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pygmy corys and shrimp

Posted: 01 Jan 2009, 01:38
by bigduke45123
I was wanting to know if pygmy corys are going to eat my baby shrimp?

Re: pygmy corys and shrimp

Posted: 01 Jan 2009, 01:44
by Birger

Re: pygmy corys and shrimp

Posted: 01 Jan 2009, 04:35
by apistomaster
bigduke45123 wrote:I was wanting to know if pygmy corys are going to eat my baby shrimp?
Nope.
I continue to maintain permanent breeding colonies of dwarf Corys and shrimp in same tanks. It is a fun way to keep them both.

Re: pygmy corys and shrimp

Posted: 02 Jan 2009, 13:32
by bigduke45123
Thank you so much apistomaster I just got some decent grade crs s+ grade and am waiting for them to grow and that is why the question came up. Plus I have one sss in there that I bought also and would hate for him to get ate.

Re: pygmy corys and shrimp

Posted: 02 Jan 2009, 15:51
by apistomaster
I recommend that you encourage a dense growth of Ceratophyllum(Hornwort) as my 1st choice with Java Moss being a close 2nd or use both plants. I have also used Najas guadelupensis, aka, "Guppy Grass".
The Dwarf Corydoras I raise, C. habrosus and C. hastatus do seem to prefer Hornwort as the spawning substrate.
Shrimp reproduction and the survival rates of the young shrimp seems better with Hornwort also although I have had Java Moss that looked like decorated Christmas trees due to the high population densities reached by Cherry Shrimp Neocardina arthropoda.

My Dwarf Corydoras spp.larvae seem to like to hide among the Hornwort needle-like leaves and because Hornwort floats it is near the lights which promotes enough algae growth and that seems to be to the benefit of the shrimp. I think that Hornwort's leaf structure provides a good balance of density and openness that provides excellent refuge yet is more easily penetrated by the spawning Corydoras so their eggs are well out of the way during the incubation period.

Remember, I raise these Corydoras and shrimp in permanent species tank set ups. The Corydoras larvae, fry and juveniles each have different preferences when it comes to finding refuge and to some degree, preferred feeding areas. One feature I include in each of my permanent set ups is a mound(rubble pile) of those hollow ceramic bio-filter media. the smaller fry tend to begin leaving the refuge of the floating plants as they grow and gravitate towards the bottom. These post larvae, early fry stage fish, seek out the rubble piles. About 1 liter of of the ceramic noodles in a corner pile provides innumerable hides for the small fry and I also make it a point to squirt a baster's tube full of brine shrimp nauplii directly into the rubble pile. I stopped using mikroworms several years ago as a Corydoras fry food because it is as likely to contribute to water pollution as it is to feed the fry. I prefer to harvest an entire brine shrimp hatch completely just once within 24 to 30 hours after starting the batch. I do not stop and start a hatch of brine shrimp for each feeding to obtain my brine shrimp. I rinse them in fresh water briefly then store them in fresh brine solution in the refrigerator. I use a tbs of marine mix per liter strength for both hatching and storage of brine shrimp nauplii. The stored nauplii are good for 24 hours when they are kept chilled and simply need to be filtered and rinsed from the a portion of the chilled nauplii in storage. This allows me to do a very careful separation of my nauplii from the eggs from the hatching solution so there are only pure shrimp nauplii, perfectly clean, The chilled nauplii sink well enough to tend to stay at good densities within the rubble piles where I direct some and yet normal aeration from sponge filters also distributes enough nauplii throughout the plants where many larvae and fry are hiding. My breeders subsist mainly on the same brine shrimp I'm feeding to the fry. I also supplement the adults diet with live black worms and some earth worm stick food. The ideal would be to culture Grindal worms in sufficient quantities to allow the adults to be fed either once a day or every other day.Grindal worms are the perfect sized worm for Dwarf Corydoras. Grindal worms can dramatically increase your production of Dwarf Corydoras spp
The ornamental shrimp you raise along side your Corys thrive on brine shrimp nauplii, earth worm sticks and Spirulina sticks. The shrimp also continuously graze on soft algae and "aufwhuch". This is another reason why having a dense growth of Hornwort is helpful because it provides so much surface area for these grazing little inverts to work over.
I also have about 1/4 inch of fine sand substrate and a few piecs of wood in my Corydoras/Shrimp tanks.
These Dwarf Corydoras fry will hide until they complete their metamorphosis into tiny miniatures of the juveniles and adults. Once you have all sizes present from just free swimming, larvae, juveniles and adults you will notice they tend to associate with those closest to their own size and stages of development.

About your Crystal Red Shrimp. They do best when kept in the low to mid 70's*F. At 80* and above reproduction stops and death of the colony usually occurs. Cherry Shrimp will thrive from 74*F to as high as 86*F.