Scissortail Rasbora (Rasbora trilineata)

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons Care Level: Moderate Temperament: Peaceful Water Conditions: 73-77° F, KH 2-5, pH 6.0-6.5 Max. Size: 6" Color Form: Black, Gold, Silver Diet: Omnivore Compatibility: View Chart Origin: Vietnam Family: Cyprinidae       overview The Scissortail Rasbora is a sleek, streamlined fish that energizes community life in larger aquariums. This active swimmer is named for its deeply forked tail that resembles an open pair of scissors. The distinct bar pattern on the caudal fin accentuates the scissor-like shape. With a little imagination, it's not difficult to see a pair of scissors opening and closing as the Scissortail Rasbora cuts through the water. The Scissortail Rasbora boasts a silver iridescence that shimmer and sparkle as light reflects off this graceful fish. The Scissortail Rasbora is a peaceful and easy-to-care-for fish displayed best in schools. In the wild, the Scissortail Rasbora can grow up to 6" in length. It is important to house the Scissortail Rasbora in an established aquarium that has open areas for swimming. The Scissortail Rasbora adds activity and visual interest to the upper regions of the aquarium. Use a tight-fitting cover or glass canopy to contain these potential jumpers. Use plants, driftwood, or aquarium decorations to provide areas where the Scissortail Rasbora can feel secure. Dark substrate is a good choice to bring out best coloration. An omnivore, the Scissortail Rasbora does well on a diet of prepared flake food, as well as freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex. Approximate Purchase Size: 2" to 2-1/2".

Snakeskin gourami Lucky Kaloi.

In Aquarium:

Trichopodus pectoralis are a hardy species recommended for a beginner in the fishkeeping hobby because, despite growing to a relatively large size, they are peaceful fish that can be kept in a community tank.^[6] They can be mixed with barbs, danios, tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, loaches, Loricariids and other gourami.
A snakeskin gourami is a bottom and middle tank level dweller. It requires a 24-inch (61 cm) length aquarium. A 10 or 20 gallon (38 to 76 liter) tank is sufficient for a fish of 4 inches (10 cm) length. A larger specimen should be kept in a 32-inch (81 cm) or 30 gallon (114 liter) tank. The recommended pH is 5.8 to 8.5 with a water hardness of 2 to 30 dH and a temperature of 72 to 86°F (22–30°C). A snakeskin gourami can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) in captivity and its spawns are also unusually large.
Snakeskin gouramies, being omnivores, eat live food such as Tubifex worms, insects, insect larvae and crustaceans. They also consume flakes, pellets, chopped spinach and lettuce. They are not picky and will accept any food offered.^[6]
Breeding snakeskin gourami is not difficult. They will breed when they reach 5 inches (12.5 cm) length. It is the most prolific among all the gourami species. There can be as many as 5,000 fry from a single spawning period. The males are relatively nonaggressive, even at spawning times, which is unlike other labyrinth fishes.^[6] The parents will also not eat the fry.^[6] Fry can be raised by feeding progressively larger flake foods, in accordance with the size of the fry; occasionally feeding of live foods such as newly hatched brine shrimp is a welcome change in their diet.^[6] During breeding, like some of other labyrinth species, snakeskin gouramies are observed to vocalize sounds described as croaking, growling or cracking tones, to demonstrate territorial behavior.

Blue Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons

Care Level: Easy

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Water Conditions: 72-82° F, KH 4-18, pH 6.0-8.8

Max. Size: 6"

Color Form: Blue

Diet: Omnivore

Origin: Malaysia, South China Sea

Family: Belontiidae

overview

The Blue Gourami is also known as the Three-Spot Gourami. This gourami is a rather peaceful fish that is very comical to watch as a juvenile. The Blue Gourami has only two spots, one in the center of the body, and a second at the beginning of the tail. The eye is actually the third "spot" that is referred to in the name. Traditionally silvery blue in color, their colors can change significantly with their moods, as well as during spawning, when they obtain a much deeper blue hue. Blue Gouramis are considered Labyrinth Fish, meaning they breathe directly from the air and should have access to the surface of the aquarium.
The Blue Gourami will be housed with a variety of tank mates that are of similar size and temperament. While males can be territorial with each other, they become timid around other, more aggressive fish. The ideal tank set-up would be an aquarium of a minimum of 20 gallons which has plenty of live plants as well as rocks and driftwood for use as hiding places.
The best way to differentiate between the male and female Blue Gourami is by the dorsal fin. In the male, the dorsal fin is long and pointed, while the female's is shorter and rounded. When ready to breed, the male builds a bubblenest and then begins to entice the female by swimming back and forth, flaring his fins and raising his tail. When this behavior is noticed, the water level should be reduced to 6 inches. After spawning the female should be removed to a separate aquarium as the male may become aggressive toward her. The male will tend to the eggs until they hatch, and after hatching, there should be frequent water changes, especially during the third week, as this is when the labyrinth organ is developing. The fry should be fed infusoria and nauplii.
The Blue Gourami is an omnivore and requires both algae-based foods as well as meaty foods. An algae-based flake food, along with freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp will provide these fish with the proper nutrition.
Approximate Purchase Size: 1 1/2" to 2"

Neocaridina Heteropoda

Neocaridina Heteropoda

Neocaridina heteropoda "wild"

Overview

The Neocaridina Heteropoda species is the wild-type invertebrate of the common Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp. Both of the species were selectively bred from this wild-type in order to obtain their solid red and solid yellow coloration. This is the original Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp quite simply.

Background

The Neocaridina Heteropoda is found in Asia, its exact location is unknown. This wild species has been used by hobbyists to selectively breed color morphs, such as the Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp. If you look closely at each of the photos you can see some coloration of either yellow or red. Selective breeding is done by taking the characteristics, in this case coloration, and breed the wild shrimp that exhibit that color over many times. Eventually a solid color is developed after several generations. This must be a very difficult task. The exact amount of generations that it took for the Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp to become fully colored is unknown.

Water Parameters

The Neocaridina Heteropoda Shrimp can be housed in many different water parameters. Just like the Red Cherry Shrimp, this species can be kept in a pH range from 6.0 to 8.0, soft and hard water, temperatures from 72F to 84F and in many different soils like ADA Aquasoil and normal gravel. When following water parameters for this species it may be best just to refer back to the parameters of the Red Cherry Shrimp species if you have successfully kept it.

Breeding

The Neocaridina Heteropoda Shrimp is extremely prolific, just like its red colored cousing, and will breed readily and virtually around the clock. Clean water and proper water parameters will ensure that this species breeds constantly. Females will have green colored eggs when pregnant. The saddle will also be green and the appearance of a saddle while there are eggs is a good sign that hatching is days away.

It is typically 30-45 days from pregnancy to hatching. Another way to tell is by the emergence of a new saddle when the female still has eggs. The emergence of the saddle is the indication that the female is prepared to have a new set of eggs and that the current eggs are close to hatching. For more information on the reproduction cycle of freshwater aquarium shrimp please read the article Shrimp Reproduction.

Male attempting to mate with a female

Feeding

The Neocaridina Heteropoda will eat anything from blanched spinach, zucchini, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, fish flakes, bloodworms, and more. Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Remember that shrimp are scavengers in the wild. They will eat whatever they find and are not used to a constant food source 24/7. Not feeding for one or two days is fine and will not harm this species at all. Sometimes I will not feed for a couple of days in order to let the shrimp cleanse their systems and keep the water clean at the same time.

Sexing

Sexing the Neocaridina Heteropoda is not difficult at all. Females are easy to identify as they are larger than the males, have a much darker coloration, and also have a curved underbelly. Females will also have a saddle or even have eggs. In the photo below you can see how the female Neocaridina Heteropoda has a green saddle and also has the tell tale curved underbelly.

Female Neocaridina Heteropoda

In the photo below you can see how the male is smaller, has very little coloration and the "under belly" is a straight line with no curved shape.

Male Neocaridina Heteropoda

Coloration

This wild-type variety has a camoflauged coloration to it to obviously help it hide in the wild. If you look at the first photo below you will see how well the two females are able to blend in with the rock. Such a scattered coloration must make it extremely difficult to selectively breed out and fill a new variety with solid coloration. However, some breeders of this species have noted that some of the offspring will show a somewhat red coloration and perhaps this is where the Red Cherry Shrimp idea began. Please see a photo below of two females on a rock.

Two Female Neocaridina Heteropoda

Malaysian Trumpet Snail | Melanoides tuberculata

Malaysian Trumpet Snail

Melanoides tuberculata

By: Ryan Wood

The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is a great to have in any aquarium. There are some with different patterns, shapes, size, dark or light colored. It is a beautiful snail to see up close in person. In some forums as well as blogs the Malaysion Trumpet Snail is instead used as the acronym MTS.

There is a lot of bad rep that all snails have received. A lot of hobbyists tend to think that having any type of snail in their aquarium is horrible and all must be removed immediately. There are even chemicals that are solely meant for killing snails in the aquarium. I highly recommend that you never use any chemical meant to kill snails in a tank with shrimp. Snails are not bad for your aquarium. Overfeeding your tank is what causes snail outbreaks. Most snails will actually leave your plants alone and instead eat the algae off of the leaves as well as glass. Do not think that a snail is a pest, they can be extremely useful in any aquarium.

The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is actually a benefit to any aquarium for several reasons. It will not eat your plants at all. This snail also will not "muscle" your shrimp off of food meant for the shrimp. The Malaysian Trumpet Snail feeds on detritus and leftover food that is underneath the substrate. It actually burrows in the substrate and moves around throughout. You will rarely see this snail during the day. Occasionally it will emerge from the substrate. A cool thing is that sometimes you will see the substrate move and you will know that there is a Malaysian Trumpet Snail underneath doing its cleaning duties.

The fact that this snail burrows and eats detritus is an excellent perk to having it. Another great perk is that while it is underneath the substrate moving it is at the same time aerating the substrate. Substrate aeration is a great benefit to planted aquariums as it promotes air exchange and root growth. They will not disturbed any plant roots or move wood/rocks around your aquarium.

The Malaysian Trumpet Snail reproduces live young and does not lay eggs. They can reproduce rapidly however. Rapid reproduction is a sign that you either need to feed your inhabitants less or vacuum the gravel extensively. You do not want to rely on this snail to do all of the gravel cleaning. High temperatures can also result in rapid reproduction if coupled with overfeeding.

This snail is an all around must have for most aquariums. They are very cool to look at, extremely docile, do not eat plants, aerate substrate, eat detritus, and do not harm other inhabitants. I highly recommend this snail to anyone.

Grass Shrimp | Palaemonetes paludosus

Grass Shrimp

Palaemonetes paludosus

Overview

The official common name for this species is the Grass Shrimp and its scientific name is Palaemonetes paludosus. It does have many other names including Ghost Shrimp, Glass Shrimp, Freshwater River Shrimp and others. I recommend trying out the Grass Shrimp as your very first shrimp. It will give you an incite on dwarf shrimp and you will know whether or not you will want to continue the shrimp hobby and move on to other hobby shrimp. Remember that this is a natural food source in the wild so any predatory fish will definitely devour them fast.

Background

Their origin is in the USA, primarily freshwater rivers and lakes of the southern states. I have seen these in the wild in Everglades National Park which is very close to where I live. They are a very important food source for many creatures in the wild. The freshwater Grass Shrimp is sometimes the very first shrimp that hobbyists keep. This was my first shrimp actually. I purchased this shrimp because they sold it in my local fish store 12 for $1, very cheap. I bought 12 of them and took them home. They are sold as feeder shrimp for either fresh or saltwater fish and are not sold as hobby shrimp. However, they are pretty cool shrimp for hobbyists. They are very active and are larger than most other shrimp in the hobby.

Sexing

Sexing the Grass Shrimp is easy. The females almost always have a green saddle or eggs underneath the belly. Another way to sex this species is by the high ridge, or arc, along the top of the tail. The females have a very pronounced ridge whereas the males do not. Females are also larger than males as with most dwarf shrimp.

Breeding

There is a common misconception that the Grass Shrimp requires brackish water in order to breed successfully. This is untrue as freshwater is just fine for breeding. I believe that some people think that this species requires brackish water because it has a larval stage in the breeding process. Larval stage meaning that the shrimplets hatch from the egg before being fully developed. Other shrimp such as the Red Cherry Shrimp fully develop inside of the egg and when hatched they are small versions of the adults.

It seems to be difficult to breed the Grass Shrimp in captivity though even if it is capable in freshwater only. I have done some research and the larvae of the Grass Shrimp requires special feeding that cannot be found in the freshwater aquarium unless introduced with specialized food. The larvae will apparently starve and die if not properly fed. I have not attempted to breed the Grass Shrimp as I have only kept them in the very beginning of my shrimp keeping hobby for a couple of months. They died rather soon even though the reported lifespan is just over a year.

The eggs of the Grass Shrimp are green. Below is a photo of a female Grass Shrimp with a green saddle on her back indicating

High Death Rate

A lot of hobbyists who start out with the Grass Shrimp report deaths after recently obtaining them. There could be many reasons why a shrimp could die in an aquarium especially if it is your first time keeping shrimp. The Grass Shrimp is very hardy and can be hard to kill.

The main reason for rapid deaths are due to mishandling and poor care when these shrimp are captured and shipped to local fish stores. Since the Grass Shrimp are mainly sold as feeder shrimp they are not cared for as they are considered soon to die anyhow. If you acquire this species be prepared for a possible quick die-off of several of them if not all. Inspect the shrimp you are getting from your local fish store before you take them home. Any "milky" coloration is a bad thing. Also observe their behaviour. Grass Shrimp are extremely active when healthy.

Coloration

This species has the natural defense of camouflage protection. It is almost completely transparent allowing it to blend in with its surroundings. Do not be surprised if you cannot find these shrimp in your aquarium even though they could be right in front of your eyes. Sometimes you just can't see them. That is why they are most commonly referred to as Ghost or Glass Shrimp.

Amano Shrimp | Caridina multidentata

Amano Shrimp

Caridina multidentata

Overview

The Amano Shrimp is a very popular shrimp in the hobby. It is second in popularity to the Red Cherry Shrimp. The name Amano Shrimp originates from the well known aquarist Takashi Amano who frequently uses the shrimp in his aquariums as algae eaters. However most people do not know that the Amano Shrimp is a difficult shrimp to breed and that virtually all Amano Shrimp are caught in the wild and then sold to hobbyists. Captive breeding has been achieved but is rare.

Popularity

As stated above the popularity originated from the aquarist Takashi Amano. Most local fish stores carry this shrimp and even the large pet chains carry it as well. Hobbyists sometimes begin with this species to due the ease of acquiring it. The notion that it is a superb algae eater also attracts aquarists who are into planted tanks. Unfortunately most of the hobbyists who acquire the Amano Shrimp do not know that it cannot be bred in freshwater and wonder why the pregnant females with many eggs never produce babies.

Deaths

It is not uncommon for the Amano Shrimp to die shortly after introduction to the aquarium. Virtually all Amano Shrimp are wild caught and are not used to captive conditions. Also, a lack of feeding can cause death as well. Most first timers keeping these shrimp think that they are solely algae eaters and can live off of the tank and require no food. You must feed this shrimp. Deaths are also caused by stress from shipping, handling, lack of acclimation to new conditions and from being introduced to multiple tank parameters. Remember that the Amano Shrimp is caught in the wild. It goes through a lot of stress during capture and during shipping around the world. Once it reaches the local fish stores it undergoes even more stress. When it ultimately ends up in the hobbyists tank it can be marked for death regardless of what the hobbyist does to keep it alive. Do not be surprised if this shrimp dies on you shortly after introduction.

Breeding

As stated before the Amano Shrimp requires brackish water in order to breed successfully. The pregnant females carry many eggs, most likely due to the loss rate of the larvae after hatching. The shrimp hatches as a tiny larvae free floating in the water. It is not like other shrimp which hatch as miniature adults. The larvae are very delicate and require special care. Below is a quick run down on information required to breed this species in captivity. It is a difficult task to captive breed the Amano Shrimp. However, if you are up for the challenge then good luck. It is definitely an achievement if you are successful!

Captive Breeding

The adults are kept in a 40 gallon 'breeder' tank with a sponge filter and lots of hornwort. The pH is close to neutral and the temperature around 75 degrees F. They eat 'GP Pellets' plus the occasional algae tablet -- there's also a lot of hair algae in the tank, more than they can keep up with.

Larvae are raised in full-strength (35 ppt) seawater that's pea-green with Tetraselmis algae. No supplemental foods are added. The latest batch was raised in a 2.5-gallon tank -- there was somewhat high mortality, so more space may've been helpful.

I've tried a variety of raising conditions. So far, the best results are with:

24-hour lighting
Gentle aeration
mid-70's Farenheit

In those conditions the larvae began metamorphosing into postlarvae after about 20 days. Higher temperatures seem to slow development. It took just about 6 months for a full life-cycle from hatching to egg production.

Feeding

It is recommended that the Amano Shrimp be fed like any other shrimp in the hobby. Using this species solely for the purpose of algae eating will not suffice in the long term for the shrimps health. These are rather large shrimp and require a good supply of food. They eat anything from blanched spinach, zucchini, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, fish flakes, bloodworms, and more. Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long.