Some noob shrimp questions

[Cinnebuns]

I have 3 questions regarding my shrimp. 

First, I apparently suck at sexing them and need to read an article or something because I thought my dark one was male. Now I'm thinking it might be berried? If it is it isn't heavily. What do you think?

 

 

Sorry for the junk on the glass but this video might be better than the other 2 so I'm adding it

 

 

2nd. Idk if this is a concern at all but whats with the white on this shrimp?

 

Finally, any suggestions in terms of setup?  I'm thinking of adding more moss from my fry tank. I also might plant more water sprite in the back but I wanna make sure it will grow well first. Should I add root tabs for that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

To add:  an article I read confirms it has the body shape of a female. I've been sexing them backwards this whole time haha

Edited September 4, 2022 by Cinnebuns

[TeeJay]

I just keep Java ferns and floating hornwort in mine. Some stuff wood and a slate cave. Have you got any catappa leaves?. I usually add one to the tank about every 2 weeks. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 9/3/2022 at 7:19 PM, TeeJay said:

. Have you got any catappa leaves?.

I don't have any but that's not a bad idea. I've been noticing they molt a bunch and my friend said it could be a lack of nutrients. Idk exactly what nutrients he meant but maybe I need some botanical help. 

[TeeJay]

On 9/3/2022 at 8:24 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I don't have any but that's not a bad idea. I've been noticing they molt a bunch and my friend said it could be a lack of nutrients. Idk exactly what nutrients he meant but maybe I need some botanical help. 

Well kinda like snails having the minerals in the water helps with the molt. I have very hard water out of the tap so I don't have to worry much. I did mix in crushed coral to the gravel to help buffer the kh since I have next to none out of the tap. I also love bacter ae shrimp "food" it's a powder that I add to the water a couple times a week to boost the micro organism growth that they like to eat. I don't really notice mine eating the shrimp sticks. And correction I have a fair amount of Java moss as well. One of the co ops Java moss on steel mesh in the back growing all crazy and some on top of the slate cave and a couple of rocks with some glued to it. Been thinking about trying so e alder cones as well.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Heard they like boiled veggies

[Cleveland M]

On 9/3/2022 at 7:42 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Heard they like boiled veggies

Mine will eat green beans or carrots straight out of the can. Also blanched spinach or zucchini. I put it in for the snails but the shrimp get some too.

Also some crushed corral for the KH and tons of java moss. The moss not only provides a place for food to grow but they love to hide in it.

 

[Cinnebuns]

On 9/3/2022 at 7:31 PM, TeeJay said:

Well kinda like snails having the minerals in the water helps with the molt. I have very hard water out of the tap so I don't have to worry much. I did mix in crushed coral to the gravel to help buffer the kh since I have next to none out of the tap. I also love bacter ae shrimp "food" it's a powder that I add to the water a couple times a week to boost the micro organism growth that they like to eat. I don't really notice mine eating the shrimp sticks. And correction I have a fair amount of Java moss as well. One of the co ops Java moss on steel mesh in the back growing all crazy and some on top of the slate cave and a couple of rocks with some glued to it. Been thinking about trying so e alder cones as well.

Ok so I totally read my friends suggestion wrong. He said "got lots of nutrients" and meant I have enough haha. My water is super hard at 20 gh. I soften it to 14 for the shrimp. 

 

On 9/3/2022 at 7:48 PM, Cleveland M said:

Also some crushed corral for the KH and tons of java moss. The moss not only provides a place for food to grow but they love to hide in it.

There is both flame and Java moss in there already but I might add more from my fry tanks. It's more beneficial for the shrimp. 

[Cleveland M]

On 9/3/2022 at 7:56 PM, Cinnebuns said:

There is both flame and Java moss in there already but I might add more from my fry tanks. It's more beneficial for the shrimp. 

I got cherries in a 20L and the floor is literally 1/2 covered with java about 2in thick. Took a while to grow it but I love they way it looks. Kinda fun to watch a "wave" slowly move across it when a mystery snail is moving under the moss causing a large bulge to move across the top of the moss.

[Tedrock]

Can’t have enough Java moss or a pile of small stones for the babies to hide in. 

[JettsPapa]

Here's some basic information on keeping neocaridina shrimp I posted a while back if you'd like to take a look.  

 

[Guppysnail]

Feel free to laugh at my pathetic artwork. Here is how to tell boy from girl on abdomen shape outies are girls innies are boys. Yours is girl but if it curved in like the yellow line it would be male  

Edited September 8, 2022 by Guppysnail

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/3/2022 at 5:11 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I thought my dark one was male. Now I'm thinking it might be berried? If it is it isn't heavily. What do you think?

Definitely a female.  The shape of the tail and the way they walk around and use their tail is the biggest indicator for me. (Females tend to have their tail upwards, males don't).  Hard to explain, but hopefully that makes sense when you spend time getting used to them!

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/3/2022 at 5:11 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Finally, any suggestions in terms of setup?  I'm thinking of adding more moss from my fry tank. I also might plant more water sprite in the back but I wanna make sure it will grow well first. Should I add root tabs for that?

I'm guessing this stuff is little balls / tufts of BBA?
 

Essentially, algae comes in and it hardens, the shrimp won't and can't get to it as a food source or surface to graze on.  Then it grows, and then they clean what grows on the longer strands.  Different types of shrimp will let algae take hold, others wont, even amanos with heavy feeding will ignore it. 

Keep the algae down, let the plants grow, that helps the water quality, which helps the shrimp and gives them more cover and places to hide into.

On 9/3/2022 at 5:11 PM, Cinnebuns said:

2nd. Idk if this is a concern at all but whats with the white on this shrimp?

Not sure.  Might be a molt.  Keep an eye on it, report back 🙂

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

In the case of a paludarium, you think the shrimp would emerge from the water?  Crabs do this.

[Cinnebuns]

On 9/8/2022 at 11:57 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I'm guessing this stuff is little balls / tufts of BBA?
 

Essentially, algae comes in and it hardens, the shrimp won't and can't get to it as a food source or surface to graze on.  Then it grows, and then they clean what grows on the longer strands.  Different types of shrimp will let algae take hold, others wont, even amanos with heavy feeding will ignore it. 

Keep the algae down, let the plants grow, that helps the water quality, which helps the shrimp and gives them more cover and places to hide into.

Not sure.  Might be a molt.  Keep an eye on it, report back 🙂

I was recently made aware that is BBA. I didn't know this before. I thought BBA looked different because I was also told this was BBA lol:

I'm not realizing that is staghorn. I might manually remove the BBA. The staghorn however has been super annoying. 

 

 

[Guppysnail]

@Cinnebuns RR will get rid of BBA and staghorn in a jiffy and have you back on track. 

 

[Cinnebuns]

On 9/8/2022 at 12:42 PM, Guppysnail said:

@Cinnebuns RR will get rid of BBA and staghorn in a jiffy and have you back on track. 

 

I was considering that. I've glanced at the post but ADHD things stops me from reading it thoroughly. Maybe I'll attempt a full read again lol

[Guppysnail]

On 9/8/2022 at 1:54 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I was considering that. I've glanced at the post but ADHD things stops me from reading it thoroughly. Maybe I'll attempt a full read again lol

I’ll help. Pull your plants soak them in plain seltzer water from a newly opened bottle fully submerged.  I weight mine down with spoons forks knives whatever. Put in a dark room or cover with a towel do not use a lid. Wait 9 hours. Pull them and drop them directly in the tank. Done 😁. Shortly bba and staghorn will turn beautiful shades of red (dead) 

edit add- please post before you treat and after it turns red photos on the RR thread for us 🤗

Edited September 8, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Cinnebuns]

On 9/8/2022 at 12:57 PM, Guppysnail said:

I’ll help. Pull your plants soak them in plain seltzer water from a newly opened bottle fully submerged.  I weight mine down with spoons forks knives whatever. Put in a dark room or cover with a towel do not use a lid. Wait 9 hours. Pull them and drop them directly in the tank. Done 😁. Shortly bba and staghorn will turn beautiful shades of red (dead) 

edit add- please post before you treat and after it turns red photos on the RR thread for us 🤗

Jeeze that's easier than I was thinking it would be. Ty so much that is a huge help!  I'm assuming it would work with this cholla wood too?

[Guppysnail]

On 9/8/2022 at 2:10 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Jeeze that's easier than I was thinking it would be. Ty so much that is a huge help!  I'm assuming it would work with this cholla wood too?

Unsure since it introduces to much water into the seltzer. Use hydrogen peroxide on the cholla from the grocery. It breaks to water and oxygen so no harmful residue. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

The white on the shrimp is just their muscle and in a blue jelly or light blue neo you see more of those white tones. That’s the difference between a blue dream or blue velvet and a lower grade blue high grade they’re blue to the bone.