Shimp keeping tips (RCS & Amano Algae Eating)

[Iris135]

I love having shrimp in my 5 gallon planted. The problem is that I can't keep them alive! I have a Fluval Spec V, with a male betta and some snails. My betta doesn't mind the shrimp, he won't even touch the freshly molted or dead ones.

I have tried keeping ghost shrimp twice before, several months ago. Each time I got 4-5 shrimp and they all died within 2 weeks.

I wanted to try shrimp again, so I went to the LFS to pick up some RCS. I thought I would try a different kind of shrimp. All they had was one RCS, and several other shrimp that appear to be a RCS/Amano Hybrid (they are pink). So I got the one Red Cherry, and they threw in 4 of the other pink guys for free.

That was last Friday, so far I've lost one of the Pinkies, the others seem okay for now. I just want to know if perhaps I'm going something wrong to contribute to their early demise. Again I am positive that my betta has nothing to do with it. Tank tests read 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrates. Temp about 77F. I feed them broken up bottom feeder tabs every other day. Other tank inhabitants include an assassin snail, and a few remaining MTS. Now, I have just handled a MTS overpopulation problem, so there is a good amount of snail poop on the substrate, but I decided that it would be more harmful to remove it than leave it. I don't know if its the best for shrimp to be walking around in, but the pinkies actually seem to like digging in it. The RCS likes to hang out on stem plants. Any tips on keeping these guys healthy and happy?

 

[Iris135]

Here are some pics



Betta couldn't care less about the shrimp



Overall tank layout.

 

[Jev12]

You should try to get the gunk off the bottom as best as you can and probably don't feed as much because the shrimp will eat biofilm from the plants and sides of the tank...and the pink shrimp aren't cherry and amano mix because they can't be mixed so if you get some pics of them maybe someone can help id them

 

[Fishfur]

And I think you may be overfeeding as well. A whole tankful of shrimp wouldn't eat more than a tiny piece of algae tab, and don't need to be fed more than a few times a week. If the tank has been cycled and running for at least six months, there's plenty of biofilm for them to eat in there.
If it's a fairly new tank, a few months old or less that may explain shrimp dying. They don't do so well in new tanks. They need the biofilm and it takes some time to grow enough of it.

And Amano shrimp are low order Caridina species shrimp that give birth to unhatched eggs, which become larvae for a month before they turn into shrimplets, and only in brackish water.

Cherry shrimp give birth to live tiny shrimplets just like themselves, in fresh water. So there's no way they can cross breed. The pink shrimp may be poorly coloured cherries, or one of the many Neocaridina colour morphs that are around these days, or something else entirely. But for sure, not hybrids.

I would also get the poop off the substrate. Shrimp don't eat snail poop, or fish poop either. They eat algae, biofilm and fish food if they find some. Shrimp can go weeks without being fed at all in a well established tank, so overfeeding is a much bigger worry than underfeeding is.

 

[Iris135]

Thanks! I think I am prob overfeeding. Most of the poop has settled under the substrate so I won't try to remove it now. I'll try to get a better pic of the pink shrimp later.

 

[Khuligirl93]

You shouldn't be getting zero nitrates if your tank is cycled.. What are you testing with? Most people on here use the API freshwater master test kit. We will be able to help you better if we know your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate values. Ghost shrimp are pretty hardy so something must be very wrong if they are dying in 2 weeks.

Are you siphoning the gravel in your tank to remove 50% of the water every week?

 

[Iris135]

I do use the API kit. I out if town now but ill test again to give you an update. I have never siphoned the soil. I was under the impression that it is not beneficial for planted tanks. I siphon 50% of the water only each week...

 

[Khuligirl93]

I think it depends on what kinds of plants you have and how heavily planted your tank is. I wouldn't siphon close to root feeders, but if you have a clear space without plants, it should be fine. That's what I do. I'd say definitely at least gently try to suck up some of the gunk though.

 

[Iris135]

I retested the nitrates, it read around 10 ppm.



I don't think I shook it enough last time. The snail gunk has settled under the top layer of gravel, the shrimp no longer walk in it. I think if I try to remove it, it will be reintroduced to the surface, making the issue worse. My little buddies seem to be going well so far. I've seen a couple molted shells yay! My RCS likes to hide in the back tho. I hardly ever see him.