How many dwarf shrimp for a 55 gallon tank?

[ahelmes71]

I have been having problems with brown beard algae and some green on the glass that the corys and single algae eater aren't handling.

I was considering giving some Amano shrimp a shot a helping to clean the tank.

The site I was looking at had 30 red cherry shrimp for $39.99 or ten white or yellow shrimp for the same price. Presumably the latter classes are rarer.

Will 30 dwarf shrimp visually overwhelm a 55 gallon tank or are they generally not that noticeable? I figure it might make sense to get the 30 in case some die in transit or if smaller ones get eaten by tankmates (Rainbowfish and Congo Tetras). There is a large Crypt in the tank and a currently smallish Anubia. Usually I have a big piece of driftwood in there too which could provide some hiding space.

Also, are they self-sufficient as tank scavengers or should I plan on buying the supplemental foods sold by the same site or something from Petsmart?

Any input on this is appreciated. Thanks!

Andy

 

[jetajockey]

Hi and welcome. Dwarf shrimp would probably get eaten with those tankmates. But otherwise 30 is fine, could get away with a hundred easily in a tank that size.

 

[ahelmes71]

Hi and welcome. Dwarf shrimp would probably get eaten with those tankmates. But otherwise 30 is fine, could get away with a hundred easily in a tank that size.

You know, you're probably right. I had tried a group of neon tetras in this tank once and they were mysteriously getting picked off night after night. The dwarf shrimp probably aren't much different in size than the neons.

I'm guessing this could end up being just a $40 snack for the bigger fish. Sigh....thought I had a new way to go after the algae problem.