1a-wirbellose

Last updated: February 12, 2010 20:45

Information about shrimp and crayfish

In this section, we provide general information about shrimp and crayfish. I have included here FAQs (frequently asked questions) that I am often asked at aquarium club and invertebrate club meetings. However, if you do not find the information you seek here, please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to respond.

Frequently asked questions about shrimp and crayfish

Information on species of shrimp I keep

Information about species of crayfish I keep



The story of my aquarium passion and breeding of livestock

I am a passionate aquarium hobbyist. A friend once wrote about me that I am "perhaps one of those who do things with such enthusiasm that others are skeptical of my views." I'd have to agree with that.

My aquarium passion began in 1972 (I am 50) with my first community tank. After a short while, my fish began to reproduce, and I expanded to a second aquarium. I shared my fish offspring with my friends and people in the hobby. I started doing production in my shed, while maintaining a show aquarium in my living room - a magnificent 600 liter planted tropical tank. After a few more years, I expanded my interests again, focusing on breeding aquarium livestock that I found to be particularly pleasing - those with interesting characteristics. I am not in the hobby for commercial gain, breeding animals, but rather because I enjoy it. However, breeding results in extra animals, which I am pleased to be able to offer below. I would first prefer to trade livestock types, rather than sell them, so priority goes to other hobbyists with trade possibilities. I much prefer local pick-up of animals, because it is the safest for them.


Care of shrimp and crayfish

Most of my crustaceans are raised in my local tap water, which is 9-10° KH and 17° GH, with a pH of 7.5.

A few of my species I raise using reverse osmosis water. To lower the pH, I use peat particles or compost. I use Alder cones, sea-almond leaves, and walnut tree leaves to discourage fungal growth.

Before I kept crustaceans in aquaria, I would use copper-containing medications to treat the tanks for some diseases. However, since crustaceans are sensitive to copper, I no longer do this, as it will kill them.


Marble crayfish are not for beginners!

One of the first crayfish in the aquarium hobby was the marble crayfish, Procambarus var.

These are pretty crayfish and are easily kept by the aquarist. However, after a time, one's plants get disturbed by these animals, and one's fish begin to disappear, caught and eaten by the marble crayfish. Some sales people will tell buyers that the marble crayfish is no problem in the aquarium if it is properly fed, however this is definitely not true. These sales people make a profit from selling you this marble crayfish, and therefore do not want you to know the truth. Marble crayfish are not good for the community tank or for the environment. For this reason, we do not endorse them or cultivate them. I shudder to think how many of these pest animals have been flushed down the toilet, and let out to be a nuisance in the environment. Most of them survived and are now in our waters. If an aquarist would like to keep crustaceans in their tanks, we offer species that are much better for community tanks, that do no harm.

Marble cancerWhy do we refuse to offer marble crayfish? While they are attractive and good at making a profit in sales, one is tempted to think one can't go wrong keeping them. However, one can go wrong, and will, with this variety! One exposure to other species, after the effort to find and acquire them, and the aquarist realizes that he can keep beautiful crustaceans in a community tank that will not harm plants or hunt fish.

Marble crayfish should be kept only by those aquarists who are familiar with this variety and its behavior, who know exactly what they are in for!



Battling hydra and planaria in the crustacean tank

by Christian Peter Steinle

The usual first medication chosen to treat aquariums for infestations of hydra and planaria are copper-based medicines, which are lethal to crustaceans and do not fully rid the tank of the infestation, either. However, hydra can be treated very successfully with Flubendazole, which is harmless to fish and invertebrates. Flubendazole is a medication designed for treatment of internal parasitic worms. The active ingredient in Flubendazole works by binding a protein subunit, resulting in the destruction of the cell walls of parasitic worms and hydra. This results in death, because the worms and hydra are rendered unable to transport food across their membranes any longer, and therefore die.

The active ingredient (C16H12FN3O3) is solid and largely water-insoluble, and therefore harmless to fish and crustaceans. It is sold for de-worming animals and can be obtained where veterinary medicines are sold.

Aquarists have used Flubendazole with good success. It takes about two weeks before hydra are destroyed. The treatment can be repeated at four weeks, to destroy any second-generation hydra not killed by the first treatment. After the second treatment, a water change should be done.

Best wishes.

A question frequently asked of 1A-Wirbellose.de:

How is Flubendazole dosed into an aquarium?

Answer (Christian Peter Steinle):
Flubendazole contains an active ingredient commonly used in veterinary and human medicine. It is also used for some agricultural and industry uses, as well. A tablet placed in water is relatively insoluble, so whether it is placed in a small amount of water, or larger amount of water, the concentration let out into the water is essentially similar. It will only dissolve to a very small concentration in the water, and then is insoluble beyond that. So unless the amount of water is very huge (> 1000 liters), one tablet will suffice to treat all volumes, putting the same concentration of medicine into the solution.

A question frequently asked of 1A-Wirbellose.de:

So with Flubendazole there is no meaning to "dosage amount?" One tablet gives the same treatment in a 30 liter tank as it does in a 1000 liter tank? Can you explain how this is?

Answer (Christian Peter Steinle):
Flubendazol is largely insoluble in water. When a tablet is placed in water, so little of it dissolves that the water gets the same miniscule concentration, then it stops dissolving further, whether it's a small volume of water, or a large volume of water. This tiny concentration is fully circulated throughout the water by the aquarium's filter pump, and all the hydra are treated. So it is not necessary to speak in terms of dosage accuracy, since the concentration is dictated by the low solubility in water. The active ingredient is harmless to everything but worms and hydra.

Friendly greetings
Christian Peter Steinle

1A-Wirbellose thanks Christian Peter Steinle for details answer of our questions.




Housing crustaceans and fish together

Before you select livestock for your tank, think about the following points. When mixing crustaceans and fish, there are many factors to consider.

- One such point is the stocking density:

For example, in a small tank with a school of 6 fish and 4 Cherry shrimp, the shrimp are likely to become extinct, eaten as food by the fish. If, however, the same tank was stocked with 50 Cherry shrimp, the likelihood of most surviving, and possibly reproducing, is much greater, and a population of shrimp could be maintained in that tank, even with the fish eating a few .

Should the animal lover become distressed at the idea of a pet shrimp possibly becoming food? Is it humane? In nature, shrimp are a natural source of food for fish, and readily re-supply their population by reproduction. I do not put shrimp into my tanks just as food for fish; I cultivate them as their own species, too. But in the process, they reproduce, and provide some of their members as good quality, fresh, live food for the fish. It is a compromise. I know of tanks where both shrimp and fish thrive well, and the shrimp provide an excellent food source.

- Another point to consider is the internal organization of an aquarium:

For example, in a tank with no plants or hardscape or driftwood, no decorations, there are no places for the shrimp to seek shelter or protection, and they are most likely to be eaten and not survive. But in a well planted tank, they have habitat where they can hide, and they will survive, and likely reproduce.

- The size of the aquarium:

This is largely self-explanatory.

- Mixing different shrimp types together: Shrimp with other shrimp:

There are different criteria even here.

- Shrimp mixed with closely related shrimp can result in cross-breeding between varieties, a negative consequence if one is trying to breed pure-strain shrimp. However, not all varieties will cross-breed, so selection is key. If keeping a pure strain of shrimp is not your priority, then it may not matter how you mix shrimp varieties in a tank.

- Some shrimp are more dominant than others. For example, when trying to breed both Crystal Red shrimp and Cherry Red shrimp in a tank, the Cherry shrimp will likely out-populate the Crystal Red shrimp, causing the Crystal Red breeding to wane, as Cherry shrimp crowd them out. Sometimes, the breeding rate is similar, and both species will thrive equally.

- Long-arm shrimp and dwarf shrimp often have problems with one another. However, if the aquarium is large enough, densely planted, and with sparse population, they could peacefully coexist together in a tank.

- Housing shrimp and crayfish together:

Here we must differentiate between the dwarf shrimp and the long-arm shrimp, as well as the dwarf crayfish and standard crayfish.

- Dwarf shrimp and dwarf crayfish can sometimes co-habit a tank, and sometimes not! Again, it depends on how the aquarium is set up and the population density. Not all dwarf crayfish are peaceful. Recently, we discussed this topic at length. A young aquarist feared his shrimp offspring might be hunted by crayfish. He had been assured by other hobbyists that this would not happen, but I had warned him that it might. I could not offer him assurances they would be safe, without knowing the set-up of his aquarium. Without this knowledge, I suggested the conservative solution of separate tanks for separate species. On the other hand, I later had a discussion with a crustacean-hobbyist friend who keeps crayfish and dwarf shrimp together - Crystal Red and Dwarf Green Babaulti. When I asked whether this posed a problem, he said no.

- It is inadvisable to house long-arm shrimp and dwarf crayfish together. If an animal needs to defend its territory constantly against another territorial animal, it is too stressful. Particularly during molt, when they are soft and defenseless and can be attacked. With a large tank and many plants or hiding places, perhaps one could have success mixing them, but the probability is small.

- Dwarf shrimp and standard size crayfish are usually compatible tank mates. I have never observed a larger crayfish hunt dwarf shrimp.

Procambarus Clarkii Pearl Blue

- One should not house long-arm shrimp and the standard crayfish together. Again, during the molting process, the molting animal is soft and defenseless against the other and it is stressful if the molting animal is always forced to hide.

People will ask, "which can go together, and which cannot?" It may be that none should go together. With a large tank and many plants and hiding places, perhaps one could have success mixing these animals, but the probability is small.

Crustacean lovers look forward with anticipation to raising young shrimp. Yet they also want crayfish or fish in the tank. They want to know if this is possible, or advisable. I always caution that whenever shrimp predators are present, danger to the shrimp resides. Do not tempt fate, and afterwards moan at your failure. If you populate your shrimp tank with predators, beware.


Table for compatibility of aquarium fish and dwarf shrimp:

Table for the socialization of aquarium fish and dwarf shrimps
To increase on the picture click!

Before housing these animals together, be sure to read the section on "housing crustaceans and fish together."

I do not have experience with all the fish and shrimp described.

Therefore, the experiences of other aquarists will follow. Please feel free to contribute if you have experience to share - write to me of your experiences and I will include them here.

Some aquarium fish can be housed with full grown shrimp without problems. However, the same fish may eat the offspring of the adult shrimp, leaving the population to dwindle down as the adults die off over time. I have marked these with + (red background).

Marked by an X (greener background) are combinations of fish and shrimp where the shrimp hardly get or do not get eaten.

The - (yellow background) combinations we are unsure about.

You can download this file in pdf format here.

If you wish to add data, you may add it into this Excel file and send it to us. We will incorporate your data and publish it.




Wilo vitally, the miracle drug for shrimp?

by Dietmar narrow one

Hello friends,
Several weeks ago I had a tragedy of the offspring in a Crystal Red shrimp tank of mine. I still cannot say with 100% certainty what happened, and I won't even try to figure it out.

The most information is available in Japanese forums and websites. The pictures are captivating and impressive, but I cannot understand much with Japanese characters! A few experts write in English, and there I have more success gathering information.

I see pictures all over touting white crystalline stones for use with Crystal Red shrimp tanks. The more high-grade and expensive the shrimp, the more these stones are advertised, it seems. I had an idea what they might be, but could not get a source of them in Europe. To use them in powder form was not a problem, but made a terrible mess in the tank, difficult to handle.

There is one supplier who offers granules. If things work out with the handling, I may be able to get the granules. But for now, I'm using powder.

Here are my results:

Product information on Wilo vital

Japan has used this the longest. In Europe it is still largely unknown. This product is a clay mineral enriched in calcium that reportedly improves the vitality of Crystal Red shrimp and helps the animals maintain intense colors. Therefore, they are able to display bright and strong red, white, and brown-black stripes and form glossy carapaces.

Wilo vital is a pure clay mineral (Montmorillonite clay), naturally enriched with calcium. Montmorillonite is used for Japanese Koi and invertebrate friends as the best and safest method to enrich the water with the important and natural minerals. Our water supply lacks these minerals. In the natural habitat of the animals, these trace elements are present. Perhaps this is the key to the successful care breeding of Crystal Red shrimp. If one can believe Japanese forums, this is so. This product has become increasingly recognized to improve the health and energize the appetite of the animals. It can be dissolved into the water and put directly in the aquarium. There, the minerals are taken up directly through the shells of the animals, and also ingested with the food.

When added into the aquarium water, another positive effect occurs: the free-floating particles of Wilo vital enriches the substrate. It acts as a sort of liquid filter medium, binding pollutants while it floats in the water. (Similar to how the "miracle drug" acts for Easy Life).

Wilo vital can also be mixed into the food source. The calcium content of Wilo vital helps the animals to take up and digest the vitamins and minerals in the food better. Since the digestion is enhanced, the animal experiences less stress. Now the animal can grow better and extract more nutrition from the same amount of food. Since it is a fine particle, it has enormous surface area available to bind many materials (a gram has 400-600 m ² surface!!!) Thus, other sediments get bound by the Wilo vital and are removed. Heavy metals and other pollutants are removed in this manner, by binding to the Wilo vital.

Wilo vital is a natural calcium-containing Bentonite, also known as Montmorillonite clay.

The minerals of the alumina can improve the appearance of the animals substantially. The colors become clearer and usually more intense.

The white/red/brown/black of the animals get then this beautiful intensity. When first put into a tank, Wilo will cloud the water. But with correct tank filtering, the water will be clear again in 24 hours or so.

The floating particles enrich the substrate.

A further positive effect from clay mineral is that that increases oxygen content of the water and the pH value is buffered. The properties of this clay are healthy enough that it is approved for use with German drinking water by the regulatory authority (TVO) for heavy metal binding and also is legal for use in food products.

We suggest the use of granules rather than powder, because handling and dosing are simple and not messy (i.e., dust free).

Dosing: - For water purification: a level teaspoon, approx. 5 g per 100 liters. Pre-mix in some water, then mix this into the aquarium.

- As a nutritional supplement: Quantity depends upon how densely stocked the tank is, mix it into the food in the aquarium.

So much about the product.

I have used it now a few days and cannot report anything negative. I believe the positive effects are best to be seen after 1-2 generations of shrimp raising. It is offered for sale here: www.shop.hanseaquaristik.de

1A-wirbellose asked:

Hello Dr. Lechleiter,
As a representative of this product, can you confirm the information about it is true?

Thanks for the inquiry

What I indicated above is correct. With Koi we have good success using this product Montmorillonite/Bentonite, so why not also with other fish or shrimp? The product may be obtained as Bentonite, or as Koi products, usually labeled as "refined mineral clay" in pellet form.

I do not have experience with different versions of this product however.

Many greetings!
fischcare - Dr. med. vet. Sandra Lechleiter
Specialized veterinary surgeon for fish




Zeolite in the invertebrate tank?

by Christian Peter Steinle

Six years ago, I evaluated over twenty different trade forms of aquarium zeolite regarding physical and chemical characteristics. Two conclusions resulted: 1) Zeolite works to soften water and 2) is a great chemical binder.

The important effect to note in aquariums is the demineralization of the water, which causes water chemistry changes rather rapidly that can adversely affect animals acclimated to a certain water composition. Ammonium compounds bind fast and tightly to zeolite. In addition, calcium binds to zeolite; this is important to note in crustacean tanks.

In conclusion, I keep zeolite on hand for emergency detoxification use, or to pre-treat rain water. But I do not use it as a filtering medium.


Copper in the invertebrate tank

Copper is an enemy of invertebrates. While it may be true that different animals have different tolerances to copper, the proverb aptly applies, "caution is better than indulgence." Experimenting with whether an animal is poisoned by copper is too risky.

In fact, it is highly likely that small Caridina and Neocaridina will be poisoned by trace amounts of copper.

One time, I had an infestation of hydra in a tank, and treated it with copper plates. After a while, the problem was solved, so I removed the copper plates. Upon doing so, I noticed a Long-armed shrimp wandering around the tank. It had been safe the entire week with the copper plates in the tank, apparently none the worse for wear. I've had similar experiences with copper and Dwarf Orange crayfish, who also were apparently not sensitive to copper. But on the other hand, you should know that I have a continuous water exchange system on my tanks, and therefore maybe the toxic effects were lessened, due to continuous fresh water exchange.


Feeding shrimp and crayfish live foods

All animals need a varied diet.

In the natural environment of a shrimp or crayfish, the running water of a brook or stream provides to them a varied diet. For example, a decaying tree trunk in the water could house little insects, fungi and algae. On the other hand, a tree trunk freshly fallen into the water could house many insects which lived in the air but now have died in the water and are food for crayfish and shrimp. There are many such examples. We cannot supply the diversity of foods in our aquaria that are available in nature. So we do our best by mimicking the natural habitat of the invertebrate using similar materials and providing them with a varied diet.

I regularly provide live foods. White mosquito larvae and small Cyclops are not readily eaten by crustaceans. But shrimp and crayfish eat nearly everything whether it is leaves, algae, water fleas, red or black mosquito larvae, a tag fly larvae etc. In addition, I offer beech or oak leaf litter, rabbit pellets, green food tablets, flake food, commercial shrimp and crayfish food, granulated food, frozen foods such as Cyclops, Daphnia, white and red mosquito larvae and Artemia. From my live food cultures they get Artemia, Microworms, black mosquito larvae (in the summer) and soon also white worms.

We take care to feed adequately, but not overfeed rich foods, or growth will be too rapid and molting problems will ensue. The same principle applies to raising fish. We make sure to provide our animals high quality food.




Microworms, Panagrellus redivisvus

Microworms are small, approx. 2-3 mm long worm that is approximately hair thick. It provides an excellent live food for fast-growing fish fry such as Killifish or little catfish. It sinks to the soil and lives some hours under water. As a food source, they are a rich food, and should not be fed each day. I feed microworms to shrimp. They react with enthusiasm when fed microworms. Young shrimp also partake with enthusiasm, pushing themselves into the worm mass to get to them.

I culture microworms in transparent plastic bowls with a cover, such as a 1 kg deli potato salad container. Into the container, I place moistened soil, and on top of the soil I put 2-3 mm layer of breadcrumbs, which are moistened in such a way with cold water, after which it will form a viscous mass. After one minute it is an even, firm pancake-like mass, which cannot be moved any longer, the water was taken up. Now I place a half cube of fresh yeast on this layer by forming the yeast to a large disk. A starter innoculation of the microworm culture (approx. ¼ cm ³) is mixed with a few (2-3) ml of water water and distributed over the yeast. I adapt the container cover with holes for air exchange, and remove the cover daily for good air exchange.

The microworms multiply well at 20 to 26°C (68-78 °F) and do not require much light. Approximately 3 days after starting the culture, the first feeding can be done. To harvest the worms, brush the walls of the container with a straight-bristled toothbrush. Do not harvest from the feed mash area because enormous amounts of bacteria reside there which could foul your tank. Place the toothbrush in the tank and swish to loosen the worms into the water. Alternately, one can rinse them separately into a bowl of water first, to cleanse them of feed and bacteria, then pour off the water after a rinse or two, and then rinse the worms from the bowl into the tank. Replace the perforated lid on the culture container until the next feeding. If the feed mash is too damp, the culture will stall and you will no longer have worms on the container walls. You will need to dry it a bit until it is firmer again to get the culture growing well again, you can add bread crumbs to effect this.

I am happy to offer you free starter cultures which can be included in your shipment of shrimp or crayfish, or provided to you for the cost of postage and packaging.


A word of warning on amphipods Hyalella azteca in the shrimp aquarium

Hyalella azteca are a small, white amphipod commonly seen in aquaria. They have a high protein content and are consumed readily by some aquarium fish. They can be cultivated easily in small containers (beginning at 2 liter size). They provide a good source of live food to have on hand for fish.

For many crayfish this amphipod is too fast and is therefore not suitable as a live food.

Amphipods pose greater problems to young shrimp. Amphipods will eat shrimp hatchlings. The result of amphipods in a shrimp tank is that no young shrimp survive, and the population becomes extinct. In theory, one can feed amphipods to fish-only tanks, and not to shrimp tanks, but the reality is that they are likely to find their way to shrimp tanks as well if they are around, at all, unless extreme care is taken in feeding them to fish tanks. Amphipods are extremely fast and can skip into shrimp tanks inadvertently. They can survive in a moist environment a long time, to emerge upon a chance to infest a shrimp tank. They can also be transferred via plants or tank decorations.

To rid a shrimp tank from Mexican amphipods Hyalella azteca basically requires a total tear-down and disinfecting of the tank. It is better to avoid amphipods altogether and avoid the chance of them getting into shrimp tanks. There are other live food choices for fish that can be used.


Cultivating white worms, Enchytraeus albidus

White worms are up to 50 mm long whitish colored worms that grow to about 1 mm thick. They make excellent food for aquarium fish and shrimp and crayfish. They have been used for decades for this use. One should take care not to overfeed these as a food source, as they are a rich food. We are able to cultivate them year-round, but in the summer they need a cool location. The preferred temperature range for cultivation is between 15-20°C (59-68 °F).

I cultivate white worms in plastic flower pots with a diameter of 30-40 cm. I cover them with a lid that fits well. I fill the pot half-full of soil, using a 50/50 mixture of sand and peat moss. Before I fill the pot, I moisten the soil mixture until it is damp, but not wet. In the center of the soil, I make a hole into which I place the feed mash. I use a mash of cooked: cauliflower 50%, potatoes 25%, and carrots 25%, with 4 teaspoons of salt (per 1 kg mash). I cook the vegetables in water, drain off the water, and mash the vegetables together. Then, I add rolled oats until the consistency is firm enough that it does not pour from a spoon, but instead clings. The mash is cooled, rolled into 1 cm sheets, and frozen. I begin the culture using a 2 x 2 cm piece, which is consumed in 4 to 5 days. When this amount is eaten in one day's time, I add more quantity up to quadruple this amount, so the feeding again lasts 3 days. At this time, the young worms will line the container and you may begin to harvest them for food. Always keep enough moisture content in the culture such that it is not wet, but does show condensation on the lid. I keep several cultures at once for a steady food supply. I have tried to culture in larger quantities, but this does not work as well as several smaller ones. Using this method, I have had no problems providing a steady supply.




Setting up a shrimp tank

The tank size depends on the shrimp type. All tanks are equipped with a Hamburg mat filter. The substrate color depends on the shrimp variety. I prefer sand with 0-1 mm particle size in various colors. In all my shrimp tanks I put driftwood, some aquatic plants, floating Riccia (the young shrimp particularly like this), and Java moss. I put lids on each tank. To light them, I use fluorescent tubes for eleven hours a day.

I house all my shrimp tanks in a heated space, in order not to use tank heaters. The old style in-tank heaters can have the contacts become stuck and overheat the tanks, cooking the shrimp! In a few of my shrimp tanks, I use newer-style heaters.

Water changes are done by means of my auto-water-changing system. Depending on the stocking density, I can change water more or less often, as needed. Some aquariums that do not use water from my tap line, I must do manual water changes.

An example is my brackish water tanks.




Setting up a crayfish tank

How to design a Dwarf Orange crayfish aquarium

The setup for this type of tank could also be used in a community tank, because the crayfishcan be housed with many fish. If you only keep a few dwarf crayfish in an aquarium, it can be 20-30 liters size. The substrate should not be too light colored, and of a small particle size such as sand (2mm or smaller) or small gravel (2 mm). Particles should not exceed 3 mm because if a small animal makes a burrow in this size particle, and another larger animal walks over it, it will cave in and possibly suffocate the animal in the burrow. The tank should be well planted in about half the tank, leaving the other half for observation of the animals. The tank should contain Java moss or other plants.

Leaf litter on the bottom from beech and oak are used. Peat bog driftwood placed in the tank with plants or moss attached provide safe hiding places for molting animals. Also, pregnant females will utilize these hiding places for protection.

The tank should be equipped with a Hamburg mat filter or air-driven sponge filter, but not a power filter (it can suck up the young). The lighting should be moderate, not too bright, yet sufficient for the growth of the plants and for observation of the animals within.

Crayfish will climb and at times attempt to escape the tank, so precautions must be taken. They cannot climb smooth glass or plastic, but can climb silicone seams and other materials where they can get a grip such as air tubing or decorations.

If the ambient environment is around 20° C (68° F) then no heater is necessary, and even down to 10° C (50° F) they will usually fare fine. The water quality must be fairly good, and evenly kept - no large changes at once. A moderate amount of mulm on the tank floor is fine, however, extreme build-up of mulm is too dirty and must be avoided or the water quality will be poor and the animals will attempt to migrate out of the tank or could have trouble molting.

Cherax HoltuissiiThere are many different needs in setting up a tank for crayfish, as there are different crayfish to house. Here, I would like to recommend the book by Chris Lukhaup and Reinhard Pekny.

Krebse im Aquarium - Haltung und Pflege im Süsswasser



This book is about different crayfish and their needs. It is a Class A book!


The auto-water-changing system - Simply marvelous!

There are different ways to design an auto-water-changing system. I decided on a constant water flow and so designed the following:

Water input - water lines go to each tank, controlled by a toilet float switch. A small submerged pump moves the water at low pressure into a water circuit (made from 16 mm PVC pipe) that feeds all the tanks. Off the water circuit come lines (each 12 mm PVC pipe) to each row of tanks. Off those lines come 5-6 mm PVC lines to each tank.

Water draining - Each tank contains a Hamburg mat filter. Behind the mat, we draw off water. The mats are fine enough that no livestock passes through, so the water drawn off does not contain animals. The water is removed by means of an overflow. When the water level reaches at or above the overflow level, it drains through the overflow via 12 mm PVC pipes, which collect to a main drain line.

It costs an investment to set up such a system, but over the weeks and years it pays for itself in saved time and labor of water changing. With 50 tanks to tend, this allows me to work, sleep and enjoy my time, rather than spend my time doing chores. My thoughts are "no investment, no return!" With this system in place, isn't it a beautiful feeling?




Shipping shrimp and crayfish

The animals
I ship only animals which I keep and breed. I do not use water enhancers or color agents on my livestock. Up to the present day, I have used no medications on the shrimp or crayfish. If I had to treat them, I would then hold them for six weeks before shipping those animals, to ensure only perfectly healthy animals would be delivered to you. My animals are generally raised in my tap water (KH 9 - 10°, GH 17°, PH 7.5).

In-person pick-up
is my preferred method to get my animals to you, to ensure safe delivery of healthy animals. You can contact me to make arrangements for a pick-up appointment.

How I package shrimp and crayfish for shipping
I package the shrimp inside two shipping bags, one inside the other. I package crayfish in 1/3 liter PET bottles, encased inside a fish transport plastic bag. Either of these then in turn padded inside a cardboard box using newspaper insulation. At low or high temperatures, the cardboard box is also lined with a polystyrene box. In order to assure live arrival, I will only ship during temperatures of 25 ° C +/- 8 ° C (77 ° F +/- 10° F)

If a holiday occurs in the latter part of that week, I will not ship that week. Otherwise, I ship Mondays through Wednesdays if your location allows this timing without including a weekend.

Shipping costs
We provide you with shipping costs after we have all relevant information such as shipping location, and the amount you are ordering, when we can calculate the shipping weight and costs accurately and mode of shipping such as express shipment. However, as a general idea, you can ship up to 50 dwarf shrimp on 7 euro within Germany. Please use our contact form to inquire further about shipping or purchases. All purchases and shipping costs must be prepaid before shipment. This includes postage and packaging and the cost of your order. Thank you!

If you need more information, please feel free to contact me via E-Mail or our contact form.




PET bottles as shipping containers for shrimp and crayfish

TThere is a discussion whether these disposable plastic bottles are suitable for use as shipping containers in cooler seasons. In cooler weather, the volume inside a sealed bottle somewhat contracts, lowering the pressure and thus taking some of the oxygen out of solution in the bottle due to the vacuum.  I spoke with Dr. Gerd Kassebeer about this topic. While the negative pressure in the bottle will extract some measure of oxygen from the water, the lower temperature also enables the water to hold more oxygen to begin with, so in the end the effect is cancelled out. PET bottles are well suited for shipping containers for shrimp and crayfish, even during the cooler season.




Reactions from our customers

In December 2006, Joachim wrote:

Hello Roland,

The animals arrived already to my surprise, one day after shipping, and in the best condition I've seen. The way you packed and shipped them is unparalleled and can't be beat! Than you also for the extra shrimp. I am sure that I will be back to learn more from you and get more purchases.

Many thanks and warm greetings,

Joachim


In November 2006 Mirko wrote:

The shrimp have arrived. Your tigers are truly magnificent, first off because all arrived alive. Other shipments I've received from other sources always had DOAs. All your Red Nose shrimp arrived alive, also. I have them separated into their own tank, one is carrying eggs. Thank you for the berried female and for the extra Tiger shrimp. Thanks again for the fast transaction.

Many greetings from G. MirkoIm


In November 2006, Doris from Austria wrote:

Hello Roland,

The shrimp arrived today in perfect condition. :) Thanks for the exceptional and beautiful animals and the perfect transaction!
LG Doris


In November 2006, Anja from H wrote:

Hello!

I contacted you a while ago and am contacting you again. The young animals arrived healthy and lively and made the trip perfectly. I have never received shipped shrimp so well packaged before. No large shop has sent livestock packed so well as yours. Also, I was surprised that they arrived today. Many shops use UPS or TNT and the shipments take longer. If there were a review site where I could score you, I would score you ten out of ten stars! Also, I would like to thank you for the rare specimens. They have helped keep me in the hobby, as all the livestock I received from the large shops have died. Only the new generation is alive, and hopefully will breed and grow well for me. I would gladly purchase from you again.

Love and greetings, and once again thank you,

Anja


In November 2006, Harald from T wrote:

Hello Roland!

The blue Tigers arrived today, all 17 alive! Thank you for the specialty shrimp!! I have wanted these Blue Tigers for a long time! Thank you for the beautiful shrimp!!


In October 2006, Jürgen from K wrote:

Hello Roland,

My new Tiger shrimp are in their new home and exploring the landscape. In the tank they look black, they are such dark blue. Truly magnificent. Thank you once again, I would gladly recommend you if you would like.

Best greetings,

Jürgen
P.S. If I should travel to Hamburg again, I will look you up.


In October 2006, Frank from H wrote:

Hello Roland,

My new Tiger shrimp arrived today. They were packed very will and had no problems with shipping. They are beautifully colored, healthy animals. Can you tell the gender based on body shape? Thanks you for your assistance.

Best wishes from the swabia country,

Frank

Shrimp I would like to find/trade for

- Macrobrachium cf. mirabile, Pearl shrimp
- Macrobrachium hancocki, Costa Rican shrimp
- Atyopsis moluccensis, Bamboo shrimp, Wood shrimp, Fan shrimp

If you can offer me assistance here, please email me or fill out our form. Thank you.



Information about Green Dwarf shrimp

Green Dwarf shrimp

To breed this variety, one should start with the best quality breeding stock, which includes choosing animals that are good specimens - with the proper coloring, shape, size, and appearance. Choose your breeding stock from as large a group as possible, to get a wide variety of genes. If one starts from only a few animals, the gene pool is very limited, and inbreeding will cause problems in the health of your population before too many generations. With each generation, choose from them the best offspring to breed the next generation.

To set up a breeding tank, one can use a natural looking tank. Use at least a 12 liter size tank with substrate appropriate for shrimp. They do not do well on slippery bottoms. The color of the substrate can be different, according to the species. Dark species are difficult to see on dark substrate, but on bright substrate these animals may display unusual behaviors because they feel insecure on the bright background. Use small particle size of sand (up to 2 mm) or small gravel (2 mm or slightly larger).

A medium neutral color in the substrate is usually a good choice, because if goes with many species. The lighting should be adequate to observe the animals, but not too bright. I use tap water in their tanks, which has the characteristics of 9° KH, 17° GH, PH 7.5-8 and a temperature of 24-28°C (76-82 °F).

I use peat bog driftwood, some aquatic plants or at least Java moss. Riccia makes a suitable floating plant. The young shrimp will hide out in the Java moss and riccia, and graze their to feed as well. Here, they are safer from predators.

One can breed shrimp in a community tank, too. But a species tank it much preferred to produce the best quality offspring of a certain kind of species.

I use a Hamburg mat filter or sponge filter driven by air. Do not use a power head as the current produced will stress the young, small babies, and they can be sucked up into power filters if the input is not pre-filtered by a sponge or small enough screen size.

Young shrimp in such a tank do not have to be fed particularly, as they will subsist off mulm and moss and plant matter. In their fist days, they stay very still and hidden, then later one notices them in the moss or riccia. After two or three weeks, one begins to notice them at the feeding stations, eating alongside the adults. I feed artemia daily, mixed occasionally with Cyclopeeze. If the shrimp are feeding and growing well, one can transfer them to grow-out tanks. The water conditions must be identical. If they are not, then very careful drip-acclimation must take place when transferring.




Red Nose shrimp

Below, read my efforts at breeding this brackish-water species. Much of my information I retrieved from reading about Cardina japonica (www.caridinajaponica.de). I would like to thank Carsten and Frank for their detailed description of the Amano shrimp.

Two years ago, I procured for myself 10 of these Red Nosed shrimp, with the objective of breeding them. Today, I have only one male and two females, and I ask myself whether the reason is that they are a very territorial animal, that I have so few left.

The first two breeding attempts, I used a 15 liter plastic tank. Both attempts failed after 20 days. For the third attempt I used a 112 liter tank. Both females delivered their larvae within two days or each other.  I took the mothers out and removed a third of the tank water. I replaced that water with saline water, using 25 gm sea salt per liter calculated toward the total tank volume, (thus 25×112=2,800 g.). I replaced this third volume over the time period of four hours, gradually increasing the salinity in the main tank. Unlike the experience with Cardina japonica, these larvae clung to the disks the first day. On the second day, they began to swim freely. After 14 days at noon, I had 500-1000 larvae in the water which only returned to the disks at 21:00 (10 pm). I exactly followed the instructions from Frank, since I feared overfeeding and fouling the water. Actually, however, the water was clear again fairly fast after the feedings. Whether this was due to the larvae eating, or the algae, I don't know.

After four weeks I had too many larvae to count, but suddenly for some unknown reason the count then dropped dramatically (I lost all the babies), and after another week only two were still alive. After a week I converted the tank to a fresh water tank. The two remained alive. I let the tank still run and later discovered another three in there.

I tried the next breeding attempt using aged water. From a hobbyist friend, I obtained used brackish water and also some 1 cm sized artemia. After a yeast feeding, the water would cloud so much that visibility into the water was only 30 cm. In a separate tank, I kept a pregnant Red Nosed female. When she delivered her larvae, I put them into this brackish tank.

It was difficult to see the larvae in this cloudy water. The feeding was initaly rotifera, but they proved too large for the larvae, so I switched to artemia. The water was more clear, although not transparent by the time I fed artemia again. I took out a test shrimp and put into fresh water and it lived. So then on September 22 2006, I took out 65 shrimp and put them into fresh water and they did not survive long. Two days later, I transferred 109 shrimp from the brackish water to the fresh water, resulting in four hours of survival. Four days later, I emptied the brackish water aquarium and found 9 shrimp in there. I took a liter container of water with a thimble of brackish water mixed into it and placed them in there. In the next trial, I will be patient and use very slow methods as they seem to be very delicate in their nature. Altogether I went through 184 Red Nosed offspring. What killed them, I do not know. I will research more and try again in cooperation with Frank, and hopefully better results will happen.

The next attempt is running and I will keep you posted on the results. If you would like to contact me, you can use the email or contact me through RBlankenhaus@Aquarienfreunde-Stellingen.de .


Bee (Black Diamond) & Crystal Red shrimp

To breed these varieties, one should start with the best quality breeding stock, which includes choosing animals that are good specimens - with the proper coloring, pattern or markings, shape, size, and appearance. Choose your breeding stock from as large a group as possible, to get a wide variety of genes. If one starts from only a few animals, the gene pool is very limited, and inbreeding will cause problems in the health of your population before too many generations. With each generation, choose from them the best offspring to breed the next generation.

To set up a breeding tank, one can use a natural looking tank. Use at least a 12 liter size tank with substrate appropriate for shrimp. They do not do well on slippery bottoms. The color of the substrate can be different, according to the species. Dark species are difficult to see on dark substrate, but on bright substrate these animals may display unusual behaviors because they feel insecure on the bright background. Use small particle size of sand (up to 2 mm) or small gravel (2 mm or slightly larger).

A medium neutral color in the substrate is usually a good choice, because it goes with many species. The lighting should be adequate to observe the animals, but not too bright. I use prepared water in their tanks, which has the characteristics of 3° KH, 5° GH, PH 6.5-7 and a temperature of 22-24°C (72-76 °F).

I use peat bog driftwood, some aquatic plants or at least Java moss. Riccia makes a suitable floating plant. The young shrimp will hide out in the Java moss and riccia, and graze there to feed, as well. Here, they are safer from predators.

One can breed shrimp in a community tank, too. But a species tank is much preferred to produce the best quality offspring of a certain kind of species.

I use a Hamburg mat filter or sponge filter driven by air. Do not use a power filter, as the current produced will stress the young, small babies, and they can be sucked up into power filters if the input is not pre-filtered by a sponge or small enough screen size.

Young shrimp in such a tank do not have to be fed particularly, as they will subsist off mulm and moss and plant matter. In their first days, they stay very still and hidden, then later one notices them in the moss or riccia. After two or three weeks, one begins to notice them at the feeding stations, eating alongside the adults. I feed artemia daily, mixed occasionally with Cyclopeeze. If the shrimp are feeding and growing well, one can transfer them to grow-out tanks. The water conditions must be identical. If they are not, then very careful drip-acclimation must take place when transferring.

Blue Tigers, Colored Tigers, Tiger shrimp, Red Cherry/Fire red shrimp, White Pearl (Snowball) Dwarf shrimp, Marble shrimp, Sri Lankan Dwarf shrimp, Long0armed shrimp, and Blue Mexico shrimp, as well as Bristle-hand shrimp

If one wants to breed shrimp, then these species are good choices. To breed animals, one should start with the best quality breeding stock, which includes choosing animals that are good specimens - with the proper coloring, pattern, shape, size, and appearance. Choose your breeding stock from as large a group as possible, to get a wide variety of genes. If one starts from only a few animals, the gene pool is very limited, and inbreeding will cause problems in the health of your population before too many generations. With each generation, choose from them the best offspring to breed the next generation.

To set up a breeding tank, one can use a natural looking tank. Use at least a 12 liter size tank with substrate appropriate for shrimp. They do not do well on slippery bottoms. The color of the substrate can be different, according to the species. Dark species are difficult to see on dark substrate, but on bright substrate these animals may display unusual behaviors because they feel insecure on the bright background. Use small particle size of sand (up to 2 mm) or small gravel (2 mm or slightly larger).

A medium neutral color in the substrate is usually a good choice, because it goes with many species. The lighting should be adequate to observe the animals, but not too bright. I use my local tap water in their tanks, which has the characteristics of 9° KH, 17° GH, PH 7.5-8 and a temperature of 22-24°C (72-76 °F).

I use peat bog driftwood, some aquatic plants or at least Java moss. Riccia makes a suitable floating plant. The young shrimp will hide out in the Java moss and riccia, and graze there to feed as well. Here, they are safer from predators.

One can breed shrimp in a community tank, too. But a species tank is much preferred to produce the best quality offspring of a certain kind of species.

I use a Hamburg mat filter or sponge filter driven by air. Do not use a power filter, as the current produced will stress the young, small babies, and they can be sucked up into power filters if the input is not pre-filtered by a sponge or small enough screen size.

Young shrimp in such a tank do not have to be fed particularly, as they will subsist off mulm and moss and plant matter. In their first days, they stay very still and hidden, then later one notices them in the moss or riccia. After two or three weeks, one begins to notice them at the feeding stations, eating alongside the adults. I feed artemia daily, mixed occasionally with Cyclopeeze. If the shrimp are feeding and growing well, one can transfer them to grow-out tanks. The water conditions must be identical. If they are not, then very careful drip-acclimation must take place when transferring. 

Amano shrimp

You will find plenty of information on Amano shrimp here: www.caridinajaponica.de .



Information on the Dwarf Orange crayfish (CPO)

I keep Dwarf Orange crayfish in groups of 2 males and 4 to 5 females in a tank with a footprint of 30x50 cm and 25 cm high. The substrate should ideally be dark colored and small particle size such as sand (up to 2 mm) orsmall gravel (2 mm). Particles of 3 mm and larger are not advised, because these particles will cave in if a small animal makes a burrow and a large animal walks over that burrow.

The tank should be well planted in about half the tank, leaving the other half for observation of the animals. The tank should contain Java moss or other plants. Leaf litter on the bottom from beech and oak are used. Peat bog driftwood placed in the tank with plants or moss attached provide safe hiding places for molting animals. Also, pregnant females will utilize these hiding places for protection.

The tank should be equipped with a Hamburg mat filter or air-driven sponge filter, but not a power filter. The lighting should be moderate, not too bright, yet sufficient for the growth of the plants and for observation of the animals within.

Crayfish will climb and at times attempt to escape the tank, so precautions must be taken. They cannot climb smooth glass or plastic, but can climb silicone seams and other materials where they can get a grip such as air tubing or decorations.

If the ambient environment is around 20 ° C (68 ° F) then no heater is necessary, and even down to 10 ° C (50 ° F) they will usually fare fine. The water quality must be fairly good, and evenly kept - no large changes at once. A moderate amount of mulm on the tank floor is fine, however, extreme build-up of mulm is too dirty and must be avoided or the water quality will be poor and the animals will attempt to migrate out of the tank or could have trouble molting.

I feed my crayfish a varied diet to create healthy animals. With proper nutrition, they will be sexually mature by the age of three months and nearly a size of 2 cm. By this time, one can differentiate the sexes. The males have v-shaped genitalia, which are between the body and the abdomen. Mating takes place after the female molts. The male will flip the female onto her back and deposit a sperm package into her genital area. After a while, the female will drop her eggs from her saddle area down to her abdomen, and, in the process they are fertilized by the sperm package. She may carry up to 50 eggs on her pleopods, fanning them for oxygen exchange. Often, infertile eggs as well as developing ones are carried. The infertile ones are brightly colored orange. Some females will drop infertile eggs, but others carry them and endanger the entire clutch. After three days, if the eggs are a darker color, then they are developing, and in time they will change appearance again to a bright color as the young develop, after about 4 weeks. After hatching, the young will stay close to the mother's pleopods, going through their first molt and until they are about 3 mm in length. Then, they will leave her and be on their own in the tank. Young may be raised with their parents in the tank, as the adults do not eat them, but fine food must be supplied.

I usually take the mother and young and put them into a separate tank, using water from their original tank. I use a similar tank as far as size and layout. When the young are sexually mature, they can be placed in their own breeding tanks. Young grow and mature quickly and can be put into larger grow-out tanks at 1 cm size. With a size of nearly 2 cm, they are sexually mature, and one can sex them and sell them at that time. They will live to two years' age. If they are housed in a community tank with fish, reproduction will be hindered and your efforts to breed them wasted, because the fish will hunt or bother them.