally came out of the cave this morning, happy day! But heres where my question comes in.

Ive been feeding my shrimp 2-3 drops of Zooplex every night, and 1/4 of an algae wafer every 2 or 3 days. I know one for sure has been eating away at the algae wafer, but the other two seem to be filtering (which is a good thing, i suppose). How can I know they're actually getting food though? I don't want to risk it and wait for them to die. So is Zooplex something they are actually eating, or should i go buy some omega flakes and grind them up (i've been hearing a lot about those). But if the zooplex does fine, ill keep that, because they seem to be eating it. Thanks in advance.

When they are happy they perch in the high flow and filter. 2 gallons for 3 shrimp is far too small. They will try to escape and probably die, even with lots of water changes.

If they don't get enough to eat they will work the gravel looking for food.

Skip the wafers. Too much food in too small a tank. It is way easy to over feed. Any sort of powder food in the water works fine. Again, don't over do it.

Ok, i did see the little one going through the gravel looking for food. So i went and bought some frozen brine shrimp, and some omega one tropical flakes, grinded them up, and put them in a syringe and now i'm just waiting til' dark to feed them one by one. This way i cant over feed and can insure they're going to get enough food.

Oh and they haven't tried to escape (yet), if they did its a very secure tank. But i do plan on upgrading some time, but for now money is tight. I think (hope) this will do good for now. Thanks for the tips.

*edit* what about the zooplex, is that good?

I know nothing of zooplex, but from what you are telling me, you are going to overfeed them. I used powdered spirulina flake. A pinch (a very small pinch) was all they needed. The tank flow should keep the particles in suspension. Brine shrimp will screw up your water quality in no time.

What you need to decide is should you find someone who can properly care for them, or would you prefer to let them die? 3 shrimp of this species needs need at least 20 gallons and there should be very high flow in an area over a rock to allow them to filter. If you can not afford to provide that, you won't have them long. With the conditions you are providing, I'd give them about 2 weeks. There isn't any good way to sugar coat this.

I might be able to get a 15 gallon from a friend... I'll call. Thanks for letting me know, i didn't know it was that important.

*edit* ok, so im getting a 10-20 gallon sized tank tomorrow for free (yay!). But its just a tank. I have NO idea what i need to put in it. (ie filter, what not) any advice on size/model/everything i'll need? Thanks for helping me out, I really feel like an idiot .

You need to get the tank cycled or the ammonia spike will kill them. There is a big learning curve that comes with keeping inverts.

The best bet for these guys is an under gravel filter with a power head. use just enough course gravel to cover the slats. Cut the tube on the under gravel filter so the power head can sit completely below the water. It will have a snorkel to adjust how much air it gets. With a power head you won't need the bubble or air pump. This will allow you to make the hood escape proof, something that is impossible with a hung over the back (HOB) filter.

If your little tank is cycled already, you can just transfer the contents to the new tank. Clean out the filter in the tank water to transfer as much good bacteria as possible.

Read over http://www.petshrimp.com/bambooshrimp.html

Wow, i just called Petco and they told me the exact opposite (such as get alot of rocks, and never get an under gravel filter) thanks agian man. How do i cycle the tank? and how long will it take?

The folks at petco, petsmart, etc. are clueless. Besides, they just want to sell more critters. I ask them questions for comic relief.

Read over http://www.endlersr.us/kb.php?mode=article&k=42

The nice thing about the system I describe is that it has a huge surface area, but will also allow small particles to stay in the water for the shrimp to filter. Put a few chunks of inert rock near the flow and these guys will be happy. Give them some hides too so they can feel safe when they molt.

Thanks for all the advice. Hopefully I can get the money and fix this problem before it's too late.