The first step is to decide whether the aquarium will be a pure shrimp tank, or whether it will be kept together with fish. Many other recommendations will depend on the decision made.
Many people believe that since there is already an aquarium with fish, then it is necessary to populate it with shrimp. In principle, this is quite logical. But we should not forget that fish can perceive new residents as food. The chances of survival increase with the presence of various shelters and dense thickets of Java moss.
Other people who paid 15 euros for each Sulawesi shrimp (or even 150 rubles for red crystals) rightly believe that feeding fish with such live food is not reasonable. But there is a catch here too. Not everyone is ready to allocate a 100-liter jar for 2-centimeter cockroaches. Therefore, they make containers of 20 liters (or even less). But keeping small aquariums in itself is not for beginners. I would like to especially focus on this fact, which is often revealed to people too late.

Aquarium preparation

Often people try to plant shrimp in a new aquarium. It even happens that they are assigned the role of pioneers who must prepare the environment for the subsequent introduction of fish. This is mistake!
The water in a new aquarium is almost never suitable for shrimp to live in. It is not very suitable for fish either, but they are simply more tenacious.

The aquarium must be started according to all the rules. This process for shrimp is not significantly different from starting a fish aquarium.
And to quickly saturate the water with useful organic matter, you can use oak leaves or alder cones. Granulated peat in the filter also significantly speeds up the water preparation process.
It is especially important to add filter feeders to an already balanced aquarium. Because in clean water new aquarium they will have nothing to eat.

But never forget two things in any shrimp tank:

• Good aeration.
• Living plants.

Floating plants are also very useful. These include: Riccia fluitans, Pistia stratiotes, Ceratopteris pteroides, Ceratophyllum demersum.

Aquarium for filter feeders

These shrimp require special housing conditions due to the fact that in nature they live in rivers and streams.

Volume	It is advisable to have a capacity of at least 50 liters. This is due to the requirements for the stability of water parameters and the conditions for the development of plankton in the water, which feeds the filter feeders.
Flow	It should be mandatory. Filter feeders spend most of their time sitting on the strongest current, catching food in it with their fans. Try to arrange a snag or other piece of decoration opposite the pump outlet for the shrimp to sit on.
Shelters	This is an important factor during molts. Shrimp must be able to hide somewhere in case of danger. Mine use natural holes in the driftwood for this.
Carbon dioxide	As a rule, filter feeders die in aquariums with a feed carbon dioxide. I think that the problem is not the CO 2 itself, but the lack of aeration.

Purchase, transportation, move-in.

So, the aquarium is prepared, the plan for settling is drawn up - it’s time to go to the pet store or the bird market to get the desired pets.
A conscientious seller should place the shrimp in a bag filled with water approximately 1/3 - 1/2. If you can get to home in an hour and a half, then the bag can be filled with air. If more - oxygen.
It is very important that the bag contains some object that the shrimp can cling to. This could be a piece of hornwort or a plastic mesh. Plastic is preferable for long-term transportation, because... living plant may reduce oxygen concentration in the dark.

During transportation, you need to protect the package from hypothermia or overheating. Shaking should also be kept to a minimum.

The most interesting thing is the ritual of moving shrimp to a new place of residence.
Never pour the contents of the bag into the aquarium!
The first thing you need to do is put a tube with a spray from the compressor into the bag to ventilate the passengers.
Next, the package is placed to float in the aquarium, secured top part clothespin. This is necessary to gradually equalize the water temperature.
And then you need to pour water from the aquarium into the bag in small portions. In such a way that the package is filled in 30-40 minutes. After this, you can pour out some of the water from the bag (without shrimp, of course) and continue filling. Thus, it would be good to increase the period of adaptation to new conditions to an hour or an hour and a half.

For particularly valuable species, such as wild Sulawesi, droppers are used to slowly and evenly top up over a couple of hours.
Adaptation of cherries taken from people living nearby (i.e. their water is similar in composition to yours) can be reduced to 20-30 minutes.

And only then can the new settlers be released into their new house.

But the shrimp’s misadventures don’t end there either. They still have to molt in new water. A typical picture the next morning: white skins are lying on the bottom, and the shrimp themselves are nowhere to be seen. But after a day or two they already come out of hiding and begin to do their daily activities, if everything is fine.

To quarantine or not to quarantine?

Do new shrimp need to be quarantined? The answer is not nearly as clear as for fish. The fact is that shrimp cannot directly infect fish with any diseases. Just like a cockroach cannot catch the flu from a person.

It sounds ominous, but the likelihood of such a scenario coming true is negligible. In addition, the “correct” sellers do not keep fish and shrimp together.

On the other hand, many people will probably decide that it wouldn’t hurt to take insurance. There is a reason for this. But in this case, it is necessary to prepare a full-fledged shrimp tank for quarantine. With soil, grass, light, heating pad, etc. After all, new settlers must not only sit in it for a couple of weeks, but gain strength for repeated molting, which is quite likely when moving to another aquarium. And if during quarantine some females breed eggs (this is highly likely to happen in cherries), will you risk future offspring?

In short, I personally have never quarantined shrimp.

Shrimp diseases and other enemies

Like all living things, shrimp can get sick. These could be infections, infestations, pathologies caused by unfavorable conditions, etc.
You can read more about this or.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to cure sick shrimp at home. However, mortality from poor-quality water is orders of magnitude higher than from disease.

It's time to talk about feeding shrimp. It is no coincidence that I placed this section near the end. Only by understanding the peculiarities of the existence of these crustaceans can one learn the principles of their nutrition.

Most of the time, shrimp are engaged in searching for food and eating it. You can say that they eat all the time. Which is quite natural, if you remember their relationship with cockroaches.
Their food consists of algae, detritus, decaying plant remains and other debris. By nature they are scavengers. Therefore, if a fish suddenly dies in an aquarium, the shrimp are the first to find it.

They find food by smell. Believe me, their sense of smell is so sensitive that dogs can only be jealous.
In second place among their senses is touch. It’s not for nothing that shrimp have three pairs of whiskers, with which they constantly feel everything that interests them.
And only in third place is vision.
Such abilities allow shrimp to engage in their favorite activity (eating) day and night with equal success.

“But what should we feed them?” - you ask. Let's look at the possible options.

• There are special branded food for shrimp. They contain a balanced set of elements necessary for the comfortable existence of these crustaceans. But so far such food has not yet become widespread, and not everyone will like the cost.
• Personally, I use regular fish food in the form of flakes, granules and tablets for feeding. Which one exactly does not play a special role, as long as it is of high quality. However, it is advisable to focus on feed with a high content of plant components. In particular, catfish tablets with spirulina are going great.
• And almost all shrimp, except filter feeders, love to eat live bloodworms. Little cherries manage to stuff sized worms into themselves. And the Amanks manage to grab two worms at once (fortunately, there are only 10 main limbs, and there are also jaws!). At the same time, they still manage to steal bloodworms from unwary comrades.

But now a very important message! If you generously feed the shrimp, it will not lead to any good. After all, shrimp eat almost continuously. Their bodies are designed to consume large quantity ballast food. And if they have a lot of high-calorie food, this will lead to irreversible metabolic disorders. But shrimp can die much faster, poisoned by nitrogenous substances that will certainly appear from the introduced food.
In addition, an excess of food leads to an imbalance, which can lead to the invasion of both harmless snails or acroluxes and worms that are quite dangerous for shrimp - planaria. Red algae also like this situation: flip flops and beards. But simple-minded aquarists confuse cause with effect and begin to fight the symptoms, further upsetting the balance.
Hence the conclusion: be extremely careful and responsible about the feeding process. If the shrimp do not get something from the food, they will make up for it with what they find at the bottom of the aquarium.

In large aquariums with a large number of plants, some owners do not feed the shrimp at all.
In aquariums with fish, they always have enough of what the fish haven’t eaten. Moreover, unlike most fish, shrimp eat at night, finding food by smell.
In small shrimp tanks, calculating the optimal amount of feed is an art! For the signature small pellets, the rule of thumb some connoisseurs use is one pellet per shrimp per day.
To calculate the required dosage, you can measure the concentration of nitrogenous compounds: ammonia, nitrite and nitrate using drop tests, which are sold in aquarium stores. More experienced aquarists can navigate by snails and algae.
I myself put one pinch of fish food in a 20-liter shrimp tank 2-3 times a week.
I strongly advise against using frozen bloodworms in small quantities or in the absence of fish. If they don’t manage to eat it in time, the water can completely deteriorate. At the same time, live bloodworms practically do not spoil the water. Even if it is not eaten, it will only hatch into non-biting mosquitoes.

To feed filter feeders, it is recommended to use frozen daphnia or cyclops. Personally, I don’t feed them on purpose, but the conditions in the aquarium have been created for the development of plankton.

Aquarium care

There is nothing unusual about caring for a shrimp aquarium.
It is enough to change 20-30% of the water per week.

If you have small shrimp in your aquarium, be careful when cleaning the filters. Shrimp fry will settle in them.
How to avoid throwing babies down the drain?
This is not a simple question. I myself use a 20-liter rough shrimp tank, equipped only with a heating pad and floating plants. I use it to rinse my sponges before washing them. Cherry shrimp usually settle in this tank. And when they grow up, I transplant them back into aquariums.

If there are an abundance of fast-growing plants, avoid total weeding. Not only will this cause a pH shift, but the released plant juice in large quantities is dangerous for shrimp. This is especially true for Elodea and Limnophila.

How do shrimp reproduce?

And finally, about the most interesting...

The mating ritual is the same for all shrimp. When the female is ready to acquire eggs, she releases special odorous substances into the water - pheromones. The males, sensing them, rush around the aquarium like crazy. Then the females have eggs under their bellies, which they carefully ventilate.

Shrimp and filter feeders cannot reproduce in an aquarium, like many other large shrimp. Their larvae are able to develop only in sea water.
But cherry shrimp, like most small species, reproduce quite quickly. Reproductive age they reach around two months of age. The eggs are incubated for 2-3 weeks. Newborn shrimp are immediately miniature copies of their parents.

The picture of changes in the population size of cherry shrimp, which I observed in different aquariums, is quite succinctly described by the Verhulst Dynamics with a growth coefficient r>2. In simple terms, this means the following:

• At first their number is growing.
• When the maximum permissible number is reached, growth does not stop, and due to inertia, the shrimp still reproduce for some time, but at an increasingly slower pace. At this moment, it seems that the aquarium is simply teeming with these cockroaches.
• Then the number decreases. And by inertia it flies past again, falling much below the optimum.
• Then the shrimp begin to actively reproduce again, and their numbers again soar above normal
• In general, their number constantly fluctuates around a certain value, which is characterized by the volume of the jar and other conditions of detention.

Conclusion

So, “at a gallop across Europe” we examined the main issues of shrimp science. But I hope that having at least this knowledge will help you create a cozy home for your shrimp.
For those wishing to become more familiar with certain aspects, there are many links in the text.
But the most important thing is the experience that will appear over time.
Finally, I would like to wish all aquarists the joy of communicating with their pets!

Freshwater aquariums are very colorful. Planted plants, among which decorative fish, snails, crayfish and shrimp swim and play, make it a real water garden.

Is it appropriate to keep crustaceans in a fish aquarium? Aquarists recommend carefully choosing fish that can be placed in an aquarium with freshwater shrimp. The compatibility of shrimp with some types of catfish has been proven.

For many freshwater fish shrimp are a delicious delicacy. If you want to create within the walls own home a friendly aquatic nursery where there is no place for hunting and hostility, read the information about who is acceptable to keep shrimp with.

It is known that in the wild, shrimp use protective color camouflage, and there is more space to hide. Most Popular aquarium species shrimp: cherry (cherry), blue, white, lemon (yellow) shrimp. The main rule when choosing neighboring fish is that if the fish’s mouth is larger than the shrimp itself, then the latter will definitely be eaten! Let us consider separately the conditions of keeping these species and those freshwater inhabitants with which shrimp can be placed in an aquarium.

Quickly navigate to the article

Who can “cherries” live next to?

Or cherry - perhaps one of the most popular inhabitants of shrimp tanks. Their compatibility with other fish has long been proven. You can keep cherry tomatoes with peaceful and non-aggressive fish. But if you want to keep everyone in one water tank, study the behavior of small fish in advance.

Cherry shrimp get along well with guppies and zebrafish - compatibility has been tested by experienced breeders. To prevent the fish from injuring the shrimp, the latter must be fed so that the food gets into the thick of the plants. The fish will not get there without causing discomfort to small neighbors.

Look at the school of cherry shrimp.

Provide the aquarium with a large number of thickets - if aggressive species of fish and cherry live in the same space, then the dense “tropics” will become a good shelter. Another thing is that you will hardly see kids.

Cherries can jump sharply to the side from stress, so quickly that a very active fish will not have time to catch its prey. The constant running around makes the cherries very tired, which will affect their well-being and make it more difficult to maintain. In addition, if you keep guppies and zebrafish in a shrimp tank, you should not expect offspring, since cherries still consider strangers as potential enemies.

Cherries get along well with other types of non-aggressive shrimp, but here you will have to avoid interspecific crossing. The only thing that will interfere is that larger crustaceans can take food from them. But all shrimp are relatively peaceful with each other, even young animals are allowed to eat. Neighbors should be proportionate to each other.

Neighbors for yellow pearl shrimp

Yellow (lemon) shrimp, or Yellow shrimp (other names - canary, yellow pearl) is a small freshwater shrimp measuring 2.5-3 cm, the result of selection of several species. The only kind, which has a purely yellow body. Some breeders jokingly call it “radioactive” because of its poisonous yellow hue.

A hardy species that does not require special water parameters or strict maintenance conditions. With age, they become less noticeable - they turn acid orange. You can keep small shrimp and small fish in the same aquarium. They breed all year round and walk around with a bag of caviar, so you need to place it in aquatic environment there are a lot of thickets where the fish can't get into.

Driftwood and Java moss are perfect as bottom accessories: algae and bacteria form on them, where the fry hides. “Yellow Pearl” likes to actively swim in the water, sorting through sand and plants. As long as the canaries are well fed, they will not touch the plants, but with a poor diet they turn into “caterpillars”, eating all the greens.

Who should I share the blue tiger shrimp with?

The Blue tiger shrimp is a relatively recent resident of aquariums; it was selectively bred in 2007. It is impossible not to see her among the living diversity home aquarium! They are direct descendants of Caridina cantonensis sp. Tiger, bred by selecting individuals with an intense blue color. Interestingly, not all the descendants of these “hybrids” have the same color.

Watch how blue tigers eat.

If you are going to keep them with other crustaceans, make sure that different types did not interbreed with each other. Adults grow up to 2.5-3 cm in length. Can be kept in community aquarium, but it’s better in a separate species-specific shrimp tank with a volume of 20 liters. There should be no other fish present. Big stones, driftwood and abundant vegetation will create comfortable living conditions for them. If you are going to breed a blue tiger, you will even need a separate tank.

Living conditions for white pearl shrimp

“White Pearl” belongs to the Neocardine genus. It was bred in Germany by the famous breeder U. Goshalk. The ancestor of the shrimp is wild Neokardina heteropoda.

Maximum length adult– 2.5 cm. Small, translucent crustaceans are almost invisible in the aquarium, only against the backdrop of abundant vegetation their outlines are noticeable. They are not demanding on water parameters, but they cannot be kept in the same tank with aggressive fish. The character of the White Pearl is calm, peaceful and adequate. During the first molt, they can be eaten by their fish neighbors, so there are rules for moving them into the nursery.

In an aquarium with a volume of 30-50 liters, it is necessary to plant a sufficient amount of moss and aquatic greenery so that White Pearl individuals can hide. They constantly dig in the aquarium sand, exploring its bottom. White neocardines should be housed 10-20 at a time, they are comfortable in a flock.

Small nano-fish such as microrasbora, zebrafish and guppies will be excellent neighbors for them. The only large fish that can coexist peacefully with shrimp are chain catfish (Otocinclus and Bariancistrus).

In the right habitat, female shrimp will almost always become pregnant and give birth to healthy offspring that no one will eat. When introducing shrimp, consider water parameters that are suitable for both nanofish and shrimp. Choose large containers. Remember, small ornamental crustaceans live with other species of shrimp of similar size and with very small fish.

Compatibility of Cherry shrimp with fish and shrimp

When kept in an aquarium, Cherry Shrimp easily become a living target for neighboring fish. Even a small fish will chase them for hours to eat them. Therefore, you should choose your neighbors with extreme caution. Small, non-aggressive fish such as Rasbora Harlequin, Blue Neon, Red Neon, Dwarf Corydoras, Otocinclus, Dwarf Gourami and some Killie species can make good neighbors for adult Cherry Shrimp. However, baby shrimp are likely to be eaten by any fish except Otocinclus and some other herbivorous fish.

Feeding shrimp Cherry - Cherry

Reproduction and breeding of Cherry shrimp

photo of cherry shrimp caviar

Determining the sex of Cherry shrimp: male and female

Shrimp in an aquarium with fish

If an aquarium with its first inhabitants appears under your roof, then we can say with confidence that soon you will want to make the small underwater world richer. Amazing fish, small mollusks and crustaceans are quite common inhabitants of the home pond. For those who like to surprise, we recommend placing shrimp in an aquarium with fish. Richness of species as well as beauty underwater plants will allow you to create a real garden under water.

Before completely new organisms begin to colonize the space, it is important to take care of your neighbors. Not all fish will be happy to meet new inhabitants, and some will even perceive shrimp as a “tasty addition” to their food.

Comfortable conditions

If in their usual environment shrimp are able to hide from predators due to the color of their shell, then in an aquarium they are absolutely not protected. Often, decorative shrimp are placed in a home pond. bright colors: blue, yellow, red.

The big fish will scare away your new charges. Therefore, shrimp often try to bury themselves in the sand or switch to a nocturnal lifestyle. As a result, brightly colored crustaceans may lose their color. Each fish that is larger than the shrimp automatically becomes a threat to the new inhabitants. Swordtails, cockerels, platies, goldfish and others, which are popular among aquarists, are especially dangerous.

Therefore, the main task for fans of underwater brethren is to select shrimp for an aquarium with fish, taking into account the compatibility of the species.

Choosing neighbors

When buying colorful babies for an aquarium, it is important to consider what fish the shrimp get along with. This approach will create comfortable conditions for all residents without much risk.

1. White Pearl- calm, peaceful shrimp, thanks to its transparency and lightness, it is almost invisible in water. Aggressive fish will become a threat to small inhabitants. Crustaceans are in danger especially during molting. For comfortable conditions it is important to provide sufficient presence of algae, moss, and other plants. This species prefers to be in a flock. It is recommended to move them into a new home in quantities of 10 or more individuals.
2. yellow pearl- a golden crustacean that is absolutely not picky about the environment. Gets along well with small fish and its small relatives. It is important for them to select a sufficient amount of moss and plants. If there is a shortage of food for crustaceans, algae can be used as food. Baby shrimp eat underwater greens. Keeping the sun shrimp in an aquarium with fish is suitable. the following types: zebrafish, guppies and other harmless creatures.
3. Blue Tiger- a completely young species of decorative shrimp that have a beautiful rich blue color. The presence of driftwood, moss, pebbles, and a sufficient amount of greenery will create an ideal home for crustaceans. It is better to place “blue tigers” in a separate aquarium.
4. Cherry shrimp or, as they are also called, cherry shrimp are a fairly popular inhabitant of home ponds. They get along well with peaceful representatives of the underwater brethren: guppies, zebrafish, and microrasbora. Cherries are very timid and try to quickly escape from possible danger. Constantly moving around the tank exhausts the shrimp.

We create comfortable conditions

Before adding shrimp, remember that keeping them together with fish requires a special approach, namely creating comfortable and safe conditions for baby crustaceans.

1. The aquarium should have enough sand, plants, and stones so that the crustaceans have enough space to hide.
2. Try to ensure that food for new inhabitants gets between the plants. The fish will not get through there, but the shrimp will be able to feast on it without any risk.
3. Neighboring fish should be smaller than shrimp.
4. You should not introduce new pets into the aquarium right away. If possible, watch the crustaceans to see if fish are hunting for them.

Cherry shrimp for aquarium. What to feed cherry shrimp

We became acquainted with crustaceans that can be kept in aquariums relatively recently, in the last fifteen years. Someone could argue that shrimps from the distant Amazon were described by Zolotnitsky in “Amateur Aquarium,” and in the 1970s another author, M.D. Makhlin, discussed their relatives who lived in Lake Khanka. But few saw those crustaceans. And there was no need to talk about mass participation. Who would have thought that such a tiny cherry shrimp existed? The most popular crustaceans of those times were perhaps daphnia and cyclops.

Description

Gender Differences

Conditions of existence

Feeding

Reproduction

Cherry shrimp neighbors (compatibility with fish and other crustaceans)

Reproduction rate

Fixing the color

Small, peaceful - cherry shrimp

Habitat in nature

Description

Compatibility

In nature, neocardines are very vulnerable, the same thing happens in the aquarium. Small sizes, lack of any defense mechanisms, just a disguise. But red cherries lack this too. Even small fish can eat them or tear off their legs. Ideally, keep cherry shrimp in a shrimp tank, without fish. If this is not possible, then you need to choose small and peaceful fish. For example: cuneiform rasbora, common neon, speckled corydoras, otocyclus, guppies, mollies. I have successfully kept all these fish together with shrimp, and there have never been any problems.

But who knocked the ordinary neocardians to zero are the scalars. After a couple of months, there was nothing left of the mass of shrimp! So avoid any cichlids, even dwarf ones, and especially angelfish. The rule here is simpler than bigger fish, the more likely it is that cherry shrimp are incompatible with it. If you have no choice and you have already put shrimp in the aquarium, then at least add a lot of moss, it’s easier for them to hide there.

Behavior

Feeding

Sex differences

How to equip a shrimp farm at home?

Choosing an aquarium

A cubic tank shape with a volume of 20 to 30 liters is optimal for these crustaceans. Pet stores sell aquariums from well-known brands; you can find more spacious ones - from 40-50 liters, with built-in decorations and lighting fixtures. In a small “cube” it is possible to create an underwater aquascape with your own hands. To propagate fancy varieties (crystals), a tank of 50 liters in volume is required. The shrimp tank should be covered with a lid or cover glass, the wiring holes should be covered with sponges so that the animals do not escape from the container.

Large decapod species of shrimp (amano, macrobrachium, filter feeders) can live with fish, except for large cichlids. Cherry and other undemanding species can be kept with medium-sized fish with non-aggressive behavior. Among them: algae eaters, poeciliaceae, neons, rasboras. But these fish can eat young shrimp. If there is enough moss and plants with small leaves in the tank, then the fry will not be easy to find, and they will survive. Small and fastidious varieties of shrimp (crystal, Sulawesi) are usually placed in separate tanks where there are no fish.

See how to start a shrimp aquarium.

Aquarium installation

You should install a filter in your shrimp aquarium. With a small number of crustaceans, in the absence of fish and the presence of a sufficient number of plants, you can install one compressor with a filter. Shrimp farms often use sponge types of filters that will not trap a small pet. A fine-pored sponge will ensure proper water purification.

Thanks to lighting, crustaceans develop daily and seasonal biorhythms. Also need light aquatic plants. As lighting fixtures LED or fluorescent lamps low power - from 0.4 Watt per liter of water.

The water heating system must be in the aquarium. Many types of shrimp prefer water with a temperature of 22 to 26 ° C. The heater must have a thermostat that maintains the optimal temperature range in the tank. In the summer, when the temperature rises to 28 degrees, the ventilation system can cool the tank. Buy a branded aquarium fan.

See how to choose a heater for an aquarium.

Since shrimp are in conditions wildlife live in flowing, oxygenated water, at the bottom of which there are many fallen leaves and twigs; in captivity there should be similar living conditions. Water parameters: preferably medium hardness, neutral pH (5.5-7.0). In hard water, shrimp will not reproduce; in too soft water, their shells will not harden. These aquatic pets are also sensitive to the nitrogen content in the water: the maximum concentration of nitrates is 15-20 mg per liter. Chlorine, heavy metals, nitrites and ammonia are also bad for your health.

It is better to put specialized soil for shrimp, or sand, gravel with a fraction of 2-4 mm at the bottom of the tank. It is recommended to choose a dark colored soil substrate. The fact is that many varieties of shrimp are capable of changing body color, mimicking environment. Pets can be seen better against the background of dark ground.

It is necessary to plant living plant species in the shrimp farm. It is better to give preference to slow-growing seedlings with small leaves. Java moss, cabomba, naiad, cladophora, Indian fern - optimal options. Fast-growing species will have to be frequently pruned or replanted, which is inconvenient for tank maintenance.

For decoration and creating shelters, it is recommended to use stones and processed driftwood. Wooden driftwood has a beneficial effect on the composition of water - humic acids soften and acidify the aquatic environment. You can put oak, beech, and almond leaves on the bottom of the aquarium, which the shrimp can feed on. Coconut shells and alder cones will also decorate the pond.

Amano - invisible aquarium cleaners

To clean the aquarium of all kinds of algal deposits, it is not necessary to purchase a fish from the catfish family. We invite you to pay attention to the freshwater inhabitants of the home spaces of the Amano shrimp. This type Crustaceans can keep an aquarium perfectly clean by eating growing algae or decaying ornamental plants. In addition, the Amano shrimp eats all the food that has fallen to the bottom of the aquarium, and does not even disdain dead snails, fish or shrimp. In addition to all of the above positive qualities, this type of aquarium inhabitants is unpretentious in maintenance and can become an indispensable assistant in the aquarium of a novice aquarist and a true professional.

Habitat and description

Optimal conditions of detention

Compatibility

Shrimp are calm, peaceful inhabitants of the home pond, which are safe not only for fry and small snails, but also for eggs. But if amankas are absolutely harmless, then the proximity of some aquarium specimens can harm them.

Ideal neighbors can be small fish with a calm, friendly character, for example, representatives of the heracine or raspberry family. But large and active aquarium fish will constantly put the amanok under stress or simply eat them. These fish include all varieties of barbs.

Cichlids, especially angelfish, are generally not suitable for an aquarium containing amankas. Since these aggressive inhabitants can not only harm them, but will also happily feast on these freshwater individuals.

Look how calmly Amano shrimp and cherries coexist.

Shrimp Crystal: maintenance, compatibility, reproduction, photo-video review

The size of crystal shrimp reaches 2 cm in males and 2.5 cm in females. Crystal shrimp live for about 2 years.

What fish can you keep Crystal shrimp with?

With any peaceful fish: tetras - characinx, livebearers, Siamese algae eaters, otocinclus.
There are cases where shrimp coexist with barbs. But, in my opinion, this will not benefit the shrimp. They will have to live in constant stress, hiding from hunters. Crystal shrimps are not compatible with angelfish - 100%, and with cichlids in general 1000%. What shrimp are Crystal shrimp compatible with? In general, with everyone except Mahrobrachiums. However, there have also been cases and many conscientious breeders of crystal shrimp, cherry shrimp and others warn the buyer that Amano shrimp can easily go on a hunt for these relatives.

Gradation - classification of shrimp crystal

!!!Interesting things about shrimp!!! This is an eye)))

Aquarium frogs: care, types, keeping with fish

AQUARIUM FROGS
and their joint maintenance in the same aquarium with fish
The frog became a pet a long time ago. And more and more often you can find these amphibians in the same aquarium with fish. Almost every pet store with a large animal science department has small aquarium, which is chock full of frogs. But, as practice often shows, not everything that is widespread and popular is correct.

Let's look at the two most common types of frogs, which are kept together with aquarium fish. The main emphasis, of course, needs to be placed on the conditions of keeping and revealing the pros and cons of living together with fish.

Clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)

Albino clawed frog

More common type

In general, we can say that they are unpretentious in all respects, except food. Yes, and feeding too heavy burden. This species needs 10 liters per individual. Comfortable water temperature is 18-22 degrees. It can be kept at 24-26 degrees, but life expectancy is reduced. Maximum size body 8cm, at least that’s what the reference book says. In practice, the owners of these slippery creatures proudly present 16-centimeter specimens to the public.

To set up a home for the clawed frog, you need a filter powerful enough to cope with the volume of dirt produced by these quicksands. But at the same time, the filter should not produce strong flows of water, since natural environment Habitats: These frogs live in stagnant, shallow reservoirs. And of course, the aquarium must be closed with a special lid or glass with a gap for air to enter, otherwise your entire house will become the frog’s home, they can easily get out into the wild.

The frog's diet mainly consists of animal feed, such as small bloodworms, daphnia, and small earthworms, shreds of lean meat. But the most important rule feeding - do not overfeed. Frogs are very voracious. Obesity is one of the most common problems of this type. It is enough to feed an adult frog 2 times a week; younger individuals eat more often, 4-5 times a week, in small portions. What is remarkable is that these frogs eat with their hands. Quickly moving their paws, they push food towards their mouth.

And although the frog is a predator, it peacefully coexists with fish, which will be comfortable with the conditions prescribed for the clawed frog. Let's break down the idea of ​​keeping a frog in an aquarium into its pros and cons.

Pros:

Unpretentious;

Looks very interesting in an aquarium;

Minuses:

Eats small fish. Fish species such as neons and guppies will not live long in an aquarium with a clawed frog.

Dirty. In addition to the fact that they openly and a lot of crap, the clawed frogs themselves very actively dig up the soil, lifting from the bottom everything that others have secretly crap on. The situation can be saved by abundant filtration and frequent use of a vacuum cleaner.

They tear out, break and bite plants. Only hard-leaved plants planted in pots and not in the ground are suitable for them. If the plant is planted in the ground, they will dig it up and gnaw off the roots. Just out of spite, because in general they are not interested in plant foods.

IN mating season they "sing serenades"

A less common species of frog compared to the famous Shportseva, but quite attractive. These are miniature reptiles, the adult of which reaches a maximum of 6 cm in length, most often growing up to 4 cm.

Externally they are quite different from Shportsevs. Hymenochirus in this comparison can be called “slender”. They have more thin paws, a less rounded and less puffy body and a pointed, attractive muzzle.

In their natural habitat, these frogs live practically in puddles. This is where their preferences in content come from. Naturally, they do not require a large aquarium volume; they can live comfortably in a five-liter jar. Aeration, as in the case of the clawed frog, is not required. Filtration may be present, but not powerful and does not create streams of water (preferably with water released through a waterfall). In any case, there should be a stagnant corner in the aquarium, especially for her. Comfortable temperature water 24-26 degrees, these are heat-loving frogs. Water changes are not recommended. And frequent substitutions can completely destroy Hymenochirus.

You need to feed the frog with bloodworms, daphnia, and tubifex. But it is worth noting that it is quite difficult to train them to eat stationary frozen food, since they are predators and react to the movement of food. The frequency of feeding is every other day.

Like clawed frogs, Hymenochirus is a bandit in terms of plants and soil. But, nevertheless, this species is not so polluting, because they are much smaller. They are also slower and more timid; they need a secluded place in the aquarium where they can hide.

They can and do live with unpretentious fish. Every year they become more and more popular in community aquariums.

But there are still pros and cons. Pros: - M petite and pretty;
- IN perfectly suitable for the lazy aquarist;
Minuses: - N required water quality. This species of frog enjoys living in creative chaos. You can’t filter too much, you can’t change the water, and these conditions are necessary to maintain most aquarium fish. And just like Shportsevaya, Hymenochirus loves to dig up the soil, raising high, high all the secrets hidden there by the more shy and ambitious inhabitants of the aquarium. - E If there is a fish in your aquarium that is smaller than the mouth of this frog, then from the moment you have Hymenochorus, you can assume that you do not have such a fish. These are also predators. - E It's not a very active frog. They spend most of the day motionless, either sitting on the bottom or hanging in the water. Having seen enough of the frogs swimming wildly in the pet store, the buyer probably dreams of a frog show in his own aquarium. But, this is deceptive. Hymenochoruses move so quickly because there are many of them and it scares them. In a calm environment they are quiet. They can move quickly when feeding.

CONCLUSIONS: Frogs are quite common neighbors of aquarium fish. They can live together. But the same can be said about a person, if you hook him up, for example, with a donkey, or vice versa. They will be able to live together, but will they be comfortable, convenient, pleasant... Hardly. If you are seriously thinking about purchasing a frog if you already have an aquarium with fish, think carefully about whether your fish can live comfortably with infrequent water changes? Will weak filtration be enough for heavy pollution? Some might say, “Well, the clawed frog lives with a filter that has to work like crazy to deal with its mess.” But ask yourself other questions: Will the fish like the lack of water flow in the aquarium? Will a huge frog fit into your abode of underwater beauty? If yes, great!

All gourami

Macropods

Lyalius

Cockerels

Ctenopomas

The habitat of the above fish (except for Ctenopus) is the rice fields of Asia, which are poorly enriched with oxygen; the water in such fields is stagnant and dirty. This is why labyrinths learned to breathe atmospheric air and they like it
"old water"
WHAT – THE CHOICE IS YOURS
FanFishka.ru thanks
author of the article - Yana Terekhova,
for the provided material and cooperation!

Who can keep angelfish with: angelfish and shrimp

Angelfish and shrimp: general notes.

Shrimp and angelfish in the aquarium: behavior

Usually aquarists keep Japanese freshwater shrimp Amano or the notorious Macrobrachium. These types of shrimp can easily get along with many types of aquarium fish. Who angelfish live with is the amano, but they need to be introduced into the aquarium at least as teenagers: there is a small risk that an adult angelfish could offend the baby or even eat him.

However, shrimps themselves have mustaches: they will not attack healthy individuals. But if the fish gets sick or weakens, then expect trouble: an animal with the habits of a predator - a freshwater shrimp - can at least injure the unfortunate one or even start a bloody meal (there were similar precedents).

Therefore, the basic rule: add shrimp to the angelfish community as adults who can fend for themselves. In this case, neither one nor the other side will be at enmity.

Many people keep fish in their aquariums, others make real herbals, and some use exotic corals. And only a few know that you can also add shrimp. These are small creatures (or rather large ones, depending on the species) that most They spend their time sorting through pebbles, plant leaves and soil in search of food. And with their habits they often receive no less attention than the most active fish.

Why are shrimp needed in an aquarium?

1. Aesthetics. There are many types of shrimp, and each of them has its own beauty. Experienced aquarists know that these creatures can be no less beautiful than the most exquisite tropical fish. Just look at the Crystal shrimp, which have a very bright and noticeable color;
2. Diversity. The more experienced an aquarist, the more requests he has. Common types Pisces do not satisfy his curiosity and desire for beauty. And in this case, shrimp will be an excellent way to achieve these lofty goals. They are easy to care for and get along well with other inhabitants. Of course, for maximum results you will need a large one favorable price available in the WuShop online store;
3. Water purification. If you purchased a powerful filter for your aquarium, that's good. But additional water purification never hurts. Shrimp do an excellent job of this task by eating algae (preventing the water from blooming), as well as other organic particles. Yes, filtration and water changes are still needed, but it is these tiny creatures that make their feasible contribution to the common cause;
4. Maintaining biobalance. Shrimp eat not only algae (which can cause a lot of trouble even for experienced aquarists), but also particles of fish food. And if these organic matter will remain in the water for a long time - over time, bacteria will begin to develop in them, causing diseases in the inhabitants of the aquarium. Shrimp, carefully sorting through plant leaves, pebbles and soil with their paws, find and eat all the particles of food that the fish did not finish, thereby protecting your “wards” from many problems.

What do you need for shrimp?

1. Food. Most shrimp can survive on algae, which is present in any aquarium. But it is advisable to periodically (but not constantly) feed them with special food. Or make sure that after eating your fish leave “leftovers” that fall to the bottom and are then absorbed by the shrimp;
2. Space. For normal life, one shrimp needs 5 liters of water. But if there are 20, 30 or 100 of them, you will have to act. First of all, you need to buy a cabinet for an aquarium that will withstand a large load of water and will also serve as an element of the interior. And it is advisable to choose a larger aquarium itself, since shrimp can actively reproduce, and from 5-10 “settlers” in a few months they will grow large group from several dozen individuals;
3. Safety. Predatory fish and shrimp in one aquarium - not the best best idea. Even angelfish can eat them, preventing them from developing and purifying the water of algae and other contaminants. Therefore, either make sure that your shrimp have plenty of hiding places, or purchase a separate aquarium;
4. Care. Yes, these creatures are unpretentious and can exist on their own, but they need some care. First of all, periodically feed them with special food, and during the molting period, choose food with a high cellulose content. This is necessary for the speedy restoration of their shell. And don’t forget that shrimp can also get sick, and at the first symptoms of a problem, you need to take immediate action.

Is the game worth the candle?

Shrimp cannot be kept in every aquarium. But if there is a lot of free “space”, and other inhabitants do not pose a threat to them, why not. Just keep in mind that some shrimp reproduce quickly in captivity (for example, Crystals), while others, such as Amano, are very problematic to breed.

If you have just started your journey in aquarium keeping, do not rush to buy shrimp and “add” them to your aquarium. Too much stress (change in environmental conditions) can lead to their death. Therefore, before this, it is advisable to prepare the “ground”, and even better, consult with more experienced comrades. And if you do everything right, your friends and family will be delighted with these small and extremely beautiful creatures.

Breeding shrimp in aquariums with fresh water, can be called a recent hobby for aquarists. Shrimp farming has only recently become of interest to aquarists, but this interest is growing and growing every year. Caring for shrimp in an aquarium is practically no different from the main rules for keeping other invertebrates, and requires a lot of work from the shrimp owners.

Shrimp belong to the order of decapod crustaceans. Freshwater shrimp move with the help of five pairs of legs. The head of the shrimp is fused with a segment of the chest, and is covered with a special frame. This frame performs a protective function. Also, small legs located on the abdomen serve to move the shrimp in the water. They are called pleopods. In females, they also have the function of bearing eggs.

Sometimes it is very difficult to identify a particular type of shrimp. The reason is that shrimp are imported from various reservoirs in India, China and Far East. And even if shrimp belong to the same species, they can differ strikingly from each other due to the fact that they lived in different bodies of water. That is, the living conditions of shrimp can affect their differences in appearance.

So, the main rules for keeping shrimp in an aquarium can be reduced to a few, the most important ones. Although some types of shrimp are not at all picky about the conditions they are kept in aquarium water, many species still require some care. The most important thing is to provide the shrimp with oxygen, therefore, it is necessary to install an aerator in the aquarium. The water temperature should be at least fifteen degrees and no more than thirty. Interestingly, if the water temperature is from twenty-six to thirty degrees, then the shrimp lead an active lifestyle. If the temperature drops to eighteen degrees, they will be inactive and even lethargic. With sudden changes in temperature in the aquarium, shrimp die, so such temperature changes must be avoided.

The diet of freshwater shrimp is quite varied. They can feed on dead plants (aquatic), insects that live in water, daphnia, bloodworms, tubifex worms and other foods offered by aquarists.

Shrimp, like some other types of invertebrates, tend to molt. Molting allows shrimp to regenerate limbs that have been damaged or even lost. The process of limb restoration lasts a certain period of time. Adults can recover within a few molts, but young ones much faster. After molting, the surface coverings become softer, then harden again, turning into a shell. During the molting period, shrimp become defenseless as they shed their shell. During this period, shrimp become more sensitive and require special attention. During the molting period, many shrimp may lose activity and even stop moving around the aquarium. At this point, they can become prey for aquarium fish. And not only for predatory ones, but also for slow ones, such as neons and ancistrus.

It is important to ensure that shrimp, like other invertebrates, do not leave the aquarium. Many of them leave and die literally in a matter of seconds.

There are several other features associated with keeping shrimp in an aquarium. Many shrimp, which resemble crayfish, can regularly damage the soil in an aquarium and pull out plants by their roots. Thus, they will constantly change the landscape of the aquarium. Large species Shrimp are very voracious, so they constantly need to add food to the aquarium. And the remaining food will accumulate and lead to rapid clouding of the aquarium water and the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. All this can lead to an imbalance in the ecological balance in the aquarium environment and illness of its inhabitants, and in some cases, their death. Many sellers assure those wishing to purchase freshwater shrimp for their aquarium that they are all absolutely peaceful and unpretentious. You shouldn't believe this. Since from the very early age shrimp are quite aggressive and can sometimes even attack fish that are much larger than them. They, of course, will not eat them, but they can damage the fins. But mollusks and other aquarium cleaners, due to their slowness, may well become food for hungry shrimp.

Therefore, before you add freshwater shrimp to your aquarium, you need to understand their species and know which species will be safe for the rest of the inhabitants of your aquarium. If they live in an aquarium peaceful fish, then it is best to purchase shrimp of the Amano () or Neocaridina () species. These are small shrimp that will not attack fish, even small ones. These shrimp have a very interesting intense color. They are somewhat similar to simple feeding crustaceans in their size and shape. But these species have very small whiskers and claws. There are, however, disadvantages to keeping such small species of shrimp. During the molting period, they, like many other types of shrimp, become practically inactive; they can simply sit on the bottom without moving, gaining strength after molting. At this time, they, unlike their larger brothers, can become prey for predatory fish, for small curious fish and even for snails. If you get larger specimens of shrimp, you need to remember that they are more aggressive and other inhabitants of the aquarium may suffer. Therefore, neighbors for freshwater shrimp must be very carefully selected so that neither shrimp nor fish and shellfish suffer.