# Is it true that shrimp cant live in a tank if you use plant fertilizers?



## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

So,i have read a lot about shrimps . Some people say you cant keep them if you got planted tank and use plant fertilizers.Some people say they use plant fertilizers and their shrimp live.

Well,i got 2 planted tanks and i use plant fertilizers in both of them ( root tabs,cones,liquid) but i got algea problem , so i decided to take a risk and see what happens ,if it works for some why shouldnt it work for me ?

Tomorrow i will be receiving 25 red cherry shrimps for my 54 litre tank . 
Will keep posting on how they get on .


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Shrimp commonly live in low nitrate environment, especially those from the Ocean. Be very careful in your fertilizer dosing. You can easily poison your shrimp before you know you did something wrong. Many plants don't need to be fertilized. Two of my favorites, Java Fern and Val, grow like crazy without fertilizer.


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## FAIRCHILD (Jun 30, 2011)

The copper traces in most ferts are deadly to inverts. I have heard of people having success with ferts in shrimp tanks but they do far lower doses. I myself use no ferts and dont take any chances.


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

Got my shrimps today,they are very active ! 

But they are not red  

Are red cherry shrimp and cherry shrimp 2 different types?


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## FAIRCHILD (Jun 30, 2011)

They should be the same. First off are they adults? If they are adults and are somewhat translucent pinkish then they are all male. Females are usually BRIGHT or DARK red as in my avatar. If they are babies or juveniles then it will take a bit for them to reach their color peak. 

Glad to hear they are very active! Hope you have good luck with them! Are you going to continue the ferts?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You guys really should go to one of the many planted tank forums out there and ask how many have shrimp in their tanks that are healthy and thriving. Most all of them are dosing ferts pretty heavily for their plants and nearly all are dosing some type.


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## FAIRCHILD (Jun 30, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> You guys really should go to one of the many planted tank forums out there and ask how many have shrimp in their tanks that are healthy and thriving. Most all of them are dosing ferts pretty heavily for their plants and nearly all are dosing some type.


Ill check them out, however I doubt Ill change my mind just out of stubbornness or comfort *r2 Mine breed like rabbits with 20 or more babies every 2-3 days. I am too worrisome to slow that down


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Absolutely false. Shrimp *can and do* thrive in tanks with fert dosing.

I dose dry ferts from AquariumFertilizer.com. I use both the PMDD and EI methods. As well, I'm also injecting CO2. I keep my nitrAtes right at 20. Drop checkers glow a beautiful green (and sometimes a greenish-yellow). I breed a variety of shrimp with no issues.


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

Most of them are about 1 - 1.5 cm long . They do have tiny pink dots on them.

Yeah,i will continue dosing ferts , my apple snail , Collin , didnt mind them,but only had him for a few days . 

I am really surprised how active shrimps are,they are all over the tank , fun to watch,just wish they were biggger .


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## FAIRCHILD (Jun 30, 2011)

Sounds like you have juvies. Just give them time and enjoy them! They are fun!


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

Agree,they are fun 

I was thinking to move some of them to my 100 litre tank when its finished cycling,but think they are so small,i wont even see them . Are there any bigger types of shrimp ?


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

sondre said:


> Agree,they are fun
> 
> I was thinking to move some of them to my 100 litre tank when its finished cycling,but think they are so small,i wont even see them . Are there any bigger types of shrimp ?


Amano's are much bigger and pretty hardy as well. Bamboo shrimp are filter feeders which require a nice current and plenty of perches.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

My RCS are popping out babies once a week or so in my 10 gallon, no fertz, just some wimpy injected yeast fermentation CO2.

I noticed my shrimp started dropping eggs and sometimes outright dying when I was dosing phosphates in my 29 gallon main tank. Turns out my phosphate levels were at 8-10 ppm when I tested them. Eeek! Cut off the phosphate dosing but continued dosing nitrates, potassium sulfate, iron and Plantex CSM+B as per EI dosing, and my RCS are berried again.

In general, I would fertilize more for plants, but when it comes to shrimp, I would shy away from dosing. If I were to do things completely properly for a shrimp tank, I would put in GREAT substrate so my plants wouldn't even need liquid or dry chem fertz in the water.


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## FAIRCHILD (Jun 30, 2011)

*i/a*


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Also, when RCS are stressed out, they lose their pigmentation. I had a female berried RCS in my breeder net in my ten gallon. Not sure why she was so freaked out, but I woke up one morning earlier this week and she was white as a ghost. Put her back in the main tank and she was nice and cherry in a matter of minutes.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

But...

*whistle*

Keep in mind that dosing ferts *won't* harm your shrimp or impact breeding.

*whistle*


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

James0816 said:


> Keep in mind that dosing ferts *won't* harm your shrimp or impact breeding.


Unless you're an idiot like me and accidentally overdose...


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Gizmo said:


> Unless you're an idiot like me and accidentally overdose...


So very true.

Not the idiot part...just the OD part. *r2


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

So ... My shrimps are not active as they were in a first day , they always hide,hardly ever see them .

And most of them are missing ! I only found 1 dead,checked the filter,but they are not there . Dont know where they gone , could it be that my neon tetras had them as a tasty snack ? First day my tetras were picking on them,dont know if they were just interested in them as a new tank mates or if they were trying to eat them.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Probably both. If the shrimp were being bullied, they definitely will hide. Try looking for them at night maybe with a red- or blue-filtered bulb so you're not scaring them. My RCS in my 29 gallon only come out at night because my 2" long bloodfin and black neon tetras will and do bully them in the daytime.


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