Freshwater aquarium shrimps are very useful in nature aquariums. They give some essential benefits that can make your fresh water aquarium move to a higher level of hobby.
Breeding and using shrimps in aquarium has become popular when Takashi Amano a renowned photographer and aquarist used Caridina multidentata in his aquarium projects. Since then many people adopted the idea and studied other shrimp species if they can be equally useful as the Amano shrimp.
I listed below some of these useful benefits:
1. Biological Filters – Shrimps are generally scavengers. They eat fish wastes even dead fishes and fish food wastes in the absence of their natural food. They can be a good part of the mini ecosystem inside your precious aquarium.
2. Aquarium Ornaments – Shrimps are beautiful to look at, especially if you have the fancy shrimps. A couple of good examples of beautiful shrimps are the Red Cherry Shrimps and Harlequin Shrimp.
In fact, many aquarists nowadays agree that keeping shrimps in fresh water aquarium is equally beautiful in keeping fresh water fishes.
3. Algae Controllers – Shrimps are also excellent algae controllers. Many of them are tiny algae-hungry shrimps. Prime example is the Caridina multidentata or popularly known as the “Amano shrimp”.
4. Source of Additional Income – Keeping breeding shrimps are becoming more and more popular, but there is still a huge market for these aqua species. If you can produce healthy shrimps, I am sure that they can become a little bit expensive at times than selling aquarium fishes.
Where can you find shrimps for your aquarium?
There are several sources of freshwater aquarium shrimps that you can check out. But I must say that not all shrimps are readily available everywhere.
4 Main Sources of Shrimps
1. Pet stores – Pet stores are still the primary source of shrimps. Most of them were breed by pet shop owners. However, not all pet shops breed and sell shrimps. It would be best if you will visit pet shop centres. They most likely have the shrimp that you are looking for. Furthermore, most local pet stores do not breed shrimps.
2. Online pet shops – Some online pet shops sell shrimps and they will even deliver it to your doorstep. All you have to do is to order online. This is probably the easiest way to get one
3. Online forums – If you are an aquarist, it would be best if you engage yourself on online forums. Most of your forum mates are professional aquarists and some may have bred several kinds of shrimps. Some of them will even send you an email selling you what you need.
4. Wild – If you feel like an adventurer, why not visit rivers. You will most likely see various kinds of shrimps. Use a net to avoid hurting them when you capture them.
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