[NateBW]

I was thinking about getting some very easy, beginner shrimp for my 37 gallon tank. Not because I especially like shrimp, but because I like the idea of them eat food off the gravel that the fish might miss.

Is this helpful, or just a complication? Would some sort of scavenging fish be better?

 

[Sethjohnson30]

As long as you don't have anything large enough to eat the shrimp you will be fine. I would suggest Amanos, they are very hardy and larger than most of the shrimp we keep

 

[jbrady33]

As long as you don't have anything large enough to eat the shrimp you will be fine. I would suggest Amanos, they are very hardy and larger than most of the shrimp we keep

another vote for Amanos. They don't breed in an aquirium and are a great cleanup crew. I would ask Msjinkzd if she has any 'extra large' in stock, I got a few from her as big as my little finger, my bigger fish leave them alone (platies, mollies, rosy barbs)

Fun to watch, no special care, no extra bio load on the tank/filter

 

[dprais1]

I think a some cories would do the work of dozens of shrimp 10x better if you are just looking for function. shrimp don't seem to eat much.

but they are sure fun to watch

 

[dprais1]

I think a some cories would do the work of dozens of shrimp 10x better if you are just looking for function. shrimp don't seem to eat much.

but they are sure fun to watch

 

[NateBW]

Thanks for the advice. I haven't seen Amonos at my LFS. Are there any major concerns getting them via mail?

 

[cassiebug]

If you want shrimp Msjinkzd has them and she also has fish, very reasonable on her stock and shipping. I've bought from her several times. Items are well pkged and shipped quickly.

cassiebug

 

[Newman]

cherry shrimp and amano are best. cherries will breed if you have enough cover and amanos are just bigger so they shouldnt get eaten. aggressive fish like angels will eat amanos though...

 

[NateBW]

Thanks Cassiebug. I'll check it out.

I've read that neons will eat shrimp, even though they are small.... I've got 13 of them.

 

[jbrady33]

The neons will eat newborn shrimp if they can get to them, they won't touch adults or Amanos.

 

[Dave-H]

Cherry shrimp are great for starting off because they are cheap, and they'll reproduce in the tank. The neons will pick off the babies, but probably a few will survive and it's good for the neons to have a live snack.

My observation is that shrimp absolutely do help clean the tank, and they have very little bioload. However, they don't eat much so it would take multiple shrimp to equal the cleanup power of a single fish.

 

[inthepacific]

i think if your tank is planted heavily enough you shouldn't have to worry about the fish eating them the shrimp will hide pretty well. it also depends they might not spend a ton of time on the substrate if your tank is planted very heavily because they'd probably be picking at the plants but they might be in the substrate who knows

 

[mitchfish9]

+1 on getting amanos from msjinkzd. You will not have a problem getting them through the mail.

 

[tunatime]

He could try red claw shimp. I saw them at a lfs and they are huge...i think they might eat the fish though

 

[Soothing Shrimp]

I have red claws. Grow ~3". I love the shrimp because they are much more animated and active than dwarf shrimp, but best in a species only tank. Think of them like crays, only non-violent to plants- but will eat anything they can catch. Snails, sleeping fish, etc.

 

[zzrguy]

The anwser is yes get some try glass shrimp they are cheap $.50 to a $1.00 if they dont get eaten then try some cherrys the Amanos some time are listed as algae eaters. All the tanks I ever had shrimp in looked better then with out them.