atyopsis mollucensis 5" long!

[homebunnyj]

Flower shrimp, Singapore wood shrimp, Rock shrimp
I saw these at my local Petsmart today. Wow!! I had no idea they could get that huge! Really makes me wish I had my big tank planted already!
How much room would one of those need, do you think?
I realize they are filter feeders. What would it take for them to have enough to eat?
Is $11.99 a reasonable price for one that size?

 

[Big Vine]

I paid about that amount for each of the two that I bought. At first I only got one, but then I loved having it, and figured it could use some company, so I got a second one...they like hanging out together a lot of the time.

The issue of them having enough food has me a little worried, to be honest...mine seem to be doing fine though, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

They were close to 3 inches when I bought them (about a month or two ago).

Oh, and as for how much room they need...
I'd say a rough guideline would be no more than about 1 per every 5 gallons of water---somewhere in there.

Big Vine

 

[homebunnyj]

Thanks a bunch for replying, Big Vine! I know I'm gonna be thinking about those suckers till I get my plants grown in really well.
On one of the few websites I found with info, they said you could feed infusoria or finely crushed flake. They also said that if they are really hungry, they'll go down to the bottom and sift through the detritus looking for something they can eat. So, I suppose that seeing them on the bottom would be a good indicator that they aren't getting enough...? How does one go about feeding them anyway... add the microfood to the tank just anywhere? Hmmm.

 

[Big Vine]

You're welcome homebunnyj!

They also said that if they are really hungry, they'll go down to the bottom and sift through the detritus looking for something they can eat. So, I suppose that seeing them on the bottom would be a good indicator that they aren't getting enough...?

How does one go about feeding them anyway... add the microfood to the tank just anywhere? Hmmm.

Hmm...now you've got me worried, as I sometimes see my shrimp sifting through the gravel at the bottom. They could be starving, I suppose , but I'm gonna go ahead, interpret this positively, and assume that they do that because the bottom is where some of the crushed flakes and other food bits settle (and therefore it's easier for them to get at there). Who knows?

As for feeding specifically for the shrimp, I'd just put the food in the tank in a position that will allow the waterflow to take it directly to the shrimp.

Mine often hang onto the thermometer and the tall fake plants that are right under the filter outflow. If yours (if/when you get some) end up doing this too (which they will often do), then you could just put that food on the surface right above them, poke it at the surface of the water so that it breaks the surface of the water and sinks, and then it should land right into the shrimp's little filter-feeding appendages.

Something like "fry bites" would work exceptionally well for this...not sure how suitable it is for the shrimp, but it's very nutrient-rich for tiny fry, and it only takes a pinch to push through the surface of the water for it to 'blanket' the shrimp's filter-feeding appendages with it.

Hope that makes sense.

Big Vine