Ghost/glass shrimp

J

jessica

New member
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
163
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Display Name
Jessica J. Miller
Has anyone actually given their c.orientalis these shrimp before? I saw some for 29 cents at the pet store the other day. Some of them looked kind of big for feeding and what I've read on them they feed on dead animals but sometimes live ones. Will they attack my newt if I put them in his tank? thanks
 
oops just realized title bar misspelled ghost it should be ghost/glass shrimp
blush.gif
 
I have kept those shrimp with my C. orientalis before. They add to the bio waste of the tank, but they do eat the scrap food left over. I never had a problem with them attacking the newts (they don't really have claws like most shrimp). My newts sometimes ate them as well...usually the biggest newt would gobble them up week by week almost like clockwork.
 
I tried feeding them live to my orientalis but they were totally uninterested so now I have 3 ghost shrimps living with my newts, they are very efficent cleaners, I sometimes see the shrimps eating uneaten food that has been left in the tank for a day. :D

EDIT : The shrimps have never attacked the newts and I should think that the newts can fend for themselves.

(Message edited by Joel on February 04, 2004)
 
Ok thanks for the input, something to think about. My newt seems more terrestrial right now, more so in the last week. He kind of climbs on the one plant a little so he would probably not eat them yet. I'm going to keep trying different things with his tank over time to try and see if he'll gang out more in the water I just need time so I don't stress him out.
happy.gif
 
In that case I would recommend not putting anything else in the water. Some will exit the water due to the stress of other tank mates, so increasing the number of creatures in the tank will probably add to his stress.
 
Yeah I have him all by himself. I was thinking about the shrimp as maybe a someday occasional food option besides the bloodworms. Last time he ate was Tuesday. Yesterday he was somewhat in the water. I think I may lose him. He tends to only just sit and get his belly wet and let his back dry out. He likes to hide near the new plants. Before I had the plants he hid in his rock that had a opening in the bottom, now he doesn't use it. He went near the only plant I had before the new ones (bamboo) sometimes, now I have plants that say they're terrarium plants but don't know what they are. Maybe I should remove them, but he seems to like them. He even climbs on them sometimes. I had a filter but it raised the temp up so I took it out which is why on Tuesday when I fed him I fed him with tongs which is the only reason I know he ate. I've been trying with tongs everyday. I know he may not need to eat everyday but this is the only way I'll know how often is if I keep trying. Before the filter I just put the worms in the water but the last time I remember him eating while in the water was like the second day or third day after I got him. Sorry to run on I'm just stressing I want him to be happy. I would appreciate any info if you've had similar issues. Thanks
uhoh.gif
 
Have you tested the water quality? How often are you cleaning the water? Feeding with tongs is an excellent idea, and I would keep it up if it's working for you now. Every day may be a bit excessive, but if he's not eating each time then I wouldn't say there is anything bad to it. Ideally every 2 or 3 days they should be fed (all of mine get every 3 days and they're still monsters).

I suggest testing water quality, and perhaps cleaning the water more frequently. Sometimes they will exit the water when the water quality is poor.
 
Water has always tested good as far as ammonia and nitrite. Can't get PH to get "softer", I've added green moss. I've read that mosses can make the water more neutral, still testing that one. Since I don't have a filter, I change his water every two-three days and scoop out debris with a net. I believe all of you when you say not to use the PH up and PH down solutions, but why is that? Still hasn't eaten, but yesterday he was moved out while cleaning so maybe that stressed him out. I found a place that sells live tubifex worms and picked some up, so I'll see how that goes. Thanks
 
Hi Jessica,
the pH should not be rated as "softer", it should be related as higher or lower and with most newts and salamanders somewhere around 7.
The problem with solutions that raise or lower the pH is that most of these do not take into consideration that water usually contains different buffers that tend to keep the pH in the same relative area. To significantly modify the pH, you would need to change the buffers in the water depending upon the pH of the aquarium and the length of time the aquarium has been set up all that may need to be done is a regular series of water changes and to keep up with the water changes.
Are you trying to lower the pH or to bring the pH up? If you are trying to lower the pH, soaking some peat moss or sphagnum moss will provide you with an acidic solution that you can use to adjust the pH of the tank (this contains tannic acids and tannates so it has its own buffers) but unless your pH was out range of 6.5 t 7.2 then I would have to ask why you are trying to change the pH?
As for a filter why don't you use a sponge filter as these will not raise the temperature of the water?
Ed
 
The PH tests around 8.2 because AZ has many minerals in the water making it "hard". I have seen it referred to lower, higher, softer, harder, I just use those terms because that's how people refer to water where I'm originally from, sorry. The green moss has brought it down to 7.4, I just got a better water testing kit yesterday. I found my old tester was not so good when all the spring waters even recommended ones from this site were testing at 7.4. Peat moss is not that easy to get around here,really, but I will keep checking this week at stores but the place where I got the live tubifex has closed already for the day. Ok I've done some reading and I don't really remember much about buffers, tannic acids and tannates;high school chemistry was so long ago. Maybe if he ever returns to water I'll look into filters, one thing at a time. Plus I don't want to stress him out more than he is. thanks
 
Hi Jessica,
Check the local garden supply stores for peat moss or sphagnum peat moss. You should be able to get about three cubic feet(which will last you forever) for under ten dollars. Use a wide mouth container of at least a gallon (although a bucket is best), place about a cup of peat into the container, add water (distilled ideally and stir) and fill the container with water. Wait until the peat settles to the bottom of the the container or siphon out the water out from under the floating layer of peat. The pH of this will vary depending upon the batch of peat and how long it sits. It is possible to get this down to a pH of 4 or so. Take the water for your water change and start adding the peat water to the this until you get the correct pH.
Top your peat water container back up again.
After a couple of months, put the used peat into the garden and start over again. I used to do for this for soft water fish, dart frog tadpoles and eggs and aquatic caecilians.
Ed
 
Ed thanks for the info. Actually I checked Home Depot last time I was there about a week ago and I didn't see any, maybe they've re-stocked by now. I'll give them a call tomorrow. I've got buckets. I'll set some water out tonight with conditioner for the chlorine/chloramine, but I don't have distilled, but you didn't say it must be distilled. My newt still didn't eat today
sad.gif
. Thanks again.
 
Ed, I also live in a "hard water" area. My tap water is naturally pH 8. All my tanks test at about pH 8, even after they have been running for months. So far (5 months of living here) I have had problems with only one species (N. v. dorsalis). First question: do you think this particular species might have trouble adapting to hard alkaline water? (I suspect the natural water in the Carolinas is softer and more acidic.) Second question: in the long run, it would be a lot of additional trouble to acidify the water in the manner you suggest (I use about 5 gallons of water per day). Is it worth it, in your opinion? At present, I'm keeping the dorsalis in bottled spring water, and no special treatment for the rest of my collection.
 
Hi Jen,
One of the old time fish breeder tricks was to actually add a little peatmoss into the filter, They actually used to make pressed peat pads that fit into many filters, but these have fallen out of favor as various chemical buffers came into vogue. (I think they also make an "amazon water buffers" which would lower the pH but there are more expensive than peat)
In a five month old tank I would not expect to see any problems with pH or buffering (unless you were really over feeding the tank), maybe if the tank was three to five years old I would expect to see this start to occur.
If you are going through that much water each day then you might want to consider a RO unit. The pH of water from an RO unit is usually around 6.5 and can be mixed into the regular water to adjust the pH and the hardness of the water much more readily than the peat trick (this is actually what I do at work now and some days I do through about 200 gallons of adjusted water.)
Ed
In general
By the way are you going through 5 gallons a day for the N. v. dorsalis?
 
The 5 gallons per day is the amount of conditioned tap water for all my newts. I have 8 aquariums plus a bunch of larvae in tubs. The dorsalis are getting bottled water, and that's a separate issue (a gallon or two per week). Maybe I should consider investing in an RO unit.

Aren't some caudates adapted to hard water? I wish there were some way to know which ones may actually LIKE the hard water. Certainly most of them are thriving despite it.
 
Hi Jen,
Yes some caudates are adapted to hard water, Typhlomolge rathbuni comes to my mind right away. There are a number of Eurycea species that are also adapted to hard water condtions. I would suspect that Pleuroldeles waltl will do just fine in hard water with no ill effects given how it behaves in the wild.
But unless there is some documented natural history to the contrary I would try to keep the newts as close to a pH of 7.0 as possible.
Ed
 
Well I finally tracked down peat moss, the garden section at the the supermarket no less. The garden center/home stores only had like 50 pound size I don't even have a garden so I wouldn't be able to use that much. I'm letting it sit overnight as the moss has not sank yet. I may try to experiment before bed. I'm not sure if my efforts will do well as my newt has not eaten yet. Actually the last time he ate was when he was in his temporary tank so I moved a few plants in there and him in there in case there's something wrong with his tank. This is just hope as I believe he will die this week since he hasn't eaten. I was out too late getting moss after work, I went to three stores for the moss. I was not able to get earthworms today, even if I have to cut them which I have a weak stomach for. Something to have him live. Thanks for all your help Ed, keep your fingers crossed. I put a few live tubifex in a feeding bowl as he hasn't taken any thawed bloodworms or tubifex from tongs.
sad.gif
 
Hi Jessica,
It can take a few days for the peat to sink, but there should be a reduction the pH and hardness of the water before it sinks. If you want to siphon some of the water out from under the peat or pour it through a net you can still get water you can use to bring down the pH. The other benefit to bringing down the pH is that is converts any ammonia to the less toxic ammonium. Unless the newt has not been eating for a long time (usually >month and is being kept at cool temps I would not overreact to the not eating).

Ed
 
Ok will try siphoning tonight,and mixing with non moss water. Sorry I'm a bit of a drama queen. Plus my other two newts that were smaller than this one never ate and died within two weeks or less of having them so my past feels like it's repeating itself. I can't help it I love animals. Besides the toads in their own tank I have a dog and two cats. My husband jokes that I should re-think schooling and go back to be a vet but I'm not very good at math and I'd probably get too sad if I couldn't help an animal. P.S. I guess there's more to the ammonia/ammonium than I know but just so you know my levels for ammonia have been testing at zero. Not trying to have attitude by giving that info, hoping it helps you if you have any new ideas. thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Back
    Top