# Amano Shrimp



## AquariumBoiler (Feb 7, 2003)

I've been having a bit of an black and hair algae problem lately and I don't really feel like adding any fish bc I think I'm a bit overstocked as is. Amano shrimp seem like a legitimate answer, but I have ghost shrimp and they seem to die all the time. Do amano shrimp tend to survive or do they die after they shed? Also,do they actually eat hair and black algae?


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## kor4ever (Feb 26, 2003)

I think ghost shrimp are much hardier that amano shrimp, at least they are supposed to be. I've heard Amano shrimp are not forgiving for bad water conditions, although there seems to be some debate on their nitrite and nitrate tolerance. My amano shrimp have molted and are still fine.
Are you treating you tank with algae medication? Usually it contains copper and that kills invertabrates... Actually alot of fish medication also kills shrimp.
About what algae amano shrimp eat, I think they primarily eat hair and string algae, not quite sure though.


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## kor4ever (Feb 26, 2003)

About the black algae, you might want to refer to this topic in the forum

http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=886


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

The Amano's are a much hardier shrimp then the glass shrimp's . 

However I really dont think that all the hullabaloo about them eating algae is what it is cracked up to be...you would need 6,000,000 shrimp to keep up with the algae if it is bad enough for you to ask about it...
The only thing that truly eats algae is proper tank maintenance and lighting.( i.e. ferts, CO2 , length of photo period, properly stocked tank etc.)

Everyone is always looking for something to "eat" the algae that really should not be there to begin with if you have paid attention to tank detail...

And no.... neither the glass nor the amano's die after molting..... sounds like you have water quality issues.. " dying shrimp and algae " :idea:


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## lanstar (Nov 29, 2002)

Buck said:


> ...you would need 6,000,000 shrimp to keep up with the algae if it is bad enough for you to ask about it...


Buck, I think you're off the mark just a bit. It only took me a half million Amanos to control the algae in my 135. I had to tamp the last few thousand in there with the paddle out of a butter churn, (yes it splashed out some of the water, but it was time for a water change anyway) when I was done, I couldn't see any more algae. 

I could have used the popular "2 cups of bleach / 1 cup of hydrochloric acid" per gallon cure but I prefered a more "natural" solution and my aquarium isn't in a "...well ventilated area" as The Krib article recommends.

Take care...

Tim


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## AquariumBoiler (Feb 7, 2003)

The ghost shrimp have been in there for a couple of months. of the 6 I bought I think 4 are still alive. One seems to die whenever one gets cloudy, which I can only assume means when its ready to shed. I never find whole dead shrimp, just parts of them. I hear that immediately after shedding the carapace of the shrimp is softer than normal. I suppose either the gourami or one of the zebra loaches know this and take him out. As far as copper usage, I use Nutrafin PlantGro which has some copper. I use about half the recommended dosage once a week. The black algae seems to only be on one part of the tank, on the back middle. I havn't been able to go out and get any tests lately with school and all, but I'll try to get to the fish store sometime in the next week or so.


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## AquariumBoiler (Feb 7, 2003)

I do weekly 20% water changes too. How often should I do changes to get rid of my algae? The infestation doesn't seem too bad.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

If it isnt bad then I wouldnt worry too much about it... 

More times then not the algae will go away by itself over time with just good tank habits. 
A couple things you can do to help it along is to first take the time to "physically remove" the worst spots by scraping any large patches or "tufts" and clipping away as many of the algae infected leaves of your plants that you can. After you do this, do an immediate water change to try and rid the tank of any of the floating algae from the scraping. Then clean your filters (whatever you use) a few hours later because it will now have accumulated any floating algae that the water change might have missed. This will give you a good jump on the population.
Now cut back on your "lighting period". 
Plants only need 12 hours *maximum* to complete the photosyn process and after that time the only thing that benifits is the algae ! Myself I only go 11 hours and thats it... maybe you are leaving the lights on too long... dunno.
Supplying CO2 to a tank is another way to rid yourself of algae but it isnt for everyone... (cost , time(DIY) etc. )
I keep my CO2 at 30ppm most all the time and the algae has gone completely... at times I miss having it... now I have to "feed" my shrimps and otto's ! :evil:

Remember though that algae is as much a part of nature as is the plants and fish themselves... its only our search for aquatic perfection and ego's that makes this stuff the enemy... :lol: :lol: 

*Buck* 8) 

*Oh yeh and by the way lanstar...*Ya had me laughin hard on this one ! :lol: :lol:



> Buck, I think you're off the mark just a bit. It only took me a half million Amanos


 Aint it the truth... :wink:


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## aquaphish (Dec 20, 2002)

I have to go with Bucks theroy(which is actually fact) that you should treat the algae instead of spending money on critters that will eat it. All you will do with algae eating critters is attempt to maintain algae and not rid the tank of it. 

If you have an algae problem it is most likely caused by nutrient imbalance which should be taken care of. It will not only rid the problem of algae it will also improve the growth of the plants and give the fish a more stable enviroment to live in.

BTW I have 8 Caridina Japonica's in my 40 gal and all 8 have survived for at least 4 months!!! They do a good job at getting rid of green hair algae. But again you need to eliminate the problem and not just maintain it!!!


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## geekgirl (Feb 4, 2003)

Tim,

BWAHAHAHA! 
rotflmao!

thanks for the visual man! and repeat viewing of Buck's feeder fish pic please... whew.

Stacey


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## doooog (Mar 17, 2003)

i can't even keep amano shrimp, my fire eel would snap them up too quick for them to do any good

~Doug


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

I think Amano shrimp are fantastic. I have a dozen of them in a little 15G we keep on the kitchen counter and that aquarium does not have on spot of algae in it. I don't even have a bottom feeder in there. I haven't vacuumed the gravel in a while and it is clean, they have even taken care of that. It is immaculate. I have an Amano shrimp holed up in a piece of driftwood and she is loaded with eggs. I want to redo the aquarium, but have been putting it off a bit so as not to disturb Mom. If you ask me Amano's do the job, and they do it naturally. Now wait until I get the 75G up and running... I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune then!!

Mike


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## PlantumOfTheOpera (Mar 12, 2003)

I just got an Amano shrimp, and I think I'm in love. The little bugger started gorging itself from the time it got released and just kept going. I have not been able to get the ingredients for PMDD, so I have resorted to my old habits, ie Miracle-gro. This of course means Algae. In the past, I used Simazine and it worked very well. I even got my Lace plants to flower and got little lacelets. OTOH, certain plants are killed by it. if anyone has a definitive simazine death list it would be appreciated.
So this time I am trying the natural method, which means shrimp. I enjoyed watching it as it delicately cleaned my ceratophylum. Would also like to use a pleco spp, but understand some will turn on certain of your plants as well. Any suggestions in this dept appreciated as well.


btw i have 4x 40 watt "full spectrum" = 2.9 w/g 12hr/d

a pinky nail sized pinch of mg goes a long way!


====> Any chemists out there? 

When perusing fertilizers, one sees a legend such as 15-30-15 as in MG representing percent NPK, followed by trace element %..... .15%Fe 
I am thinking of switching to the MGacid formula, 30-10-10, + .325% Fe, and supplimenting w/ KCl ie a starting point

Q Has anyone figured out the percent NPK & trace of the PMDD formula?

ie 20-2-20 etc

Thanks,
POO


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## shadowcat_7 (Nov 23, 2002)

Okay first off I do keep Amano shrimp in a tetra tank. I used to have the heavy die off until I started to use ferts with iodine in it. the shrimp need the iodine for molting their skins I will see if I can post the link to the article I found the info in.


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## shadowcat_7 (Nov 23, 2002)

here is the linkhttp://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/thread.asp?id=3052


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## doooog (Mar 17, 2003)

i forgot about the inverts needs for other minerals, and compounds, kinda just like the saltwater invert. needs.


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## PlantumOfTheOpera (Mar 12, 2003)

Shadowcat_7,

On a hunch, I contacted SF Brine shrimp. they comfirmed my suspicion; if you feed brine shrimp they will provide trace amounts of Iodine. 

On a completely different note, having a SAE and an Amano, the algea kept coming, and the SAE could care less. So I use a tiny pinch of Simazine and Voila. Great plants w/o algae. 

So sue me. Natural shmatural. dosing with ferts and CO2 is no better than using algacie.


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