Freshwater aquarium shrimps

Although few people consider shrimp as a reasonable creature, nevertheless Aquarium shrimps have complex behavior, which indicates a sufficiently high leveldevelopment of their nervous system. In particular, during feeding, aquarium shrimps behave quite differently in the case, for example, if there is a lot of feed or, conversely, little.

Shrimps try to protect from each other and evenfrom small fishes the most "feed" places in the aquarium. In addition, having got a tasty morsel of food, the shrimp tries to settle so that the terrain around is well "viewed".

Aquarium shrimps are very complicated. Their body consists of many segments, andeach of them has its own "extremities". The three anterior thoracic segments of the shrimp are fused to the head, and the extremities of these segments in the course of evolution are transformed into antennas, jaws and jaws of the shrimp. The body of the shrimp is covered with a protective shell - carapace.

With the help of three pairs of jaws and three pairs of jaws, aquarium shrimps grind food. Such a complex mechanism is necessary for shrimp, since their mouth opening can not stretch to consume large pieces of food.

Five more pairs of their chest limbs shrimpuses for crawling, capturing food, abdominal legs - pleopods - the shrimp uses for swimming. In females, the ventral legs also serve to carry the eggs, and in males the first pair of abdominal legs is transformed into a reproductive organ.

Some types of freshwater aquarium shrimp

Most species of freshwater aquarium shrimp comes from Asia. Aquarium shrimps grow up to 6-8 cm in length, they eat almost any food, they are very hardy. The optimum water temperature for them is 20-28 ° C. Prefer the aquarium shrimp alkaline medium with a pH of 6.8-8.5, and an acidic medium (pH below 6.2) is fatal.

Atyopsis moluccensis

These shrimps are often called "Filterers" for their amazing ability to filter water in the aquarium with the help of their "sleight of fans".

In natural conditions, these aquarium shrimps live on the current, so they are arranged somewhat differently than most types of shrimp. Two pairs of their "walking" legs turned into fishing gear - fan. With this fan, the shrimps filter the water.

With the help of another evolutionaryadaptations - hooks - "clingers" - the males of these shrimps "plow" the bottom of the aquarium and eat the particles of food filtered from the rising turbidity. Female, in turn, "sweep" the bottom of the aquarium with their fans.

Atyopsis moluccensis perfectly coexist with the rest of the aquarium inhabitants, so they can be kept in one aquarium with small and medium sized fish.

Caridina japonica

Caridina japonica is also called shrimp Amano in honor of Takashi Amano - the famous Japanese aquadizer. It was Takashi Amano who first introduced these shrimps widely into aquaculture.

This type of aquarium shrimp "specialize" on filamentous algae. To effectively clean the aquarium from these water-plants you need at least 40 shrimp per 100 liters - Takashi Amano advises.

Caridina japonica is distinguished by itsunpretentiousness and endurance. Amano are able to effectively clean the aquarium from the lower algae, while they are not interested in higher algae. In addition, these aquarium shrimps are not aggressive towards fish.

Easy care and discreet coloring Caridina japonica allow you to plant these shrimps in almost any aquarium.

Caridina serratirostris

This type of freshwater aquarium shrimp has a name "Shrimp-ninja". Its so interesting name is Caridinaserratirostris received for the ability to change their color depending on the environmental conditions - exactly how the ninjas are disguised. In addition to the "shrimp-ninja" this kind of aquarium shrimp is also called "Christmas shrimp" or "honey shrimp".

If you want to grow shrimp of this species in yourin the aquarium you can face considerable difficulties. The fact is that shrimp-ninjas necessarily need salt water for normal reproduction, and after the larvae of these shrimps, it is again necessary to translate very carefully into a freshwater environment.

Because of the difficulties with breeding Caridina serratirostris for keeping in an aquarium is caught in nature. therefore the content of shrimp-ninja quite complex.