Shrimp Advice

[sobersteve323]

Hi All-

I'm looking to add 1 or 2 shrimp into my tank for some diversity (I think they are fun to watch). I know very little about the different species but I'm looking for some suggestions on a non-predatory type (if that exists). I also have an 8 inch goldie so a shrimp that's large enough not to get eaten is also a plus.

And how do you keep them from escaping your tank? Do they only climb up to the water line or will they keep going? I only have a glass top on my 40 gallon tank with a 2 inch opening all along the back for the hanging filter and hoses, etc.

Thanks!

 

[fort384]

No need for a lid. I keep FW shrimp in tanks without lids.

However, FW shrimp are small creatures. I would imagine that just about any of them would get eaten by a 8" gold fish. You could try a few ghost shrimp and see how it goes. They are sold as feeders at only $0.30-50 each at a lot of chain stores, so no big loss if nature takes over and they become a snack.

If it does work out, you will want more than 1 or 2. You would rarely ever see just 1 or 2. What size tank do you have?

 

[sobersteve323]

It's a 40 gallon tank. How small is small? About an inch or two?

Also I read somewhere that they breed pretty readily. Would I be constantly cleaning chopped up fry (is that the correct term for shrimp?) out of the filter? Or would this be a free snack for the fish?

 

[fort384]

Free snack for the fish. 40 gals is awfully small for an 8" goldfish.

Most shrimp species are about an inch. Some, like amanos, get a little bigger. Not all breed readily in your tank. Amanos and ghost shrimp arent easy to breed. The more colorful neocaridina species breed more readily, however.

 

[tarpon]

There is also bamboo shrimp and vampire shrimp?? Right? They get bigger. And from what I've heard peacefull

 

[fort384]

Yes, peaceful. They might work out ok. Any shrimp small enough to fit in a fish's mouth can become a snack, however.

 

[sobersteve323]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I was at Petsmart the other day and I saw one of their display tanks had a shrimp about 2-3 inches in size. Was this actually a crawfish/prawn?

I wish I could afford a larger tank for the goldfish but she kept growing into the new tanks. Maybe some day.

 

[sobersteve323]

I guess as long as the shrimp are enjoyed by either myself or the fish then it's a win... lol

 

[fort384]

Probably a crayfish. Most chain stores don't carry FW shrimp except ghost shrimp, or sometimes they call them glass shrimp.

 

[sobersteve323]

Good to know. Is there a need to quarantine shrimp before adding to my tank?

 

[jetajockey]

the larger shrimp species are usually pretty expensive also, so it's probably not the best idea. The crayfish thing might work, I've never tried it with a goldfish. I have kept crays in the past and they will nip fish that are sleeping near the bottom.

ghost shrimp are the cheapest bet and you'll be able to see how your fish does with them without spending a lot, but they'll most likely just get eaten.

 

[tarpon]

If it was a brown color than it was a bamboo shrimp. I've seen bamboo shrimp that size at petco/petsmart many times

And on the contrary the bamboo shrimp I've seen there are not that expensive. IMO

 

[tarpon]

And I've NEVER seen a crayfish at petsmart/PETCO

 

[sobersteve323]

Yeah, I saw the crayfish chasing around some fish (even larger ones) in the display tank at Petsmart which is why I'm looking for something non-predatory.

If it helps with the recommendations: the goldfish has had some swimbladder problems due to constipation in the past so she isn't too active anymore. She still gets plenty excited around food though.

 

[sobersteve323]

It was mostly gray in color and wasn't for sale. It was just one of those "your tank can look like this!" tanks.

 

[jetajockey]

If it was a brown color than it was a bamboo shrimp. I've seen bamboo shrimp that size at petco/petsmart many times

And on the contrary the bamboo shrimp I've seen there are not that expensive. IMO

Well it's a subjective statement, we all define expensive differently.

To me, 10 cents isn't much to pay for a shrimp that'll most likely get eaten by the fish, a few dollars is. I don't even like letting my cherry shrimp get eaten by my fish and they sell for only about a dollar each.

 

[sobersteve323]

Any need to quarantine shrimp?

 

[jetajockey]

i've never done it, but I do make sure to not put any of the bag water into the tank that they are going into.

 

[sobersteve323]

Sounds good. Thanks everyone for the ideas!

 

[tarpon]

Well it's a subjective statement, we all define expensive differently.

To me, 10 cents isn't much to pay for a shrimp that'll most likely get eaten by the fish, a few dollars is. I don't even like letting my cherry shrimp get eaten by my fish and they sell for only about a dollar each.

I see what you mean. In that case, I agree