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Will Bolivian Rams eat Amano? I"m thinking of getting 3-4 for my 30 gallon community tank.

Thanks.

Depends on your Rams, largely - I'd say test it out with some ghost shrimp of the same size. If they become lunch, expensive shrimp probably aren't a good bet.

Are you having trouble with hair algae?

EDIT: Um, I'm assuming here you mean Amano Shrimp, C. japonica.

[span class="edited"][Edited by LittleMousling 2004-07-31 13:40][/span]

-Molly
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Hi Mousling!

Yes, I'm talking about the Amano Algae Eating Shrimp (Caridina japonica). Do you think I should buy one or two and test them out before I get more? I've read that they eat about almost every kind of algae but although I don't have much algae, maybe I should just get a couple.

What else do they eat beside algae?

Here's my stocklist for my 30 gallon tank:

[font color="#008000"]Fish[/font]:
-6 Cardinals
-4 Jullii Cories
-4 Otos
-2 Bolivian Rams

Complete Tank setup: http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/thread.asp?id=44463

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Since I'm getting the shrimps, maybe I should take the Otos out and revise the list like below:

[font color="#008000"]Fish[/font]:
-8 Cardinals
-6 Jullii Cories
-2 Bolivian Rams
-2-4 Shrimps

[span class="edited"][Edited by sly 2004-07-31 18:05][/span]

Since the Amanos and Otos eat different kinds of algae, there's no reason not to keep both. Just wait to introduce each species until the kind they like appears - soft brown and green stuff for the otos, hair algae and related types for the Amanos. And of course on the otos all usual rules apply: wait until the tank's very stable, nice acclimation, yada yada.
I'd test with cheap ghost shrimp rather than the expensive Amanos - if they become a meal, it won't be a big problem (and hey, you'll know a good live food for your rams!)
Good supplement food: algae wafers. Good for the otos as well although they're less likely to really chow down IME, and, hey, your other fish will surely like them as well.
Getting just a couple of Amanos for a 30 isn't going to do much at all. Usually they're added in pretty significant numbers. Expensive, but much more useful. If you don't have much algae, I'd say there's no real point adding any, unless you want them for themselves and not just for algae-eating (perfectly valid, they're fun little guys).

-Molly
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Yeah, I want them because they're cute ]

Apparantely, Ghost Shrimps cost $3.50 and Amanos cost $3.99. Not much of a differnce...

Nevermind, thats $3.50 for a dozen. ]

I have rams with amano shrimp with no problems. . . I find the amanos are fairly tough and will hold their own in any battles. . . . I have a pic of a fight over a spirulina tab somewhere if I can get it scanned

So far, so good. The shrimps doing fine with no agression from the Rams whatsoever.

I have a questions: when I first put the shrimps in the tank, they were hyperactive. The would dart around the tank non-stop but now after a few days, they're settled down. Have anyone seen this behavior? Are Amanos usually calm like mine now?

I feed mine warly shrimp pellets!

I have 3 amanos sharing a tak with a pair of blue rams and they get on fine most of the time, with just the occasional scrap over food. The shrimps can definitely hold their own though.