Assorted Native Algae Eating Shrimp

This listing is for one these three  (native glass shrimp, long nose shrimp, NQ Algae eating shrimp) Algae eating shrimp that will be chosen at random. Roughly spread evenly amoung the three species. 

Native shrimp are likely one of the most underrated species in Australia. The commons like 'glass shrimp', 'long nose shrimp', and 'NQ Algae eating shrimp' are some of the best clean up crew for both leftover food and algae and can survive low temperatures from 10 degrees to 30 degrees celcius. These species are well suited for aquarium life and are all able to live together without any issues. They are also a challenge t breed so if you want to try something new, interesting unique and have your own clean up crew give these natives a go!

Why are the natives so remarkable?

In a word, potential. All three long nose shrimp, native glass shrimp and NQ algae eating shrimp have immense potential for breeding new variations, serving as algae eaters in aquascapes, being tough shrimp for beginners and both long nose shrimp and glass shrimp can even thrive as brackish water specialists in biotopes, and much more.

These natives shrimp come in a variety of colors (blue, green, clear, black, orange, and even fully red individuals) and patterns (dorsal stripes, 'tiger-stripe' patterns, speckles, and blotches). There is still much to learn about whether their coloration can be influenced by diet, stress, or other environmental factors, or if line breeding could produce fixed color variants. This presents great potential for breeders to work on establishing consistent colors and patterns.

How to Keep Paratya in Aquariams 

Now that you have some natives how should you care for them?

The answer is simple: easily. The natives are hardy aquarium inhabitants, tolerating a wide range of pH, TDS, and GH/KH levels. Some even thrive in high salinity (except for NQ algae eating shrimp), making them perfect for brackish setups. I've successfully kept them in various tanks, from planted aquascapes with soft, acidic water to tanks with small African cichlids in hard, high pH water. In my experience, all of the natives are peaceful and can be housed with almost any shrimp or fish too small to consume them. Like most freshwater shrimp, most can live around two years sometimes a little longer.

To keep your natives happy and healthy, aim for the following water parameters:

• Temperature: Optimal 20-26°C, but they can tolerate extremes from 8-30°C in the wild

These shrimp are scavengers. They eat algae, bacteria and other microorganisms around the tank, and will never attack other live animals. They have a minimum bio-load and are a great addition to almost any tank's ecosystem!
Don't forget to check out our plants for combined postage and keeping the shrimp happy in transit!

Keeping with fish
The general rule for all aquatic life is "if it fits in their mouth they will eat it." Unless you have specifically passive or vegetarian fish, shrimp may be eaten by any fish which is large enough to swallow one hole. Adult shrimp grow to 3-4cm for long nose and glass shrimp and 5-6cm for he NQ Algae eaters, with juveniles being at least 1cm. Conversely, any smaller fish will live with them very happily. They may eat the baby shrimp if they breed, but if you have enough plant cover, usually enough survive to keep the colony going.

If you have any questions or problems feel free to contact us!