Green Leaf Algae Eating Shrimp, (4 pack)

Source: Harvested from Nature Estimated size at shipping: 0.75-1.25" Sold as: (4 pack) Overview: These guys remind me of Amanos on steroids. They are incredibly active and are voracious algae eaters. We don't know exactly what species these Green Leaf Algae Eating Shrimp are, but they are similar to Caridina typus in many ways, so we are going with Caridina cf. typus. To me, the pattern down the back and the bulkier body shape help distinguish them from Amano Shrimp. Also, our Green Leaf Algae eating shrimp only have 2 rows of dots down their sides whereas our Amanos have 3-4 rows of dots on their sides. This might not hold true at a species level, but seems to hold true for the strains we carry. One last distinction is that the Green Leaf Algae Eating Shrimp are highly varied in color. Some are rusty orange, others green, brown, or grey and some have quite a bit of yellow on them. They seem to be able to change their colors. Whatever the species difference, what matters to me as an aquarist is that the Green Leaf Algae Eating Shrimp seems to have the edge when it comes to eating the most algae and being able to consume tougher kinds of algae. Some customers have successfully reproduced these, but the babies do appear to go through a larval stage, so they are going to be a bit more challenging to propagate than your average Cherry Shrimp. Shrimp can climb out of tanks, so a tight fitting lid is helpful especially in the first few weeks as they get used to their new accommodations. Setup Considerations: These shrimp are extremely adaptable to many types of water conditions. In our experience, and from our customers' feedback, they seem just as hardy as Amano Shrimp, if not hardier. They do great in our hard/alkaline water and also seem to thrive for customers with softer water. They are strongly food-driven and act similarly to Amanos at feeding time...which is to say they mob the food and try to steal it all for themselves. Diet: These shrimp will eat pretty much anything they are offered: Pellets, algae wafers, flakes, etc., are all eaten with gusto. We have several customers who are keeping them in planted tanks, and, like Amano shrimp, they don't appear to damage healthy plant tissue.

Overview: These guys remind me of Amanos on steroids. They are incredibly active and are voracious algae eaters. We don't know exactly what species these Green Leaf Algae Eating Shrimp are, but they are similar to Caridina typus in many ways, so we are going with Caridina cf. typus. To me, the pattern down the back and the bulkier body shape help distinguish them from Amano Shrimp. Also, our Green Leaf Algae eating shrimp only have 2 rows of dots down their sides whereas our Amanos have 3-4 rows of dots on their sides. This might not hold true at a species level, but seems to hold true for the strains we carry. One last distinction is that the Green Leaf Algae Eating Shrimp are highly varied in color. Some are rusty orange, others green, brown, or grey and some have quite a bit of yellow on them. They seem to be able to change their colors. Whatever the species difference, what matters to me as an aquarist is that the Green Leaf Algae Eating Shrimp seems to have the edge when it comes to eating the most algae and being able to consume tougher kinds of algae. Some customers have successfully reproduced these, but the babies do appear to go through a larval stage, so they are going to be a bit more challenging to propagate than your average Cherry Shrimp. Shrimp can climb out of tanks, so a tight fitting lid is helpful especially in the first few weeks as they get used to their new accommodations.

Setup Considerations: These shrimp are extremely adaptable to many types of water conditions. In our experience, and from our customers' feedback, they seem just as hardy as Amano Shrimp, if not hardier. They do great in our hard/alkaline water and also seem to thrive for customers with softer water. They are strongly food-driven and act similarly to Amanos at feeding time...which is to say they mob the food and try to steal it all for themselves.