Shrimp

[anastasisariel]

Ok, so my tank is almost established and I'm going to get some shrimp; prob next week, but as with everything else I put in my tanks; I want them to thrive and breed. Currently I have five danios, two Ott cats, and one Betta.

I realized the betta will be a problem to baby shrimp so he is going away. I also realize that my danios can also be a problem. So I need feedback from people who have kept shrimp in communtity tank so I know the likelyhood that some baby shrimp will survive to maturity. Can I just throw a couple java ferns, some kinda moss, and caves that fish can't get into to ensure some survival?

Please only respond if you have been in this situation yourself. No speculations, I can do that myself.

[jaidexl]

I think if you switch out the the danios for a micro Rasbora species, you'll have much better luck. Danios are pretty veracious eaters and reach a decent size for chomping on small shrimplets. I've kept Boraras with breeding shrimp, no problems there. Subwassertang makes for a good shrimp haven, has a bit more density than a wad of moss does, so maybe more protection there. But I don't expect you to have too much success breeding them with Danios in the tank.

[anastasisariel]

Yeah, maybe I will switch them out for Celestial Pearl Danios (when I get the money) and maybe Least Killifish or Endler's livebearer's.

Wow some of those dwarf rasboras look nice!

[jabbott]

My cherry shrimp multiply like crazy in a planted 20 gallon with Espei Rasboras, Dahli Ring Loaches, and Spanish Dancer Guppies (males only to avoid a population explosion). My biggest concern was the loaches feeding on the baby shrimp, but they don't appear to have an effect on the RCS numbers.

[vca2004]

Endlers (and probably the other species you've named as well) will definitely eat shrimp babies. Been there, done that. I didn't have shrimp at that time, but my Endlers would even snatch away most eggs from my watchful German Blue Rams. Endlers are pretty quick and 1mm small shrimplets will be a great meal for them!

If you have to have fish other than pygmy corys or Otos, you need to go with a dwarf tetra or rasbora that doesn't get over 1", better 0.75". Anything bigger than that cannot be trusted!

[anastasisariel]

Yeah, I'm thinking of constructing a major cave network that not only would look cool but allow some smaller organisms to find safety. I'm thinking of some smaller pvp piping that is well aerated (with small holes) and in some places would edge up to the glass so I can observe what is going on inside. I'd have to find a place that I could drop pellet food in it.

Once I let a crawfish in an older tank and I had large creek pebbles and he made his own little tunnel, but I had to take him out because he dug up everything and used to pinch my newts. After thinking all my ghost shrimp had died I seen a few juveniles going in and out of the tunnel. Neat stuff!

[Hobbes1911]

If you have enough cover, you'll be fine. I just overturned my 30 gal and found a well established rcs colony that I never noticed since they always stayed under the driftwood among the rocks and plants (the tank has gold rams among other predatory fish). So if you offer enough hiding spaces where the fish can't get to you should be fine. If you don't have any then I would advise just keeping the ottos or micro rasboras or other fish with specialized mouths to take up other types of food (ottos, cory cats, etc.)