Amano Longevity?

[Roan]

Okay, so how long do amano shrimp live in FW? I bought my five in Jan '06 so they are well over 2 years old.

I don't see them a lot and I thought I only had one left (of four, 'cause one managed to suicide through a tiny hole in the top), however this morning I saw two on my spray bar. One was male, and not the usual male that I see, and the other was a berried female.

So I know I have at least three of four left.

Roan

[RTR]

As with everything else, it all depends. Overall for me the Amanos are quite long-lived, on the same order as the smaller Macrobrachium shrimps (which are not often community and only a few species are algae grazers). My rough guess would be 4-6 years for a group added at the same time. For me they are unfortunately the shrimp most likely to escape the tank and die by dehydration. But they are still the best (most wide-spectrum) grazers.

[wesleydnunder]

I added amanos to my discus tank over three years ago. Sometimes i don't see them for weeks, then I'll see 8 or 9 grazing among the plants. Last night I put some algae wafers in for the snails and otos. About thirty minutes later there were four shrimp picking at them.

Mark

[Roan]

Thanks, guys!

I'm thinking of picking some more of them up as I'm sure the ones in the boe tank could use some company.

Roan

[reiverix]

Mine have been going strong since Oct 2004.

[tkos]

I only had them once. They lived for about a year in my tank. Don't know their age before that.

[DaisyTattoo]

Maybe I will pick up some of these guys. I usually get ghost shrimp but now I dont have anything big enough in the tank to eat them, so I can go ahead and try a little more expensive shrimp.

[RTR]

Ghost are too short-lived for me. They are pretty good scavengers, granted, but they are poor algae eaters IMHO.

If I am going to pay decent money for shrimp they either need to be good at some task I need, long lived, or reproduce without much work on my part. Any two of that three I can live with.

[Roan]

Yah, that's why I'm impressed with these Amano. They seem to live a long time and keep eating algae. Ghosts don't live as long for me, either.

Roan

[RTR]

Red Cherries are longer-lived than I expected, and fair algae-eaters. Except with Rainbows, where almost all the offspring are 'bow food.

[Roan]

Originally Posted by RTR

Red Cherries are longer-lived than I expected, and fair algae-eaters. Except with Rainbows, where almost all the offspring are 'bow food.

Nod, my bigger bows try to eat the adults, so they don't do well in those tanks. Some might work in the kamaka tanks, though. Hrm.

Roan

[RTR]

A handful of fry, over the no-diifferentiattion that I could see to the obvious male/female differences stage just about wiped out a forty-long teeming with Red Cherries. No wonder they were growing so well, it was not just the extra space, it was all that live food.

[Roan]

Originally Posted by RTR

A handful of fry, over the no-diifferentiattion that I could see to the obvious male/female differences stage just about wiped out a forty-long teeming with Red Cherries. No wonder they were growing so well, it was not just the extra space, it was all that live food.

Oh my. Sorry about your cherries, but this is good to know that they make wonderful bow fry food

I guess I *won't* buy any for the kamaka tank.

Roan

[RTR]

I would suspect the adults of eating bow eggs as well. I know that Red Cherries will eat Cherry Barb eggs and they are larger than my DNR eggs.

[Roan]

Originally Posted by RTR

I would suspect the adults of eating bow eggs as well. I know that Red Cherries will eat Cherry Barb eggs and they are larger than my DNR eggs.

Nod. I'd only add them to a fry tank after all the eggs have hatched.

Roan