[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Health of C. japonica



Ray McKinney wrote:

> What special care do I need to give the shrimp that would be different from
> the care of fish?

You have to keep them with fish that won't bother them, and make sure
they have areas where they can hide safely after molting -- when they
are very vulnerable.  Very dense plantings provide good hiding places.

> I realize that invertibrates typically need a source of
> calcium for maintaning their shells. My tap water is fairly hard, and they
> get regular partial water changes. Is this enough, or should I add a Ca
> supplement?

I've heard this said before, and I'm not sure why.  I think that a
shimp's carapice is actually a proteinaceous material, not a mineral as
with snail shells; thus calcium probably wouldn't be needed in large
quantities.  Can someone correct me?

At any rate, if you have fairly hard tap water then that should be
enough.  My tap water is very soft and they don't have noticable
problems.
 
> Do they also need a source of iodine? If so, do they get it from their diet?
> I doubt they would from the algae they eat, but they go nuts for frozen
> brine shrimp or bloodworms (food for the freshwater gobies they share the
> tank with). Or, do I need to occasionally add a bit of iodine?

I found while keeping ghost shrimp that I needed to add iodine to the
water or they failed to molt and died after a few months.  I add the
iodine to the tank with C. japonica at the same time I dose the tank
with the ghost shrimp.  That's just in case the C. japonica need it; I
can't say for sure that they have the same problem.  I use a reef iodine
preparation and add a drop every other month or so.  Other people don't
need to add iodine.  I think that iodine is needed in only small amounts
so dietary sources and low levels in your water supply may be sufficient
to supply their iodine requirement.

> Any other dietary needs I should be aware of?
> 
> So far, my shrimp all seem healthy. They are growing and molting, and one of
> the larger ones is carrying a bunch of eggs around with her. I'm going to
> try moving her to an isolation tank to see if I can get some more shrimp!
> Anyone with ideas on how to raise baby shrimp?

Good luck.


Roger Miller