Ideal shrimp temp and why don't they live?

[brennae]

I always have bad luck with shrimp except for ghosts. Could be the source. I've heard they need 80 degrees optimally so I've done that. Established 2g fluval spec III with lots of moss and plants. I heard the adults don't acclimate as well so this time I asked for the youngest the could net at the lfs. Is this info correct? They mix their shrimps in one small tank so I'm not even sure what kind I have. Some kind of rcs or color variation or they are Amanos. Can't tell because they are clear. Or do the shrimplets of rcs have color?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TheresaM]

I currently have four shrimp tanks. None are heated, approximate water temp is 77-78°, pH is 7.5

With each type of shrimp I started out with some from different sources; all were various sizes/ages. I have a lot of plants/mosses in my shrimp tanks; all have mineral balls, alder cones, cholla wood, Indian almond leaves, and cuttlebone. I feed food specifically made for shrimp every other day.

I don't see shrimplets often (I have them, just don't actually see them!) but the few that I have show very little to no color.

 

[brennae]

Ok. I need to add some things. My bedroom is cold 68 degrees so that's why I am heating the tank. I do feed NLS shrimp food. I get the shrimp from the same shop every time. Next time I wl try the fish swap so it's a different source. Thanks for sharing. I need to add cholla, cuttlebone and mineral ball. I have the almond leaves already. Where do I get the mineral ball? Is it for birds too?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TheresaM]

I use mineral balls made for shrimp keeping. Most of my supplies are from Han Aquatics. He's a very nice guy to work with and I think the prices are reasonable. Some LFS might carry this kind of stuff plus there are other sites online, eBay, AquaBid etc.

You water temp should be fine. I saved this email I got from someone who has bred shrimp for years:

Above 89, expect dying shrimp within hours.
Between 83F-88F is too warm for their likings, but will survive.
Between 68F-82F the shrimps do best, breed well.
Between 59F-68F shrimps do fine but breeding stops as temp. drops. Is fine for nightly temperatures.
Between 50F-59F shrimps survive but don't breed
Between 40F-50F shrimps survive but life gets tricky
Below 40F for a short period this is survivable, expect losses up to 90% if temp is below 40F for weeks.

I keep my RCS population at room temp., others in an unheated shed and even now outside.
In the shed temps vary between 40F-50F for weeks now.

I really hope it works out for you!

 

[brennae]

I'm going to try to unplug the heater in that case
It doesn't have a controller and it could get too warm. I'll look at that website. Thanks alot!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[brennae]

So I looked for cholla and mineral balls today. Nobody had natural cholla just painted and the independent lfs didn't know what mineral balls were so I directed him to Han aquatics and pulled up a pic. I did get cuttlebone and added a piece of it an IAL to the tank. So far so good.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[mikey5290]

I use mineral balls made for shrimp keeping. Most of my supplies are from Han Aquatics. He's a very nice guy to work with and I think the prices are reasonable. Some LFS might carry this kind of stuff plus there are other sites online, eBay, AquaBid etc.

You water temp should be fine. I saved this email I got from someone who has bred shrimp for years:

Above 89, expect dying shrimp within hours.
Between 83F-88F is too warm for their likings, but will survive.
Between 68F-82F the shrimps do best, breed well.
Between 59F-68F shrimps do fine but breeding stops as temp. drops. Is fine for nightly temperatures.
Between 50F-59F shrimps survive but don't breed
Between 40F-50F shrimps survive but life gets tricky
Below 40F for a short period this is survivable, expect losses up to 90% if temp is below 40F for weeks.

I keep my RCS population at room temp., others in an unheated shed and even now outside.
In the shed temps vary between 40F-50F for weeks now.

I really hope it works out for you!

That sounds right.
I keep my tanks of red & blue rili at 74-75 degrees and I can't sell them off fast enough, they breed like crazy.

 

[brennae]

So with all the help my shrimp are doing well. I bought two more cherry shrimp/rcs and they gave me berried females. They really like the IAL and climb all over it. I'm wondering if I didn't have enough biofilm last time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Aliray]

You can usually find cholla wood in the reptile section and or the bird section of the pet stores. Alison

 

[brennae]

I did look there at Petsmart and my lfs and neither had it. They only had the painted kind. I want to try some for my plecos now that I've been reading about it. Someone on aquabid had a bunch for a decent price. I might try that.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[mikey5290]

I only have regular driftwood and loads of live plants. Nothing fancy it was my don't know what I am doing yet tank. Mainly Hornwort, javafern, anacharis, and ricci moss.
I think the tank being well established is the main thing. Honestly, once you get them and the tank balanced, I find them almost as bad as snails for overpopulating.

 

[brennae]

I only have regular driftwood and loads of live plants. Nothing fancy it was my don't know what I am doing yet tank. Mainly Hornwort, javafern, anacharis, and ricci moss.
I think the tank being well established is the main thing. Honestly, once you get them and the tank balanced, I find them almost as bad as snails for overpopulating.

LOL!! I hope that's the case here so I can trade them back to the lfs for fish food!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[54seaweed]

I always have bad luck with shrimp except for ghosts. Could be the source. I've heard they need 80 degrees optimally so I've done that. Established 2g fluval spec III with lots of moss and plants. I heard the adults don't acclimate as well so this time I asked for the youngest the could net at the lfs. Is this info correct? They mix their shrimps in one small tank so I'm not even sure what kind I have. Some kind of rcs or color variation or they are Amanos. Can't tell because they are clear. Or do the shrimplets of rcs have color?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

I raise many a shrimp all saltwater but basically there genetics are the same
To my knowledge all shrimp and inverts are a cold-water species
I am not set in stone and Never had any problems raising them how I do over the years
I always keep them from 72* to 78* they also seem to breed better in there own temp specs
they can tolerate warmer water wouldn't risk it over 80* , it also shortens the life span

 

[brennae]

Here are two of my shrimp. I know not a great pic, any ideas what the clear/white one is? My lfs keeps all the shrimp but ghosts in the same little tank since they don't sell many.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TheresaM]

Here are two of my shrimp. I know not a great pic, any ideas what the clear/white one is? My lfs keeps all the shrimp but ghosts in the same little tank since they don't sell many.

Just got back from a long weekend out of town, really glad to hear that they're doing well.

The other shrimp could possibly be a lightly colored yellow....

 

[brennae]

Yes, so far so good. The berried red shrimp are no longer berried so I hope I have little shrimplets in there somewhere. Tomorrow I order the cholla wood and mineral balls. I really think my problem before was that the tank wasn't established enough. This tank has been set up for at least 6 months with nothing but plants.
Thanks a lot for all the help! I hope you had a good trip!