shrimp and guppies?

Question

i have 5 guppies and my hubby really wants to add a shrimp to the tank (after seeing finding nemo, haha) and i was wondering if a shrimp would be a good addition to the tank. it's a freshwater tank, so are there freshwater shrimp?

this is probably a dumb question, but i know nothing about shrimp..

he wants this kind of shrimp: http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_R_348_PC_productlist_Nav_446_N_10876_sku_1033832_familyID_101448.aspx

the page says the shrimp can be helpful to fish but doesn't say if it's fresh or saltwater. does anyone know?

Answer 1

It's a saltwater shrimp that lives in reefs. It also gets to be maybe 2" long so it might be a threat to your guppies (if they could live in freshwater that is). Check out petshrimp.com which lists a bunch of freshwater shrimp, some with claws (which you should not put in with your guppies) and some without claws (generally these will eat algae, veggies, and/or leftovers). The site also sells them online if you want to buy (but be warned, if you join the forum, they can be brutal to newbies asking "stupid" questions even when your questions aren't stupid at all).

Ghost shrimp are good starters because usually they are cheap and many stores will carry them (as fish food, big fish love these shrimp). Red Cherries only get to be 1/2-3/4" usually so they are small (and their babies are smaller) but they bring a little spot of red into an aquarium and if conditions are good, will easily breed but your fish will probably eat up all the babies. Amano shrimp are beigish but are real good at eating algae and are feistier than Red Cherries or ghosts; they need brackish (slightly salt) water to produce young so will not breed in your tank. Tiger shrimp tend to be a little tricky and overly sensitive to too many things (they die easily) but are pretty. Crystal Reds have red and white stripes and depending on how defined and even their striping is sometimes sell for lots of money. Bamboo shrimp filter the water with these strange fan-like appendages (on their "hands) and are very peaceful but can get a couple of inches long (and I find them a little scary looking).

Shrimp need to molt to stay healthy and grow so they'll need safe places to hide while they dump their old shells and while their new shells are hardening up (usually takes a few days). They will need calcium to keep their shells strong (will die if they can't). Shrimp are also very sensitive to chemicals and metals in the water, even sometimes the dechlorinator added to tap water to make it safe for fish. Read the shrimp pages below to find out about each type of shrimp, look at their pictures, etc. I love keeping shrimp in the tanks.

Answer 2

I just went to a web-site and the shrimp that was is in the picture you were asking about is salt water and it's a carnivor. I don,t know if that means it eats fish or just parisites on fish but it's salt water. There are freshwater shrimp try finding Ghost shrimp I've had them before their ok I don't know who carries them around here? Good Luck Oh tell your husband if he wants shrimp he should take you on a vacation to the East coast this summer and get some shrimp at the shore. I'd reccommend Gregory's in Somers Point NJ.

Answer 3

Sorry, but that one is a saltwater shrimp. You can tell by the fact that it lists a specific gravity requirement. Here's a couple of links to some various freshwater shrimp along with scientific and common names. When you see one you like you can google the scientific name for places that sell them. Almost any freshwater shrimp will do just fine with guppies and you will see there are some very nice looking one's as you look through them

http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Shrimp/
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/shrimp2.htm

Hope that helps

MM

Answer 4

more advantageous positive off with a woman betta a lot less aggressive =) a million woman betta 5 cherry shrimp 3 guppy a million male 2 woman or 5 neon tetra stay flowers = 2 amazon swords and a moss ball might want to be all u want for a 10 gallon certain nerite snails are sturdy they don't breed in clean water tanks they could basically breed in brackish so your clear out and tank wont be over run through snails I have a million in my 10 gallon and hes been surprising i'd not placed diverse sorts of shrimp nor too many shrimp they are going to wrestle and kill one yet another off if there are different sorts I had ammano and ghost shrimp I further 2 cherry and they killed the cherry shrimp in the previous they could even get enormous i grow to be mad lol and that i be conscious of they did it reason I watched em yet like I said woman betta will artwork more advantageous positive with different fish. you'll discover some that are very bright opposite to what maximum folk imagine I have 3 in my tank heres mine

Answer 5

Yes, there are freshwater shrimp, and you should be able to easily find them in a pet store. I know Petsmart sells them, and they get along wonderfully with guppies. If the tank is big enough, shrimp would be a wonderful addition to your aquarium. Just remember: 1 inch of fish per gallon of water.

Answer 6

yes, by the way don't get a crayfish, he'll eat your guppies. But if you want a crustacean that won't eat your fish, Bamboo Shrimp are awesome. They have fans instead of claws and eat stuff in the water so they help clean the tank. They're getting more popular, and oh so cool, look one up, I think you'll really like these guys.

Answer 7

I have guppies; and i just got ghost shrimp. They are very small and helpful cleaning the tank by eating the food that sinks to the bottom.

Answer 8

check out http://www.liveaquaria.com. they have an excellent selection and information on freshwater shrimp. just look in the invertabrates section.