Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => Invertebrates - Shrimps and Snails => Topic started by: fcmf on April 06, 2016, 06:32:33 PM
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The main problem I have with nerites is that I only usually see them when they are climbing up the front glass, which is not exactly their most attractive side.
Starting a new thread with a quote from another - hope this works.
The other issue that puts me off keeping snails and shrimps is that I've read that they often make short work of a dying/dead fish - is this true in people's experiences? [When my pets/fish die, I tend to have quite a ceremonial send-off process for them :-[ which wouldn't be possible if this were true, so would be grateful to know of people's experiences before deciding whether or not to even consider them as a potential addition to the tank.]
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They do ahem...clean up. So if a fish died in the night they would get to work.
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In my tanks shrimps do a better job of 'recycling' than nerite snails - which don't seem to touch anything including algae wafers, courgette, blanched lettuce etc. If a fish dies in the 50 litre I usually notice it because of the shrimps standing on top of each other to get a share.
Other snails might be different. I have never had assassin snails so I don't know if they would eat a dead fish or not.
Fish will also eat dead fish. It's not just shrimps or snails.
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Hmmm - thanks. These sorts of situations, including fish eating dead fish, give me the heebie-jeebies. Only one of the cories died in the main tank but thankfully was intact when I found him; the others died in the QT but, of course, it's not always possible to control for that (ie ensure that they're in there), especially with unforeseen deaths.
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I have certainly witnessed both shrimps and fish "cleaning up" in tanks at the local Pets at Home.
I know it's all part of nature, but I found it slightly disturbing as well.
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Most disturbing thing I've seen was when I went into a LFS, I told the guy one of his discus had died, he hooked it out, said waste not want not and chucked it in the piranha tank :yikes: I NEVER went back in there again, it seemed hugely unprofessional to me
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WTF?!? :yikes:
That's awful. :sick:
Even if he was going to do that it shouldn't have been done in front of customers.
I don't blame you not going back there.
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Couldn't find the above acronym in the "New Fishkeepers" sticky. Anyone ???
Skittler
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It usually means 'What the f***'
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What The Flipping-heck! ;)
The story about the dead Discus is horrible!
I actually like the thought that, if a fish does die in my tank, then the Assassin Snails would clean-up.
In truth, as I've lost two Otos, I'm fairly sure that's happened already in my tank. Better that the Assassins clean up than the body is left to decompose hidden away where I can't see it.
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Well, goodness me............honestly? ............no, it can't be........."flipping- heck" doesn't fit ...........?
Skittler
PS I only wish I could post Smileys !!
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Well, goodness me............honestly? ............no, it can't be.........
PS I only wish I could post Smileys !!
Hehehehehe :) I wish we could fix your smiley problem.
The normal circle of life going on in my tank is fine, thats why I have snails and shrimps, the piranha thang was a bit horrible though. I also have issues with endlers who start snacking before something stops breathing (hence no more endlers)
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My tanks are so dense with plants and wood that if a fish dies it is likely to be somewhere hidden and I may not notice, when you have 10 or more small identical fish in a shoal it can be difficult to even count how many there are as they mill around. So it's better to have something clean up the body than have it decay and produce ammonia. That's nature, it's not pretty.
Nerite snails do appear to be almost entirely algae eaters but most others will eat meat if they can get it.
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Hi Skittler,
Apologies for not explaining, but "WTF" stands for "What the fudge-diggity", preferably said in the accent of an old American southern belle. Obviously I would never, ever even consider useing an acronym that would include a hint of a rude word. ::) ;)
In fact (in southern belle accent) my word (snaps fan open) I am full of shame (hides behind fan) at the thought that I may have offended anyone (flutters fan) please forgive me (closes fan and clutches it to heaving bosom) I throw myself on your mercy as I beg for your forgiveness.
:-[ ;D ;)
Well, that's me done ;D
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It's obviously the way I was brung up ;D
WTF stands for What The any word you want beginning with F that means the phrase goes with this smiley :yikes:
;D
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No Sue, you're right and we woz all brung up the same way. ;)
Discus in a piranha tank in front of customers, accompanied with such a dismissive attitude, absolutely deserves dropping the f-bomb.
My abilities with combining expletives and random words is known amongst friends, and I was recently sent a picture with the caption "I do not spew profanities, I enunciate them clearly, like a f**king lady", which was quickly turned into a cross stitch panel to go with some of my others.
I am only lucky that when something really surprises me, like being dive bombed by collared doves and squirrels in the garden whilst filling the seed and nut bowl, my go to phrase is "good lord". Very handy considering the neighbours have 2 young kids.
;D
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Putting my moderators hat on, I will say that as far as I'm concerned it is fine using acronyms as someone too innocent to know what it means can't be offended. It is using the actual word that is not allowed.
Discus in a piranha tank in front of customers, accompanied with such a dismissive attitude, absolutely deserves dropping the f-bomb.
I agree.
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Nerite snails do appear to be almost entirely algae eaters but most others will eat meat if they can get it.
That's why I like nerites :)
Since I've had the oldest two for 41/2 years, I must have a fair amount of algae in my tank ;D
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Well Ladies,
I've only just stopped laughing from your recent posts. Hilarious. Having started my working life as a student apprentice in an engineering dept., this young, naïve, good Christian boy, soon realised that he needed to speak a different language, in order not to have the urine extracted mercilessly. So, I am qualified.
I am afraid that last night I took myself off to the Unicorn across the road, for their excellent Wednesday carvery (£5.95), and spent the "savings" on another (very) large glass of shiraz.......and when I'm under the affluence of incohol the fingers are out of control. Thinking about it..........that's how I ended up rushing to the altar as well! (Emoticon of one smiley beating the brains out of another!)
Skittler
PS Sue, just seen your last posts. Could we have a photo your "Moderator's Hat" please?
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Ah well, it's the hat equivalent of the emperor's clothes. A virtual hat, very difficult to photograph ;D
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Ahhh my word, that was a funny read. Ta al :cheers:
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Back on the shrimp theme - but with a different question this time.
Tank No.2 has been mentioned a few times, with the amber/green light being pretty much green now ;D . However, I'm inclined to agree with my OH that a nano-sized tank is more realistic in such a small abode, which of course would not be large enough even for the micro species which still require at least a 45cm-long tank, and so am thinking about a shrimp-only tank.
A few possibly daft questions:
* I seem to recall reading that shrimp have a tendency to go walkabout and so the tank would need to be very well-sealed - am I correct?
* Does anyone have any experience of these https://uk.hagen.com/Marina-360-Cool-Desktop-Aquarium ? They look a possibility, there's one at a reduced price in a LFS, and they're not ridiculously/disproportionately expensive like some other nano-sized tanks. (Obviously, I would need to check if its lid is 'open' or can be covered, dependin on the answer above.)
* Is it possible to 'sex' shrimp in the LFS, and would a single-sex shrimpery work, so that not over-run with babies?
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Congratulations on your "greener" light. ;D
I'm afraid that I don't have any experience of nano tanks, so no use at all on this one. ::)
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That tank is do-able provided the filter is sensible, ie not too strong for shrimps (150 litre per hour is 15 times tank vol per hour :o ) and has sensible media (ie not just a carbon cartridge).
But I'd prefer something a bit bigger.
How big is the available space?
It is possible to sex shrimps provided you know what to look for. The easiest shrimps are cherry shrimps which come in a few different colours now though the red ones are easiest of the colours. Cherry shrimps have been selectively bred from brown wild ones, and yellow, blue etc are even more selectively bred with resulting delicateness (if there is such a word).
Any shrimp that has what look like berries (eggs) between the swimerets is female. Any shrimp that has a saddle shaped mark on its back is female (eggs swelling the ovaries). That will account for some of the shop shrimps.
males have a flatter underside to their abdomen, females are curved as they have to be able to carry eggs. Males are paler than females.
Shrimps mainly go walkabout if their water is not to their liking. They don't like any ammonia or nitrite or high nitrate. If you can provide the water they like they should stay in the tank, though the odd one may go wandering just because it can.
They usually climb cables to get out.
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Hello fcmf,
As far as I know none of my shrimps (red cherries & amanos) has ever gone walkabout.
As far as sexing of cherries is concerned, Sue's description is spot on. I too found it difficult at first, but soon you will differentiate without any difficulty.
As an aside, I bought 4 new Fire Red Cherries for my shrimpery today, to improve the gene pool. I asked the guy in MA for 2 males and 2 females. He started with 2 berried females - easy - and after that he too was swimming in deep water! So, I ended up with 3 berried females and a male! I wasn't going to complain!
Skittler
PS Glad to see that your MTS is alive and thriving ........aaaaaargh!
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If you can provide the water they like they should stay in the tank, though the odd one may go wandering just because it can. They usually climb cables to get out.
:o Oh my days!! My 55l future shrimpery is escapable if thats the case!!
Sue you know you said wild cherry shrimp are brown...my clear shrimps in the 200l are apparently colourless cherry shrimp, according to the guy in MA. Also how brown are wild cherry shrimp? I ask because I picked up 2 CS from another shop and by comparison to my bright red ones, they do look brown
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Very, very helpful; many thanks, all.
How big is the available space?
This is in the multi-purpose room and the only available space so far is a tiny patch of 12cm x 27cm! ::) Think I'll have to make a concerted effort to clear out some / a lot of paperwork this weekend!
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Fiona, there's photo of a wild cherry shrimp on here (http://www.planetinverts.com/Red%20Cherry%20Shrimp.html). I too have shrimps so pale they are almost colourless rather than brown. I wonder if that's due to the selective breeding that was used to create the red line, maybe they bred another colour out so when there is insufficient red they look colourless.
And there are different grades of red cherries - 'plain' red cherries, fire red cherries, sakura cherries, bloody mary cherries etc etc. The pricing of them tends to be the redder the more expensive.
fcmf, one thing to avoid is mixing the colours of cherry shrimp as they are all the same species and will produce muddy coloured offspring if they breed.
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muddy coloured offspring if they breed.
Ah that explains my muddy red cherry shrimp then.
Some of my cherries look like the wild one in that piccy Sue, I brought them from 1 supplier and the muddy red one came from another.
The majority of my shrimps come from MA. The manager there actually brought in some sakura shrimp from his own grade A tank for me. He said his have got so red because he regularly removes the less colourful ones and keeps them in a separate tank (grade B), the less red ones are the ones he usually brings in to sell.
I found this on Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine
"The fire red shrimp may also be found under other names such as Taiwan fire red, painted fire red, and Sakura shrimp, which has been described by others as the predecessor to the fire red. The different names given to this shrimp have come about in an effort to distinguish the amount of red cover on each successive selectively bred generation of shrimp.The goal of breeders is to produce shrimp without any translucent parts, as these are considered the highest grade. Shrimp of such high grade are referred to as painted fire red shrimp. "
The ones from MA manager are solid deep red.
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I've just realised there is a whole page on wild cherry shrimps on that site here (http://www.planetinverts.com/Neocaridina_Heteropoda.html)
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They loo like my clear ones except that the saddle and eggs are black not green :-\