Fish

Some invertebrates are known to be great additions to an aquarium, and if you are keeping fishes, you must be considering adding some in your fish tank. There are numerous species of shrimps, but only a few of these are suitable for home aquarium set ups. Among the most interesting ones, the Bamboo Shrimp make really gorgeous and functional newcomers that would work wonderfully in your planted aquarium.

Also known by other names such as Wood Shrimp, Flower Shrimp, Asian Fan Shrimp and Rock Shrimp because of its unique fan-like appendages, the Bamboo Shrimp has a very fascinating appearance that brings in added attractiveness and appeal to your aquatic collection. The minimal care they require and their peaceful nature makes them a popular choice for tank additions. Known as filter feeders, they collect microorganisms from the food debris left off by your fishes. Bamboo shrimps are mostly kept in community tanks and your aquarium inhabitants would produce the detritus necessary for the microorganisms in your filter to thrive and produce, which in turn the Bamboo shrimp feeds on. If that is sufficient, they need not specifically fed. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean they have sufficient food all the time. If you have bamboo shrimps in your fish aquarium, you would oftentimes observe them scavenging for food on the bottom of your tank, and is an indication that the little fellows are hungry. They could be fed with finely flaked food, pleco wafers, small Daphnia or newly hatched brine shrimp. Bamboo fish food comes in the form of pellets and mostly wafers and could be purchased from local fish supply stores; but crushed or powderized shrimp pellets or crushed fish flaked food would do the job. If any of these foods, however, are missed by your Bamboo shrimp, could alter the water’s chemistry and eventually pollute it. Great attention to your tank’s ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels to make sure it won’t be in any way detrimental to your fishes. This is done by adjusting your filter output and even performing target feeding which is done by specifically dropping the bamboo shrimp food into the flow.

When these attractive and convenient to keep aquarium dwellers are well-fed and comfortable, they would flourish and keep your tank pretty and clean. Keeping aside some bamboo shrimp fish food would come in handy if they go hungry. Bamboo shrimps will scrub and clean your tank like nothing else you will see. They are fun and interesting creatures that are almost maintenance-free. Though not much use with algae, bamboo shrimps will keep the bottom of your aquarium clean and makes wonderful additions to your tank.

Though there are numerous species of shrimps, there isn’t really a lot of its kind you can put in your freshwater tank. Tropical freshwater shrimps make gorgeous and functional additions to anyone’s reef tank. They come in beautiful colors and designs that add to the ornamental quality of your aquatic display. Being omnivores, their appetite for algae and left-over food makes them very good cleanup crew as well.

Let us get to know a few of them. The Red Cherry Shrimp is one of the most popular when it comes to beautifying your tank. Their bright red color with interludes of white brings the attraction and their purposeful pursuit for algae and organic debris makes them more priceless and sought of.

Flower Shrimp is an interesting kind and has many other names to it. They are also well called as Asian Fan shrimp, Bamboo shrimp, Wood Shrimp and Rock shrimp. For why, I guess because of its having four fan-like appendages. They can come in different colors ranging from pale light brown to dark red. These fascinating creatures are known for being peaceful and are ideal for a well-planted tank with a lot of hiding places.

The Ghost shrimps are tiny, willowy and almost translucent. They don’t really need a lot of food as they are excellent scavengers. Their size makes them only able to be paired with smaller fishes. They exhibit non-stop motion which makes them very appealing to watch and could add a lot of personality to a community tank.

Among the easiest to take care of and are best for those who are just starting out the hobby of keeping reef tanks, the Glass shrimp is an excellent choice.  Aside from being inexpensive to obtain, they can clean up your tank pretty well and is a highly recommended addition to the community.

Another choice for those who has not owned a fish before is the Japanese Swamp shrimp. They are not aggressive so one need not worry about their fishes being chased around. They do a splendid job in cleaning up tanks on top of being easy to take care of. This is kinda good to have.

A lot of other shrimps are aggressive and are best avoided as reef tank inhabitants. It is good to learn a little about tropical freshwater shrimps before chucking them in. They are active, functional and colourful. Find interesting ones that will not only fit into your aquarium community but will add character and beauty as well.