Aquarium shrimp: species, conditions of keeping and reproduction

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 22:35

Aquarium shrimp is an omnivorous crustacean creature with great stamina. This type of inhabitants of the underwater world is so beautiful and graceful that more and more people are engaged in its reproduction every year. The unique shape and colors of the rainbow shrimp make it a favorite in the home aquarium.

How they work

The body of these crustaceans consists of several segments, each of which has its own limbs, designed for various activities. The first three parts are covered with a shell (it is a kind of protection) and fused with the head. Their limbs are whiskers, jaws, and mandibles.

The shrimp's mouthparts are very complex and have a fixed size. It consists of 3 pairs of jaws that grind food, and mandibles (the first three pairs of thoracic limbs) that hold it at the mouth. Shrimps use the remaining 5 pairs of thoracic limbs to grasp prey and crawl. For swimming and brooding (in females) they havethere are so-called pleopods (abdominal legs). In males, their first pair has degenerated into a copulatory organ.

Area

In the wild, shrimp can be found in almost all s alt and fresh water bodies of the world. Moreover, each species of these arthropods has its own place of "birth". For example, the red-nosed shrimp lives in the rivers of Venezuela, where there are a large number of deciduous trees. In the waters of the Pacific coast of Panama, you can find the American fan species of these crustaceans. And the Amano aquarium shrimp in nature prefers the mountain rivers of Japan that flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Contents

Care for these inhabitants of the home underwater world is almost the same as for the rest of the invertebrate inhabitants. One of the most important rules for keeping them in an aquarium is to install an aerator in it, since they need oxygen to function normally.

Optimal degrees of water - from +15 to +30. At the same time, it was noticed that when the temperature drops to 18 ° C, the aquarium shrimp becomes inactive. But it is worth making the water warmer, 26-30 degrees, as it regains its activity. By the way, with sharp fluctuations in temperature, these animals may die.

Aquarium shrimp, the maintenance of which does not require much effort, unpretentious in either water filtration or the presence of light. Although both will be necessary for better growth of the plants that these crustaceans feed on. But it is worth considering that they are very sensitive to the chemical composition of water,and even with a small content of chlorine in it, the shrimp will die. For the same reason, it is unacceptable to use air fresheners or other similar diffusers in the room where the aquarium is installed.

Food

Aquarium freshwater shrimp are unpretentious in food. Eat everything in a row. Bloodworms, cyclops, aquatic insects, dead plants (such as algae), daphnia and more are all excellent food for shrimp. Therefore, in the aquarium where they are kept, it is necessary to plant a variety of living plants (pistia, hornwort, Javanese moss). Feed them no more than once every two days.

Aquarium shrimp: breeding

The process of breeding these arthropods does not require any effort from a person, nature does everything by itself. During the breeding season, the female releases a special substance, thanks to which the males learn about her "readiness". The mating process itself takes place quite quickly - no more than a second. Determining that the female is fertilized is simple - a kind of saddle is formed on her back (different species have a different color), inside of which is caviar. After some time, it moves under the abdomen, and after 3-4 weeks, fry are born. They begin to feed on their parents' food immediately, so they do not need special care.

Attention! All of the above about shrimp farming applies only to some species (for example, speci alty, cherry). Many populations of these arthropods require special care during breeding season.

Features

Aquarium shrimp, the maintenance of which, at first glance, is very simple, can bring a lot of trouble. So, for example, if you forget to close the aquarium at night, then crustaceans can escape from their home. And on land they are not residents - they die in a matter of minutes.

During transportation, it is necessary to take care of the safety of the shrimp, as they can get hurt on the walls of the vessel. To prevent this from happening, it is enough to put any plant in it, which, in case of emergency, they could grab onto.

When buying shrimp, do not immediately place them in a community aquarium. The fact is that most species of these crustaceans come to stores from the wild, respectively, they can be carriers of infections and parasites.

Rising the water temperature above 30 degrees can adversely affect the shrimp. Therefore, in the summer, this parameter must be monitored more carefully, increasing the aeration of the water.

Shrimp types

Before you buy these arthropods for your aquarium, you should understand their species, otherwise problems may arise. For example, an aquarium shrimp, becoming an adult, may turn out to be too big or even worse - a predator.

Red crystal. Beautiful and non-aggressive shrimp with red stripes on a white background. Very whimsical in content (water pH from 6.2 to 6.8, temperature - up to 26 ° C, etc.), does not like overfeeding. Due to inbreeding, her body is slightly weaker than the rest of the species.

Harlequin. These shrimpvery small (up to 1.2 cm), have a red-white color and are very shy. They are also a little whimsical to water quality - pH from 7.0, temperature - from 25 ° С. Reproduction without larval stage in fresh water. The gestation time is up to a month, after which 10-15 tiny shrimps are born.

Amano. Light green arthropods with a light stripe along the back and brown spots on the sides. They are "aquarium cleaners" that kill harmful algae and other plants. Quite peaceful with many species of fish. There are many problems in home breeding. For example, to obtain offspring, the female is planted in a separate container (30 liters), where the water temperature is kept around 23 ° C, aeration is arranged, there is a lamp and a sponge filter. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the main condition for the larvae is brackish water and a separate container into which they must be moved 2-3 days after birth.

Red-nosed. This is also a kind of "cleaner" of the reservoir. Such aquarium shrimp, the species of which can be distinguished by their method of movement (they do not run, but swim), can live in both fresh and s alted water. Their maximum size is 4 cm. They do not like to be kept in a pond where there are aggressive and predatory fish species. They have a rather nice coloration and a nose with a red spot.

Red cherry. This type of shrimp is one of the most popular. This is due in large part to their brightly glowing red color and ease of reproduction. Cherry aquarium shrimpunpretentious to the content and feel great, even when the aquarium contains a huge number of their counterparts. Males are about 2 cm long, which is significantly smaller than females (an adult reaches 45 mm).

Shrimp compatibility

Before buying these wonderful aquarium inhabitants, it is worth considering that many of the species can mate. The result is an indeterminate type and color of shrimp, which, in general, is not very good. Therefore, it is worth taking care of this in advance and buying only those species that cannot have common offspring. For a better understanding, we present you the table "Aquarium shrimp: compatibility".

	Yellow	Cherry	Bee	Bumblebee	Green	Amano	Nectarine	Red Crystal	Brindle
Yellow		+	-	-	-	-	+-	-	-
Cherry	+		-	-	-	-	+-	-	-
Bee	-	-		+	-	-	-	+	+
Bumblebee	-	-	+		-	-	-	+	+
Green	-	-	-	-		-	+-	-	-
Amano	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-
Nectarine	+-	+-	-	-	-	-		-	-
Red Crystal	-	-	+	+	-	-	-		-
Brindle	-	-	+	+	-	-	-	-

Where"+" - pairing is possible, "-" pairing is impossible, "+-" - not studied.

Aquarium shrimp: compatible with fish

These arthropods lead a very secretive life. Which is not surprising. After all, aquarium shrimp, whose species are diverse, are very attractive as food for a large number of inhabitants of the home underwater world. In the wild, they are quite a common food source. In the natural environment, these arthropods have a nondescript color, thanks to which they are saved from death. When purchasing a red or bright yellow shrimp for your aquarium, you should prepare for the fact that over time it will lose its color. The reason for this will be her nocturnal lifestyle, which she will switch to after a while.

In order to save shrimps from death, it is worth identifying them in those aquariums where there are non-aggressive fish with a mouth cavity smaller than these arthropods. After all, if they fit “in size”, then with almost a 100% guarantee they will be absorbed. The most dangerous fish species that should not be kept together with shrimp:

• roosters;
• swordsmen;
• scalars;
• fighters;
• bottom fish;
• pecilia;
• gurus;
• goldfish;
• viviparous tooth carp;
• molynesia;
• cichlids;
• loaches.

Diseases

Shrimp, like the rest of the livingcreatures can get sick. Parasites can be attributed to the most popular ailments of these arthropods. They settle on the shell, muscles, gills, heart and nerve plexuses of the shrimp. This is an extremely dangerous condition, as a result of which she dies.

The second main trouble is a fungal infection. It can also cause the death of crustaceans, as it is able to suck out all the nutrients from their body and poison it with its toxic substances.

Shrimp are also affected by viral infections, which, unlike bacterial ones, are difficult to treat.