Ideal Shrimp Setup

[Sea-agg09]

This is probably directed for Tim;

1. Do Sulawesi shrimp require a different setup (substrate, water hardness, pH)than other shrimp like cherry or crystals?

2. What is the optimal water parameters for sulawesi shrimp?

3. Any way to get Freshwater Sponges?

4. Live Plants work well?

5. What is an "optimal" filter for them? Would a 2211 with a big foam pre-filter be too much flow for them? This is for a 12 gallon tank.

[armthehomeless]

I'd like to point out first of all that Sulawesi shrimp come from one of two distinct environments - Lake Poso and the Lake Malili system. Some of this is de4pendant on what type of shrimp that you prefer to keep. Please don't accept my words as " The Truth".

1. These guys require high ph (8.0 is where I keep mine- although others keep it as low as 7.2 with Aquasoil) and high temperature (80-82 degrees). I keep aragonite sand in one shrimp tank and PFS in two others. I haven't noticed a difference - and honestly like the PFS more.

2. Stability is key. People debate GH and KH . . . but most are around 4. Some people TDS should be fairly high . . .~420.

3. Not that I know of. Some use lava rocks because they believe it provides a place for micro-organisms to grow. These are the same people that have had limited success with harlequins.

4. Yeah . . . as long as they tolerate high temperates. I believe this seriously limits choices. Add to it the Tylomelania snails eat many plants (is you decide to keep those as well)

5. 2211 should work. Pre-filter is necessary. They don't seem to like alot of flow - but I have a 2213 on a ~20g. Most of my flow is at the top of the tank.

Hopefully this helps.

[Sea-agg09]

3. Not that I know of. Some use lava rocks because they believe it provides a place for micro-organisms to grow. These are the same people that have had limited success with harlequins.
Hopefully this helps.

Do you mean this is a positive or negative way?

Definitely helps dude. Do you have a link to a general information site? I've been looking around a good bit, but I don't read dutch. I might use some trimmings from the 75 in my tanks to feed snails, which seems fun. So Tylo's are in the picture.

Do you intentionally try to keep the TDS high? I have DI water for my other tanks, and I can Alk/pH buffer the water easily. I can also put some crushed coral at the bottom of the tank as a buffer, and put another substrate on top of it.
If I need to keep the TDS high, running tap through carbon is easy too.

[armthehomeless]

Do you mean this is a positive or negative way?

In a positive way . . . so far there seems to be two types of success with with harlequins: limited and none.

Do you mean this is a positive or negative way?

Do you intentionally try to keep the TDS high?

Yes - although this depends on Poso/Malili to some degree.

[fishman1]

When measuring TDS do you use a meter? Does TDS GH and Kh really matter if the tank has been running for 2 months? My 10 gallon tank has aragonite and lots of smooth river rocks to create many hiding places. Should I add lava rock or should I just add i if I were to keep harlequins. I heard that some of the shrimp were more aggressive then others and that you should only keep one species of shrimp together.

[armthehomeless]

I'd always recommend keeping 1 species per tank. People have said that they don't hybridiize . . . but they haven't been in the hobby that long. Some species are certainly more shy than others.

As for TDS/KH/GH . . . stability trumps all. I use tap water run through a carbon bottle for water changes.

[armthehomeless]

I'd add lava rock for harlequins - it couldn't hurt.

Please report back any findings!

[Sea-agg09]

What's the deal with Cinnamon? I see some places selling cinnamon sticks with shrimp on the labels as an aquarium additive. Are Cinnamon Sticks good for skrimps?

And can anyone read this page?
http://equator.web.fc2.com/indonesia-sulawesi-danaomatano.htm

And anyone know what plant this is?

[fishman1]

Cinnamon? Never heard of. Since my tank has been running for 2 months it is being over run by all the snails that eat all the algae my tank has. Since I am going to stock my tank with some poso snails and shrimp does anyone know a good way to get rid of these snails without having to buy some harsh chemical? Currently my tank is on a window sill with the sun as my light, but once it becomes summer time, then I will start to block the sun out and use a small flourescent light.

[Sea-agg09]

1. feed less (nutrients spur reproduction).
2. Assassin Snails.

[Mzungu]

And anyone know what plant this is?

Ottelia mesenterium?

[Mzungu]

And can anyone read this page?
http://equator.web.fc2.com/indonesia-sulawesi-danaomatano.htm

Try this:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://equator.web.fc2.com/indonesia-sulawesi-danaomatano.htm&ei=JTF_TZDJBfSx0QGk_eyHCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CB8Q7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://equator.web.fc2.com/indonesia-sulawesi-danaomatano.htm%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Divns

[Sea-agg09]

That's the right plant, now just to see if it has been banned in texas.

[fishman1]

I don't feed the tank and if i were to introduce assassin snails they would breed and I would have to remove them before I add the sulawesi shrimp and rabbit snails.