Re: [GSAS-Member] Looking forward to get my red cherry shrimp and killer snails tomorrow from Cliff.

["Clifford Miller" <clifford@clevergeek.com>]

I agree with what everyone else said.  In my own setup I use standard
seattle tap water, no additives (unless I'm treating the tank for algae
with glut), and I feed minimally. I do throw in food occasionally, and
they definitely appreciate blanched vegetables (mine seem to like cucumber
and zucchini the best), but they do just fine grazing around keeping my
plants looking nice.  Or...well, as nice as they look around here!

The tanks have small home-made (cheap) sponge filters, and most have
turface or sand for substrate.  I do water changes at least once a year,
whether they need it or not... Now that I'm adding glut (excel) to stop
some hair algae, a few of the tanks do get about 50% changed once a week. 
This hasn't seemed to effect production though.

As far as real factors that seem to affect their numbers, I'd say
eliminate the predators (both fish and equipment like power heads with no
pre-filters), keep the temps between 72-75 (they do fine into the 50's or,
but breed much less frequently below 70), and have lots of plants (for
surface area to live on and feed from).  If you want lots, put them in
bigger tanks or start more tanks.  I'd say all of the tanks I have
cherries in produce extras, but different ones "boom" at different times,
and it always seems like the 10 gallon tanks produce more than the 2
gallon tanks, and the 20 gallon tanks produce much more than the 10's.

I notice the most new shrimp when I have masses of plants floating in the
breeding tanks.  This is usually the result of collecting extras from
various tanks to take photos of (to list online), and then dumping them
all into one (or a few) of the (20 gallon) tanks while I wait for them to
sell (it beats composting them).  My tanks have poor circulation due to
the smallish pumps I use, so when the top 4 inches or so are full of
plants, the water at the top of the tank stays warmer than at the bottom. 
They seem to enjoy the mix of extra cover and warmer water.

When I take the plants out to ship, I gently shake them, and typically
they "rain shrimp" (mostly little 1-3mm babies).  I've also found that
unless you have an efficient predator killing them off, there are usually
more shrimp in your shrimp tank than you think.  I thought I had cleared
my main 20 gallon out pretty well last week-- but around 20 minutes after
adding some new plants to the tank, there were shrimp swimming all over,
probably around 50 adults, that were no where to be seen when I was
netting them out the week before...

Cliff

> Hey Cliff,
>
> Since you have had such success with your shrimp, would you be willing to
> say a bit more on the tank conditions, feeding, etc that works for you??
> I
> am very curious, and hope to keep the ones that have survived the month
> since the last meeting happy and healthy...
>
> So heavy plants helps, what else?  Little maintenance can mean so many
> things!  I have been feeding mine the standard flake food almost daily,
> which they seem to eat, and that seems to be working so far.
>
> Any words of wisdom you care to share, or that anyone else successfully
> keeping these guys wants to add, would be most welcome.
>
> Thanks!
> Connie
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "Clifford Miller" <clifford@clevergeek.com>
> A note regarding the plants that are in with the shrimp, I don't do much
> maintenance in my shrimp tanks (which usually have very thick growth to
> encourage the shrimp to breed)--
>
>
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