Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V6 #221

["Mathias Andersson" <mathias_andersson3 at telia.com>]

>It could be an Atya or 
>a Macrobrachium sp., but is most likely Macrobrachium.  I have not kept 
>them myself, but from what I've heard from others the small 
>Macrobrachium are non-predatory, eat flake/pellet food and some algae 
>and don't bother the plants; had to work in something to keep it on 
>topic ;).  It should be possible to spawn them if you have java moss and 
>lots of plants.  They don't tolerate ammonia well, need somewhat hard 
>water and it is good to add a small amount of iodine to the water. 

I've had these little critters in my planted tanks, they spawn like mad, and soon I had an army of shrimp climbing around everywhere. They do leave the plants alone, and even eats some algea, but will kill over an algea wafer, I've seen them gang up and steal a wafer from a pleco, and then hide high in the plants to eat it in peace. Quite fun little things...

/Mathias