gobies et al

That isn't normal behaviour for Cherry Shrimp as they aren't carnivores. I would wonder if you have gotten another species. Occasionally there are contaminants sold. Species such as Macrobrachiums are omnivores and the larger species will try and catch fish. This thread shows one that was sold as a Cherry shrimp. http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=26582

BFM - I had Canna's. Their natural diet is living plants as opposed to the Brigg's cleaning up the dying leaves. That is what makes them such a problem in agriculture.

Do you have good water circulation? These shrimp are from high flow waters and need well oxygenated conditions to do well.

Here's a good site for care of Ampullarias. http://www.applesnail.net/ I agree that the snails purchased from the fish stores often do not get the care they need. Ones I have observed are unable to feed, either because of the fish they are put in with or just not offered suitable food. You haven't indicated which species you have. The 2 most common have very different dietary requirements and could easily starve to death. Do you have them in with fish that could be picking at them when they do emerge?

Hi! I'm glad people are developing an interest in shrimp keeping. There is an excellent article on keeping Amano shrimp at this site: http://www.planetinverts.com/Amano%20Shrimp.html I have definitely had Amano's live at least 3 years but since they were still living at the time I sold them, who knows how much longer they'll live. Dan - I wasn't concerned about egg survival so I didn't concern myself with this. I'm guessing they would probably eat eggs if the opportunity presented itself. As for anybody in Calgary raising them, not likely. As far as I am aware, there has been myself and another living in Victoria that has successfully raised them. I gave all my F1's to my son when he took my last tank. There aren't multiple color strains as virtually all of them are wild caught. They are just too much trouble and time consuming to try to develop color strains. From time to time some of the females do color up. One person posted a picture of one that developed a blue black color, and I've had one that became reddish. jvision - from what I've read, it seems there may be a number of species that get sold as Amano's. There are claims of them being bred in fresh water. The true Amano does not. There may be a number of look alike that could only be differentiated using a microscope. Borgy - I think what you are describing as white with red stripes was probably Crystal Red Shrimp.

I had mopani in my brackish tank for 5+ years. The Nerites and the Amano's kept up with the wood's very slow disintegration. Wood beneath the sand layer also disintegrated slowly but that would be cleaned out when I vacuumed the sand. I never had problems that I was aware of with metals leaching out. Then again I did weekly water changes and I did have some carbon matting in my filter.

Good Luck with this tank and it's inhabitants. I thought it made sense to go with the glass lengths instead of metal as you are going with brackish setup. Salt and metal don't go well together unless its brass.

Hi, I was so happy to read you were getting my 'special' fish. Other creatures that I kept successfully with him were Redigobius balteatus (Clown Goby purchased at Big Als in Edmonton), Telmatherina ladigesi (Celebese rainbowfish occupies the top regions, the males get very pretty), Parambassis ranga (Indian Glassfish) and he really enjoyed the attentions of Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.). Amano Shrimp also did well in that tank. I also looked for Orange Chromides and only found them once, a Petland store in Saskatoon. At that time we were already looking to move, so I didn't pick them up. Here is an informative site by Neal Monks: http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/brackishfaq.html

Congratulations!!! :thumbs:

Fantastic shots! :thumbs:

No, Aquari-sol is not safe for shrimp. It contains copper which will kill shrimp. If used in the tanks, it would be many months, maybe never, suitable for shrimp. See this site: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4720

Thanks for posting. There is some good information there.

Looking good! I've really enjoyed following this thread and all your hard work! :thumbs:

Thank You for setting the record strait.... you seem to know your shrimp... I read at least a couple of links that say differently, they state that blues and others are from cherries... I think it gets confusing when you just use the common name instead of the scientific. As I said, the blues that they are referring to have to be Neocaridina heteropoda var. blue. Neocaridina heteropoda var. red is what we call Cherries. If a Cherry breeds with any other color of N. heteropoda the next generation will be wild color, brownish with stripes, the following generation will start to produce a variety of colors occasionally seen in the wild population including blues and yellows.

Cherry shrimp are Neocaridina heteropoda var. red. Crystal shrimp are Caridina cf Cantonensis var Crystal Red (Crystal Black). Green shrimp are supposedly Caridina babaulti var. green. Blue Tiger shrimp are Caridina sp Tiger. I've had Neocaridina heteropoda var. blue. From my wild colored Neocaridina heteropoda, I was getting yellow, blue, brown, striped, and red. Neocaridina only breed with other Neocaridina. Caridina babaulti only have been known to breed with other C babaulti, but there is speculation they can crossbreed with other Caridina. Also there may be several species that are called 'Green Shrimp' as well as several that are sold as Caridina cf babaulti. C. cf babaulti come in a number of variations, including green, stripes, Malaya, so a number of different colors are apt to show up. Clear as mud? Anyways, isn't it neat when something different shows up. I loved to see what colors would appear.

Thanks, I think I got them fixed.

In response to your question about using KMnO4, I decided to post an article that I did for another forum under Fish Emergencies. Be aware that if you use this chemical, it is not selective and will basically sterilize your filters. You would eliminate the snails but you would have to cycle your filters again.

I have found Potassium permanganate to be a useful tool in for the management of bacteria and external parasites. It has the advantages of bleach but is readily neutralized without the lingering chlorine! I would disinfect my lined pond with it as part of my spring cleaning before filling and restocking. It also came in handy when the large Koi became itchy and were starting to jump. One carefully administered dip treatment and all was well. My main frustration was having to hunt for the research material before each use to confirm doses. The information was out there, but scattered. The common uses and doses for Potassium permanganate are included. Use carefully! Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) Disclaimer: This is a compilation of information found in articles and books. I cannot verify the accuracy for dosing or which species may be sensitive. It is a valuable tool for the aquarist but extreme caution must be applied! Potassium permanganate is useful in aquaculture as a plant dip, surface disinfectant, anti-parasite treatment, and assist with treating bacterial gill disease and ulcers. It is used by shrimp farmers to clear water of dissolved organics and bacteria. Although potassium permanganate is a strong chemical, its use may be indicated for use: - when time is of the essence, i.e. treating an ulcer and antibiotic bath would be too slow - to decrease parasite load when being moved from/to summer/winter pond - in treating individual fish - when the parasite not killed by gentler methods, e.g. salt - in disinfecting pond or tank Caution: Use with extreme caution. Since it is an oxidizing agent, too strong a solution or prolonged contact is harmful and can kill what you are trying to treat, including plants and invertebrates. High doses can cause tissue corrosion. Potassium permanganate is - a caustic alkali - an oxidizing agent - neutralized by sunlight - neutralized by hydrogen peroxide (H202) - neutralized by chlorine - neutralized by water conditioner agents (chlorine removers) - ineffective in green water Potassium permanganate can - kill bacterial, fungal, and many parasitic agents, but is not viricidal - kill snails - oxidize organics leaving clearer water - disinfect surface wounds such as bacterial gill disease and ulcers Some uses of potassium permanganate: 1. Plant dip (to kill snails and assist in removing organic matter) Caution - some plants, such as vallisneria, are sensitive and will melt - dip - weak solution (pale pink) for several minutes then rinse in running water - bath - 10 mg/L for 10 minutes 2. Surface disinfectant - 10 mg/L with a 30 - 60 minute contact time - 500 mg/L with a 30 second contact time 3. Anti-parasite treatment (for adult stages Argulus, Ergrsilus and juvenile stages of most crustacean parasites) - dip #1 - 1 gm/5 L for 2.5 minutes - set up 2 tubs with pond water, 1 with accurate amount of Potassium permanganate added and other aerated for recovery. Monitor fish carefully. Remove fish before time up if rolls over or at the end of treatment to aerated recovery tank. Return to pond after recovery. - dip #2 - 1 gm/10 L for 5 to 8 minutes - short bath - 10-20 mg/L for 30 minutes, may need to be repeated - long bath - 2 mg/L for minimum 4 hours 4. Pond disinfectant - Actual treatment rates in ponds will vary depending on the amount of organic matter, or organic load, in the water. See reference material to determine how to calculate amount of Potassium permanganate required based on response - 2 mg/L for minimum 8 hours - 10 mg/L for a 10-minute tank treatment 5. Ulcer treatment (decreases bacteria count parasite load in water; parasites are a common problem when ulcer present and complicates healing) - long bath - 2 mg/L for 8 hours, every other day for total of 3 treatments Cautions - do not add crystals directly to tanks/ponds containing fish, use a stock solution then disperse through water to be treated - store stock solutions in the dark - some fish sensitive to KMnO4, especially in alkaline water conditions - some species known to be sensitive can usually be treated at 1/2 strength with caution, include Lake Malawi cichlids,Rudd, Orfe, Piranhas, scaleless fish, marine invertebrates - non-selective, will kill good and bad bacteria in filter, is reportedly safe at 2 mg/L - do not mix with formalin (forms toxic formaldehyde gas) - stains skin and clothing (wear protective gear) - low oxygen can occur after treatment, be prepared to aerate How to make a stock solution: - #1 - mix 1 teaspoon (~ 7 gm)KMnO4 in 700 ml of warm water =~10 mg/ml -use 1 ml for each Imperial gallon to give 2.2 mg/L -use 1ml for each US gallon to give ~2.5 mg/L - #2 - add 28.5 gm of Potassium permanganate to 1 gallon of distilled water, mix thoroughly - delivers dose of 1 mg/L when administered at 1 drop /gallon - 2 drops per gallon yields concentration of 2 mg/L - or 1 ml(20 drops in 1 ml) in 10 gallons is 2 mg/L Solutions must be stored in cool dark locations. Shake well before using. References/Further Reading: Steve Hickling (Editor), Mick Martin (Editor), Bernice Brewster (Editor), Koi: Living Jewels of the Orient, Barron's Educational Series Inc, 2002. Dr Chris Andrews, Adrian Exell, and Dr Neville Carrington, Manual of Fish Health, Firefly Books Ltd, 2003 Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4), http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/potper.shtml Potassium permanganate effective, but potentially dangerous treatment for parasites, by FishDoc, Home of Fish Health http://web.archive.org/web/20030413141539/http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/treatments/potassium+permanganate.htm Potassium Permanganate Treatment by Wayne Barker, http://www.koi-bito.com/forum/main-forum/7554-do-you-use-potassium-permanganate-7.html Use of Potassium Permanganate to Control External Infections of Ornamental Fish, Ruth Francis-Floyd and RuthEllen Klinger, University of Florida http://www.aquanic.org/species/ornamentals/documents/permanganate.pdf The Use of Potassium Permanganate in Fish Florida Ponds, Andrew M. Lazur, University of Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA032

Checking the history of the Betta... " Why "Betta" ? It is believed that there was a warrior-like tribe of people called "Bettah". So I guess in a way Betta Splendens could be translated into : Splendid (beautiful) warrior. You have to admit the name is perfect . " From: http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_history.htm

I've usually just weighted them so the stem is just above the substrate. The roods will grow down into the substrate, even attach themselves onto rock over time.

:thumbs: That's a nice looking bunch of kids you have there, If I do say so myself. I'm not biased at all. Another proud grandparent. :bow:

An alternative would be a larger type of shrimp instead of the dwarf shrimps. Cherries are Neocaridina heteropoda var. red. You could look at the larger Caridina cf babaulti (http://www.planetinverts.com/Babaulti%20Complex.html)or even one of the Macrobrachium sp. I'll post a picture. I had Macrobrachium in my 90 gal planted tank with Angels and they were OK.

Is the back yard pond in a small town or in a well developed residential area? Is the yard well fenced in? I wouldn't discount human predator if it is at all accessible.

PM sent.

I know this is controversial but... many pleco's have a poor tolerance of salt and metals (copper). I don't know what the parasite you are dealing with is, obviously not ich if you can see it moving. This site: http://www.plecofanatics.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-32279.html states "Those fishes are, I would like to again point out, barely armored against poor water quality and are susceptible to "organic pollution". Maintain water quality as hign as you can. On imported specimens, internal worms and gill flukes may result in hard troubles. During quarantine, feed your new fellow(s) a medicated (anti-parasitic) food for at least a week. Otherwise, you can rely on metranidazole/flagyl (that’s what I did, btw!). Captive-bred specimens are, of course, almost always gill and internal worm free. Infestations of ich – please not! - can be handled with green malachite (no personal experience at all, knock on wood!). Do not use too much salt, which is quite common when dealing with cichlids, or metals (copper) on catfishes since they could die from these treatments more readily than the apparent cause you're treating."