snails / shrimp question ?

[freshcichlid]

im not sure if this is the right section, but i thought it would get attention here, so im sorry in advance. I was looking at aquabid today and saw a lot of little things i wanted to add to my future tank. I am planning an african cichlid setup with (yellow labs and johanni's) or (ram cichlids) and wanted to know if it was possible to add
1. apple snails
2. any kind of shrimp, crawfish
3. some sort of grass or plants,
or anything else like this to spice up the tank and add something special to it ?
thanks !

 

[Purplesmurf]

Apple snails will fit right into any tank, assuming nothing is going to see them as prey. Ramshorns are the same, except that they breed asexually according to the amount of food avaliable. Sometimes live plants are seen as food by both species, but the general rule is that only dead plant material will be eaten.

Crawfish are really only good for species only tanks as they tend to ambush sleeping fish and eat them. Anything they can grab will be eaten.

Bamboo/wood/singapore shrimp are, again really only successful in species only tanks, but for the opposite reason; they are filter, bottom feeders (read that as super slow) and are easily out competed for food.

Amano or cherry shrimp are going to be your best bet. Both species are undemanding of water quality, temp, or pH, and eat a large variety of algae. Two or three amanos or five cherry shrimp coupled with a team of three apple snails will keep a tank quite algea free.

If and what plants you can keep will really be determined by the fish you plan to keep. Mbuna would be a bad choice since they like to push the substrate in the tank around, so any rooted plants would be dug up / damaged on a regular basis. I think yellow labs (labridochromis right?) will be well suited to live with all the elements you wanted to add, but you should do a little research before making any costly decisions. I have a pair of rams and they are possibly the best community fish I've kept.

 

[plecoguy]

hmm...cichlids for the most part will eat snails and most shrimp and alot of non waxy plants....

 

[freshcichlid]

thanks for the great info. i am leaning more toward the yellow labs and the johanni's. so with that in mind i am able to keep apple snails, amano or cherry shrimp and any plant that is not rooted ?
if so what are some acceptable plant names that i can look up ?

 

[Purplesmurf]

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/l_caeruleus.php

This says they eat snails and I'd assume potentially shrimp. Otherwise they would be plant friendly. Only large fish like pacu, adult oscars, arrowana, wtc, who make a wake as they swim or those fish who like to move the substrate will be problematice with plants.

So, I'd say go wild with rocks and plants. Yellow labs are african and prefer basic water so avoid driftwood.

Easy plants to grow: java moss, java fern, anachris, hornwort, duckweed, water sprite.