# Cherry shrimp vs. Current



## ebrammer252 (Jun 4, 2015)

I picked up five rcs from a lfs Saturday and have been thoroughly enjoying watching them. I have my aquaclear30 setup with the return pretty much in the middle of my ten gallon. Sometimes I notice the shrimp will swim from one side of the tank to the other, right through the current and get flipped and twirled. I'd this bad for them?


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## Something'sFishy (Jul 6, 2015)

They should be fine, as long as they have places were they have relief from the current, generally, shrimp don't like currents


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## windelov (May 30, 2015)

I (briefly) kept a breeding colony of RCS in a 10 gallon with a 250gph canister on it. It had a directional effluent on it, but still. They should be fine.

Same breeding colony is now in a 5.5 gal with a sponge filter. Started with 2 females (one was berried) and now i have maybe 150? idk i keep giving away 30-50 at a time to my friends


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## ebrammer252 (Jun 4, 2015)

windelov said:


> I (briefly) kept a breeding colony of RCS in a 10 gallon with a 250gph canister on it. It had a directional effluent on it, but still. They should be fine.
> 
> Same breeding colony is now in a 5.5 gal with a sponge filter. Started with 2 females (one was berried) and now i have maybe 150? idk i keep giving away 30-50 at a time to my friends



Since you're familiar with them, the first 24 hours after acclimating them and adding them to the tank they were super active and flying around. Here recently though they've been a lot less active. Of the five, maybe half will be foraging and the others are just kind of hanging out. Last night before bed two or three of them were hanging out at the top, having onto some frogbit. 

Is this normal? Are they usually more active? I would've loved to have gotten more, but $ permitting, I'm hoping these five will repopulate and create a colony. Any interest in selling any of yours?


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## windelov (May 30, 2015)

The first 24 hours or so I'd write off all that activity to excitement due to new water chems, a new environment, new everything. Although they were probably stressed due to the move (which may have actually contributed to the activity, idk how shrimp express stress behaviorally), all that new stimuli could have led to the increased activity. 

Foraging activity is good, but just sitting there isn't bad either. They're not always active, sometimes mine just sit and do nothing. My single amano shrimp (i know, not the same species but whatever) spends a few hours each day on the highest peak of driftwood in my tank and just sits there hanging out doing nothing. 

For some reason i've seen RCS liking the floating plants too. Back when the colony was in the 10 gallon (read: about 10 months ago), the RCS were really into some Brazilian pennywort that I had floating at the surface, despite the tank being heavily planted and there being some algae spots around for them to forage on. There would be like 10-20 hanging out on these pennywort leaves, sometimes upside down. I've even see individuals ride leaves of pennywort around the tank being blasted by a 250gph filter effluent. They just didnt let go.

In short, they'll kind of just do their thing. If they don't die, theyll breed lol.

Also, if you want them to breed and have the young survive to adulthood, you'll need a prefilter sponge on that AquaClear intake 

And sorry, even though I have a few i'm not really looking to sell. Plus they're like on 9th generation of incest so their gene pool is looking a little thin. I'd feel bad selling without picking up a few first and refreshing the stock.


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## Fishguy44 (Jul 19, 2015)

Can anyone tell me how to start a thread? Not to get in the way.


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## Fishguy44 (Jul 19, 2015)

But no I don't think that is bad for them as long as they aren't constantly being tossed around.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Just want to clear something up about this:



Something'sFishy said:


> generally, shrimp don't like currents


The freshwater shrimp we maintain in the hobby actually originate in streams in the wild. Many do exist in slow-moving waters and ponds but current is fine with shrimp.

As others have mentioned, you don't want them blasted all over the tank. Just doesn't sound like that's what the OP has, though.


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## Something'sFishy (Jul 6, 2015)

I just want to clear something else up, in the same post I went on to say "as long as they have relief from the currents" they originate in streams, however most are not keeping wild caught shrimp, moreover it can be very stressful to a shrimp to be tossed and turned, "right through the current and get flipped and twirled"



somewhatshocked said:


> Just want to clear something up about this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## ebrammer252 (Jun 4, 2015)

windelov said:


> The first 24 hours or so I'd write off all that activity to excitement due to new water chems, a new environment, new everything. Although they were probably stressed due to the move (which may have actually contributed to the activity, idk how shrimp express stress behaviorally), all that new stimuli could have led to the increased activity.
> 
> Foraging activity is good, but just sitting there isn't bad either. They're not always active, sometimes mine just sit and do nothing. My single amano shrimp (i know, not the same species but whatever) spends a few hours each day on the highest peak of driftwood in my tank and just sits there hanging out doing nothing.
> 
> ...


Already got a foam pre-filter on there for them!

Bump:


Something'sFishy said:


> I just want to clear something else up, in the same post I went on to say "as long as they have relief from the currents" they originate in streams, however most are not keeping wild caught shrimp, moreover it can be very stressful to a shrimp to be tossed and turned, "right through the current and get flipped and twirled"


Sorry, never addressed this! Yeah, they've got areas to hide that are light current to almost none. I know some of them have found these spots already as I saw them yesterday sitting in those spots on the sand hanging out.


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## Poemist0902 (Jul 2, 2015)

Shrimp do not like currents, but as long as you provide a few areas for them to be away from the strong current, you should be fine.


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

I'm not going to say they like current... But I had a air powered jet lifter style pump in my tank for circulation, no pellet or anything and the shrimp used to surf it like it was an elevator, in the bottom. Out the top... Rinse and repeat


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