[wood]

Wandering the pet store, my son and I were fairly amused watching some bamboo shrimp. Wondering if they would be any risk to baby RCS, or if adding even one of these would substantially impact the quantity of cherries he can have in his 10 gallon. Also wondered if these things might help filter out more than microscopic stuff, such as the occasional nematode and such. Opinions appreciated!

Bamboo Shrimp (Asian Filter Shrimp) are totally safe to have in your tank. They will not harm any other inhabitants including smaller shrimp. I have one in my 10 gallon with RCS as well. Make sure that there is a good water flow in the tank for the Asian Filter to feed from. They need moving water to spread their fans and grab particles from the water.

-Ryan

 

[crazie.eddie]

I agree. I keep Bamboo shrimp and RCS (adults to babies) in the same tanks. Bamboo shrimps don't even seem interested in the babies. I even spotted a tiny baby RCS on the back of a bamboo shrimp. I saw a bump on the bamboo shrimp and thought it was some kind of cyst, until I saw it move from the shrimp onto a plant.

 

[Cydric]

Atyopsis moluccensis normally don't want anything to do with anyone else; they just want to be left alone to filter the flowing water. My asian filter shrimp sometimes grows algae on his back from not moving from his 'special' feeding spot and I sometimes see my RCS, even some CRS picking away at his back while he filters.

 

[Owen Stubbs]

OK - sounds like bamboo shrimp would be harmless to the cherries. I realize shrimp have minimal bio-impact in general, but would having one of these things reduce the tank's ability to house more cherries? Also - do bamboo shrimp pick off some of the small aquatic critters, such as might be listed in that "what is that bug" sticky posting? I know we have a few of those in this tank. Either picked them up when we received the RCS, or had them all along, but were kept in check by the previous (now gone) tank inhabitants of green fire tetras.

 

[Gatekeeper]

not sure about the picking off the bugs thing...but just take your time acclimating them to the tank. Drip Drip Drip. Give it a long time. they can be very sensitive to a change in water parameters. I lost 3 out of 10 within 12 hours...and I spent over an hour acclimating them.

Very expensive shrimp to die off because of mishandling. Just my $0.02.

 

[Owen Stubbs]

Would you say these shrimp are more delicate than RCS, or about the same?

When I received my RCS, I poured off a portion of the water they were shipped in, and slowly added tank water (about an hour or so) until I had about a 50/50 mix, then netted them out and placed in the tank.

 

[wood]

Would you say these shrimp are more delicate than RCS, or about the same?

When I received my RCS, I poured off a portion of the water they were shipped in, and slowly added tank water (about an hour or so) until I had about a 50/50 mix, then netted them out and placed in the tank.

They are more sensitive than RCS. One reason could be that most if not all AFS are wild caught. Most RCS are captive bred and therefore more used to tanks. Plus the stress of removing from the wild and shipping overseas, etc. can really hurt the AFS's chances.

Like someone else said, acclimate the AFS slowly. Once they adapt to your tank though they will be fine.

-Ryan

 

[AnneRiceBowl]

Everyone's given great advice. I've also seen otos removing algae from my A. moluccensis. You can also feed them finely crushed flake or spirulina algae. They like an aged filter because there are more micro-things in it than a newer filter/tank setup. I have also kept mine at the same water parameters, temperature as my RCS when I had them, and now I keep mine with snowball shrimp, which are similar to RCS in care.

 

[Gatekeeper]

IMHO and from what I have read about Bamboo, you don't really need to feed them or try to feed them. I agree with the aged filter...just let them be. I do highly reccomend having them in a tank with fish. Fish produce some of the bacteria that the Bamboo feed on. this makes them the lowest maintenance creature i can think of once they ar established in the tank.

 

[Mauser101]

Would you say these shrimp are more delicate than RCS, or about the same?

When I received my RCS, I poured off a portion of the water they were shipped in, and slowly added tank water (about an hour or so) until I had about a 50/50 mix, then netted them out and placed in the tank.

I once had one these big boys climb up the filter intake and jump out of the tank to walk halfway across the room before I found him. My heater had blown out somehow without me noticing and the water temp got into the low 70s. He, apparently, didn't like it. I'll not trust them in an open top tank again.

He survived though. I plopped him back in the tank and he curled up and fell to the bottom. I had to go to work and when I got home found him hiding in a cave with his new soft, pink exoskeleton and his old one drifting along the bottom of the tank. I was shocked he survived.

 

[Storm_Rider]

RCS would be safe with a Gabonensis too then right?

 

[bulrush]

RCS would be safe with a Gabonensis too then right?

I think so.

 

[Cydric]

Yes.

10 characters.

 

[A Hill]

Yeah, They're all pretty much big and harmless.

Kinda like Lennie from of mice and men, without the random murders here and there...

I also believe mine jumped out of my tank...:icon_frow Didn't like that it was just moss I guess. I'm going to give these another go later on though, they're just so cool!

-Andrew

 

[riva]

I had one jump from my bathroom tank. Fell quite a distance on to marble. Woke up in the morning to find him laying there, plopped him back in and he (she?) was fine. Still wonder how many hours he was down there.

The way I gauge if they are eating enough is their poop. If I see the little poop pellets on the sand I know they are doing ok.

 

[Cydric]

My heater had blown out somehow without me noticing and the water temp got into the low 70s. He, apparently, didn't like it. I'll not trust them in an open top tank again.

I keep mine in constant 72-74F range and my A. moluccensis is happy as ever. I keep the water temperature this low for my CRS who also share the home. Mine is content as ever. When I first got him, though, I had to keep fishing him out of my HOB filter. :icon_roll but once he got situated, he never tried to abandon ship again.