basic shrimp advice needed

[TheresaM]

What are your top tips/suggestions for keeping neocaridina shrimp successfully?

 

I haven't had them in years and will be getting a group this week. Going in an established tank with kuhlis and a honey gourami. Sponge filter, driftwood, fully planted. GH medium, KH low, pH 7.4, temp 74°.

 

I do have & like botanicals, good for shrimp? Something like Bacter AE necessary? Best/favorite foods?

 

Thanks so much! 

[lefty o]

in a well established tank, i dont think bacter ae does much for you. for food, xtreme shrimpee sticks seem to go over well with my shrimp.

[Lynaea]

On 10/20/2024 at 9:29 PM, TheresaM said:

I do have & like botanicals, good for shrimp? Something like Bacter AE necessary? Best/favorite foods?

• Botanicals are great for shrimp, they grow biofilm that the shrimp eat and provide beneficial tannins. 
• BacterAE is not necessary and some have had issues with it because the dosage on the bottle is too high.  I agree that you probably don’t need it. 
• Any algae/veggie based foods are good for Neocaridina, be sure to read the ingredients though because even some “algae wafers” are fish protein based. I like the Glasgarten shrimp specific foods as well as some fish foods like Northfin Kelp/Veggie and Ron’s Cichlid Food. 
  • I think the main thing is to provide a variety so the shrimp get plenty of nutrients. 
  • The next would be to make sure your shrimp are getting food at all, and not being outcompeted by snails or loaches. I do this by grinding a mixture of foods in an electric coffee grinder, I then mix a small amount with tank water and distribute it around the aquarium. This way the shrimp can eat pretty much wherever they are in the tank. I learned this trick from FLIP Aquatics and Marks Shrimp Tanks on YouTube. 

Most importantly I would say do your research!  Shrimply Explained is a great resource and is linked in my siggy. 
Good luck with the new additions!

[TheresaM]

On 10/20/2024 at 11:51 PM, Lynaea said:

• Botanicals are great for shrimp, they grow biofilm that the shrimp eat and provide beneficial tannins. 
• BacterAE is not necessary and some have had issues with it because the dosage on the bottle is too high.  I agree that you probably don’t need it. 
• Any algae/veggie based foods are good for Neocaridina, be sure to read the ingredients though because even some “algae wafers” are fish protein based. I like the Glasgarten shrimp specific foods as well as some fish foods like Northfin Kelp/Veggie and Ron’s Cichlid Food. 
  • I think the main thing is to provide a variety so the shrimp get plenty of nutrients. 
  • The next would be to make sure your shrimp are getting food at all, and not being outcompeted by snails or loaches. I do this by grinding a mixture of foods in an electric coffee grinder, I then mix a small amount with tank water and distribute it around the aquarium. This way the shrimp can eat pretty much wherever they are in the tank. I learned this trick from FLIP Aquatics and Marks Shrimp Tanks on YouTube. 

Most importantly I would say do your research!  Shrimply Explained is a great resource and is linked in my siggy. 
Good luck with the new additions!

Wow, very helpful...thanks so much!

[NOLANANO]

My advice is to let them be. I’ve found neocardina shrimp to be some of the easiest in the hobby. As long as the parameters are steady and there is enough calcium to shed, they will Thrive.

[TheresaM]

On 10/21/2024 at 3:45 PM, NOLANANO said:

My advice is to let them be. I’ve found neocardina shrimp to be some of the easiest in the hobby. As long as the parameters are steady and there is enough calcium to shed, they will Thrive.

Thanks, I'm probably putting too much worry into them 🙃

[Solstice_Lacer]

I was nervous getting my first batch. As mentioned, if they are stable with enough calcium they should do well in an established tank. Any leafy botanical you have is great, it will break down slowly over time and give them a constant food source, and a hiding spot.

[tolstoy21]

On 10/20/2024 at 9:29 PM, TheresaM said:

Going in an established tank with kuhlis and a honey gourami.

The honey gourami might be problematic in terms of being a shrimp predator.

Otherwise neos are super easy to keep. Your environment sounds perfect for them (not counting possible predators).

 BacterAE is a very good product at promoting biofilm and is great if you're trying to maximize the amount of shrimplets that reach adulthood.. But honestly, in a community tank, I don't feed shrimp anything. They just graze on the uneaten fish food and whatever else they find in the tank.

I breed a couple strains of shrimp and this is what I feed in shrimp only setups --

• Pollen granuals
• BacterAE
• Fish food (typically Hikari Vibra Bites cause it's what I most commonly feed my fish)
• Mineral Junkie
• Indian almond leaves
• Canned, french-cut string beans (this is a staple)
• Other random veggies that my plecos might not have finished eating
• Plants from other tanks that have too much algae (shrimp tanks are like my carwash for plants)

In my experience, shrimp are not picky and commercial shrimp food is $$$$$. Unless I have a specific need (encouraging biofilm/adding minerals supplements), I just feed them whatever I already have on hand in terms of fish food.

Edited 9 hours ago by tolstoy21