Amano Shrimp Help

[DannyBlackbourn]

Hey there!

I feel that I have finish cycling my tank Cycle log here

Anyway I added 5 Amano shrimp to my tank yesterday and them seem to have taken nicely to it.
They swim around most of the time (Which I didn't expect at all)

However I didn't feed them last night and I woke up this morning with most of my plants shredded to bits!

Was wondering if this will happen to every plant I get?
Would you recommend getting silk plants instead of real? OR when feeding the shrimp will they leave the plants alone?
Also it say's on the food I bought for them 'JBL NovoPrawn' 1-2 pellets per Shrimp per day... is that right?

Any help with these shrimp would be appreciated... I'm new to keeping Invertebrates so bare with me lol!

 

[Curiosity101]

Mine haven't touched my plants...You're lil guys must've been hungry!

I'd feed them one pellet each and see what's left over afterwards.
Often I'll drop pellets in and shrimp will swim down inbetween all the fish, pick one up and swim off somewhere safe to eat it.

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

Yeah I have only just fed them...
They went crazy swimming everywhere before they finally found where the pellets were!

I did notice they become very protective of their food once they have grabbed on to it... lol
My guppies are greedy little fish and were trying to nick the pellets before the shrimp got to them haha!

Oh I also noticed that a shrimp had shed its shell... I assume this is normal?

(Must say I thought one had died when I woke up this morning... but I counted and they were all there... )
What should I do with the shed shell? pick them out of the tank or leave it in there...?
I did read somewhere that something(Can't remember what the animal was) sheds its shell and eats it after because it contains all the nutrients or something... lol!

 

[alchemist]

Don't worry about that shell - that is normal - I just leave them in there.
Mine don't touch my plants but I do have a couple of coconut caves covered in java moss and they like grazing on that.

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

I may sound stupid... but what is java moss?

Are they the green ball looking things? LOL...

I do want to make my tank very planted... so the Guppies can swim in and out of the plants and if I am correct about the Java moss... have a few at the bottom of the tank to make it look like kinda 'grassy'

kinda making it like a Takashi Amano looking tank... they look beautiful!

 

[Gilli]

They shed their shells on a regualr basis - as they grow the shell doesnt grow with them so they have to get rid of it. Its important you have plenty of hiding places for them because after they shed they are very vulnerable until their new shell hardens. Leave their empty shells in there - they will eat them - they get nutrients from them. You can always tell if one has died as they turn pink like the cooked ones in the shop! Its important to feed them a varied diet.

You may find you will need to clean your tank more - its unbelivable how much waste they produce! I didnt realise it until I took my 3 out of the main tank to treat it with meds and out them in a small tank - the poo load is amazing!!

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

Yeah I do have a few hiding places for them, but there are only guppies in the tank and they don't even bother the shrimp until its feeding time anyway!

Ive only got the pellets I mentioned earlier... What else would you recommend in feeding them?
I noticed they like the TetraMin also...

I am doing water changes every 4/5 days now I think. Starting tomorrow...

 

[OldMan47]

Java moss

It is the stringy stuff in this picture

It is also the stringy stuff on the right side of this picture

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

Thank you!

I have been reading more about it actually...

I am quite interested in creating a Java or Xmas moss wall to fit the back off my tank!
(obviously when I get the money!)

Is it cheap stuff to buy?

 

[Gilli]

You can buy java moss cheaply on ebay if you cant get it at your local FS.

I feed my shrimp crab pellets, earthworm pellets, fish flake, algae wafers and any frozen foods the fish get ie: chopped muscles, shrimp brine, blood worm, glass worm, etc. They are also partial to peas!

 

[OldMan47]

It would be dirt cheap if you lived around here. I always seem to have more than I need and don't mind giving away a sample to get people started. I think I paid $2 or $3 for a starter a few years ago and now I never seem to run out.

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

I'm in the U.K... So no getting it from you... lol

Hopefully its around the same price here... But we in Europe seem to charge more for anything! haha

Is it ok to buy it off ebay? Won't it turn up dead...?
Was thinking maybe about getting Xmas moss instead... as it looks more vibrant

 

[OldMan47]

I think mine took about 4 or 5 days to arrive in the mail. It was fine once I got it into some water. It is often shipped in damp paper towels inside a plastic bag. You put it into the water and move it around a bit to let the wad of moss become untangled from itself.

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

I was hoping to make a moss wall... so it would be ok to weave it on to a wire frame once it arrives?

Or should I put put it in water first...

Sorry Im such a newbie haha

 

[OldMan47]

I would avoid any wire in a tank. You can get a plastic craft frame and use that stuff as your frame. It is inert in the water so it is safer than any wire frame. Once you have enough of the java moss you could tie it to the frame with some fishing line to hold it together until the moss works its way through the lattice of the craft frame.