Bamboo Shrimp Feeding Green Water.

**Gogi** · 12-12-2012, 06:40 PM

The title suggests that this should be posted in the invertabrate forum, but my questions are regarding the effects of distilled water on a freshwater tank.

I am planning on getting a bamboo shrimp for my ~30 liters(7.9 gal) fluval well planted ebi tank.
Ph 6.4
Ammonia 0
NitrItes 0
NitrAtes <5
Tank has been running for 1 year. It house blue pearl shrimps, Crystal reds, and snails.

I have kept a bamboo shrimp in this tank before for 3 month before, but it died after i removed the second filter I had running on the tank. It goes to show you how important water flow is for the bamboo shrimp. This time around i will keep a second filter.

Here is where I need help. I would like to supplement the bamboo shrimp with green water. I have a hydroponic setup with carnivorous plants. The tub is filled with distilled water that has truned green with algea. I was thinking of feeding this to the bamboo shrimp.

Is the green water still consider distilled even though it has suspended algea in it?

Will adding 10ml of green water once a week effect the tank's ph?

Do you think this will work or harm my tank?

**talldutchie** · 12-12-2012, 08:24 PM

Well, it's not distilled anymore, otherwise it wouldn't be able to support the algae that colour the water green.

Such a small amount is not likely to touch your ph. I do wonder if it would work as a food source for the shrimp. I'm not familiar enough with those. Perhaps you need to look into infusoria as well?

**Gogi** · 12-12-2012, 08:40 PM

I figured. The algea must be feeding off the roots and waste of the plants.

I did some research on green water and bamboo shrimp. This one guy said he puts enough green water in his tank to make the whole tank green. He said it clears up in 6 hours cus the shrimp eat it all. I was going to do small amounts to see what happens, but i do not want my tank to crash and kill my percious shrimps.

**talldutchie** · 12-12-2012, 08:43 PM

30 liters isn't likely to crash with small amount of green water.

I think I'd risk it. Buy the shrimp but also buy some liquid fry food just in case. Get a baster or pipette or something so you can aim the green water. If it doesn't seem to work you can use the fry food until you can find alterntanives.

But, just my opion.

**ddavis1979** · 12-13-2012, 12:11 AM

Most shrimp do just fine picking and filtering out small food particles from water. Why not just finely crumble flake food and let it swirl around the tank and let the shrimp get it ? Why the trouble of green water?

**Gogi** · 12-13-2012, 12:35 AM

I already have powder fry food and powder food for that i feed my baby shrimps. I just wanted to try out the green water since I have so much of it. I figured why not as long as its safe.

I might as well just let the bamboo shrimp acclimate to the tank for a month and then give the green water a shot and see what happens.

thanks for the advice and help.

I ll post pic of the bamboo shrimp when i get hopefully this weekend

**talldutchie** · 12-13-2012, 04:25 AM

Originally Posted by ddavis1979

Most shrimp do just fine picking and filtering out small food particles from water. Why not just finely crumble flake food and let it swirl around the tank and let the shrimp get it ? Why the trouble of green water?

A lot of filter feeder shrimp also slowly starve. I can imagine gogi looking at that green water and wondering if it could be put to good use.

**KevinVA** · 12-13-2012, 04:47 AM

Might want to ask Brhino what he does for his. I don't know if he adds any specific shrimp food for his Bamboo Shrimp, but he's had it for a while. I would imagine if you had enough current in an area of the tank that could have a good vantage point for him to climb up on a plant and start fanning for food, you should be fine without supplementing anything. I suppose it depends on what and how much you feed your other inhabitants, though.

**talldutchie** · 12-13-2012, 05:18 AM

Also on how well you clean. These guys do best in a tank that's been up a while and that is not extremely well scrubbed.

**Brhino** · 12-13-2012, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by KevinVA

Might want to ask Brhino what he does for his. I don't know if he adds any specific shrimp food for his Bamboo Shrimp, but he's had it for a while.

I don't do anything special for mine, but mine's in a 75 gallon planted tank that, to be honest, has a lot more particles in the water than I would like. In an 8 gallon tank you'd have to be a lot more careful to make sure that the shrimp gets enough to eat.

I've been watching this thread because I'm not sure if green water will work or not. My gut feeling is that I don't think that the shrimp will be able to catch and eat the single-celled algae that makes green water green, but I really have no idea so I was hoping somebody else knows the answer.