# Shrimp in community tank || Snails vs. Shrimp || New User || Future Plans



## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning to add some Amano and Cherry Shrimps in my community tank.

Right now I have:

*Tank:* 15 Gallon
*Filtration:* HOB Dymax SL -240 and UGF
*Substrate:* Gravel w/ broken coral and small shells
*Fish:* 7 Pink Zebra Danios, 7 Tiger Barbs, 1 Angelfish, 1 Common Pleco
*Plants:* Java Moss on a Large and small rock and Hydrilla

_I will be removing the angelfish and common pleco - I found out later that their adult sizes are not meant for my tank
So be careful from getting advice from people who just want to sell you fish _ :frown2:

Future plans in the next two months:

*Tank:* 15 Gallon
*Filtration:* HOB Dymax SL -240 and mini canister filter
*Substrate:* Sand
*Fish: *7 Pink Zebra Danios, 7 Tiger Barbs, 4 panda corys, (and hopefully some shrimp)
*Plants:* Java Moss on a Large and small rock and Hydrilla (and hopefully a successful Java moss wall in the background)

I have decided to go for shrimp instead of snails (Nerite and MTS) since I will, either have to deal with their eggs sticking to stuff or over population, because I don't have a natural predator in my tank for them.

Please let me know what your thoughts are and possible difficulties so I can plan ahead.


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## chenning (Oct 2, 2016)

The barbs will kill the shrimp. Tiger Barbs are nasty customers and should not be housed in anything less than a 20L


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

But I love my barbs. 

Wouldn't the moss wall be enough for the shrimps to hide in?

I want the tiger barbs to eat the shrimp from time to time but not as quickly that the shrimp cannot reproduce quick enough.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

Hi *Everyone*,

I have finally updated my tank:

*Tank*: 15 Gallon
*Filtration*: HOB Dymax SL -240 and mini canister filter (Boyu EF-05)
*Substrate*: Sand
*Fish*: 7 Pink Zebra Danios, 7 Tiger Barbs, 7 panda corys
*Plants*: Java Moss on a Large and on 2 small rocks, Christmas moss on 2 bogwoods and Hydrilla.

I am yet to make a moss wall (still thinking if I should use Christmas moss or Java moss or a combination of both moss)

My main question though, is what shrimp should I add in my tank, since I'm beginning to notice some brown algae build up on my aquarium walls and just today I am seeing some green dots.


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## Warhawk (Feb 23, 2014)

I like my cherry shrimp they are great little additions to a tank. 

As for the moss wall giving them a place to hide yes it will but if you don't have a big enough colony of them before adding the Barb they could wipe them out. Even then the fish could eat them all, if they each ate one a day it would be more then most colony could handle.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

Warhawk said:


> I like my cherry shrimp they are great little additions to a tank.
> 
> As for the moss wall giving them a place to hide yes it will but if you don't have a big enough colony of them before adding the Barb they could wipe them out. Even then the fish could eat them all, if they each ate one a day it would be more then most colony could handle.


How about larger shrimps? Perhaps ghost? or probably whisker shrimps and amano's?


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## Warhawk (Feb 23, 2014)

I have keep ghost shrimp a few times and I didn't like them they didn't do as good of a job of cleaning as the cherry did. Not keep the others so can't say about them. 

I would say it will depend on the barb if they are aggressive they could eat any shrimp you keep. You would need some that breed quickly and allow them the get a strong start. In a 15g do don't have a lot of room but you could move the wall away from the side of the tank about 1" to give the shrimp a place to hide. It might be enough for them to get away form the fish. I have keep shrimp with different fish and most like to eat them.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

Warhawk said:


> I have keep ghost shrimp a few times and I didn't like them they didn't do as good of a job of cleaning as the cherry did. Not keep the others so can't say about them.
> 
> I would say it will depend on the barb if they are aggressive they could eat any shrimp you keep. You would need some that breed quickly and allow them the get a strong start. In a 15g do don't have a lot of room but you could move the wall away from the side of the tank about 1" to give the shrimp a place to hide. It might be enough for them to get away form the fish. I have keep shrimp with different fish and most like to eat them.


I really appreciate your advice. I'm still kind of worried on what to get and if my ecosystem will play out well or not. I have never tried keeping shrimp, but I really would like to add a clean up crew and my mind is stuck on shrimps rather than snails.

I have another question. Which among the shrimps do you think will reproduce the fastest?


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## Warhawk (Feb 23, 2014)

Sorry I can't say for sure I can say I have Cherry and Pumpkin shrimp (the same shrimp just different color) they breed pretty fast. I have read Ghost shrimp don't breed without lots of special stuff so need a special setup.

Don't know about others.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

Warhawk said:


> Sorry I can't say for sure I can say I have Cherry and Pumpkin shrimp (the same shrimp just different color) they breed pretty fast. I have read Ghost shrimp don't breed without lots of special stuff so need a special setup.
> 
> Don't know about others.


Ow ok, thanks for all your help.

BTW forget about the whisker shrimps that I mentioned, I found out they can target my panda cory's and zebra danio's


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Ghost shrimp and nerite snails require the eggs/larvae to be raised in a brackish water/marine tank, so will not breed - or produce surviving offspring - in your tank.


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## flchamp89 (Dec 9, 2016)

Still overstocked for a 15

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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

flchamp89 said:


> Still overstocked for a 15
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


You are absolutely correct, that's why I have two filters. From ordinary UGF to UGF + HOB and now Canister + HOB.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

aussieJJDude said:


> Ghost shrimp and nerite snails require the eggs/larvae to be raised in a brackish water/marine tank, so will not breed - or produce surviving offspring - in your tank.


Maybe I'll wait till my moss wall gets thick before I add some Cherry Shrimps. What other shrimp species produce at a rapid rate in freshwater?


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## flchamp89 (Dec 9, 2016)

I just wanted throw it out there. Its your tank. Very nice btw 

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## flchamp89 (Dec 9, 2016)

I think rcs is best bet. But rams will probably eat them. 

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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

flchamp89 said:


> I think rcs is best bet. But rams will probably eat them.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


Got it. Looks like I now have a plan 

BTW I don't have rams.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

flchamp89 said:


> I just wanted throw it out there. Its your tank. Very nice btw
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


Thanks @flchamp89 you are correct btw that it is overstocked. I just don't have room for a bigger tank in my little apartment 

That's why I have two filters (which get dirty real fast) and I have to maintain two 25% water changes twice a week 

I see why you would be concerned though and thank you


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## flchamp89 (Dec 9, 2016)

Sorry meant barbs. 

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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

flchamp89 said:


> Sorry meant barbs.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


yeah I think the barbs will eat them too, and it's hard to create hiding spaces for them in a 15g. I'll probably follow @Warhawk's advice and put space between the moss wall and the glass for them to hide in.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

All this talk about the barbs and shrimp, but the other fish are in jeopardy too, including the tiger barbs themselves. The tank just simply isn't big enough for them. I've kept tiger barbs for years in a variety of tank sizes and setups and would not suggest a tank smaller than a 29. The 30 inches of the 20 Long is good, but the height isn't enough IMO. These are fish that will need space to hide from each other from time to time, let alone space for other fish to hide from them.

And not to pile it on, but the danios could really use a 29 too.

I don't mean to be a downer about your stock, but I can't not warn you about such a looming issue. How you choose to keep your fish is your business - you're the one that has to look at them every day  


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

jaysee said:


> All this talk about the barbs and shrimp, but the other fish are in jeopardy too, including the tiger barbs themselves. The tank just simply isn't big enough for them. I've kept tiger barbs for years in a variety of tank sizes and setups and would not suggest a tank smaller than a 29. The 30 inches of the 20 Long is good, but the height isn't enough IMO. These are fish that will need space to hide from each other from time to time, let alone space for other fish to hide from them.
> 
> And not to pile it on, but the danios could really use a 29 too.
> 
> ...


You are absolutely right @jaysee, adding two filters and doing 25% water changes twice a week is just a band aid solution until I can find a space in my small apartment to put a new stand and aquarium in.

Honestly it bothers me everyday :crying:

I would actually like to go beyond a 29 gallon and go straight to a 120g short using my existing 15 gallon as a sump with a refugium to put the shrimps in, but again what we want is totally different from what we can afford. Right now I can't afford the space.


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## chenning (Oct 2, 2016)

Get 6-8 nerite snails as nothing takes care of brown or blue green algea like them Secondly, ever though of dwarf crayfish? Shufeldtll or even CPOs would work. The crayfish are very underrated in their clean up ability and way over inflated in there being danger in their reputation.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

chenning said:


> Get 6-8 nerite snails as nothing takes care of brown or blue green algea like them Secondly, ever though of dwarf crayfish? Shufeldtll or even CPOs would work. The crayfish are very underrated in their clean up ability and way over inflated in there being danger in their reputation.


Thank you @chenning for the valuable information. What are Shufeldtll and CPO? 

I'm afraid though that crayfish might hurt my panda corys.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

They are dwarf crayfish species - no threat at all to your fish. In fact, your fish may be a threat to them unless you provide lots of hiding spots. Too, the crayfish are a bigger threat to each other than anything. When they shed their shell, they are vulnerable to even the likes of neon tetras, which is why it's important to have lots of places for them to hide until the shells harden.


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

jaysee said:


> They are dwarf crayfish species - no threat at all to your fish. In fact, your fish may be a threat to them unless you provide lots of hiding spots. Too, the crayfish are a bigger threat to each other than anything. When they shed their shell, they are vulnerable to even the likes of neon tetras, which is why it's important to have lots of places for them to hide until the shells harden.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I'll try asking my LFS, not sure if they have them here in the Philippines though but that sounds better than shrimp wherein they will just become fodder for my zebra danio's and tiger barbs


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I would not recommend keeping the CPOs with tiger barbs, due to the cost of the crayfish and the potential for them to be killed by the barbs. The other species don't cost nearly as much. 


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## STARFOX (Nov 11, 2016)

jaysee said:


> I would not recommend keeping the CPOs with tiger barbs, due to the cost of the crayfish and the potential for them to be killed by the barbs. The other species don't cost nearly as much.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I'm sorry I haven't really read on crayfish and not really thought of them as tank mates before you mentioned them here. What other species do you suggest I research on?

Thanks BTW for all the valuable information.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Sorry, species is not exactly the right word. The orange crayfish are a color morph of the wild type. Wild types are striped and brownish in color, and cost a whole lot less.


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