What Shrimp Can I Get, How Many And When!?

They need hiding places so they can moult safely as they're 'soft' after a moult. Mine like it underneath the bog-wood (which I've got propped up at the back so there is a definite underneath).

They seem to like safety in numbers. With just five I didn't see much of them, but now there're ten then they're much more out-going.

Apart from that then they've taken no looking after at all. The tank's mature enough to provide all the food they need without buying special shrimp food.

Ignore the boyfriend - always best!

Haha wow - I hadn't realised if I got shrimps too big they would eat my fish! There was me worrying about the opposite problem ha. I am more inclined towards the cherry red shrimp - they seem pretty cute to me and endler size seems in suiting with the tank. I saw a shrimp in a pet store labelled 'santa shrimp' - is that a different type of shrimp entirely? That was what he was basing the shrimp being small on originally. I think he was just sulking because we were hoping to have marine fish originally ^^; I am quite keen to do a marine setup but it sounds very complicated and confusing... I'm not sure I'm quite ready to handle that yet! Will see how my current tank does and maybe after we move house we can get a marine tank! (Will be looking to this forum for lots of advice RE: moving tank, but that won't be for quite a while yet!)

RE: hiding places I've got lots of fake plants, stones, and one of my pieces of bogwood has a little 'cave' type section to it (one of the reasons I bought it) - thought my endlers sometimes swim under that so perhaps not an ideal spot for hiding! There's a little bit of algae on the rocks in my tank, and my endlers are always picking at the gravel... but I can't see much in the way of food. I wouldn't mind buying food to feed them though, I know the LFS I got my blue endlers from has shrimp food and they were selling almond leaves for shrimp (not entirely sure what these are!)

Had a quick google of the ghost shrimp - they're quite cool looking but I think you're right that I'd prefer something more colourful! The crystal red are gorgeous looking things, but yes definitely don't want to kill off my shrimp so will be avoiding the temptation of these! Wow I had no idea shrimp lived for that long too... actually come to think of it I never asked how long my endlers would live for! :-(

It's looking like the cherries are my best option. In the Maidenhead near to me they had in stock recently wood shrimp (I think they're huge though), green, orange and red shrimp. Are they generally hardy as well or are they a different kettle of... shrimp?? (actually looking at the photos I took a few weeks ago in Maidenhead all these shrimp did seem bigger than the ones I saw yesterday!)

Yeah we were originally planning on getting black and white clown fish and the shrimp we saw were 'cleaner shrimp' - huge!

Oh wow that is cool! Yeah marine tanks do sound quite scary - though apparently clownfish are rated as 'easy' (?! Is there such a thing with a marine setup!).

That website is really helpful Colin, think I shall be getting some cherry red! Just how many is the new question!

Since shrimp don't have a very big bioload, you could fit half a dozen.

There are two other shrimpy sites besides Colin's this one and this one

I'm considering getting my shrimpies in the next few weeks or so - do you think this is a good idea or is it still too soon? All of my levels have so far been great, though I realised the other day I might have been doing a little excessive water changes! I've been doing between 20-25% water changes twice a week, I think it should be smaller than this right if I'm doing twice a week? I think I need to start writing it down so I can keep a better track, sounds silly I know but it's hard to remember when I've done water changes and what I've been feeding as I can't stick to a specific day regime as a shift worker!

 I don't think I'll be adding a new fish to replace Madge, but only have 7 endlers does make me a little sad! I'm not sure if I did add another endler what type it would be - either bringing up the 'traditional' endler numbers or the Japanese blue numbers. Hmm

I'm an amano owner 

The main downside to amanos is their lack of colour - see-though grey with dark red spots (males) or dashes (females) down their sides. Cherries are a lot prettier. I have some of those as well, got them about a month ago.
The other possible problem with amanos is their size. My males are maybe a tad bigger than a male endler, but the female is a lot bigger. She doesn't show any interest in the fish, but this is a 125 litre tank with plenty of room for them to get away from each other.

If it were me, I'd go for cherries. Prettier and smaller.

Don't forget to acclimate them carefully, even more so than fish. Float the bag, wait 15 mins to equilibrate the temp then add a small amount of tank water to the bag every 10 mins for an hour. Then net them out of the bag. But be warned, shrimp can be awkward things in nets. They can, and do, jump out of them. Get a shrimp right into the bottom of the net, then get hold of the net as near the rim as you can and squeeze it closed to stop the shrimp escaping. Take your hand away when the net is under water. It is possible to pick a shrimp up off the floor but it's not easy.



Water changes - 25 - 30% a week is fine for an established tank. And anything that makes life easier is worth doing, such as making a note of the days you do water changes.

Ahh but if you also have nerite snails, you don't notice the amanos' poo 

Haha yes we'll try and avoid another poo conversation!

Colin - I'm not too bothered about breeding, as my tank is quite small, so I imagine if they breed too much I might have to donate them to others / my LFS if they'll take them.

I'm pretty much decided on the 'heteropoda' as Steve officially calls them :-) The MA down the road actually had some orange ones, and green I think as well as cherry red. The orange ones were pretty cute, though not quite as bright so I would guess it's between them and the cherry red ones - both are regularly in stock so depending on my timing won't be too hard to get hold of. I know the shop I got my Blue endlers from has shrimp food etc so for the start of keeping them I might try that as I don't know how much food there is in the tank (though my endlers are constantly foraging around).

Sue thanks for the advice about acclimatising and adding them to the tank - sounds pretty complicated and stressful (or at least the netting part!). Stupid question but with the adding water to the bag - how do you do this? I've never been able to get the bags open apart from ripping them which wouldn't work when adding extra water I guess.

Stupid question but with the adding water to the bag - how do you do this? I've never been able to get the bags open apart from ripping them which wouldn't work when adding extra water I guess.

I just untie the knot.  It takes a bit of fiddling around though, and you need strong fingers.  The best way if you can't undo the knot, is to cut it off with scissors.  Then fold down the top a few times; that will create a sort of flotation ring.  I then peg it to the side of the tank to prevent it going on a whirlygig tour. Then Bob's your uncle.

(Whoops... See Sue agrees!!! )