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Hey Polka Dot.... errr what is that weird looking grasshopper thingy with stick legs by the L34 near the piping in your tank??

SH

Hi SH, It's my Wood Shrimp!!

I split this off the original post as it was way off-topic. This sort of individual personal question would be best done via private messaging rather than posting where everyone has to read this specific question.

No worries though, just thought I'd mention it.


Jools

thanks jools!!


SH

i thought they are called mountain shrimps...

Those are common names for them. They're also called wood shrimps, fan shrimps, or singapore shrimps.

Scientifically they're known as <i>Atya moluccensis</i> and they occur only in fast-flowing streams, hence their name.
Not really easy to maintain in the aquarium. Never could keep mine longer than a year. Not giving them enough calcium in the water, I guess.
You can catch tons of 'em if you go to the right stream on Pulau Tioman.

great!!!
i going tioman on march...maybe can net myelf a bag of shrimps...haha

Err, they aren't that easy to catch over there. We found that the best way to catch them was to use electrofishing gear and even then, usually had to move a bunch of large rocks. They are always hiding under the large rocks and can never be seen.
I don't think you'll be very successful using a dip net (the current alone will probably tear the net).

Agree with Silurus, you'll probably find it more fun to play in the water than catching them!

I got 3 of them 2-3 months back, now I'm left with 2! The normal practise of feeding them in lfs is to put a filter foam or wool. They like to find their food there!

They are actually filter feeders, so it helps if your water has a certain amount of organic debris.

i got 4 a month ago, now there are only 2 left.
sometimes they shed their shells...
bought 1 for $1.80

sometimes they shed their shells...

Which is why your water cannot be too soft and you have to provide enough calcium in the water for them to regenerate their new shells.

how to add calcium in the water???
add milk...

Put a small piece of dead coral (you know, the white stuff one can easily get in an LFS) in your tank, and add a new piece whenever it gets too small (it will gradually dissolve with time). Marble chips will also work, I think.

will the corals or the addition of extra calcium cause any harm to my plecos???

May make the water a little hard, but it is done gradually, so should be fine.
It'll be something of a trade-off, though, since your plecs and the shrimp came from two very different habitats (<i>Atya</i> are generally found in neutral to slightly hard, fast flowing mountain streams).

My water is pretty soft, I guess my wood shrimps are hating me. But they've survived so far and I think they're ok with it!

From my experience, the shrimps can last several months in soft water (because they are able to reabsorb most of the calcium from their old shells), but they are doomed unless there is an external source of calcium.