Do you need shrimp in an aquarium? Giant freshwater shrimp and its breeding.

Shrimp in an aquarium serve a purely aesthetic function. They can eat various organic debris, cleaning the bottom, as well as algae. Caring for them at home is relatively easy. However, to maintain bright color and active behavior of animals, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules of keeping. Also, shrimp may not get along well with all types of aquarium fish.

Show all

Description

In nature, the aquarium shrimp lives in almost all salt and freshwater bodies of water in the world. All individuals of this species come from different regions Asia. Shrimp are crustacean species of the arthropod type and have jaws that capture and hold food.

Freshwater fish differ in size and color variations, but their body structure is identical. Long antennae provide a good sense of smell and touch. Eyes rotating in different directions provide a wide view.

The shrimp's head is fused with the anterior thoracic segments, which provide reliable protection in the form of a shell. Animals move along the bottom using walking legs. Shrimp have a well-developed tail, which helps them perform leaping movements when they escape from predators.

Size decorative variety is 2–15 cm. On average, such aquatic inhabitants live 1.5 years.

Kinds

These animals are represented by a wide variety of species. The most unusual and popular shrimp:

Type of shrimp	Description
Riley	The most picky species in terms of care. These crustaceans can live in water of any hardness. They are omnivores. The tail and cephalothorax are one color, and the rest of the body is another. Grow on average up to 2.5 cm
Macrobranchium	There are about 200 subspecies that differ from each other color scheme. The most common shrimp are yellow, blue, and black. The peculiarity of this species is the presence of a second pair of limbs big size. It is most clearly visible in males. Average length torso - 5–8 cm
Cardinal	This species is capricious in terms of conditions. A special feature is the presence of front paws white. This shrimp has a very attractive shade, the main color is red of varying saturation. The shell is covered with chaotically located white dots
Harlequin	This species is characterized by timidity and a long habituation to changes in surroundings. Its body can be red, white or black. This is the smallest shrimp of all. aquarium species, whose length is only 1.2 cm
Glass	Unpretentious appearance. These crustaceans are not shy and do not hide during the day. They are excellent garbage collectors in the aquarium, clearing it of algae particles and remaining food. Their body is transparent, but can acquire different shades depending on the food consumed and the conditions of detention. Grows up to 5 cm in length



It is easy to care for these crustaceans at home, but some species are capricious and have special requirements for their maintenance.

The shrimp aquarium can be of any size. To avoid mistakes, the container is purchased at the rate of one individual per liter of water. If the crustaceans are large, then you will need 2 or 4 liters.

The optimal water temperature should be +17…+30 degrees. More is acceptable low temperature, but in this case the pets will become sedentary. During sudden temperature changes, it life cycle is greatly reduced, the crustacean may die.

In order for the animals in the aquarium to develop normally, the water must be changed every week. You can add regular tap water, but it must be settled and at room temperature. The liquid must be saturated with oxygen using compressors and aerators.

Chemicals, such as water stabilizers, should not be used in the aquarium. Many of them contain copper sulfate and other copper impurities, to which freshwater shrimp are very sensitive.

It is important that the tank contains live ornamental plants, in which crustaceans will hide if necessary. Cladophora, pistia, hornwort, and Java moss are used for landscaping.

The aquarium must be equipped with a special lid, because some species crawl beyond its limits. The shrimp lives in air for only a few minutes.



Nutrition

Animals eat absolutely everything. They spend most of their time searching for food, scouring plants and the bottom. They eat plaque on stones and leaves, food leftovers from fish, and can even eat their own shell, shed after molting.

You can feed shrimp with dry fish flakes or catfish tablets with spirulina. Food should be varied. Residues of food are removed from the aquarium after 1–2 hours, as they contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in the water.

The favorite food of ornamental shrimp is tubifex. You can use pieces of meat (without fat). It is best to purchase special food designed specifically for aquarium shrimp, in which all substances are correctly balanced. To save them from death, you need to choose the right neighbors for them.

Fish compatibility:

Aquarium shrimp can get along well even with those fish that can attack them. To do this, they plant in the aquarium a large number of plants, make decorations from bark and tree branches, and lay out large and small stones at the bottom. Thanks to this, crustaceans find shelter where predators cannot reach.

The first step is to decide whether the aquarium will be a pure shrimp tank, or whether it will be kept together with fish. From decision taken many other recommendations will depend.
Many people believe that since there is already an aquarium with fish, then it is necessary to populate it with shrimp. In principle, this is quite logical. But we should not forget that fish can perceive new residents as food. The chances of survival increase with the presence of various shelters and dense thickets Java moss.
Other people who paid 15 euros for each Sulawesi shrimp (or even 150 rubles for red crystals) rightly believe that feeding fish with such live food is not reasonable. But there is a catch here too. Not everyone is ready to allocate a 100-liter jar for 2-centimeter cockroaches. Therefore, they make containers of 20 liters (or even less). But keeping small aquariums in itself is not for beginners. I would like to especially focus on this fact, which is often revealed to people too late.

Aquarium preparation

Often people try to plant shrimp in a new aquarium. It even happens that they are assigned the role of pioneers who must prepare the environment for the subsequent introduction of fish. This is mistake!
The water in a new aquarium is almost never suitable for shrimp to live in. It is not very suitable for fish either, but they are simply more tenacious.

The aquarium must be started according to all the rules. This process for shrimp is not significantly different from starting a fish aquarium.
And to quickly saturate the water with useful organic matter, you can use oak leaves or alder cones. Granulated peat in the filter also significantly speeds up the water preparation process.
It is especially important to add filter feeders to an already balanced aquarium. Because in the clean water of the new aquarium they will have nothing to eat.

But never forget two things in any shrimp tank:

• Good aeration.
• Living plants.

Floating plants are also very useful. These include: Riccia fluitans, Pistia stratiotes, Ceratopteris pteroides, Ceratophyllum demersum.

Aquarium for filter feeders

These shrimp require special housing conditions due to the fact that in nature they live in rivers and streams.

Volume	It is advisable to have a capacity of at least 50 liters. This is due to the requirements for the stability of water parameters and the conditions for the development of plankton in the water, which feeds the filter feeders.
Flow	It should be mandatory. Filter feeders spend most of their time sitting on the strongest current, catching food in it with their fans. Try to arrange a snag or other piece of decoration opposite the pump outlet for the shrimp to sit on.
Shelters	This is an important factor during molts. Shrimp must be able to hide somewhere in case of danger. Mine use natural holes in the driftwood for this.
Carbon dioxide	As a rule, filter feeders die in aquariums supplied with carbon dioxide. I think that the problem is not the CO 2 itself, but the lack of aeration.

Purchase, transportation, move-in.

So, the aquarium is prepared, the plan for settling is drawn up - it’s time to go to the pet store or the bird market to get the desired pets.
A conscientious seller should place the shrimp in a bag filled with water approximately 1/3 - 1/2. If you can get to home in an hour and a half, then the bag can be filled with air. If more - oxygen.
It is very important that the bag contains some object that the shrimp can cling to. This could be a piece of hornwort or a plastic mesh. Plastic is preferable for long-term transportation, because... a living plant can reduce its oxygen concentration in the dark.

During transportation, you need to protect the package from hypothermia or overheating. Shaking should also be kept to a minimum.

The most interesting thing is the ritual of moving shrimp to a new place of residence.
Never pour the contents of the bag into the aquarium!
The first thing you need to do is put a tube with a spray from the compressor into the bag to ventilate the passengers.
Next, the bag is placed to float in the aquarium, securing the top part with a clothespin. This is necessary to gradually equalize the water temperature.
And then you need to pour water from the aquarium into the bag in small portions. In such a way that the package is filled in 30-40 minutes. After this, you can pour out some of the water from the bag (without shrimp, of course) and continue filling. Thus, it would be good to increase the period of adaptation to new conditions to an hour or an hour and a half.

For particularly valuable species, such as wild Sulawesi, droppers are used to slowly and evenly top up over a couple of hours.
Adaptation of cherries taken from people living nearby (i.e. their water is similar in composition to yours) can be reduced to 20-30 minutes.

And only then can the new residents be released into their new home.

But the shrimp’s misadventures don’t end there either. They still have to molt in new water. A typical picture the next morning: white skins are lying on the bottom, and the shrimp themselves are nowhere to be seen. But after a day or two, they already come out of their hiding places and begin to go about their daily activities, if everything is fine.

To quarantine or not to quarantine?

Do new shrimp need to be quarantined? The answer is not nearly as clear as for fish. The fact is that shrimp cannot directly infect fish with any diseases. Just like a cockroach cannot catch the flu from a person.

It sounds ominous, but the likelihood of such a scenario coming true is negligible. In addition, the “correct” sellers do not keep fish and shrimp together.

On the other hand, many people will probably decide that it wouldn’t hurt to take insurance. There is a reason for this. But in this case, it is necessary to prepare a full-fledged shrimp tank for quarantine. With soil, grass, light, heating pad, etc. After all, new settlers must not only sit in it for a couple of weeks, but gain strength for repeated molting, which is quite likely when moving to another aquarium. And if during quarantine some females breed eggs (this is highly likely to happen in cherries), will you risk future offspring?

In short, I personally have never quarantined shrimp.

Shrimp diseases and other enemies

Like all living things, shrimp can get sick. These could be infections, infestations, pathologies caused by unfavorable conditions, etc.
You can read more about this or.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to cure sick shrimp at home. However, mortality from poor-quality water is orders of magnitude higher than from disease.

It's time to talk about feeding shrimp. It is no coincidence that I placed this section near the end. Only by understanding the peculiarities of the existence of these crustaceans can one learn the principles of their nutrition.

Most of the time, shrimp are engaged in searching for food and eating it. You can say that they eat all the time. Which is quite natural, if you remember their relationship with cockroaches.
Their food consists of algae, detritus, decaying plant remains and other debris. By nature they are scavengers. Therefore, if a fish suddenly dies in an aquarium, the shrimp are the first to find it.

They find food by smell. Believe me, their sense of smell is so sensitive that dogs can only be jealous.
In second place among their senses is touch. It’s not for nothing that shrimp have three pairs of whiskers, with which they constantly feel everything that interests them.
And only in third place is vision.
Such abilities allow shrimp to engage in their favorite activity (eating) day and night with equal success.

“But what should we feed them?” - you ask. Let's look at the possible options.

• There are special branded food for shrimp. They contain a balanced set of elements necessary for the comfortable existence of these crustaceans. But so far such food has not yet become widespread, and not everyone will like the cost.
• Personally, I use regular fish food in the form of flakes, granules and tablets for feeding. Which one exactly does not play a special role, as long as it is of high quality. However, it is advisable to focus on feed with a high content of plant components. In particular, catfish tablets with spirulina are going great.
• And almost all shrimp, except filter feeders, love to eat live bloodworms. Little cherries manage to stuff sized worms into themselves. And the Amanks manage to grab two worms at once (fortunately, there are only 10 main limbs, and there are also jaws!). At the same time, they still manage to steal bloodworms from unwary comrades.

But now a very important message! If you generously feed the shrimp, it will not lead to any good. After all, shrimp eat almost continuously. Their body is designed to consume large amounts of ballast food. And if they have a lot of high-calorie food, this will lead to irreversible metabolic disorders. But shrimp can die much faster, poisoned by nitrogenous substances that will certainly appear from the introduced food.
In addition, an excess of food leads to an imbalance, which can lead to the invasion of both harmless snails or acroluxes and worms that are quite dangerous for shrimp - planaria. Red algae also like this situation: flip flops and beards. But simple-minded aquarists confuse cause with effect and begin to fight the symptoms, further upsetting the balance.
Hence the conclusion: be extremely careful and responsible about the feeding process. If the shrimp do not get something from the food, they will make up for it with what they find at the bottom of the aquarium.

In large aquariums with a large number of plants, some owners do not feed the shrimp at all.
In aquariums with fish, they always have enough of what the fish haven’t eaten. Moreover, unlike most fish, shrimp eat at night, finding food by smell.
In small shrimp tanks, calculating the optimal amount of feed is an art! For the signature small pellets, the rule of thumb some connoisseurs use is one pellet per shrimp per day.
To calculate the required dosage, you can measure the concentration of nitrogenous compounds: ammonia, nitrite and nitrate using drop tests, which are sold in aquarium stores. More experienced aquarists can navigate by snails and algae.
I myself put one pinch of fish food in a 20-liter shrimp tank 2-3 times a week.
I strongly advise against using frozen bloodworms in small quantities or in the absence of fish. If they don’t manage to eat it in time, the water can completely deteriorate. At the same time, live bloodworms practically do not spoil the water. Even if it is not eaten, it will only hatch into non-biting mosquitoes.

To feed filter feeders, it is recommended to use frozen daphnia or cyclops. Personally, I don’t feed them on purpose, but the conditions in the aquarium have been created for the development of plankton.

Aquarium care

There is nothing unusual about caring for a shrimp aquarium.
It is enough to change 20-30% of the water per week.

If you have small shrimp in your aquarium, be careful when cleaning the filters. Shrimp fry will settle in them.
How to avoid throwing babies down the drain?
This is not a simple question. I myself use a 20-liter rough shrimp tank, equipped only with a heating pad and floating plants. I use it to rinse my sponges before washing them. Cherry shrimp usually settle in this tank. And when they grow up, I transplant them back into aquariums.

If there are an abundance of fast-growing plants, avoid total weeding. Not only will this provoke a pH shift, but also the released plant sap in large quantities dangerous for shrimp. This is especially true for Elodea and Limnophila.

How do shrimp reproduce?

And finally, about the most interesting...

The mating ritual is the same for all shrimp. When the female is ready to acquire eggs, she releases special odorous substances into the water - pheromones. The males, sensing them, rush around the aquarium like crazy. Then the females have eggs under their bellies, which they carefully ventilate.

Shrimp and filter feeders cannot reproduce in an aquarium, like many other large shrimp. Their larvae are able to develop only in sea water.
But cherry shrimp, like most small species, reproduce quite quickly. They reach reproductive age at about two months of age. The eggs are incubated for 2-3 weeks. Newborn shrimp are immediately miniature copies of their parents.

The picture of changes in the population size of cherry shrimp, which I observed in different aquariums, is quite succinctly described by the Verhulst Dynamics with a growth coefficient r>2. Speaking in simple language, this means the following:

• At first their number is growing.
• When the maximum permissible number is reached, growth does not stop, and due to inertia, the shrimp still reproduce for some time, but at an increasingly slower pace. At this moment, it seems that the aquarium is simply teeming with these cockroaches.
• Then the number decreases. And by inertia it flies past again, falling much below the optimum.
• Then the shrimp begin to actively reproduce again, and their numbers again soar above normal
• In general, their number constantly fluctuates around a certain value, which is characterized by the volume of the jar and other conditions of detention.

Conclusion

So, “at a gallop across Europe” we examined the main issues of shrimp science. But I hope that having at least this knowledge will help you create a cozy home for your shrimp.
For those wishing to become more familiar with certain aspects, there are many links in the text.
But the most important thing is the experience that will appear over time.
Finally, I would like to wish all aquarists the joy of communicating with their pets!

Shrimp are extremely interesting and useful inhabitants of any aquarium. Unpretentiousness to water quality and living conditions makes these freshwater creatures good choice for the novice aquarist, while the professional will be interested in the variety of forms and the possibility of flexible selection. Shrimp in a fish aquarium form a diverse and functional ecosystem, however, for its stability and prosperity, it will be necessary to carefully monitor the compatibility of all members of such an aquatic community.

The plight of peace-loving shrimp

Shrimp shelters can be purchased at the store or made yourself.

In their natural environment, shrimp occupy the lowest level of the food pyramid, so it is quite difficult to “make friends” with fish. This process is also characterized by the fact that keeping shrimp in an aquarium with fish is complicated by the omnivorous nature of the latter. Even small species instinctively try to swallow any creatures smaller than themselves, even if they are not part of their traditional diet. Therefore, the main defense of aquatic arthropods is their size: those who want to feast on a small crustacean will quickly abandon their intentions if it approaches them in size.

It is worth remembering that small “newborn” shrimp will be pursued even by those species that can get along well with adults. Therefore, if the owner of an aquarium is interested in the high survival rate of the young, they should definitely be placed in a “nursery”.

Another important condition to ensure good compatibility of shrimp in an aquarium with fish is to create the most complex landscape where tiny arthropods could hide and go about their daily business. Any means are suitable for this: stones, plants, deep soil, artificial shelters, grottoes, corals, etc. But creating the opportunity to hide is only an auxiliary measure; first of all, you still need to look at what kind of fish you can keep shrimp with. Even if tiny crustaceans are able to run away and hide, then the constant expectation of an attack will lead to severe chronic stress and subsequent death.

Not every fish will escape from the macrobrachium Rosenberg shrimp unharmed.

But even among peace-loving freshwater arthropods, sometimes there are atypically aggressive species that can not only stand up for themselves, but also attack small and medium-sized fish. Thus, various filter-feeding shrimps do not attack other inhabitants of the aquarium, but in case of danger they take a protective pose and give the enemy a worthy rebuff. But representatives of the genus Macrobrachimu are precisely those aquarium shrimp whose compatibility with fish tends to zero: having an impressive size (up to 30 cm), they will sooner or later eat all their smaller neighbors in the aquarium. Those who cannot be eaten will still not escape unharmed, since at night the freshwater giants will certainly shred their fins and tails (veiled fish will be especially unlucky in this regard).

If the shrimp have lived long enough, then sooner or later their remains will definitely appear at the bottom. But you shouldn’t blame the other inhabitants of the aquarium for this, since the imaginary “corpses”, upon closer examination, will turn out to be simply a shell thrown off during the molting process. By the way, you should not immediately remove them from the aquarium, since by dissolving, the old skeleton increases the concentration of salts necessary for the normal development of young arthropods.

Summarizing all of the above, the conclusion suggests itself that it is possible to keep shrimp and fish in an aquarium, but you should select arthropods for the fish, and not vice versa.

Good neighbors

Neons are excellent neighbors for all types of shrimp.

First of all, it is worth saying that it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of what fish shrimp get along with. There is no universal compatibility table for shrimp, since this parameter depends on many factors: first of all, the size of the aquarium, its level of population, including plants, landscape, temperature conditions, abundance of feeding and even the individual characteristics of each individual aquatic inhabitant. That's why in this matter you can only rely on personal subjective experience and the experience of other aquarists.

If we talk about specific species, then it is best for shrimp in an aquarium with fish to find a common language with the various “orderlies” of the aquatic environment. For example, Siamese algae eaters can live with rili shrimp. And not only the Siamese algae eater and shrimp are compatible in the same environment; all representatives of the genus crossocheilus (relatives of the above-mentioned algae eaters) get along well with unpretentious arthropods. Shrimp and ampullaria coexist well, simply living in different worlds and unaware of each other's existence. Also, do not forget about a variety of catfish: the compatibility of catfish and shrimp is well known to aquarists, because these bottom-dwelling fish have a very peaceful character.

Under favorable conditions, ampullaria are very prolific, which can lead an aquarium to a real disaster. But if a small population of shrimp is kept with the snails, then the arthropods will destroy almost all the small ampullaria, maintaining the natural balance of the ecosystem.

Another large category of fish with which shrimp get along in the aquarium includes a variety of small, non-aggressive species. The compatibility of neons and shrimp can be estimated at almost 100%. The group of ideal fish for shrimpers also includes dwarf guppies, zebrafish, microrasboras, microplates, neon irises and parotocinclus.

Conditional table of compatibility of shrimps with aquarium fish.

Bad neighbors

Most aquarium fish are neutral towards their arthropod neighbors and attack them only under certain circumstances. Such a provoking factor may be elevated temperature water, mating season, fasting or just an unfortunate coincidence. Thus, the compatibility of shrimp and swordtails (as well as most other viviparous species) can range from neutral ignorance to aggressive extermination. This intermediate category also includes large platies, barbs, brochis, girinocheilus, cardinals and rhodostomus.

Despite the fact that cockerels are very aggressive towards shrimp, there are examples of their peaceful coexistence.

Of course, there are also species with which it is simply impossible for arthropods to live peacefully with them. Most often, these are traditional aggressors and predators, such as rooster fish: shrimp and a rooster will not live even a day in the same aquarium, since the entire flock of unfortunate crustaceans will be exterminated in the very first hours of their acquaintance. The same deplorable indicator of compatibility of shrimp and gourami, cichlids (including discus fish), and various goldfish.

Once again, it is worth noting that the division of fish into three categories of compatibility is quite arbitrary, since V different conditions the nature of interspecies relationships can vary greatly. For example, it is not uncommon for aggressive cichlids and characins to completely ignore large schools. Before carrying out the mass “addition” of certain shrimps into the aquarium, it is recommended to add a couple of test specimens, which will make it possible to study the reaction of the fish to new neighbors. And of course, we should not forget about dense vegetation, the presence of which is beneficial for these tiny arthropods.

Freshwater invertebrates, of course, are inferior to sea invertebrates in the variety of shapes and colors and have always played only secondary roles in domestic reservoirs. And if reef aquarium keeping has become a popular and rapidly developing direction, then the freshwater aquarium for invertebrates, until recently, was only the lot of extravagant loners. But everything changed with the appearance of multi-colored dwarf shrimp in the attention of aquarists. It turned out that these creatures are so decorative, interesting to observe, easy to keep and represent such a vast field for breeding work that a wave of fascination with them literally swept the whole world. It became clear that they deservedly could be the main characters of the aquarium, and their small size came in very handy, given the modern fashion for creating miniature living compositions. No other group of ornamental animals has won so many ardent fans in such a short time - this hobby is at most ten years old. The most intriguing thing is that we are only lifting the edge of the veil that hides the world of freshwater shrimp. Their diversity is hardly visible. Obviously, the several hundred species and forms known to date are only a tiny part of what remains to be discovered. Focused studies in the tropics have shown that even small bodies of water are characterized by their unique and diverse fauna of these crustaceans. And how many such shrimp “Malawi” there are, one can only guess.

It's time to introduce our heroes, well, at least some of them. It must be said that the taxonomy of freshwater shrimp is only taking its first steps, so for many species there are no established scientific names yet, and in most cases experts cannot say whether they are species or color forms. So in many situations you still have to use commercial labels. The bulk of decorative dwarf shrimps belong to two genera Caridina And Neocaridina. The range of the first kind covers almost all tropical and subtropical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere: Africa, Hindustan, China, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia. The second is common in China, Japan and Korea. The differences between them come down to the details of the structure of the swimming legs on the abdomen, which can only be observed under high magnification. However, I repeat, this classification is very preliminary; most likely, the number and composition of genera and, accordingly, their morphological characteristics will be revised in the future.

One of the first species of dwarf shrimp to be kept in aquariums. It comes from the central and southern regions of China and is more likely to be subtropical, i.e. more cold-loving species. Inhabits small lakes and small rivers and streams on the plain and in the mountains. This shrimp needs cool, oxygen-rich and soft water, between 18° and 24° C. It reproduces easily in captivity, although this species is still bred in limited quantities, and most of the individuals that go on sale are caught in the wild. The coloration is very attractive, especially on the young with their distinct pattern of alternating broad black and white or yellow stripes. With age, their boundaries blur, and the shrimp become more monochromatic and darkly colored. Females up to 30 mm long, males up to 20 mm. It can be crossed with Crystal Red, Tiger and others, which is intensively used by breeders to develop new color variations, so that it is no longer clear which forms are natural and which are obtained artificially. Bee shrimp are sometimes recognized within this group as having narrower white stripes on a dark background, but the taxonomic status of these different color types is not yet clear.
This type is considered the easiest to maintain and can be confidently recommended for beginners. Cherry shrimp easily adapt to new conditions and reproduce at an incredible rate, earning them the nickname “invader shrimp.” Being introduced into habitats that are unusual for them, they are extremely effective in colonizing living space, and in aquariums they can eventually crowd out other types of shrimp. The original range of the species covers southern China and Taiwan. High plasticity allows these shrimp to populate a wide variety of biotopes, from fast-flowing mountain rivers from rocky soil to overgrown peat lakes. The range of temperature stability is also very wide, from 5 to more than 30 degrees. The optimum is 26°C. This species has gained popularity due to its bright red color, which is more saturated in females, although other color variations are also found. Large females can reach 40 mm, males - no more than 20 mm.
These brightly colored shrimp appeared on the European market just a few years ago. They come from stagnant or slow-flowing reservoirs of India, abundantly overgrown with algae. Their greenish color allows them to camouflage perfectly among aquatic vegetation. This species is undemanding to water quality; the main condition for successful maintenance is a large number of plants in the aquarium. Shrimp especially prefer thickets of Riccia. Green shrimp usually stay in the upper or middle layers of water, optimal temperature content - 24 - 30°C. The main color tone is usually from light green to bright green, sometimes bluish or brown. Many individuals change color depending on their condition. Most individuals are characterized by a wide white stripe on the back. Length 30 - 40 mm, females are slightly larger than males.
Slender, long-nosed, elegantly colored shrimps native to the rivers of lowland India. They stay in calm areas without strong currents. Indian rednose shrimp are characterized by a marine larval stage, so they do not bear offspring in captivity. They stay near the bottom, rarely swim, but constantly move along the ground, digging it up in search of food. Temperature 26 - 30°C. At lower temperatures they feel uncomfortable and stop eating. Characteristic feature is a red, highly elongated rostrum. The body of the shrimp is transparent, with thin reddish and golden stripes. Females up to 50 mm, males up to 40.
Tiger chrimp come from South China. In their homeland, they live in streams and small rivers with rocky sediments and piles of branches. Such reservoirs are most often devoid of any higher vegetation, but they grow abundantly filamentous algae. This species is very demanding on the oxygen content in water, but is more resistant to changes in chemical parameters. The characteristic pattern of inclined dark stripes on a yellowish or light brown background on the abdomen and back of the cephalothorax fully justifies the name. Under the name “tiger”, many color variations and shapes of shrimp are sold, some of which clearly belong to other species. Sizes from 20 mm in males to 40 mm in females.
Perhaps the most impressively colored aquarium shrimp, bearing alternating transverse scarlet and bright white stripes. This color variation was developed as a result of the hard work of Japanese breeders. Among the original forms were bee shrimp and, most likely, more than one species, but it is almost impossible to say for sure. These shrimp are quite poorly adaptable and very sensitive to changes in water parameters, cannot tolerate disturbance, due to which they become stressed and become easy victims of pathogens. However, all the difficulties of keeping them are more than offset by the splendor of the spectacle that these “jewels” create in the aquarium.
These shrimp became popular thanks to Takashi Amano, who uses them in his planted aquariums to combat algae growth, but their reputation as an algae killer has been greatly exaggerated. It's pretty close-up view(females reach 70 mm), and to achieve normal size they require a large variety of feeds. Initially, their distribution was limited to Japan and Taiwan, but over time the species spread widely throughout the world. In their homeland, Amano shrimp inhabit mainly cool mountain streams with strong currents and free of aquatic vegetation. These shrimps cannot boast of striking colors, but they are constantly on the move and are clearly visible in the aquarium. Unfortunately, due to the inherent mode of development of this species (the larval stage occurs only in sea water), reproduction in captivity is difficult, and only wild specimens caught in nature are sold.

Aquarium

The biggest mistake that beginner shrimp lovers make is the desire to place newly acquired pets in their common aquarium with fish. In the presence of larger and more active animals, shrimp will experience constant stress, hide and, even if they take root, will not feel comfortable and reproduce. Shrimp are so exciting to keep that they deserve their own aquarium. Only in a separate container with optimal environmental conditions, left to their own devices, are they able to demonstrate all their wonderful qualities. The minimum recommended volume of such a shrimp aquarium is 40-50 liters; in a smaller container it is much more difficult to create stable environmental conditions. In such an aquarium you can place a group of several dozen individuals of the same or different species. Only if the stocking density is high enough will there be something constantly happening in your shrimp tank, and you can count on the opportunity to observe interesting behavior its inhabitants. Compared to fish, crustaceans are much more sensitive to the quality of their environment and react more painfully to sudden changes in conditions. Special attention attention should be paid to the parameters of the water, it should be soft, neutral or slightly acidic and, if possible, as chemically pure as possible. Excessive concentrations of organic matter and toxic substances very negatively affect the health of shrimp and their fertility. Up to 40% of the water in the aquarium needs to be changed weekly. It is better to use an internal filter with a sponge, reducing the pump power to a minimum and directing the emitted stream of water into the wall of the aquarium to reduce the intensity of the flow. For tropical species, the optimal temperature will be 25-27°C; for many subtropical species, 24° is the upper limit, so additional heating is not required. Some species, such as Amano shrimp, are planted in planted aquariums to control algae, but as we will see later, such conditions are far from optimal for them.

Fish

Fish are not the most pleasant neighbors for shrimp. Most of them view small crustaceans as potential food and will serve as a constant source of disturbance. Adult shrimp can easily get along with peaceful, non-aggressive fish, but you should not count on reproduction in such conditions: young and freshly molted individuals risk becoming easy prey. The only fish that can be safely kept with shrimp are the herbivorous chain catfish with specialized scraping mouthparts such as otocinclus or ancistrus.

Plants

In fact, shrimp do not need plants; in the natural reservoirs where they live, there is often no aquatic vegetation at all. In densely planted aquariums, higher plants leave virtually no resources for the development of algae and bacterial flora, which make up the bulk of diet shrimp. In such conditions, even with abundant additional feeding, a deficiency of certain nutrients occurs, and the shrimp quickly die. A container without plants with a layer of leaf litter at the bottom, which serves as a substrate for the development of single-celled organisms, is optimal for keeping a shrimp culture. This, of course, does not look very aesthetically pleasing. Plants in a shrimp aquarium play a supporting role, primarily to create ambiance. In this case, preference should be given to undemanding, slow-growing species. The most suitable are aquatic ferns, mosses, and cladophora balls, in which young shrimp find refuge. It is absolutely unacceptable to use any fertilizers for plants, since shrimp react very painfully to organic water pollution.

Feeding

In nature, shrimp feed on detritus - decaying organic matter that accumulates at the bottom. These are fallen leaves, rotting wood, dead plant fragments. home the nutritional value detritus, of course, is not cellulose, but various microorganisms developing on this substrate: bacteria, fungi, unicellular algae. So you shouldn’t be too pedantic about the cleanliness of the bottom in a shrimp aquarium; by removing what you consider garbage, you are depriving your pets of food. It’s even worth putting dried oak, beech, hazel or other leaves on the bottom broadleaf species as a food resource plantation. Shrimp will happily eat any flake or granular dry aquarium food; you just need to keep in mind that fish food is too rich in proteins, and their regular use can lead to molting problems. Recently, special dry food for crustaceans has appeared; they are more balanced in terms of nutrients. Food should be given in small portions every 1-2 days, so that it is eaten within half an hour. Overfeeding and accumulation of food debris in the aquarium can lead to changes in water parameters and, as a result, to the death of shrimp.

Reproduction

Dwarf shrimp reproduce well in captivity. The beauty is that development in most species is direct, i.e. occurs without a larval stage - a miniature copy of an adult immediately hatches from the egg. This means that there is no need to create specific conditions, and reproduction can occur in a general aquarium. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. For example, the Amano shrimp and rednose shrimp have a free-swimming larva typical of crustaceans, which requires brackish water for normal development. It is clear that breeding such species at home is associated with a number of serious problems. Females differ from males, as a rule, in their larger size, massive build and enlarged lateral lobes of the abdominal segments, covering the swimming limbs. The mating period is confined to a short time after the female moults; by this time, eggs mature in her ovaries, located in the front part of the cephalothorax. In species with less intense coloration, it is visible as a lighter or, conversely, darker area immediately behind the eyes. Mating is preceded by a courtship ritual, during which the male rides the female. Copulation occurs in a position where the partners are turned to each other with their ventral sides; during the process, the spermatophore attaches near the female’s genital opening. The emerging eggs are fertilized by passing next to the spermatophore, and are then attached by the female to the swimming limbs on the abdomen, where incubation occurs. Development lasts 3-4 weeks, and all this time the female carries eggs, constantly shaking them, aerating them and removing dead ones. The hatching young are completely independent and do not require any additional care from their parents. At first, they often shed and need permanent shelters, which can be clumps of greenery or fine-mesh ceramics. Adult shrimp do not pose any danger to young shrimp. The lifespan of most species does not exceed 1-2 years and, given the ease of breeding, in artificial conditions It is quite possible to maintain self-renewing populations. You just need to avoid uncontrolled hybridization, which can occur when closely related species are placed in the same aquarium.

For a long time now I have been planning to write about one of the smallest and most irreplaceable inhabitants of the aquarium - shrimp.
I will say right away that the aquarium in which the shrimp live is incredibly interesting to watch! You yourself won’t notice how, having sat down to look for a couple of minutes, you will tear yourself away from contemplation in half an hour at best!) They can sit calmly and move their legs, or they can suddenly jump so that you won’t have time to keep track of where exactly it has gone! Many, if not all, when they first saw an aquarium with shrimp, stuck to the glass for a long time and watched how these funny creatures moved, “flyed” and amusingly moved their limbs. Of course, if the aquarium is large and there are not many shrimp there, then it will be difficult to immediately find and admire, but this is also a quite exciting game of “find the shrimp!

By the way, a piece of advice - if you want to see hidden shrimps, then shine a flashlight into the aquarium at night - their eyes will sparkle brightly in its beam, like a scattering of stars in the night sky. They love to sit in the current from the filter or swim against the current.

But their benefit is not only in their extraordinary, exotic and bewitching beauty and in providing us with relaxation, but they are also excellent cleaners for the aquarium. Their amazing sanitary abilities to maintain cleanliness in the aquarium are known to virtually every aquarist. Of course, shrimp are not a panacea and will not help neglected aquarium, but they are quite capable of coping with small problems, including algae ones, at least in the aquarium where the Amano shrimp live, I personally don’t have even a hint of algae, for which I thank the shrimp a lot.
Shrimp are generally quite hardy creatures. Shrimp are undemanding about the chemical composition of water, but are very sensitive to oxygen deficiency, so the water must be aerated. It should be borne in mind that in densely populated and densely planted aquariums for shrimp, as well as for fish, aeration of the water is necessary at night due to lack of oxygen. When dealing with shrimp, never forget that water quality is the most important thing in their life. They are extremely sensitive to any changes. It must be remembered that shrimp are much more sensitive to harmful substances in water than fish.
They prefer water whose active reaction is close to neutral or shifted to the alkaline region (pH 6.8-8.5). An acidic environment (pH below 6.2) causes the destruction of the chitinous cover. For the same reason, it is not recommended to keep them in soft water, poor in calcium salts, which serves as the main building material shrimp armor. Water hardness 6-25. But the most important quality of water is stability! Shrimp are able to adapt to a new environment, even if the parameters are not entirely favorable. But they will not be able to adapt to chaotic fluctuations in parameters (which are inevitable when trying to use pH-minus or plus products). In general, typical tap water is an ideal habitat for most animals in this group.

Shrimp can live at temperatures from 15 to 30 degrees. Like all cold-blooded animals, in shrimp the rate of metabolic processes is directly proportional to temperature environment(in this case - water). At 26-30 degrees they are active; at 18 degrees and below, cool water provokes a significant slowdown in metabolic processes, making animals lethargic and inactive. It is better to stick to the optimum, which lies within 20-28°C. Shrimp can tolerate gradual (over an hour) decreases in the range of up to 10°C. Sudden changes in temperature (for example, when changing water) even by 7°C are often disastrous for them. Therefore, sharp fluctuations in the water temperature in the aquarium are unacceptable. The presence of these animals in water with a temperature above 32°C is generally unacceptable, since it can lead to protein coagulation in the body and, as a consequence, their death.

The frequency and volume of water changes for shrimp are not much different from these parameters for fish: the usual 20% is quite suitable if the planting is loose, however, if the shrimp begin to breed, then this is an avalanche-like process. In this case, you need to choose a strategy: either plant some of the shrimp (for example, in a common aquarium, where they can become an additive to the fish’s diet), or increase the frequency of replacements. It is better to leave the volume the same, since changes in water parameters can negatively affect the shrimp. If a large amount of water is quickly replaced in an aquarium, the shrimp may die within a day or two.
Never replace too much water at once. Do not add water freshly taken from the tap to the aquarium. It must stand in the container for some time so that the temperature rises to room temperature. Otherwise, if the shrimp fall into icy or very cold water, the temperature of which is sharply different from the temperature of the water in the aquarium, they will become stressed and die. To avoid testing your pets' strength, replace only 15-20% of their water weekly or even twice a month.
Be sure to siphon the soil in the shrimp tank! Despite their small size, shrimp crap quite a lot. You will be surprised by the amount of excrement... At the same time, it is better to drain the water not directly into the sewer, but into a bucket. Juvenile shrimp are often sucked into the hose, but they tolerate this journey normally, and after the mud has settled, it makes sense to use a thin tube to take the juveniles back into the aquarium. Juveniles are very different from adults. She is very sensitive to unfavorable conditions and often dies. Iodine is very important element for shrimp life. But it often happens that there is too little of it in food and water. If you add iodinol (from a pharmacy) to the aquarium water at the rate of 1 ml per 10 liters of water, once or twice a month, this will not harm plants, fish and bacteria. But the shrimp will be happy. It is better to refrain from using a traditional alcohol solution of iodine.
The average lifespan of shrimp is from 2.5 (Palaemon) to 6 years (Leander). Life expectancy depends on the temperature of the water in which the shrimp are kept. At 26°C and above, shrimp “age” already in the third year, at 15°C they also live no more than 3 years, at 21-24°C - 4 years or more. Females grow faster than males.
A common weakness of aquarium invertebrates is the desire to “walk” outside of a poorly covered aquarium. Some shrimp like to crawl out or jump out of the aquarium if, for example, they are unhappy with the parameters or their neighbors in the aquarium. Sometimes they succeed in good acrobatic sketches, which can end in an escape from the aquarium. Typically, such unauthorized “walks” lead to the death of the animal within a few minutes. Therefore, the aquarium must be tightly covered with a cover glass or a special lid and try to place wires and hoses from the equipment so that it is not easy for shrimp to climb on them.

For those who have decided to have a shrimp tank at home, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the rules for its creation and design. Everything you need to know to get started.
Shrimp tank device
Under the shrimp tank Any will do aquarium from 10 liters. There is an opinion that cherry shrimp look better on black soil, but I think that this is a matter of taste; personally, I did not notice the difference.

Since the use of CO 2 in a shrimp tank is undesirable (especially in small volumes, pH fluctuations are possible, and as a result, death), plants should be unpretentious. Such as nayas, cryptocoryne Wendt, Thai fern, bacopa carolina, pinnate, hornwort, riccia, etc. small-leaved plants, of course, Java moss (shrimps release fry there, it is also an excellent refuge for both juveniles and adult shrimps).

Shrimp are very sensitive to oxygen levels, aeration is required. There is an alternative: either aeration or a filter (internal or external for large volumes). When using internal filters (for example, Fan-mini), I remove the glass from the sponge, otherwise juveniles will get clogged there and this is fraught with losses when cleaning the filter.

The soil layer should be at least 4 cm (my plants did not grow well in a smaller layer, as soon as I added up to 5 and 7 cm at the back wall, everything began to grow). When I first plant, I add clay tablets, then I add them once a year.

You need a heating pad, shrimp can live in the range from 15 0 C to 31 0 C, I came across information that when shrimp are kept for a period of 7 days at high temperatures (from 30 0 C), their complete or partial sterilization is possible. I don’t know, I don’t want to check somehow.

The optimal temperature for a shrimp tank is 21-26 0 C. Problems may arise with high temperatures (especially in conditions of small displacement). Let me remind you that shrimp are very sensitive to the content of oxygen dissolved in water and when there is a lack of it (which is caused by elevated temperature), they begin to experience suffocation.

The presence of these animals in water with a temperature above 32°C is generally unacceptable, since it can lead to protein coagulation in the crayfish’s body and, as a result, their death. Shrimp prefer water whose active reaction is close to neutral or shifted to the alkaline region (pH 6.8-8.5). An acidic environment (pH below 6.2) causes the destruction of the chitinous cover. For the same reason, it is not recommended to keep them in soft water, which is poor in calcium salts, which serves as the main building material for shrimp armor.

Shrimp are practically omnivores; I find it difficult to name any food they have ever refused. They also easily endure “hunger strikes” (when you go on a business trip or vacation), while feeding on algae and dead parts of plants. But if the planting is dense, I still strongly recommend fertilizing. The main thing is to avoid overfeeding. (With)

When keeping shrimp together with fish, it is imperative to have a sufficient number of shelters and good thickets of plants. I would like to provide a list of fish that may or may not get along with shrimp. This list was not compiled by me, so if you have any thoughts or additions, please write in the comments.
Compatibility of fish and shrimp

Nano - fish for shrimp tank, nano - aquarium
This will include fish suitable more or less in terms of appetite and, most importantly, size specifically for the shrimper - NANO - jar (+,-) = 10 - 40 l (they will include categories 1 and 2 (list below) NANO fish (up to 5 cm - adults)
1. Otocinclus - The most ideal fish - size + nutrition
2. Micro-disbursement
3. Neons
4. Dwarf guppies (minus terribly fertile)
5. Micro platies
6. Danio
7. Parotocinclus
8. Barboides gracilis aka Barboides gracilis

Categories of fish in a community aquarium

Good fish - category No. 1
a fish that under no circumstances will harm the shrimp and baby shrimp.
1. Otocinclus
2. Garra flavatra
3. Antsiki (so far I have up to 8 cm)
4. Catfish: all algae-eating suckers, especially small ones (Befortia, Sturisome, Gastromyzon, etc.). Glass catfish.
5. L - SOMA: L - 260
6. Dwarf botia and zebra botia
7. Parotocinclus
8. Barboides gracilis aka Barboides gracilis
9. Acantophthalmus
10. Iriaterina Werner

1. All sorts of guppies and Endler’s dwarfs too
2. Neons
3. Rainbows 3 stripe, Furcata rainbow
4. Micro-disbursement
5. Adult discus (conditionally section 3)
6. Large cichlids conditionally section 3)
7. Plaecilias
8. Kalamoihty
9. Barbs (big evil “barbs” in section 3)
10. Corydoras (3 - they are competitors on the bottom - they will oppress the shrimp and may begin to feed on them)
11. Brochis
12. Rasbora heteromorpha
13. Marbled gouramis - need a lot of hiding places or category 3
14. Danio
15. Livebearers - swordtails, molly
16. Girinocheilus
17. Charatsinka - sapphire, diamond, royal tetras, etc. (pursuit instinct - - can perceive shrimp as food, conditionally section 3)
18. Cardinals
19.SAE
20. Rhodostomus (Hemigrammus rhodostomus) - actively eats small shrimps

Angry fish - category No. 3
a fish that, if it catches it, will eat the shrimp and shrimp
1. Large cichlids conditionally section 2)
2. Gold - all gold, if they catch up... and eat all the shelters
3. Discus (conditionally and 2nd section)
4. Gourami and dwarf ones too
5. Piranhas
6. Roosters (conditionally and section 2)
7. Corydoras - with a “bad” habit, they can start feeding on shrimp
8. Haratsinka - sapphire, diamond, royal tetras, etc. (have a pursuit instinct - conditionally section 2)

Shrimp are one of the most delicate creatures that can be placed in an indoor aquarium. But what distinguishes shrimp from other, more clumsy, inhabitants of aquariums from the subclass of higher crustaceans (this also includes crayfish and crabs) is their greater mobility and harmlessness to fish, and especially to aquatic plants and other elements of the landscape. And the relative transparency of the shell in some species wonderfully emphasizes grace and makes these cute creatures even more funny and especially interesting to watch.
Freshwater shrimp are represented by several species. These are representatives of the genera Atya, Atyopida, Atyopsis, Caridina, Leander, Macrobrachium, Neocaridina, Palaemon, Palaemonetes. Most of the freshwater shrimp kept in the aquarium are native to Asia. Their length, as a rule, does not exceed 6-8 cm. These fragile creatures vaguely resemble crayfish.
When a female shrimp reaches sexual maturity, eggs appear under her tail, like a green-yellow mass that is about a third the size of the shrimp itself. The mating ritual is the same for all shrimp. When the female is ready to acquire eggs, she releases special odorous substances into the water - pheromones. If you suddenly notice that some of the shrimp are feverishly rushing around the aquarium from corner to corner, making their way through thickets of moss, this means that one of the females has moulted and is calling on sexual partners with pheromones. The males, sensing them, rush around the aquarium like crazy.

For shrimp, the term “reproduction” is more appropriate than “breeding.” The fact is that if you managed to create in a shrimp tank favorable conditions, then its inhabitants will begin to reproduce, regardless of whether your goal is to get offspring from them or not.

Amano shrimp and filter feeders cannot reproduce in an aquarium, like many other large shrimp. One of the characteristics of filter feeders, just like Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata), is that they do not reproduce completely fresh water. As their offspring progress through the larval stage, they require brackish water to successfully transition to the next stage of development. Their larvae are able to develop exclusively in sea water.
Almost all shrimp are omnivores, but they prefer lower aquatic vegetation, dying aquatic plants and other organic debris. They won’t mind regular dry fish food and will happily eat spirulina plates or tablets for catfish. On occasion, small bloodworms are also used. They eagerly eat dead fish, snails and other animals.
Remember in natural conditions shrimp are scavengers. They will eat anything they can find and are not used to having a constant food source 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Therefore, fasting for one to two days does not harm shrimp at all. Sometimes they refrain from feeding for several days in order to cleanse the shrimp’s body and at the same time restore the quality of the water. Excess feed and its presence in the water for too long are undesirable.
In the aquarium, shrimp eat bloodworms and tubifex worms, pulling them out of the ground or grabbing them in the water column while feeding, catching daphnia and coretra. They can also eat dry food if it is given in the same place. Thus, shrimp perform the functions of aquarium orderlies more universally than algae-eating fish, and much more efficiently than snails.
There was so much text, but I didn’t tell even a tenth of it.) You can talk about shrimp for a long time and a lot, because... These are amazing and wonderful creatures living in an aquarium! Maybe later I’ll write another post about shrimp and tell you everything I didn’t mention in this one.