Vampire Shrimp vs Mountain Shrimp

FEEDING TIME
These shrimps were so adapted to my aquarium, they knew exactly where to find their food (usually in the feeding dish). It saves them the effort of fanning near the outflow filter.

FACE-OFF

Get off my territory, you SOB! lol.

FEEDING MY FIRST BAMBOO SHRIMPS

After much reading up about the behaviour of bamboo shrimp, I’ve decided to give this shrimp a home.   The shrimp has various names :  Mountain shrimp, Bamboo Shrimp. Fan Shrimp, Singapore Shrimp, Wood Shrimp, flower shrimp….

Unlike other common dwarf shrimps or amano shrimp which are quite capable of searching for its own food, the bamboo shrimp need special attention when it comes to feeding.  Here are two simple & hassle-free methods of feeding them:

AQUARIUM FOOD TAB or FISH FLAKES

Food Tab

What I love about Sera O nip food tab is that all types of aquarium fish just love them.   Tab them onto the glass and watch the fish nibble like crazy and the small food particles will float throughout the water column for other fishes to share them.  The tiny floating food particles provide sufficient food sources for my Bamboo Shrimp in their “permanent” selected position, usually facing against the outflow current of the filter.  Sera O Nip food tab can get a little messy, but to my bamboo shrimp, it became freeflow floating buffet until the foods slowly sucked into the filter or sank to the bottom.

Flakes

Another simple method of feeding is by crushing the food flake into powdery form with your thumb.  Use a long pincer to grab the food powder and placed it near to the shrimp’s feeders, at a distance of about 2cm, the shrimp won’t run away – be gentle with them.  With the remaining food powder, washed them against the water flow facing the shrimp.   

Signs of Well-fed Shrimp

Other than seeing them moulted once in a blue moon, notice a constant droppings (the size of a black sesame seed) from the tip of the bamboo Shrimp’s tail while the shrimp was keeping still.

Friendliness of the shrimp

The shrimp may grow large, but will not take up space because it would have established a "permanent" eating and resting place for itself, unlike other shrimps that constantly roamed around for food.   I have seen my Bamboo shrimp flinged at the Amano shrimp if the other party tried to get too close. However, other similar bamboo shrimp is always welcomed to piggy-back as shown in the pic…

World of Cichlids

I was stucked in Qian Hu for 3 hours, on weekday morning, mainly due to their impatient company driver whom didn't bother to look out for passenger at the waiting booth, resulted in me missing the shutter bus TWICE!  Moral of the story, never visit Qian Hu on weekday.  To pass time, for their next bus schedule (of 1 hour interval), I "camped" in their cichlid show room and took several photos.  Horrendous service aside, the fish farm didn't bother to provide the actual name of the following cichlids except to label every cichlid tank as "MIXED CICHLIDS"!  As cichlid newbie wanting to learn more, I am no wiser after leaving the fish farm...

Blue frontosa (very expensive species)

While I am at  this topic, the following are my favorite cichlids which I have been keeping for months in my tank:


Duboisi staring at the rock

A pair of yellow band Moorii Tropheus

Electric Yellow Cichlid (Labidochromis Caeruleus) - by far the most productive but the babies were eventually eaten up by others (I think)...














Electric Blue Johanni (Melanochromis) - A confession of my "fetish" for blue cichlids such as these specimens. Love their electric color.

Golden/Yellow Auratus Julie - so far so good, its color remains intact. I heard they will change to whitish/greyish in color as they matured, probably referring to the male specimen.  I hope this is a female one.

Blue Moori Hump Head Dolphin - I saved this pair from a very filthy tank in LFS. They were seen gasping for survival and 80% of these juvenile died in their commercial tank.  Now, they are already 3 inches in length and looking good under my care.

Blue face male Venustus - its bluish face has waned after I acquired them.  I am hoping for the blue face to return its color.

My sunshine peacock cichlid (Aulonacara)

Fire Red and Dragon Blood Peacock cichlids - bought them to give my cichlids tank that added fire
color energy

"Chup Cheng" or marbled peacock cichlid?  - whatever that is, it has so many colors I fell in love with it at first sight.

Juvenile Frontosa -  Adopted this piece which was accidentally placed inside the wrong commercial fish tank, among other "economy cichlid". The one and only which caught my attention for a dollar....:). It has since outgrown my demasoni (seen swimming next to it in the photo).

Demasoni 
Another of my blue favorite fish.

Happy with their health and hope you like the beautiful colors of my cichilds.

Enjoy!