Amano is a freshwater shrimp. She is active, peaceful and eats filamentous algae. Takashi Amano, a well-known aqua designer who raised shrimp in his aquariums to control vegetation, made this species popular. That is why the species received such a name. Unfortunately, not everyone knows that breeding Amano shrimp at home is very problematic, and most of them are caught in nature. Below we will talk more about this aquatic inhabitant.
Living in nature
Amano shrimp can be found in southern China, in the south of central Japan, as well as on the island of Taiwan. These shrimp live in clean, fresh streams and rivers flowing from a mountain and flowing into the ocean. In the life of these aquatic inhabitants, seawater plays an important role. The fact is that only adult individuals live in fresh water bodies, and the Amano shrimp larvae live in the sea and feed on marine plankton. Growing up, they return back to fresh water. For this reason, breeding shrimp at home is accompanied by difficulties. Females perfectly carry eggs in the aquarium, but as soon as the eggs swim, they are doomed to death.
A photo of Amano shrimp is presented below.
Description
Comparing this species with the popular Cherry breed, it can be noted that Amano is slightly larger in size. The length of the males reaches 4 cm, the females grow from 6 to 7 cm. Dark dots on the sides are considered a feature of this species. At the same time, they are more pronounced in males, while in females they are more similar to stripes. The color of Amano is a bit transparent, gray in color. This type of shrimp cannot boast of special beauty, but this does not affect its popularity.
But life expectancy is much higher than that of other breeds, and some individuals can live about three years. Unfortunately, they very often die immediately after moving to the aquarium. This is not due to health problems, but because of the stresses received during transportation and when conditions change. Therefore, it is best to buy shrimp from experienced breeders. It is advisable that they live nearby. In this case, stress factors will be minimized.
Advantages and disadvantages
The content of Amano shrimp has a number of features, as well as significant disadvantages. The advantages include:
- Destruction of unnecessary vegetation.
- Unpretentious to the conditions of detention.
- They are very peaceful.
- Are growing fast.
The disadvantages include the following:
- Difficulties with reproduction.
- Not very visible in the aquarium.
- Often takes food from fish.
How to feed shrimp Amano
It was the food preferences that made Amano shrimp so popular. Takashi loved this breed because of their addiction to eating vegetation, which, growing, spoils the landscape in the aquarium and violates the water compositions created by man.
In aquarium conditions, shrimp feeds on almost all types of algae. Unfortunately, this does not prevent them from eating feed left over from the fish. It is worth noting that the shrimp Amano needs additional feeding. It is large in size and must receive feed in the required amount. With great pleasure, individuals of this species eat vegetables: cucumbers, zucchini and the like. You can also give granules and flakes. The presence of frozen and live food in the diet of this shrimp is required.
It is worth noting that Amano is quite unpretentious in food, but still they need to be given food with fiber content. Not everyone knows that shrimp can eat dead snails, fish and other shrimp. Some aquarists argue that Amano does not disdain to eat fry. Although this is a rather rare occurrence, it can still be.
Most of the time, the shrimp spend near the filter sponges and moss bunches, eating the remaining food. It is noted that they do not eat mosses at all.
Content
The content of Amano shrimp in a vegetable aquarium cannot be called complex. The minimum permissible volume of the tank containing this species of aquatic inhabitants should be 40 liters. But here a lot depends on the number of individuals. One shrimp needs five liters of water.
If we compare this species with others, we can note its unpretentiousness.
Shrimps prefer to live in both large and small groups, but still it is better to keep them in flocks of ten or more, since they are inconspicuous and it will be very difficult to show them to someone. And ten pieces and more are already more noticeable, moreover, in vivo Amano used to live in large companies.
This shrimp is very active, it swims all the time around the aquarium and looks for something to eat, but sometimes it likes to hide. That is why in the container where Amano is kept, it is necessary to make many shelters. And knowing their love of algae, you should make sure that there is a lot of vegetation in the aquarium.
Water parameters
The water temperature should be from 20 to 28 degrees, but this species can tolerate lower temperatures. When keeping Amano shrimp in the aquarium, care must be taken that there are no sudden fluctuations. Water parameters are not complicated: pH - 6.2-7.5; kH 6-8; gH - 6-8.
Fatal for Amano may be: water, poor in oxygen, a sharp change in the parameters of water, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia. Shrimp are very sensitive to excess CO 2 . They stop collecting mosses, become lethargic and are not interested in food. In addition, this aquatic creature is sensitive to copper contained in aquarium water.
At elevated pH, the shrimp will try to escape from the aquarium, as in this case they feel unwell. It is worth knowing that when keeping Amano with fish, the treatment of diseases of the latter should be carried out only after transplanting shrimp into another container.
It is not recommended to allow the waste products of aquatic inhabitants to accumulate at the bottom of the aquarium. They secrete substances that negatively affect Amano.
Compatibility
This type of shrimp is considered peaceful, they can get along with many species of fish. It is worth knowing that occasionally they can eat fry. Therefore, the maintenance of Amano with them is not recommended. In addition, it is undesirable to keep shrimp with large fish, since Amano is defenseless and can become food for them. Allowed living in the same aquarium with shrimp following fish species:
- cichlids (scalars);
- large species of catfish.
Shrimp also get along well with other breeds of non-aggressive aquatic inhabitants; they themselves are not able to offend anyone.
During feeding, Amano can fight for food and take it from each other. In addition, they take food and fish. No injuries are inflicted, but it looks very funny. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that there is enough food for everyone.
Shrimp get along with the following fish:
- Barbs.
- Cockerels.
- Gourami.
- Discus
- Antsistruses.
How to breed shrimp Amano
Breeding this type of shrimp is challenging. The fact is that in the natural environment they are born in seawater, and only the grown individual is sent back to the river. That is why the main difficulty of aquarists who want to engage in the reproduction of this species is the need for numerous containers in which the iodine and salt content in the water will be different. Amano shrimp farming is currently very common. But this does not mean the ease of the process itself.
First you need to feed the producers, then, after mating, you should observe the maturation of eggs. When it brightens, the female should be deposited in another container. In total, the eggs are hatched for about five weeks, after which the larvae are placed in salted water (15-20 ppm). It can be pure salt water or purified sea water. You can also purchase special salt solutions in specialty stores.
Larval content
In the early days of life, the larvae are small in size and look more like dots. They can only swim head down and only vertically. If a light source is present nearby, larvae will accumulate around it. That is how they can be caught. Young individuals are often fed, but little by little. Experts recommend feeding small shrimp at least five times a day with special food, as well as brewer's yeast.
Water replacement in the amount of 20 percent of the total should be carried out every two days. This is done so that a bacterial film does not appear, which will lead to the death of the offspring. At about a month old, the larvae become similar to adult shrimp. During this period, they can be transferred to another aquarium, with a lower concentration of salt in the water. The difficulty lies in the fact that Amano grows not simultaneously, but individually, because of which each individual must be transplanted separately.
At this stage of development, a small individual begins to be fed a shrimp mixture, dried flakes and spirulina granules. At the final stage, there is a gradual replacement of salt water with fresh water. At the age of three months, already grown larvae can be transferred to a common aquarium, where Amano shrimp is kept.
Tips & Tricks
Depending on the food, the shrimp color of this species may vary. If for a long time to give Amano food of plant origin, they will acquire a greenish tint. If you give food intended for feeding fish, then the shrimp will become transparent or slightly reddish. Due to their color, they are well camouflaged, and if they hide, then finding them will be very problematic. But still, aquarists have found a great way to detect Amano. To do this, it is enough to shine a flashlight into the aquarium in the dark, in which case the eyes of the shrimp will glow.
After purchasing the shrimp, do not immediately place it in a common aquarium. First, they are kept in separate containers, into which little water is added from the place where they will live in the future.
Often, shrimp can try to get out of the aquarium through pipes, plant stems, or through wiring. Therefore, it is necessary to cover it with a lid. If the owner notices mass shoots, this will be a signal that something is wrong in the aquarium, and it is necessary to check the water parameters.