Advice on choice of shrimps and/or fish for a plant tank

[David Kershaw]

My intention is to maintain a plant display tank, but algie is always doing
to be a problem, so can anyone advise me on the best choice of shrinps or
fish to control the algie?
Regards
David

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
David Kershaw > wrote:
>My intention is to maintain a plant display tank, but algie is always doing
>to be a problem, so can anyone advise me on the best choice of shrinps or
>fish to control the algie?

In a properly fertilized tank you won't have algae. The plants will out-compete
them.

Having said that a couple of dozen ammano shrimp never hurt any
planted tank.

--
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[Skip Hollowell]

Richard Sexton wrote:
> In article >,
> David Kershaw > wrote:
>> My intention is to maintain a plant display tank, but algie is always doing
>> to be a problem, so can anyone advise me on the best choice of shrinps or
>> fish to control the algie?
>
> In a properly fertilized tank you won't have algae. The plants will out-compete
> them.
>
> Having said that a couple of dozen ammano shrimp never hurt any
> planted tank.
>
What is the recommended 'dosage' of shrimp per gallon? Seems like kind
of a silly question, but assuming a person can't get the tank properly
fertilized (I am sure I get more of an understanding that that means as
the experiment continues) is it just a matter of adding a few at a time
until you notice they are keeping up with their required housekeeping
duties?

I have 6 in my 20 gallon tank, and the little buggers seem to, for the
most part, be content to just hang out on the driftwood all day. It
must have all the eats they need. I'd hate to drop $30 on 6 more just
to find *them* hanging out on the driftwood in one big shrimp ball.

The 2 blueberry shrimp are not quite the homebodies, and are constantly
on the move throughout the tank.

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
Skip Hollowell > wrote:
>What is the recommended 'dosage' of shrimp per gallon? Seems like kind
>of a silly question, but assuming a person can't get the tank properly
>fertilized (I am sure I get more of an understanding that that means as
>the experiment continues) is it just a matter of adding a few at a time
>until you notice they are keeping up with their required housekeeping
>duties?

Well, shrimp can add as much to the bioload as equivalent fish. In
a shrimp only tank there's as much, uh, "waste" as if you'd put fish
in there. So the usual stocking rules apply.

Shrimp are deathly sensitive to ammonia and it's ammonia that
algae prefers to feed on. Frequent water changes help.

--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Reel McKoi]

"Skip Hollowell" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have 6 in my 20 gallon tank, and the little buggers seem to, for the
> most part, be content to just hang out on the driftwood all day. It must
> have all the eats they need. I'd hate to drop $30 on 6 more just to find
> *them* hanging out on the driftwood in one big shrimp ball.
==========================
What are you feeding them? Just curious.
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rec.ponder since late 1996.
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[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
Reel McKoi > wrote:
>
>"Skip Hollowell" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> I have 6 in my 20 gallon tank, and the little buggers seem to, for the
>> most part, be content to just hang out on the driftwood all day. It must
>> have all the eats they need. I'd hate to drop $30 on 6 more just to find
>> *them* hanging out on the driftwood in one big shrimp ball.
>==========================
>What are you feeding them? Just curious.

You don't need to feed them. If you have plants they live off dead leaves,
microrganisms that live on the leaves, you name it.

They eat everything though. I fed mine live white worms and was surprised
to even see filter feeding shrimp eat them as well as ammanos and the
smaller colorfull ones.

--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Skip Hollowell]

Richard Sexton wrote:
> In article >,
> Reel McKoi > wrote:
>> "Skip Hollowell" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I have 6 in my 20 gallon tank, and the little buggers seem to, for the
>>> most part, be content to just hang out on the driftwood all day. It must
>>> have all the eats they need. I'd hate to drop $30 on 6 more just to find
>>> *them* hanging out on the driftwood in one big shrimp ball.
>> ==========================
>> What are you feeding them? Just curious.
>
> You don't need to feed them. If you have plants they live off dead leaves,
> microrganisms that live on the leaves, you name it.
>
> They eat everything though. I fed mine live white worms and was surprised
> to even see filter feeding shrimp eat them as well as ammanos and the
> smaller colorfull ones.
>
I'll second that. They eat it all, from the dry micro pellets I put in
for the tetras and dannios, as well as all green matter, and some of
them even bellied up to to one of the dannios that had shuffled off it's
mortal coil.

I guess I really need to test the water and see where I am at, cycle
wise, to get a better picture of what I need to be looking at for
getting things in balance. I did a 20% change this weekend for the
first time with this tank, more to clear up some of the tannin stains in
the water from the driftwood than anything else.

Skip