Apisotogramma cacatuoides with Scavenger Chameleon Shrimp

[khendoe]

Hi all.

I am new here and pretty new to the hobby in general.

I have had a 32.5 gal that includes 3 apisto cacatuoides for about 6 months now and was interested in adding some shrimp for algae control. I have seen plenty of threads regarding keeping amano shrimp with this species, does anyone have experience keeping scavenger chameleon shrimp with them?? From the seller I was looking at it sounds like they tend to be shipped at a bigger size so my hope was to give them a better chance of not being eaten.

Thoughts?

 

[MacZ]

I feed baby neocaridina to my dwarf cichlids sometimes. Bigger shrimp are usually left alone. Still, the rule of "If it fits in the mouth..." applies. But these scavenger shrimp eat detritus not algae. They would be a cool addition if you have a leaf litter bed, though.

But I don't get why you would get an algae eater. Besides it being better to approach that by addressing why the algae are there in the first place, biofilms and aufwuchs are really a good thing in a dwarf cichlid tank.

 

[khendoe]

I feed baby neocaridina to my dwarf cichlids sometimes. Bigger shrimp are usually left alone. Still, the rule of "If it fits in the mouth..." applies. But these scavenger shrimp eat detritus not algae. They would be a cool addition if you have a leaf litter bed, though.

But I don't get why you would get an algae eater. Besides it being better to approach that by addressing why the algae are there in the first place, biofilms and aufwuchs are really a good thing in a dwarf cichlid tank.

Thanks for the advice and reply!
I have been battling a lot of "green hair algae" and cyanobacteria (I think based on watching a lot of youtube videos and such). I have tried adjusting the lighting (I use a fluval aquasky 2.0 and recently bought another one to cover the tank better), got some corydoras, I change the water by about 15% at least once a week and spend a lot of time sucking the algae/cyanobacteria off my plants and rocks and such.
I don't have CO2 so am considering this.
I understand that a level of biofilm and aufwuchs are a good thing I just have trouble controlling it so that my tank isn't covered in green 4 days after a water change.
The thought with the shrimp would be to decrease the amount of excess nutrients that the algae is feeding on.

 

[MacZ]

If it's really cyanobacteria no animals will help you.So first things first: You need an ID on the stuff. That determines everything else.
15% waterchange is too little. 50% weekly is a must. Don't tell me you got Corydoras against whatever is growing. These fish are no help with that at all. They are sandsifters and scavengers.

I understand that a level of biofilm and aufwuchs are a good thing I just have trouble controlling it so that my tank isn't covered in green 4 days after a water change.

In a balanced tank there should be nothing to control.

The thought with the shrimp would be to decrease the amount of excess nutrients that the algae is feeding on.

You decrease the amount of nutrients with waterchanges and fast growing plants. Adding bioload (animals) increases nutrients in the water. They don't decrease. That way. You have to get to the root.

What nutrients in what amounts? Using fertilizers?
Lighting times? Intensity?
How many and what types of plants?
How much and what do you feed?
How long is the tank running? Really only 6 months?
Full stocking?

You see: Lots of possible questions to find the actual reason for the imbalance.

But as I said: First you need an ID on the "algae". Without that you can't set up a plan or find out whether you even need a plan.

 

[Ben Rhau]

Even if it’s algae and not cyanobacteria, you won’t be able to control it with shrimp. If you do not add CO2, you should probably reduce the light, either by lowering the intensity/duration or blocking it with floating plants (or some combination of these methods).