A worm
question (Horsehair worms; stingrays) 10/17/08
Hello,
<Hi,>
was
just wanted to know I notice some of my ghost shrimp have worms in there
intestines are to believe they are Gordian Worm, a.k.a. Horsehair Worms...one
died bc the worm killed it but I never notice them b4 on my shrimp I feed these
shrimp to my Motoro stingray which I have had for about a week I know they are
prone to roundworms and tapeworms but I was wondering if I did feed some shrimp
that had these in them can they kill my ray I called the pet store where I got
my ray and they never really heard of these worms really and are not sure if
they will harm the ray they feed there ghost shrimp to there rays and had no
prob but they never looked at there shrimp to see if they had worms so they
could be feeding ones that do so I don't know what I should do I don't want my ray
to die and I don't know if I should get new shrimp the other ones seem to not
have these worms in them..should I continue to feed them to my ray or go and get
new ones??????
<Sheesh... not even a period or comma. Do please review our
very modest "fee" before writing: we expect e-mails to be spell checked and
written with proper grammar. Not much to ask, and the point is that we depend on
properly formatted messages so that we can share them with other site visitors.
The better Google can index our pages, the more people will view our pages, and
the more revenue our advertising generates to pay for bandwidth. It's a simple
deal really.>
HELP!!! PLEASE KINDA SCARED FOR MY RAY I LOVE HIM!!!
<Horsehair worms are not likely to cause your Ray any harm. Most parasites are
species-specific, and while they may be harmful to the shrimp, they are unlikely
to adapt to the particular anatomy of your Stingray. If you're really that
bothered, don't use the shrimps. Earthworms are a very safe food if collected
from an area that is "organic", i.e., not sprayed with chemicals. Most rays love
earthworms. There's no reason to use live food with most Stingrays anyway, and a
varied diet of mussels, prawns and squid is easily provided using foods sold for
humans.>
thanks
Maria
<Cheers, Neale.>
Ghost shrimp/jewel anemone hlth/ID
- 07/19/08
I can't seem to find an answer for my questions.#1 I bought some ghost
shrimp from my LFS and I noticed they had some white dots on their body, is
this normal or some sort of disease?
<Mmm, likely more the latter... not communicable though. These sorts of
markings show up in specimens that have been kept in poor conditions>
#2 I have a large colony of jewel anemones
<There are a few species that go by this name... Is this a Corynactis? Which
do you have?
and can't find any info on them any where can you tell me or give me a link
to some information on them? Thanks for any help!
<Bob Fenner>
Re: Ghost shrimp/jewel anemone
07/20/2008
Wow I didn't think I would even get a reply yet alone a reply so
quick!
So then it would be safe for my fuzzy dwarf lion to eat said ghost
shrimp his health is of great importance to me. #2 yes my jewel
anemones
do resemble Corynactis and now I have their scientific name I'm
finding a lot on them. I saw tanks full of them at Chicago's Shedd
aquarium
that's were I got the jewel name from. thank you very much. I'm sure
your words of wisdom have prolonged the lives of many of our aquatic
friends!!!
<<Yes, the ghost shrimp are fine for the lionfish. Really glad you
found the correct name for your anemone, all helps towards providing
a better environment for them. Thanks for the follow-up, hope this
helps. A Nixon>> |
Keeping Ghost Shrimp 7/24/06
Hello!
<Hi Cathrine, Pufferpunk here>
I am hoping you can help me understand why my ghost shrimp keep dying hours
after being added to my 5 gallon aquarium. In this tank I have 1 male Betta and
1 Otocinclus. Originally the shrimp was to be the cleaner but since I am not
having any luck with them I got the Otocinclus. I would like to add at least 1
ghost shrimp because in the short time they have been alive I find them
fascinating. I suspect something with my water is not compatible with the
shrimp because they are fine until they have been added to the tank. This tank
is heated and stays around 77 degrees (unfortunately it can not be adjusted). I
have a hang on the back filter rated for 2-5 gal and an under gravel
filter. The tank has been running for 2 months. Nitrate is at 20ppm, Nitrite
is 0, Hardness was at 0 but since the shrimp seemed to do well in the spring
water they were in before being added to the tank, I added some to the tank and
it is now at 75ppm. Alkalinity is 300ppm. pH is 8.4 (Both of these are high
and I am wondering if one or both might be the problem.) Ammonia is 0. I have
been using treated tap water only, which is softened with potassium chloride.
(Possibly another cause?) The beta and Otocinclus are doing fine so I am not
sure where the problem might be. The first time I added 1 shrimp (had only
treated tap water in the tank so hardness was at 0), he died within an hour and
half. A few weeks later I added two more thinking maybe the first one was just
a "bad" shrimp. They both died within 2 hours. After that I started adding the
spring water, topping off my tank so my hardness had increased to 75ppm. Two
more weeks later I added four shrimp trying to increase my chances of one
surviving but they only lived up to 5 hours. They seem fine then all the sudden
fall on their side and finally end up dead on their backs. Neither the beta or
Otocinclus are bothering them. So not knowing where the problem lies I am
beginning to wonder if I should drain the tank and refill it with all spring
water. Sorry for such a long email but I wanted to give you as much information
as possible. Thanks so much for your time!
<Here is an excellent article in keeping & breeding ghost shrimp:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/other/ghostshrimp.html
HTH, ~PP>
Cathrine Daily
African Dwarf Frogs and fish medications 7/13/06
Hello, my name is Robin.
I have a 45 gallon tank that houses one African Dwarf Frog, 4 Ghost Shrimp, and
12 Bronze Cory Catfish.
Yesterday I noticed that some of the baby (I say baby, my original three bred
successfully in my aquarium about four months ago) Corys have fuzzy fungus
growth. I have Applus+ Anti-Fungus Fungus and Fin Rot Treatment, whose main
ingredients are Malachite Green and Hydrochloride.
<Toxic to your Frogs and Shrimp>
I wanted to check before I add anything to the tank, because I'm concerned about
the frog and the shrimp. Will I have to move them to a different tank while treating the catfish?
<Yes... and do check your water quality... The Corydoras would not "get" a
fungal/bacterial infection if all was well here>
Is there a more "frog friendly" treatment for the catfish? I know that the
Anti-Fungus treatment is potentially harmful to scaleless fish, and frogs absorb
things through theirs, so I don't want to poison the frog.
Thank you very much.
Robin
<You need to separate the non-fish. Bob Fenner>
Ghost shrimp, Acanthocephalans, worms in general... 1/15/07
I just bought a few ghost shrimp and everything appeared to be going fine
until today, when I noticed one of the shrimp had a worm in it.
<You have good sight>
After a mild freak-out I managed to do some research on the internet and found
out that it was most likely a horsehair worm.
<Yes, possibly an acanthocephalan...>
Unfortunately, I haven't found
much useful information regarding my situation beyond the initial
identification. The infected ghost shrimp was in a tank that contained some
guppies as well as other ghost shrimp. Could the worm have possibly laid eggs
in my tank?
<Could...>
Would I be able to see them?
<No, too small>
Should I worry about the larva (assuming there are eggs and that the eggs will
hatch) infecting my fish and other ghost shrimp?
<Mmm... possibly the shrimp... not likely the fish... May well be that the life
cycle of this parasite is "complex" and that your tank is missing an/the
intermediate host... likely guppies are not definitive here>
I know that the young are parasitic, yet I am not completely sure if they use
fish as hosts. The ghost shrimp was in my tank for less than 24 hours. Are
they dangerous to my fish?
<Again, not likely>
Should I assume that my whole tank has been infested? Is there anything I can
do to stop the infection, assuming there is one, without harming my fish?
<... I would do nothing... but there are some useful anthelmenthics...
Praziquantel, Levamisole... you can search re these on the Net, WWM...>
Currently, all of the other inhabitants of my tank seem fine, and there is no
evidence of other horsehair worms infecting my tank. I hope I am overreacting
to this tiny worm.
<Mmm...>
Please set my mind at ease. Should I be freaking out about the possibility of
infestation of my other fish and ghost shrimps?
Thanks,
Lauren
<How to put this... there are actually several... as in many, species of
worms... living in your system... in your own personal world... This one is
likely only detrimental to the shrimp that are hosting large individuals... in
non-propitious circumstances. I would not panic here. Bob Fenner>
Wood Shrimp / Atyopsis Losses - 03/07/2007
I just lost my poor little wood shrimp this morning, this is the second one
that has died in more or less the same way. They molt, and then they just keel
over dead.
<Perfect observation - some very important clues, here.>
I haven't gotten either of my deceased shrimp past the first molt. Water
conditions are as near perfect as can be, and the fish in the tank are 3
platies, 5 zebra danios and 2 Cory catfish (15 gal tank.) The shrimp had good
hidey holes etc, and was an enthusiastic eater- until he died! What happened to
my poor shrimp?
<There are a number of things that may have contributed to this - have you ever
used copper medications in the aquarium? Any other medications? Use water out
of the tap, and have copper pipes? The primary thing, though, is likely an
iodine deficiency and/or a calcium deficiency. If your water is relatively
"hard", I'd wager money that it'll help immensely to supplement your water with
iodine. Kent iodine or Seachem iodide, or other iodine solutions for
marine/reef use would be beneficial to you, here - but DON'T use the marine
dose, instead just a drop or two per ten gallons every week will suffice. After
starting this in my tanks, I no longer lost shrimp mysteriously. I hope the
same will happen for you!>
-Jen
<All the best to you, -Sabrina>
Freshwater Amano Shrimp - Hiding or? 2/15/07
<Oh man! I wish Sabrina were here... She is absolutely passionate re FW
shrimp...>
I have a 30 gallon octagon freshwater tank with 5 neon tetra, 6 zebra danio,
1 gold danio, 2 Julie Cory, 1 peppered Cory and one striped Kuhli loach.
When I asked the LFS what I should add to help with the algae problem he
recommended Amano shrimp.
<Neat choice>
I asked for 3 (a baby got scooped up in there with them) so I ended up with
4. Purchased Friday 2/9. I acclimated them slowly just like I would for
saltwater shrimp
<Good>
and then put them in the tank. The baby I found dead the next day, and two
are MIA. The first day they were all out on the driftwood picking off the
algae. The 2nd day is when I found the small shrimp dead and it turned a
reddish color. Since Saturday I've been searching for the shrimp.
<This species and most all other FW shrimp are reclusive, retiring>
At fish feed time one shrimp comes out and then poof he's gone. At night
I've only seen one shrimp (using a flashlight to look for those glowing
eyes). Tuesday morning afraid that I might have some dead shrimp rotting I
went in and removed the rocks and all but one piece of driftwood. Again I
only saw one shrimp. no bodies, no shells, nothing in the filter. Tank is
covered and nothing on the floor. I'm at a loss. Can they hide that well?
<Mmm, yes>
Any of the above animals possible culprits?
<Of the fishes you list, doubtful>
The shrimp are not small. about the same size as my largest danios. about an
inch and a quarter. In the beginning I did see one of the danios kind of
nip at that one shrimp in passing, it scooted off and the danio went about
its business. I read that iodine should be added, but I've been using
Amquel in tap water for water changes and I know my Salifert test kit will
not give a reading because of the Amquel and I'm afraid to add iodine
without testing.
<Mmm... an occasional (let's say with the interval of water changes) dosing
at a low level (a few drops of a stock solution period)... is a good idea...
this material is very transient... won't overdose... much the same as
iodated salts for human consumption>
Which water conditioner/dechlorinator should I use instead of Amquel so that
I can test for iodine?
<I would likely not actually test...>
Tank parameters as follows (testing done Wednesday night):
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
0 Nitrate
0 Phosphate
7.2 pH
As this is a tall tank I have two thermometers one on the substrate and one
near the top. The heater is placed closer to the bottom. Bottom temp is
usually around 76°, top temp usually around 79°.
<Interesting... this is a surprisingly large difference. Do me a favor and
"switch" thermometers and see if they register this difference still>
I have Amazon swords and java ferns all of which I constantly have to wipe
algae off the leaves, two pieces of driftwood, 3 large rocks. So there are
plenty of hiding places.
Again, thank you so much for your advice/comments.
Regards,
Debra P.
<I would not be overly concerned re the consequences or possible loss of the
Amanos... And I do encourage you to consider adding SAE's here for algal
control. Please do take a read re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saes.htm
Bob Fenner>
Wood Shrimp - Atyopsis moluccensis - Mysterious Molting Deaths - 03/17/2007
I just lost my poor little wood shrimp this morning, this is the second one
that has died in more or less the same way. They molt, and then they just keel
over dead.
<Good observation - and a common occurrence, unfortunately.>
I haven't gotten either of my deceased shrimp past the first molt. Water
conditions are as near perfect as can be, and the fish in the tank are 3
platies, 5 zebra danios and 2 Cory catfish (15 gal tank.) The shrimp had good
hidey holes etc, and was an enthusiastic eater- until he died! What happened to
my poor shrimp?
<There are perhaps at least a few possibilities, but the likeliest are that they
died from a toxin in the water (heavy metals, especially copper, that may be in
tapwater are quite dangerous) or simple lack of iodine and/or calcium. The
realistic solutions to these problems are to use as "good" a source of water as
possible, and to supplement with iodine - Kent or Seachem or other marine
preparations will be fine, but do NOT use the marine dose - just a drop or two
per ten gallons on a weekly basis is fine.>
-Jen
<I am sorry for your losses, and hope that your future shrimp will fare very
well for you. All the best to you, -Sabrina>
FW, shrimp hlth... maint., Dracaena plants... non-aquatic
4/22/07
Dear crew,
First I would like to thank you for all the information you provide. Thanks to
you I have a flourishing tank full of shrimp and fish.
Unfortunately I also have a flourishing problem. I currently have a 55 gallon
freshwater tank that is cycling with 2 Cory catfish about an inch long, 2
glassfish, 3 ninja shrimp, and 1 bamboo shrimp that recently molted.
<Mmm, a necessary/compelled comment: Not a good idea to cycle a system with such
livestock present... the shrimp likely molted out of stress more than all else>
I also recently added lucky bamboo
<Hmm? The Dracaena? Not really aquatic...>
and java moss. The problem started when one of the Hikari tropical sinking
wafers that I feed my catfish fell into the java moss where my catfish could not
eat it, before long it had white stalks growing out of it,
<The catfish or the wafer?>
the same thing happened to one of my ninja shrimps body after it died.
<Mmm, yes... likely "mycetes"... mostly fungal decomposer colonies>
I also noticed some white specks on the aquarium glass and when I tried to
scrape them off they didn't come off.
<Use a single-edged razorblade if this is a glass tank>
Is this just a side affect of the tank cycling and if not should I be worried?
<Mmm, maybe so...>
All my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are where they are supposed to be.
I apologize if you have already answered this question but I could not find it
on your website.
Thanks, Tuscan
<Mmm... the usual water changes, monitoring should do it here... Bob Fenner>
FW shrimp
molt gone awry 6/24/07
Hey Crew. I have a female wood shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis)
that molted about two days ago. Something went wrong with the
molt, and the plate over her "shoulder" area (over the walking
legs) didn't form properly, it is flared out from her body,
exposing the flesh underneath. She seems to be alright for now,
although she's climbed up onto some roseafolia, and isn't moving
around much, or fanning the water for food. I assume the risk to
her now is infection, with her flesh being exposed to the
elements. I would hope that this problem can fix itself the next
time she molts; is there anything I can do to help her through
this for now? Thanks in advance for your help.
<Greetings. "Faulty" moults are one of the risks of keeping any
crustacean in captivity. The physiological process behind
moulting is incredibly complex, and everything has to work
'just-so' or the whole thing messes up. The short answer as far
as the aquarist is concerned is to [a] make sure water quality
is excellent and appropriate to the species being kept (which
typically means hard/alkaline); [b] the diet is correct and
supplies all the essential nutrients, including trace elements
(i.e., feed as varied a diet as possible); and [c] make sure the
crustacean has somewhere to retire to during the moult so it
cannot be damaged by other animals in the tank (i.e., some sort
of cave). The problem with the family Atyidae (or fan shrimps)
is they easily starve in aquaria. While not exclusively filter
feeders, they aren't "scavengers" in any real sense, and do need
regular supplies of nutritious food. So your shrimp should have
been getting at least a couple of krill or a few bloodworms per
day alongside whatever algae and detritus it was picking up in
the tank. Failure on this count puts the shrimp at risk of
starving, if not in overall terms of energy, then certainly with
regard to specific minerals and trace elements it needs for
moulting. (The parallel in humans might be anaemia -- it's easy
to eat lots of food, and yet be anaemic, because the food you're
eating contains too little iron.) In theory at least crustaceans
can and do repair faulty moults "next time round" but as you
say, there is a risk of secondary infections as well as damaged
structures interfering with the functioning of essential systems
like the gills. That your shrimp isn't eating is certainly
grounds for concern. Medical treatment of crustaceans is
basically non-existent as far as the hobbyist goes, so this
really is a case of "wait and see". Provide the right diet and
optimal water conditions and see what happens. Definitely keep
her away from any animals that might attack her or otherwise
express unhealthy interest -- other shrimps, territorial
cichlids, nippy tetras, etc. Cheers, Neale>
Internal Parasites... In
ghost shrimp... possible??? 2/6/08
Hello crew!
I'm back with another question... sorry...
So today I went to my LFS and picked up about 20 ghost shrimp with hopes of
keeping them in a tank and possibly breeding for my GSP to munch on...
Well I was looking in the bag before I dumped them in the net I noticed a long
stringy thing... pure white... by long I mean about 4.5" and upon further
inspection two of the shrimp themselves had these things INSIDE of them... what
are they and should I be worried? The tank itself is fully cycled and running at
tip top shape and I kept the 2 infected ones out in a separate 1 gallon tank for
observation...
Thanks!
Jess
<Hello Jessica. Without seeing the "long white things" it's difficult to say
what they are, but they certainly sound like could be tapeworms or something
similar. Shrimps are of course transparent, and they have a digestive tract (the
"vein") running along the dorsal surface (the back) of the animal. Depending on
what the shrimp has been eating, this can be a variety of colours. Obviously,
this isn't harmful. Tapeworms are segmented and very flat, while nematodes, the
other possibility, tend to be smooth, cylindrical, and with obviously tapered or
pointed ends. In any case, I wouldn't use the infected shrimps to feed your
puffers; at least, not raw. Boiling should kill the parasites (if that's what
they are). Cheers, Neale.>
Ghost shrimp, horsehair
worms.... -02/06/08
Heya Bobster (and Neale, and all),
<Howzit Sab?>
Regarding "Internal Parasites... In ghost shrimp...
possible??? 2/6/08", the answer is most assuredly YES, it's possible. The
animals Jessica saw, the "long white things", are almost certainly horsehair
worms. These strange critters affect crustaceans and insects; to my limited
understanding they do not often affect fish. Apparently larvae can bore into
most any aquatic animal and encyst, but that's it. And you need both a male
*and* female worm to make eggs.... I would only be slightly concerned for a fish
that consumes a parasitized shrimp; in the following link are videos of the
worms exiting animals that have consumed parasitized hosts of these worms (not
for the faint of heart):
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7085/suppinfo/440756a.html
<Ahh!>
I have seen more than a hearty handful of ghost shrimp with these bizarre
parasites. Often you can see the worm moving about within the host.... Freaky,
freaky, freaky. In my experience, about 50% of the shrimp with these worms died
when the worms left the host, and thereafter, did not have a great survival
rate. I *have* had shrimp survive after the worms exited, but not a great many.
The worms can leave the water on their own - I've seen it happen - but I assume
they die quickly if they do so. All the same, I wouldn't put a container or tank
with parasitized shrimp next to or near tanks with healthy shrimp or even pet or
feeder insects.
Some nifty links:
http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/gordian_worms.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematomorpha
http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/emrw/9780470015902/els/article/a0001594/current/abstract
<Fab>
Bob, by your leave, I'll log on, recreate a folder for myself.... I believe I
have the capacity to answer one or two questions daily, though likely not much
more than that right now.
<Yay!>
Best regards, -Sabrina C. Fullhart
<Be seeing you, BobF> |
Fresh water shrimp
can fresh water shrimp cause disease in humans? thank you
<Not as far as I'm aware by simply handling... however, I would cook any
thoroughly if consuming. Bob Fenner>
Attack of the Killer Cabomba? - 08/22/2004
My sister put a plant called Cabomba caroliniana in her aquarium and within
hours the shrimps she had died.
<Pure coincidence, unless the plants had some sort of toxin spread on them....>
Does anyone know if this type of plant is injurious to shrimps?
<It is not, not at all. I have had plenty of shrimp in aquaria containing this
species of plant. Did your sister use any sort of a dip for the plants before
adding them? Some people will dip plants in solutions to kill snails, etc., and
if not rinsed *thoroughly*, I imagine some of the water from the dip would get
in the tank, and possibly cause harm. Otherwise, I assume this is pure
coincidence. If you wish to explore other reasons for the shrimps' deaths,
please respond with great detail on your tank - what size tank? How many and
what kind of shrimp? How many and what kind of fish? What do you feed the
animals? How often do you change water? What other maintenance do you do? Do
you add any chemicals to the water (aquarium plant fertilizers, iodine for the
shrimp, etc.)? What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and
pH? When was the most recent animal added to the tank, and what was it? Hoping
to help you get to the bottom of this, -Sabrina>
Ich medication is not working
Hello there, I am having a problem treating ich in my tank.
I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank. I have a few hatchet fish, and some black
phantom tetras (I did have cardinal tetras, but they all died)
<A tough fish to keep, indeed; very, very sensitive to medications and water
parameters.>
The hatchet fish were the first to show symptoms. I also have a wood
shrimp, which I took out before adding any medication.
<Ahh, good move!>
First I got Kordon RidIch, I have been using this for over a week and it does
not seem to be doing anything.
<It may take a while for the meds to become effective, especially if you are
using it half-strength (recommended with sensitive tetras, etc.).>
After I started using it, I noticed that the black phantoms started to get
spots, it looks like the hatchet fish have more ich now than when I
started.
<It may appear to get worse before it gets better. I would
strongly recommend reading the following article for a better understanding of
this illness: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
>
I have been following the directions, and doing a water change before each
treatment.
<Wonderful.>
I went to the pet store today and bought some Mardel CopperSafe, it doesn't give
me very much information about it. I also read some where that if I use copper
in my aquarium, I won't be able to put any invertebrates in the tank, and I
would like to put my wood shrimp back in.
<You are *exactly* correct! Copper will adhere to your substrate,
decor, etc., and leach out slowly over time. Returning the shrimp to
the tank after copper treatment is very, very risky - I would not use the
copper, at all. Ananda introduced me to a product called
"Eco-Librium FW" made by Fish-Vet; she has informed me that it works
very, very well, and has thus far been safe for her scaleless buds - but I do
not know how shrimp-safe it would be; no ingredients are listed. Here
is the manufacturer's rundown: http://www.fishvet.com/pages/disease2.tmpl?sku=09202001140509
.>
Do you have any suggestions?
<By far, your best option is to remove the fish from the tank and use
whatever medication you prefer on the fish in a separate quarantine/hospital
tank. Then, you will not have to worry about the shrimp, and he can
go back to his home after you clean the RidIch from the tank.>
Thank you so much,
<Any time.>
Leeann Pippert
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Molting, Dead, or a Shell?
Ok, I've had this bamboo shrimp for several months and when I woke up
yesterday it wasn't moving.
<Yikes, sorry to hear it!>
Well, I know a dead/ sick/ injured fish when I see one but I don't have much to
go on when it comes to shrimp. Its legs are still spread out as if he's about to
start walking and yet there he stays not moving any appendage at all.
<Do check that this isn't an empty shell - I have been fooled a few times by
shells left over from molting.>
Well, the shrimp and other crustaceans I've seen curl their legs inward as life
ceases but those are usually served with cocktail sauce. So, not wanting him to
be dead I convinced myself that he is/ was merely molting therefore I should
leave him be.
<It should be fine to remove the shrimp/shell. If the shell is
empty, your shrimp is probably lurking around somewhere in there. If
it turns out to be a shrimp, well, my apologies. :( >
However, if he is dead I don't really want him to decay in my tank.
<Agreed.>
How long should I wait before removing the body (exoskeleton or carcass) from
the tank?
<Go ahead and remove it. My shrimps usually devour their shells
before I get to them, so I've given up trying to pull them out. If
the shell/shrimp is still in there, and still not, well, alive, go ahead and
pull it out. I'd also like to mention, adding iodine to the tank will
help your inverts out tremendously. I use Kent Marine iodine in my
freshwater shrimp tanks, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons every
week. Since doing this, I have experienced tremendous results with my
shrimps. I do wish you and your fan-handed pal the
best! -Sabrina>
Shrimps, FW
Hi there
I got a 5gal. tank for Christmas last year. It brought back memories of
my childhood almost 50 years ago. I quickly went down to a local fist store
and to my amazement found a $.79 tank (just before the store owner would
get
new fish on Thu. he would go threw the tanks and any single fish he would
put
in this tank just to get rid of them.) I was like a kid again every few
weeks
going down to the store and seeing what was there. I have 3 neon's, 3 white
clouds, 3 zebras, and a white vial tetra in the tank. few weeks ago I got
3
ghost shrimp but they seemed to die during there mullet.
<?>
I went down and
bought 3 more and again they seem to be dead one at a time on the bottom of
the
tank. I went out and got Kent's Iodine the label said 1 drop per 50 gal. so
took
a cap full and cut it with 10 caps of water. I add 1 drop per. week with my
gal water change. And of course went out and got (yes you guessed it ) 3
more
shrimp. 1 seemed to die but I lost the other 2.
<?>
My tank is pretty heavily
planted with Java moss and ferns, swords plants, and several other types of
plants I got from the fish store. I really like the different shapes
and colors
of the plants with the fish swimming around them but my real joy is the shrimp. I just got 2 bamboo shrimp but 1 is a fan feeder about 1.5
inches in
length (I think you call it that) and the other is a long armed shrimp
about 2 .5
inches in length. They were in the same tank about 5gal with about 12 other
shrimp of the same types. After I put them in my than I noticed at least 4 ghost shrimp come from some place to investigate the newcomers everyone
seems to be getting alone wonderfully.
Now to cut to the chase am I adding the right amount of iodine to the
water or should I just add 1 drop per gal. as you said in the past?
<Not able to tell w/o testing... this material is transient depending on
water chemistry, bio-load...>
Should I buy shrimp pellets for the bamboo shrimp or is my testament
and
live plants OK?
<Please read on the Net re... not able to live on pellets>
What is the best way I could care for OTTO & HERMAN they are so
cool?
<Who are they?>
I really think my tank is perfect until I get a bigger tank with more
plants
and shrimp.
Is there any types of shrimp or invertebrate I should stay away from in
the future?
Thank you so very much for your time and please keep up the good work
Walter.
<Walt... please read over, have someone there review your writing before you
send it... Some doesn't make sense, a bunch is mis-spelled. I do wish our
"shrimp queen" were with us more often (Sabrina). Will cc her here in the
hopes she will respond. Bob Fenner>
