[AGA-Member] Re: FYI on Amano Shrimp

["Ann Viverette" <annv777@houston.rr.com>]

Kirsten,
IME, valisneria is rather brittle and tends to get damaged in shipping. It 
may be that the shrimp are simply munching on the frayed ends of the leaves 
as they begin to decay. The leaves will tend to continue to decay and you 
can trim the leaves down to either below the damage or all the way to about 
an inch from the root. The roots are the key and most of the plants will 
recover nicely. While it is nice that the shrimp look to you for goodies, if 
you do not suppliment them, they will be just fine eating algae alone.

Ann V


>
Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 01:49:52 -0800
> From: "Kirsten Klinghammer" <klingham@pacbell.net>
> Subject: [AGA-Member] FYI on Amano Shrimp
> To: "AGA Member List" <aga-member@thekrib.com>
> Message-ID: <001501c4fe0c$399475f0$6401a8c0@notebook2>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> As I mentioned in my first post to this list earlier this evening, I'm
> setting up a new planted tank, the first for many years.  I'd read that
> Amano shrimp are wonderful for eating algae, so I added a few of them a 
> few
> days ago (I know that's early - only a week in - but I'm hoping they'll be
> okay; there are 8 in a 38 gallon tank).

[snip]

> Here and there I saw mention of Amano shrimp sometimes munching on plants.
> In my few days of experience with them, I can confirm this.  Our Amano
> shrimp have taken quite a liking to our Italian Vallisneria (Vallisneria
> spiralis), and have been munching holes through the leaves in spots,
> especially towards the leaf ends.  Our tank currently has six V. spiralis
> (most about 20 inches or so tall), one Echinodorus "ozelot", and a very
> large handful of Riccia fluitans.  The vallisneria are the only plants
> getting eaten (the others get cleaned, but they don't seem to be getting
> noticeably consumed).


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