# shrimp safe fish? LF stocking and plant suggestions for fluval Ebi



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

other than bristelenose plecos what other fish can you put in a shrimp tank without worrying about them eating the shrimplets or bugging the berried females etc etc? not interested in other bottom feeders more something for middle or top of water column...
looking at stocking ideas for a new fluval ebi (8 gallons)

also looking for plant suggestions
so far my plans are cabomba carolina, spiral vals, flame moss, java fern, and moss balls

thanks


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

I would not use a bristlenose in an Ebi. Try oto for algae control.
I suppose you can use cardinal and loreto, the one that stays small.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

i was just gonna use a juvie one until its big enough for my other tank, its like 1" now


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## djamm (Sep 25, 2010)

Is that because the BN will outgrow an EBI tank? I ask because I have two very small BN in my 5 gallon shrimp tank. Waiting for them to get bigger so I can move them to my community tank.



charles said:


> I would not use a bristlenose in an Ebi. Try oto for algae control.
> I suppose you can use cardinal and loreto, the one that stays small.


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## MadgicBug (Apr 22, 2010)

Cardinals are perfect....colourful, doesn't eat a lot of food i.e. little waste to cause algae\nutrient problems, leaves baby shrimps alone. 

Cabomba may not be a good idea for that tank. The smaller anubius would be a good fit.

Ottos may be better than a pleco, but I would add them in last or wait and see if you have enoungh to feed him as the the shrimps are pretty efficient.


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## mysticalnet (Apr 22, 2010)

The 13 watt light won't give you much high light plants, so cabomba is out. Java fern, spirals, moss balls and some christmas moss is ok, flame moss... maybe not. Cardinal tetras I once trusted, until they ate my baby crs.... so no more cardinals for me haha.... those super super tiny tetras forgot what they are called, and otocinclus are ok. Kuhli loach is ok too, they do not bother my shrimps. Just sometimes try to eat algae wafer with shrimps.

Anubia nana there are mixed opinions, some think they leach small amounts of heavy metals that kill baby shrimps some think not, just google and you can read about it and decide for yourself. 

A nice plant to add but hard to find is Staurogyne sp. If you happen to find some, let me know!


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

kuhli loach eh? cool
thx for the heads up on cabomba, i rly like the spirals tho so glad thatl work, anything that looks like cabomba i can try?


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

I currently have Boraras brigittae and merah in with my Blue Pearls. They are also known as chili rasboras. The brigittae are the redder of the 2 species. Ottos (as mentioned previously) are also shrimp safe. No Khulhi Loaches though (as there natural food is small crustaceans and worms).

Respectfully,

Stuart


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

kk ya i looked up the kuhlis and i think they get a bit too long too


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## ncutler (Apr 26, 2010)

We just had this very topic come up on viaquaria. From my research, almost any kind of tropical fish can eat shrimplets - even the micro rasboras. So it's more a question of practically speaking, I found the trick if you include more known predatory fish for shrimps to use a lot of java moss. I have a 12" ball of javamoss in my 46G community tank and the shrimp keep increasing in population shared with a lot of standard small community fish (rummynose, cardinals, micro rasboras, cories, bnps, SAE, even a 3" clown loach that so far is ok).


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## VinnyD (Apr 21, 2010)

i have otos, cardinals and neon tetras, zebra danios..along with snails and cories with my amanos....

i assume you have smaller shrimps..and you do not want other bottom feeders and not eat ur shrimplets..i would say..otos like the other members...or the small rasboras. the danios usually chill on the upper water levels..and the tetras swim in the mid level..but not sure if they eat baby shrimps if they had the chance(i dun have to worry about baby shrimps cuz i have amanos)


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

yea, i dont want to introduce any snails to this tank tbh cuz its planted and i want to #1 save the plant detritus for the shrimps and #2 not have eggs laid all over the place like the nerites did in my last shrimp tank

mebbe il just stick with the baby l144 idea and keep the rest shrimp until theres enough in there that i dont have to worry about the occasional shrimplet being eaten


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I have an Ebi and one of the nice things about it is that it has a glass top. If you get chili rasboras, you will be able to see them. Chili rasboras often swim so close to the surface that you can't see them if the tank has a black top band. They also hide in water lettuce. So, they would be very good for the Ebi if you like them. If you get chili rasboras (brigittae), which are a bright red, don't get merah as the merah will look anemic by comparison. 

The chili rasboras have very small mouths and I think they'd do well. Pygmy corydoras might do well, but I'm not sure that the tank is wide enough to give them swimming space.

The substrate will keep your water on the acidic side, and rasboras like that, I think. It is also good for crystal shrimp, which (I've heard) like more acidic conditions. 

Shrimp seem to like to have plants at all levels. Some of them believe that they are bats and like to hang upside down, so I recommend water lettuce. Some like to climb, so something tall would be good. And some like moss on the bottom. They like everything!


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

Morainy said:


> I have an Ebi and one of the nice things about it is that it has a glass top. If you get chili rasboras, you will be able to see them. Chili rasboras often swim so close to the surface that you can't see them if the tank has a black top band. They also hide in water lettuce. So, they would be very good for the Ebi if you like them. If you get chili rasboras (brigittae), which are a bright red, don't get merah as the merah will look anemic by comparison.
> 
> The chili rasboras have very small mouths and I think they'd do well. Pygmy corydoras might do well, but I'm not sure that the tank is wide enough to give them swimming space.
> 
> ...


cool, another thing im wondering is if its worth getting a second light for this tank (i hear they will be sold separately at aquariums west) to keep a larger variety of plants and have them grow faster? or could i just upgrade the bulb?

and if there are any plants i can grow that would flower?
i think im going to try and grow x-mass moss up the back textured wall too and was wondering if it adheres naturally or do i have to do something to it?


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## mysticalnet (Apr 22, 2010)

Mferko said:


> cool, another thing im wondering is if its worth getting a second light for this tank (i hear they will be sold separately at aquariums west) to keep a larger variety of plants and have them grow faster? or could i just upgrade the bulb?
> 
> and if there are any plants i can grow that would flower?
> i think im going to try and grow x-mass moss up the back textured wall too and was wondering if it adheres naturally or do i have to do something to it?


It will adhere eventually, but you need to make it stay there for awhile first, like crazyglue a tiny part here and there to the styrofoam background, or any wood, rock etc, later on it will just grow there. Crazyglue is fine even for shrimps, as long as it had dried, I have tried it many times.

Having said that, you don't want too much moss on that nice background, don't waste it! 

Anubias give flower, but depends if you want it with the shrimps.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

My favourite fish for a shrimp tank are pygmy livebearers. Ursus sapien usually has them for sale.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

would i be able to grow Echinodorus 'Red Flame' ?


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I would recommend starting with this bulb and then deciding later whether you want to upgrade. It's working for me, but I tend to have easy-care plants.

The last time I was at Aquariums West, they weren't carrying the light separately yet.



Mferko said:


> cool, another thing im wondering is if its worth getting a second light for this tank (i hear they will be sold separately at aquariums west) to keep a larger variety of plants and have them grow faster? or could i just upgrade the bulb?


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 11, 2010)

The light on the Ebi is more than fine to grow most aquatic plants, with the exception of HM or any of those high light carpets. Also, expect to pay an arm and a leg at AW for the light. I love the people there, and the shop is very nice, but I find they have a redics mark-up (Fluval Ebi is $129 at PJ's, but $160 [2 weeks ago] at AW).
Also, for fish, I would stick to CPD's or any of the Boraras. Cardinals I find should be kept in schools of at least 6 or so, and in a tank of 7.9gls, thats not enough, especially cause it's volume is 7.9gl's when EMPTY. Add in plants, subsrate, equipment and that open swimming space is vastly decreased.
Awesome tanks though. I highly recommend them.


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## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

Does anyone have info on Bamboo shrimp are they hard to breed?


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## gwcana (Apr 22, 2010)

ember tetras are one of the smallest tetras. They're pretty and have teeny mouths (as compared to. . .say . . . guppies)


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

Clown Lover said:


> Does anyone have info on Bamboo shrimp are they hard to breed?


im interested in that too, also wanna get a mountain fan shrimp

btw are there any dark blue shrimps that i can keep with crystal red and cherry reds without them interbreeding?


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## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

how bout some endlers? smaller than guppys, colorful males and they swim in at all the levels of the tank.


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## BigFatLyre (Apr 22, 2010)

Endlers; they live long and haven't bothered anyone. If you're concerned about them overbreeding just use males; or females. (hint; I have lots)


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## plantedinvertz (Apr 21, 2010)

Mferko said:


> im interested in that too, also wanna get a mountain fan shrimp
> 
> btw are there any dark blue shrimps that i can keep with crystal red and cherry reds without them interbreeding?


There are some Macrobrachium sp. that wont interbreed but they get big and are a bit aggresive


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