# Is one amano shrimp enough for my 6 g. tank?



## duganderson (Dec 5, 2011)

I have a 6 gallon cube planted with a Beta and I will be adding about 5 more inches of fish (some cardinals or some rainbowfish). I have 1 small cherry shrimp and 1 Japenese amano shrimp.

Is one amano shrimp enough to control algae? or should I get more OR soemthing else (snail, algae fish, etc)? 

I don't currently have an algae problem but it's only been set up for a couple weeks.

--Doug


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

Well, an amano shrimp can't east every kind of algae. Get a nerite snail to clean the glass.


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

A work of warning....a 6 gallon is a small tank for all those fish and the beta and others will nip or eat any shrimp you have in there. The cherry shrimp will be the first.


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## duganderson (Dec 5, 2011)

ThatGuyWithTheFish said:


> Well, an amano shrimp can't east every kind of algae. Get a nerite snail to clean the glass.


Do nerite snails contribute much to the bio load?


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## Shrimpaholic (Jul 7, 2012)

I would say yes. Perhaps not as much as fish but I have two nerites in a 20g and while they devour the algae in my tank they poop a lot. And those eggs... If my nerites die I'm going with MTS. 

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## duganderson (Dec 5, 2011)

Why do you like MTS better?



Shrimpaholic said:


> I would say yes. Perhaps not as much as fish but I have two nerites in a 20g and while they devour the algae in my tank they poop a lot. And those eggs... If my nerites die I'm going with MTS.
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Tapatalk 2


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## brainwavepc.com (Sep 27, 2011)

Nerites leave annoying white eggs on everything. The eggs only hatch in brackish water so the eggs don't go away


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## HighDesert (May 8, 2012)

duganderson said:


> Why do you like MTS better?


MTS also spend a lot of time hanging out in the substrate, which I really like, as I appreciate that they're cleaning the stuff that gets down into the nooks and crannies. I would honestly just keep the one betta in there with some pretty snails (purple mystery snails are BEAUTIFUL and good at cleaning up detritus). I think at least two Amano shrimp, too. I have four in a ten gallon and they're great at keeping the algae at bay. And make sure they're large -- the betta will snack on smaller shrimp.


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## duganderson (Dec 5, 2011)

HighDesert said:


> MTS also spend a lot of time hanging out in the substrate, which I really like, as I appreciate that they're cleaning the stuff that gets down into the nooks and crannies. I would honestly just keep the one betta in there with some pretty snails (purple mystery snails are BEAUTIFUL and good at cleaning up detritus). I think at least two Amano shrimp, too. I have four in a ten gallon and they're great at keeping the algae at bay. And make sure they're large -- the betta will snack on smaller shrimp.


If my tank is heavily planted, don't I want more fish to produce more waste to fertilize the plants. I'd like to move to less fertilzer dosing and a more "natural tank".


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

is 1 amano enough for what? Are you planning to have algae or overfeeding?


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## HighDesert (May 8, 2012)

duganderson said:


> If my tank is heavily planted, don't I want more fish to produce more waste to fertilize the plants. I'd like to move to less fertilzer dosing and a more "natural tank".


It really depends on where you want to go with it, what kind of plants you want to keep in it, etc. And how good your biological filtration is. If you want more fish, I'd recommend adding them slowly and testing regularly. 6 gallons is a pretty small territory for a betta to have to share with anyone, but if it's well planted, it could probably work. It also depends on your betta's disposition.


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