Cameroon shrimp

[michael lai]

Hi PPL,
Just got some cameroon armoured shrimps( Atyopsis gabonensis ), was wondering how to feed this gentle giants. Benny,s advise was to crush some algae wafers, just curious if you guys have other feeding methods. Any input would be appreciated, thanking in advance

[benny]

Yes. We last saw it at Qian Hu's Fish Farm. The current batch in the market could well be from them too.



These gentle giants are actually filter feeders. They will hang around the filter output or rainbar and use their "fan" to get food. Make sure the is some current in the tank and they will definitely be hanging around there. Any powdery food is fine for them. If you are going to crush algae wafer, please make sure it's powdery.

Enjoy your shrimps!!

Cheers,

[benny]

Here's a few more older pictures that I took previously....


Full body shot


Close up profile


Detailed close up

Cheers,

[silane]

Hi PPL,
Just got some cameroon armoured shrimps( Atyopsis gabonensis ), was wondering how to feed this gentle giants. Benny,s advise was to crush some algae wafers, just curious if you guys have other feeding methods. Any input would be appreciated, thanking in advance

You can use Liquidfries 1. 2 may work also.

[michael lai]

Thanks, Dtzy,Benny, for the input. just to share also, the other day just threw in a piece of algae wafer thinking it might dissolve slowly for them. guess what I saw this guy go near the wafer and using his fan feelers 'grabbing' the wafer's bits. Of course he couldn't grab any but I think he was actually trying to. I'll assume that they can detect food from the currents thru their feelers. Will keep you guys posted of any new developments. Pls feel free to add any info and also PM me if you are curious of anything regarding the shrimp.

[michael lai]

Hi Dtzy,
It works man, when I put in the liquidfry(1). The shrimps came to life, it immediately open its fans. Only draw back I guess is the liquidfry(1) clouds the water real quick.

[edinjapan]

I looked at the photos and all the shrimp have big front legs. Are they shipping only males? Females have slim front legs.

[michael lai]

Hi Edin,
Not sure whether the front legs's size determine the sex let me check first.

[benny]

I looked at the photos and all the shrimp have big front legs. Are they shipping only males? Females have slim front legs.

I think most of us buy the really big monster ones. The smaller ones with slim front legs normally get left behind.

Any shrimp breeders here want to try breeding this shrimp?

Cheers,

[edinjapan]

I think most of us buy the really big monster ones. The smaller ones with slim front legs normally get left behind.

Any shrimp breeders here want to try breeding this shrimp?

Cheers,

According to Mustafa at the Shrimp Forum the males have big thick legs and the females thin legs, they breed by laying eggs and releasing floating young that need to live in saltwter for a time. Upon becoming dermasal they enter the rivers and work their way upstream. He has bred them and other members have bred the Amano shrimp. I specialize in the B shrimp, Minami Numa shrimp (wild version of the CRS), blue, white Mystery Crayfish and would like to get some other species as well.

[stormhawk]

Hmm.. seems that most shrimps have a pelagic stage in the early days upon hatching and that some require salt in their water to survive the pelagic stage. Thanks for the info Ed.

Too bad these critters are too huge and I'm a walking shrimp murderer, otherwise I'd have kept some myself.

[edinjapan]

Hmm.. seems that most shrimps have a pelagic stage in the early days upon hatching and that some require salt in their water to survive the pelagic stage. Thanks for the info Ed.

Too bad these critters are too huge and I'm a walking shrimp murderer, otherwise I'd have kept some myself.

Many of the caradinia and neocaridinia don't need a pelagic stage. Go to http://www.petshrimp.com/index.html for more info

[michael lai]

Thanks Edin, for the link. Most useful, to be honest I know nuts about the shrimp but it was love at first sight. I have also dedicated a new tank to them, hopefully can learn more about them in the future and share.

[stormhawk]

Many of the caradinia and neocaridinia don't need a pelagic stage. Go to http://www.petshrimp.com/index.html for more info

Ed, thanks for the link but at least one Caridina or Neocaridina species I know of needs a pelagic stage. That would be the common Malayan shrimp, not sure of its particular species). They release fry which are just like wrigglers and spend alot of time suspended in the water column.

[edinjapan]

Ed, thanks for the link but at least one Caridina or Neocaridina species I know of needs a pelagic stage. That would be the common Malayan shrimp, not sure of its particular species). They release fry which are just like wrigglers and spend alot of time suspended in the water column.

got a pic?

[GaspingGurami]

These gentle giants are actually filter feeders. They will hang around the filter output or rainbar and use their "fan" to get food. Make sure the is some current in the tank and they will definitely be hanging around there.

Gentle giants? Ha! I got myself one who thinks it's a landscape artist, not gentle at all. Singlehandedly, it moved the driftwood, surface skimmer, bulldozed the carpet of tennelus and lilaeopsis and changed the gravel layering to have basefert on top. And it never even sought approval from the landlord before making the changes

It churns up such a dust storm underwater I could have sworn there is a chinook making a landing behind the driftwood.

And I don't even get to see the creature.

Benny, you did right in placing it in a tank with large gravel.

People, learn from my mistake. Never put this in tank with fine gravel, worse if you have basefert.

[michael lai]

Hi Lawrence,
Just to check how big is your shrimp? Mine are quite docile, they are like cling on to the DW then got food then come out to feed. They don't really mess around with my deco.

[Kingfisher]

Same here, mine don't move my driftwood or plants. They prefer to plant themselves directly in front of the rainbar.

[GaspingGurami]

Mine's around 6 inches size. I saw for myself why it is so destructive last night.

1) the 2 big claw-like legs get tangled onto the plants, but it doesn't bother to wave it about to disentangle it. It just bulldozes its way through, uprooting a path through the tennelus and Lilaeopsis.

2) The swimmerettes try to help it move forward, but only suceed in fanning a hole in the sand, exposing the basefert.

3) I've another shrimp that have these similar big claws as the gabonensis but has a slim body like that of the moluccan. It suddenly turned devil red and likes to climb on the back of gabonensis. This act drives the bulldozer wilder To knock it off, the bull tears around the tank trying to get under driftwood and other heavy things.

4) Quite amusing to watch, but my tank now infested with staghorn algae.

[benny]

Benny, you did right in placing it in a tank with large gravel.

People, learn from my mistake. Never put this in tank with fine gravel, worse if you have basefert.

Actually, that picture was taken in one of the tanks in Qian Hu. Mine just disappear behind the tank where the filter inlet and outlet is.

However, I don't have the problem that you have with them. You sure you don't have a mutant strain?

Cheers,