# Cridders other than fish



## Strongbad (Dec 7, 2010)

While at the fish store my little one saw the blue lobster and a few types of crabs. She wanted one but I know jack. After doing a little reading I see some snailes can reproduce like guppies and the same with shrimp. They can take over the tank.

What is a carefree sort that will not escape the tank that has a hood. Eat my fish or mate so fast that I can not control them? 

The tank is kinda on the new side only afew weeks with fish in it.. 29gal , Black tetras , Danos , Molly and Swords . Also one plant and I plan on getting a couple more plants like Java moss fern and wisteria tommrow.

Any advice would be fantastic.

Crabs , turtles , lobsters , shrimp or other?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Shrimp would be my only consideration.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Shrimp: Docile, eat most forms of algae and fish waste. Red Cherry Shrimp (RCS) breed profusely but are small and cute. Amano shrimp are bigger and do a better job of cleanup crew. Ghost shrimp are similar to Amano shrimp but they are carnivorous and will eat snails if you put them in the tank together. Bamboo shrimp are HUGE and are filter feeders - occasionally they will root around in the substrate but mostly filter food out of the water.

Crabs: Escape artists. Eat EVERYTHING, including other fish and even plants! Best cleanup crew ever, especially to look at.

Frogs: African Dawrf Frogs are cute and fun and croak at night, but release salmonella into the tank water so having kids around the tank might not be a good idea with these guys in there. They don't eat algae or waste so they're really just eye candy.

Snails: Breed profusely, eat only one type of algae, and if you get plants, sometimes small snails will come in the plants. If you encounter such an outbreak, Assassin Snails are cannibalistic snails and will take care of the snail outbreak, along with Ghost Shrimp.

Plecostimus: Suckerfish, great at cleaning algae off tank walls, VERY docile, but get big. Only eats one type of algae.

Loaches: Good cleanup crew, but look like most other fish, and will eat shrimp.

Otos: Great little guys, don't know too much about them but love them nonetheless.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Most nerite snails won't breed in the aquarium. Zebra nerites are very pretty. 

Apple snails need a male and female to breed and even if you have more than one eggs are easy to remove. There are several types of apple snail, Pomacea Bridgessii are commonly sold and are plant safe.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

You've gotten some good advice so far. I would add my vote for shrimp. With your fish, the smaller shrimps like red cherrys probably won't get too bad. The fish will eat any baby shrimp they find. In fact you may find you need more hiding places to keep a good population. Great bottom cleaners and plant cleaners. Ghost shrimp are similar, but not as pretty and some types of ghost shrimp can be a little on the mean side to anything smaller than them. If the population of shrimp gets too high, they will stop breeding as much. If there is not enough food or the water quality drops, the mothers drop the eggs, never letting them develop into babies.

Otos are algae eaters, extremely docile, and never get big. Just don't get a chinese algae eater.

Common plecos get HUGE. About 18-24". There are cousins that never get too big. One is a bristlenose pleco, which only gets about 4" big. You NEED driftwood for these guys, as it is part of their diet.

Crabs/lobsters will eat anything they can get their claws on. Never had one and avoided it because I like my shrimp in my tank. They will also nab fish if they can too.

No experience with the frogs, though they are cute. General rule of thumb with fishies is, if it can fit in there mouth it will wind up there.


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