So I think I want to try shrimp...

[DMD123]

Been thinking to try shrimp in my 46 gallon bowfront community.

The current stock is: Golden wonder killifish x5, Apisto cacatuoides super red x1M/1F, Albino BN Pleco, Betta, L397 pleco
The killifish are aggressive feeders and might consider very small shrimp as food, the male apisto is sizable enough he might also consider small shrimp as food also. And well the betta, who knows... So the thought was a larger type shrimp, was thinking more like an Amano shrimp or something that might eat a little beard algae.

Any suggestions for a first time shrimp keeper?

 

[John58Ford]

Amano will clean up various hair algaes, I'm not sure it will withstand being exposed all the time in a tank with little/no planting and that stocking.

Knowing that you like low clutter, neat and tidy tanks I think you should grab some cholla wood before you get any shrimp, clean it up and sink it into the tank. Give it a while to build up some film and then try introducing some amano. I've never kept more than two or three in a tank as they are pretty utilitarian and not so decorative, unfortunately we can't breed them either so I haven't seen a point to a large group.

You could do a fun little 5 gallon or something though, toss some wood and water weeds in there and try bringing up a colony of decorative shrimp. If you're any good at it you would have enough to dump the culls into your cholla wood equiped tanks and see if there's one they survive or thrive in. I'm planning a tank at work for this purpose.

 

[DMD123]

@John58Ford, thanks for the insight and info.

My bowfront is a bit sparse at the moment but has a large piece of spiderwood that will get a black beard/hair algae on it and that was the main reason I was thinking of a shrimp in the tank. This was the tank that was previously a planted tank but always was a mess with plant debris, likely the main culprit was the java fern. Im almost tempted just to try anubia again to see if it would stay cleaner and then maybe add a shrimp or two?

 

[lloyd378]

I did shrimp culls about 5 years ago in a little fluval 5g. I made the mistake of mixing neocardia and after a few batches they all ended up being a brown drab color which in turn I fed to my baby pea puffers.

If I were to do it again, I’d do another small 3-5g rimless tank and I’d keep the bright orange ones ( can’t remember their name) but I saw them last weekend at pet works in Olympia who actually had 4-5 tanks dedicated to shrimp only.

I’d also like to try some of the nano fish like celestial danios or some of the other small fish I’ve seen in the aquarium paradise tanks.

As for filter, I had put a little HOB on my tank and it was still too strong and would suck up the babies. I think if I were to do it again, I’d switch to a sponge filter.

 

[lloyd378]

@John58Ford, thanks for the insight and info.

My bowfront is a bit sparse at the moment but has a large piece of spiderwood that will get a black beard/hair algae on it and that was the main reason I was thinking of a shrimp in the tank. This was the tank that was previously a planted tank but always was a mess with plant debris, likely the main culprit was the java fern. Im almost tempted just to try anubia again to see if it would stay cleaner and then maybe add a shrimp or two?

AP has some nice plant substrate and some new lights. I bought a little 21” light, but I’ve been thinking about buying a longer one as it does wonders for my plants. It’s some type away too brand.

 

[BPSabelhaus]

I did shrimp culls about 5 years ago in a little fluval 5g. I made the mistake of mixing neocardia and after a few batches they all ended up being a brown drab color which in turn I fed to my baby pea puffers.

If I were to do it again, I’d do another small 3-5g rimless tank and I’d keep the bright orange ones ( can’t remember their name) but I saw them last weekend at pet works in Olympia who actually had 4-5 tanks dedicated to shrimp only.

I’d also like to try some of the nano fish like celestial danios or some of the other small fish I’ve seen in the aquarium paradise tanks.

As for filter, I had put a little HOB on my tank and it was still too strong and would suck up the babies. I think if I were to do it again, I’d switch to a sponge filter.

I have one shrimp lol

Had 5 initially, orange eye blue tigers.

I'm down to one and it's brown with a light brown stripe lol

I call it Reese's

 

[sir_keith]

I'm a big fan of shrimp myself...

​

 

[BPSabelhaus]

I want to like shrimp (and I do enjoy good shrimp) but most of the ones on the market I just don't like. There are many different varieties and I like a lot of them. But the bulk species they typically sell just don't do it for me.

Thankfully we have good fisheries in the area and a population that enjoys good seafood lol I reserve my shrimp eating for the occasions I know I'm getting ones I like. The rest are like getting a bag of yellow Skittles thinking they were m&M's lol Wife ate half of a new years shrimp cocktail. The leftovers and tails will be made into the next fish food mix. Waste not for something only my wife wanted lol Kiddo ain't a fan either

 

[sir_keith]

I want to like shrimp (and I do enjoy good shrimp) but most of the ones on the market I just don't like. There are many different varieties and I like a lot of them. But the bulk species they typically sell just don't do it for me.

Thankfully we have good fisheries in the area and a population that enjoys good seafood lol I reserve my shrimp eating for the occasions I know I'm getting ones I like. The rest are like getting a bag of yellow Skittles thinking they were m&M's lol Wife ate half of a new years shrimp cocktail. The leftovers and tails will be made into the next fish food mix. Waste not for something only my wife wanted lol Kiddo ain't a fan either

The Red Shrimp from Argentina (as shown above) are available year-round as frozen product, and are amongst the best shrimp I have ever encountered on either coast, fresh or frozen.

 

[BPSabelhaus]

I always forget the name lol

 

[fishguy1978]

I have blue shrimp because my wife's favorite color. If I were to purchase more I would go with red or the white and red. The blue just don't pop like the other colors.
I don't use the special shrimp substrates either. Sponge filter and large wads of java fern.