# Lazy Amano Shrimp



## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

I bought 5 Cardina japonica two days ago hoping they'd help clear some algae in my 29 gallon, especially among the finer leaved plants. In fact, I heard this is what they like the most. Well, nothing doing. All they do is hang out at the top of my sword plant. Huh? :biggrin:


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Gio said:


> I bought 5 Cardina japonica two days ago hoping they'd help clear some algae in my 29 gallon, especially among the finer leaved plants. In fact, I heard this is what they like the most. Well, nothing doing. All they do is hang out at the top of my sword plant. Huh? :biggrin:


I think it's still getting used to the tank or is full or scared... What else is in the tank? I have a feeling it's probably hiding from the fish!

-Andrew


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## crazie.eddie (May 31, 2004)

What kind of algae are you having problems with?


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

I suspect the cherry barbs might have something to do with it...I've seen them trying for a quick snack on the amano's legs. The algae is a fine dark green thread type that covers over the plant's leaves. It grows really fast. This incarnation of the tank is about three weeks old. DIY Co2, 2.9 watts per gallon.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Gio said:


> I suspect the cherry barbs might have something to do with it...


Well there is the cause!

-Andrew


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

I guess they're barbs after all. I'm kinda hoping they get used to each other...I don't want to get rid of the cherries.


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## Blacksunshine (Oct 11, 2006)

weird my C barbs don't mess with my amanos at all. It does take them a few days sometimes before they adjust and get to work.


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

I've had cherry barbs and amano's in the same tank over a year ago. Tank is now defunct and sold. Anyway, I'd say the barbs were more scared of the amanos. Fins would go missing at night......


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

One of the shrimp died today :angryfire The barbs are more inquisitive than anything else, they only go for the shrimp when the shrimp are swimming in open water. Now that they're just hanging out they get left alone. Problem is, they're not getting to any food. But I guess if they were really hungry they'd venture out? I was wondering if it could be the flying foxes. They don't go for the shrimp, but they're kinda boisterous.


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## Cydric (Dec 6, 2006)

How did your amano die? Did it commit suicide and jump out of the tank? Or did you find it dead inside the tank?


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

It died inside the tank.


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## sandiegoryu (Feb 15, 2006)

IME, amano shrimp jump out if there is something wrong with the tank. I had an amano stay in my open top until I saw a bee shrimp die, indicating something wrong. Also my cherries were very inactive. The I noticed my amano dried up on the floor. Maybe there is seriously something wrong with your shrimp that they lost the will to jump out.


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## Cardinal Tetra (Feb 26, 2006)

Gio said:


> I bought 5 Cardina japonica two days ago hoping they'd help clear some algae in my 29 gallon, especially among the finer leaved plants. In fact, I heard this is what they like the most. Well, nothing doing. All they do is hang out at the top of my sword plant. Huh? :biggrin:


You said that the amanos are at the top of your sword palnt. Does this mean that they are very close the the water's surface? This might mean that there isn't enough oxygen or too much CO2. I know that at night if I don't raise my spraybar to cause surface agitation all of my shrimp will gather on the vegetation at the top of the water. Also can you see any food in their guts? Healthy, happy amanos usually have some food in there.


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

They are right at the surface, now with little food in their guts. I was beginning to suspect Co2 (though all of the fish are fine). I think I'll add an airstone. Apparently I'll have to leave it on 24/7 to avoid pH swings. I'd also heard that an airstone or excess surface agitation would to some degree negate Co2 injection? My Co2 gets dispersed by the filter's impeller, so hopefully it won't matter that much.


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

Just checked on the shrimp, and their bodies were milky :icon_frow Yikes! Seems Co2 is the culprit. I've put an airstone in at full blast. Let's see what happens.


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks for the earlier replies all. Since I've added an airstone, the remaining four shrimp are much healthier. I've discovered why they're not eating the algae - they're eating the sword (an Amazon, the leaf they perch on is steadily disappearing) and the flake food :angryfire I've seen them swim out, grab a flake and then find a cozy perch on which to eat it! Oh well. One wierd thing is that one or two still have milky bodies, apparently a sign of hypoxia. They're eating well though, and they're active. Water parameters are: pH 6.4, Ammonnia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrates approx 3ppm.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Gio said:


> Just checked on the shrimp, and their bodies were milky :icon_frow Yikes! Seems Co2 is the culprit. I've put an airstone in at full blast. Let's see what happens.


Ohh didn't even think of CO2!

Sorry to hear about the shrimp...

-Andrew


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## Gio (Jun 20, 2006)

A couple of the shrimp are still milky, but they're moving around the tank now, and they seem to be eating. Is this something to be concerned about?


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## Gioacqua (Feb 28, 2015)

*Amano Shrimp :Lazy*

Hi all, sorry to grave dig this post, but I recently got one amano shrimp for my 1.5 gallon, and the first day it was very active cleaning and eating algae, but now for nearly two days its been very lazy, it stays in one spot for hours on end, not eating or cleaning. Is something wrong with it? water parameters are just fine, and the betta doesn't bother it. I've heard amanos don't do well alone? should I get another few to keep it company? I'm really worried about it. I hope it is okay. I've been leaving a little bit of fish food out on the gravel in case it is hungry. This is my first time having any kind of shrimp, so have no idea what normal behavior for them is. From I've read they should be very active. Some say they are more active at night, but this was not the case either, I observed at night and it did not move around much.


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## Yukiharu (May 3, 2014)

Gioacqua, if your shrimp is not moving or seems sluggish then it is definitely upset. Shrimp need very clean water, so leaving food out may be doing more harm than good. Try doing small water changes (<10%) if you have any ammonia in your tank.
Shrimp also do not do well in cold water, so make sure your temperature is in their ideal range.


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## Gioacqua (Feb 28, 2015)

Yukiharu said:


> Gioacqua, if your shrimp is not moving or seems sluggish then it is definitely upset. Shrimp need very clean water, so leaving food out may be doing more harm than good. Try doing small water changes (<10%) if you have any ammonia in your tank.
> Shrimp also do not do well in cold water, so make sure your temperature is in their ideal range.


My tank has a heater, its been 79F constantly. Also the tank is heavily planted, ammonia and nitrates have been under control for a while now since setup. Tank also has filter. the food I leave out I siphon out after half a day if its not eaten.


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## Yukiharu (May 3, 2014)

http://www.planetinverts.com/Amano Shrimp.html
water parameters in the top-right

Bump: In general, shrimp do not need to be fed much. Even amanos don't need that much food. If they are hungry then they will swim over to food, grab it, and swim off.
How did you acclimate it?
Is it white in color?


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## Gioacqua (Feb 28, 2015)

UPDATE: I found out my betta leaf was rusting! I am doing an immediate water change to remove as much dissolved metals as possible. over the next few days will do a complete 100% water change. I think this was the issue. shrimp are very sensitive to metals. My betta didn't seem to notice anything though. I acclimated it by leaving it in the bag for an hour and a half. At first it was really active but not is quite lazy. It wasn't like this at the store. I'm hoping water changes will get rid of this issue. don't know how long the betta leaf has been rusting.... tank is heavily planted so maybe that is the only reason the shrimp is still alive, perhaps the plants absorbed a little of the metals.


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## Yukiharu (May 3, 2014)

Yeah excess iron would do it too


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