Thinking Of Invertebrates

[Gnoflet]

Hello,
I was thinking of getting saltwater invertebrates and a jaw fish but after realizing how much salt would cost I decided I might go freshwater. I have no tanks right now but I plans to get a 20 US gallon mudskipper tank before a freshwater one so it will probably be around 6 months to a year before I can do this one but I decided to get info early. the tank I would us would be ether 10 US gallons or a 20 US gallon high. I was thinking of maybe cherry shrimp because I have heard the are very hardy. Some snails might go in to it to because by my grandmas house there is a pond full of them and I am allowed to take some. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

   for reading.

 

[Baccus]

Cherry shrimp are a great first option, but rather than going for some of the various colour morphs like blue, yellow, green snowball, I would learn on the less expensive and more hardy red cherry shrimp first.
Cherry shrimp can change their colour quite dramatically in different TDS (Total Disolved Salts) and pH. So when buying any cherry shrimp no matter their colour try to buy from the breeder and not a shop that more than likely wont know what pH and TDS the shrimp where kept and bred in. Also hopefully by contacting a breeder you will be able to gain a lot more information about their particular strains of cherry shrimp.
I would be very careful adding snails to a shrimp tank, some snails can become real pests in no time, they will also compete with the shrimp for food.

 

[Gnoflet]

Ok, thanks for the quick reply. I know of a person nearby that sells farm raised shrimp but I'm not sure what kind it is. If I did put in a snail I would probably just put in 1 so it can't reproduce. Do you know if cherry shrimp can be put in with a pleco or some other kind of cat fish or would the catfish eat them? 

 

[Baccus]

I have kept cherry shrimp with corydoras catfish, khuli loaches, Pakastani (yo-yo) loaches, and bristlenose catfish all without issue.
The biggest eater of shrimp I have found to be Siamese Fighters (some will leave shrimp alone, others will hunt down every last one), most rainbow fish, any of the danios and pretty much any fish that can fit the shrimp in their mouth. Shrimplets are always going to be a temptation to almost any fish, but with plenty of cover from thick plants etc usually a few shrimplets will survive.

 

[NickAu]

 
I would be very careful adding snails to a shrimp tan
they will also compete with the shrimp for food

I can vouch for that, My Apple snails could smell the wafers I put in the tank, No matter where I put wafers in even if the snails were on the other side of the tank within a few minutes of me adding them. The snails would start moving in that direction and  found them.

 

[nigwell]

How far do you live from the beach,   I have been running my marine tank on NSW for about 2 months now with some  stunning results, its worth a thought..

 

[Gnoflet]

I don't live near any SW beaches. Do they need salt?

 

[stanleo]

The species you are talking about don't need salt. And I would like to point out that your statement about just getting one snail because they can't reproduce is not necessarily true. Many species are hermaphroditic and can procreate without a partner presents. Some that do need a partner can and do hold sperm for long periods till conditions are right for reproduction. If you are going to have live plants I wouldn't worry about collecting snails anyway because they will come in on the plants. 

 

[AmtotheBurr]

Mystery snails are inexpensive in fish stores and they cannot have eggs without a mate. Granted, they can hold sperm for a few months so she may lay eggs once or twice even without a male but they're easy enough to discard since they are laid out of water. Or, you could end up with a boy snail and not need to worry about that. They help keep my tank algae free and they're kinda fun to watch.

 

[AmtotheBurr]

Laying eggs would be assuming she had male tank mates at the fish store wanted to clarify

 

[Gnoflet]

Thanks. I got a 20 us gallon high at a yard sale a few weeks ago. I might use that instead of a ten gallon. Is there a site online where you could buy cherry shrimp?

 

[Baccus]

Something like Craigs List would probably have them, other wise just do a search Cherry Shrimp For Sale and set which country.