Krewetki w akwarium słodkowodnym

BUYING SHRIMPS

When we want to buy shrimps we should first check our tank. Tank, in which we plan to keep them, should be ripe and stable, decorated for the species we are planning to get. If we want to observe all interesting behaviors of these animals (or just to see our shrimps;) ) it is good to prepare tank especially for them. If all these rules are fulfilled we can go to shop.

Pattern and color typical for relevant species, kind or form should be vivid. You shouldn't even think about buying animals from tanks in which you will see dead animals. Transparent shrimps should have any white or grey pigmentation inside body, they shouldn't also have milky pigmentation. Red, bloody spots may be symptom of dangerous disease. White, hairy bumps on shell might be symptom of virus illness. You shouldn't buy adult shrimps. Their vivacity is short, and growing of older shrimps is slower, so it's hard to guess their real age. Best choices are shrimps which are just before mature age. We have biggest chances to breed them in our tank.

Planning to breed shrimps we should buy them from good breeders and selers. Shrimps destined to breed have to be healthy, with nice pigmentation, without defects (dissertations). Too cheap shrimps often may be (it's not a rule) ones that were rejected from breeding or an effect of crossbreeding - ones like these only when they are suppose to eat algae in tank. We're supposed not to sell their offspring.

We must look carefully on the way that salesman catches shrimps. Inexperienced person shouldn't use net, its better to make it with transparent cup or glass pipe.

And in the end one more important notice - make sure that you know what you buy. Importers, wholesalers and shops like to give shrimps wrong names or - what's even worse - they make their own. We may buy beautiful, little shrimp - according to salesman - it suppose to eat algae, but in our tank it grows up to 20 cm, consumes every living thing, destroys plants and dig substrate. Of course it's very EXTREME example ;), but it's better before buying to see some pictures (off shrimps of course) and try to identify animal before buying it.

TRANSPORT

Shrimps should be transported in plastic bag. To it we put light elements made from non-toxic plastic, which shrimps can hold (small parts of sponge, plastic net or else) Sometimes people put java moss or parts of plants to the bag. It's not a got solution. Plant in darkness will take oxygen from water, and that shrimps should have as much as possible (it's very important especially when transportation is supposed to least over 24 h). Amount of air in the bag should be at least twice bigger than amount of water. It is important that the bag has a half-rounded bottom. Antlers of square bags may break in transport and shrimps which get stocked will be killed by smashing or strangling.

Species from macrobrachium kind are generally quite resistant to transportation, when they have lots of oxygen in water and not too big number of them. It's also good not to transport too many males in one bag.

Caridinas and filter shrimps are more sensitive. If transport is suppose to least over a dozen or so hours, be careful not to buy females with eggs, because it is very possible that even if they will survive the journey they will die after placing them in a tank.

During transport we should make sure that temperature of water doesn't change to quickly, overheating is far more dangerous than too low temperature. Shrimps do very badly in to high temperature. If we know that transportation will be long, we should use foamed polystyrene boxes.

ACCLIMATISATION

Before letting shrimps to the tank they must be introduced. That means switching off the light in aquarium and putting the bag on the water. Than checking first pH of both waters. If they are not too different (half degree) then acclimatization doesn't have to be long. Boosting amount of water twice in 10 minutes should do the trick. If pH is much different this time should be changed even up to 1 hour. Often symptom of too quick acclimatization might be whitening of the body, especially when we put shrimps into the water with higher pH.

If there are fishes in tank, before letting shrimps they should be fed, so they wouldn't take shrimps for food. Good idea is to let in shrimps to this kind of tanks at night, when fishes are asleep. When we want to let in shrimps which were in shop in tank with fishes we shouldn't forget about quarantine, because shrimps may be carrying diseases.

Some shrimps during transportation and just after letting to the aquarium loose their colors. There's nothing to worry about because after couple of hours they will get back to normal pigmentation.

web-admin: Michał Kopystyński