Inverts in freshwater ?

[Rooster]

I started out with freshwater tropicals decades ago, after a break I have come back into the hobby.... never heard of freshwater shrimps ect !

What benefits do these offer ? and at what point are they best introduced ?
(I am just setting up again...)

TIA

 

[guppy]

Depends on the type and what you keep them with, vampire shrimp and woodshrimp are harmless ones that just look good and can be kept with smallish nonagressive fish, macrobrachiums come in several sizes and can eat fish, the little one like cherry shrimp and glass shrimp are cool little grazers that work with small tetras and tiny tanks. It is best to add them after the tank has stabilized.

 

[Veneer]

www.crusta10.de is a fine resource: look through the images at http://www.crusta10.de/templates/index.php?lang_id=1&showid=36 and http://www.crusta10.de/templates/index.php?lang_id=1&showid=19 to get a sense of what interests you. www.wirbellose.de/arten.html (images and basic care info [albeit in German] for many unusual species) and www.petshrimp.com (shrimp variety page, discussion forum, various articles) are excellent as well.

 

[aquaboyaquatics]

Here are a couple of guidelines when considering Freshwater Inverts:

1. Your water chemistry. This one goes for fish also. You should always know the make up of your tap water. You should also consider the origin of the species you are looking at to determine their requirements.

2. Feeding requirements. Some of the filter feeding inverts are difficult to feed. They may even require live microscopic foods. Others like the Vampire and Bamboo Shrimp will pinch there filter fans into a hand shaped feeding device to scavenge the substrate with when food in the water column is scarce.

3. The tank must be FULLY cycled. I can not stress this one enough. With the exception of a few, they do not tolerate any Ammonia or Nitrite.

4. The size of your fish (If Any) or the size of the Invert. Some inverts are predators as well as scavengers. Some of the aquatic crabs are downright MEAN! They will snatch a fish 2 times there size and have there way with it. On the other hand, a fish thinks like this with out exception....."If it fits in my mouth I will try to eat it ?"

These are just a basic set of “Guidelines” as most know who have kept aquariums before, there are always exceptions.

Mike

 

[dmarinko]

they scavenge all the food and are waesome