First Foray Into Caridina

[CassCats8 5]

I am apprehensive about this venture, but shall see how it goes. I cannot keep neocaridina alive for the life of me, and only thing I can come up with is my tap water being horrendous for them, since its more on the soft acidic side.

So, if I want shrimp, I have to use RO and remineralize it. If I have to do that anyways, why not just commit to the fancier stuff?

So, as an early birthday gift, I got a starter group of SS grade black crystal shrimp (Hinomaru pattern)

Thanks to TOTY, I put the prize towards getting the supplies to prep the buce bowl for them. I already had the bowl set up with all the scape sitting there, but I needed to get the remineralizing supplies, new testing kits (old expired lol), and food for them.

The bowl in question, 3 gallons.

The shrimp arrived in the mail today, I ordered 7. Received a mix of male and female, all subadult size. I am surprised that they came higher grade because they were a lower price than other online sources for them in my country.

Water is a little stirred up because they got the water dumped in after they drip acclimated. I hope to get better photos over the next while.

 

[CassCats8 5]

Some better pics. Minus the poops. Theyve been busy grazing all night while I was at work, it seems.

 

[TwoTankAmin27]

When I visit sites which are supposed to tell one the best parameters for Neocaridina I tend to fall into the good parameter ranges with the exception of GH. According to the sites mine is too low. I am at a neutral pH and have low to no nitrates as the tanks with the shrimp are all heavily planted. I do not have pH issues even though my KH is somewhat low about 3 dg. However, I tend to use a TDS meter more than GH or KH kits although I have both. My tap TDS are subject to change over time mostly due to where we are in terms or drought conditions in the area. We have our own well.

For many years I considered shrimp to be primarily fish food. But I am also friends with and invert person. So, some time back I got Neo davidi, red cherry, from her. That was about 15 years ago or a bit less. They went into a 5.5 planted tank with a few small fish. Over time the small fish got replaced when they died. So a number of years ago when I had not had any fish in the tank for some time I decided to take it down, I had to change my plan as it was still full of shrimp.

I then was asked to adopt about 10 of the Blue Dream variety of the davidi from a friend needing to rehome them. They went into a planted 15 gal. jungle with a few amanos, assassin snails and a few small fish which I forget what they were. Today the small fish are white clouds. I also won 5 or 6 more of the blue shrimp at my club's monthly meeting auction. This was about a year after I got the first 10.

It has been about two years now that I bring 20-30 of the blue shrimp divided into two bags to sell at the meetings. I also sold a few bags in Jan. at out clubs annual public auction. Right now I estimate I have somewhere in the range of 75-100 shrimp in two tanks. I also discovered I had so many of the red cherry variety that I have begun selling them as well.

(edited for a bunch of typos)

I am pretty sure that we have similar water parameters as we keep a number of the same species. You keep a greater variety of species than I do but we both seem to have a fair amount of spawning by many of the fish we keep. So I was surprised when you posted that you had issues keeping the Neos alive. I have never used my RO/Di water for the shrimp. I got it for Altum angels and when I let them go, I also sold my RO/DI unit.

I am most definitely not an invert person. I got the assassins years ago to deal with pond snails. I now harvest them from my placos grow tanks which get well fed and I feed the snails to the assassins in my other tanks which now have no snails. I now usually bring 2 bags of 20 -24 snails in total to most meeting for the auction.

What really amazed me was that I had a few of the pond snails in the Altum tank. The params there were pH 6.0 and TDS in the 50 ppm range or a tad higher. The snails had pretty fragile shells but the snails were alive. I do not know why.

I should not be having success with both the Amanos and the Neos in the same parameters. The Amanos need a higher pH for sure. The one big difference I have noticed in what you keep and what I do is that you do more species tanks than I do. I did so for the plecos i bred but for mostly everything else I have them in planted community tanks. This meant most spawns in such tanks became food for the other fish. But I did have a few survivors here and there.

Good luck with the the Caridinas.

Btw- I believe all of us have at least one of what I call Bug-s-boo species. These are a speices which shoudl thrive in our tanks but which does not. Foor me this was otos. After have about 65 or 70 die in my tanks I finally concluded it was not right for me to keep trying. Maybe your bug-a-boo species ae the Neos?

 

[Uberhoust]

Really like you're tank. Will be watching this post. My water is close to what they say you need for many caridinas except my GH is too low.

 

[CassCats8 5]

When I visit sites which are supposed to tell one the best parameters for Neocaridina I tend to fall into the good parameter ranges with the exception of GH. According to the sites mine is too low. I am at a neutral pHm have low to no nitrates as the tanks with the shrimp are all heavily planted. I do not have pH issues evenb though my KH is somewhat low about 3 dg. However, I tend to use a TDS meter moreso than GH or KH kitss although I have both. My tap TDS are subject to change over time mostly due to where we are in terms or drought conditions in the area. We have our own well.

For many years I considered shrimp to be primarily fish food. But I am also friends with and invert person. So, some time back I got Neo davidi red chrerriy from her. That was about 15 years ago or a biit less. They went into a 5.5 planted tank with a few small fish. Over time the small fish got replaced when they died. So a number of years ago when I had not had any fish in the tank for some time I decided to take it down, I had to change my plan as it was still full of shrimp.

I then was asked to adopt about 10 of the Blue Dream variety of the davidi from a friedn needing to rehome them. They went into a planted 15 gal. jungle with a few amanos, assassin snails and a few small fish which I forget what they were. Today the small fish are white clouds. I also won 5 or 6 more of the bshrimp at my club's monthly meeting auction. This was about a year after I got the first 10.

It has been about two years now that I bring 20-30 of the blue shrimp divided into two bags to sell at the meetings. I also sold a few bags in Jan. at out clubs annual public auction. Right now I estimate I have somewhere in the range of 75-100 shrimp in two tanks. I also discovered I had so many of the red cherry variety that I have begun selling them as well.

I am pretty sure that we have similar water parameters as we keep a number of the same species. You keep a greater variety of species than I do but we both seem to have a fair amount of spawning by many of the fish we keep. So I was surprised when you posted that you had issues keeping the Neos alive. I have never used my RO/Di water for the shrimp. I got it for Altum angels and when I let them go, I also sold my RO/DI unit.

I am most definitely not an invert person. I got the assassins years ago to deal with pond snails. I now harvest them from my placos grow tanks which get well fed and I feed the snails to the assassins in my other tanks which now have no snails. I now usually bring 2 bags of 20 -24 snails in total to most meeting for the auction.

What really amazed me was that I had a few of the pond snails in the Altum tank. The params there were pH 6.0 and TDS in the 50 ppm range or a tad higher. The snails had pretty fragile shells but the snails were alive. I do not know why.

I should not be having success with both the amanos and the neos in the same parameters. The Amanos need a higher pH for sure. The one big difference I have noticed in what you keep and what I do is that you do more species tanks than I do. I did so for the plecos i bred but for mostly everything else I have them in planted community tanks. This meant most spawns in such tanks became food for the other fish. But I did have a few survivors here and there.

Good luck with the the Caridinas.

Btw- I believe all of us have at least one of what I call Bug-s-boo species. These are a speices which shoudl thrive in our tanks but which does not. Foor me this was otos. After have about 65 or 70 die in my tanks I finally concluded it was not right for me to keep trying. Maybe your bug-a-boo species ae the Neos?

It is very possible! There're plants like that for me and other people (for me it is water wisteria especially, I kill that stuff left and right no matter what I have tried).

My tap parameters without using anything to buffer:
pH 6.4 (but rises to 7.8 after 7 days, big swing which affects some fish, so I have to use buffers to steady it to 7 on most tanks, though a couple I buffer it lower)
GH 5°
KH 3°

My KH is too high out of tap for caridina (they need 0-1°) otherwise it would be perfect for them lol but I don't know if it is something else in my tap that kills neos, so I opted to go distilled water since this tank is just a little bowl so costs less than $5 to refill totally lol small water changes would barely cost $2.

I do okay with ghost shrimp and bamboo shrimp, but neos keel over no matter the colour and no matter if they're shrimp only, and no matter if someone else in my local area has them thrive.

I find them adorable, I want to keep shrimp

This little tank is being kept at pH 6.5 GH 4° and KH 0° temperature 72°F

Really like you're tank. Will be watching this post. My water is close to what they say you need for many caridinas except my GH is too low.

Can always set up a small tank for them and use GH boosters meant for them

 

[CassCats8 5]

No-poop photos this time

 

[CassCats8 5]

And a video

 

[CassCats8 5]

All 7 are still accounted for, I've seen molted shells left around showing there have been successful molts, and they are amazingly active! So far, doing well and it has been a nice feeling getting home from work in the morning and sit down and watch them go about their bowl before I head to bed for the day.

 

[seangee]

Their entertainment value is hugely under-rated. I can (and sometimes do) spend hours watching mine (neos) and their interactions with each other and the fish.
I recently started my first shrimp only tank - today I spotted some shrimplets much smaller than I ever saw in the "fish" tank. Obviously they feel no need to hide in there.

 

[CassCats8 5]

Their entertainment value is hugely under-rated. I can (and sometimes do) spend hours watching mine (neos) and their interactions with each other and the fish.
I recently started my first shrimp only tank - today I spotted some shrimplets much smaller than I ever saw in the "fish" tank. Obviously they feel no need to hide in there.

They are very amusing. Sometimes way more active than fish, too. I've tried neos over and over and over again, even as shrimp only and I cannot get them to thrive. Only thing I can think of is my tap water has either something incompatible with them in it or the parameters aren't ideal enough for them. But even tap with added minerals wasn't enough to keep them alive

So I decided to go with distilled water and remineralize that from scratch and if I was going that route, I may as well commit to trying caridina

 

[TwoTankAmin27]

At least for amanos I was taught that when they are hungry and there is not much algae available except for some bba which they don't normally want to eat. They will be actively darting all over the tank. When I see that I know I need to feed them. This is in a 75 gal community but with no big fish. The largest are a few super red BN.

 

[CassCats8 5]

At least for amanos I was taught that when they are hungry and there is not much algae available except for some bba which they don't normally want to eat. They will be actively darting all over the tank. When I see that I know I need to feed them. This is in a 75 gal community but with no big fish. The largest are a few super red BN.

Ive got green spot and cladophora in their bowl, but I dont rely on algae to feed them. But I drop Bacter AE x2 a week, a shrimp treat stick once a week, and then the other days I drop a tiny bit of fish food and spirulina flakes for them. Keeping them well fed. But tiny, careful portions as the tank is not a filtered tank, so I dont want wasted food left to spoil the water. So more frequent meals but less amount for the amount of shrimp currently in it. They definitely really like the Bacter AE and come out running for it when I add it in lol

 

[TwoTankAmin27]

All but one of my tanks shrimp also have fish in them. But the fish with the shrimp which reproduce are veggie/algae eaters. Amanos can hold their own with smaller fish which will eat meat and amanos cannot reproduce successfully in FW. In fact larger amanos will eat small fry if they can catch them.

The Amano shrimp is easy to feed. The species is omnivorous and will eat pretty much anything, but is often referred to as "Algae Eating Shrimp" due to its reputation for being an excellent aquarium cleaner. That's why it's in our top 3 of best algae eating shrimp! Amano shrimp enjoy feeding on many types of algae. They even go for some that other shrimp won't touch, such as black beard algae.

from https://www.theshrimpfarm.com/posts/amano-shrimp-care-sheet/

 

[CassCats8 5]

All but one of my tanks shrimp also have fish in them. But the fish with the shrimp which reproduce are veggie/algae eaters. Amanos can hold their own with smaller fish which will eat meat and amanos cannot reproduce successfully in FW. In fact larger amanos will eat small fry if they can catch them.

from https://www.theshrimpfarm.com/posts/amano-shrimp-care-sheet/

Unfortunately for me, amanos were one that did not do well for me either. I did give those a try as well in my tap water. They did not thrive. Vanished after 2 months. They were with a betta who didnt care about them.

These caridina are in without fish, one because I want them to breed with less shrimplet loss but also because its a bowl and I am not a fan of using bowls for fish.

It's nice for scaping though, and shrimp work well in them for space.

 

[natorgom]

Late to the thread but second the Bacter AE recommendation — once a week is plenty in a planted tank, more than that and the biofilm overgrows. One thing nobody mentioned: cuttlebone is a cheap calcium source that prevents molting failures, especially in soft water Caridina tanks. Drop a piece in and replace every couple of months. Has saved a few of my colonies.