# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Invertebrates >  Seed Shrimp Culturing

## 43a57

Does anyone culture seed shrimp?

I used to have a small population of seed shrimp, thought they were cute scuttering around the bottom of the tank among the snail waste.

my population was wiped out the moment i added zebra fish, so i suppose they make excellent food for them.

i do have a few survivors in a separate container of water plants, how to culture them into a healthy population?

----------


## boxedfish

funny that you are trying to culture something that many people including me are trying to get rid off!!! haha. Just give them excess food and i don't think they like water flow.

----------


## 43a57

> funny that you are trying to culture something that many people including me are trying to get rid off!!! haha. Just give them excess food and i don't think they like water flow.


 well, read that they are harmless. when i bought the zebrafishes, they seem to picked out all the seed shrimps immediately until nothing left. it's a small bare bottom tank with just floating hornworts and snails.
they stirred up all the snail waste until nothing left.

last time without the fishes, there was very little activity in the tank, so the seed shrimps were at least more entertaining than the snails.

----------


## ranmasatome

Does anyone still culture this? i'm thinking of starting a culture.

----------


## Fuzzy

I have a ton of seed shrimp lurking in one of my shrimp tanks, they have totally infested two of the Marimo balls I placed in there.

There are also planaria infesting these marimo balls though, but you're more than welcome to have both of them for free if you want  :Opps:

----------


## stormhawk

Haha Fuzzy, when you move the ball they infested, the shrimp will probably scatter all over the place. They seem to feed on detritus, and like boxedfish says, they dislike current. A sponge filter is all that they need for filtration purposes.

----------


## Xianghao

you sure have one weird interest in keeping seed shrimp. I have a pot of tiger lily and the water in there has tonnes of seed shrimp. If for some odd reason u want tonnes of seed shrimp, i think i can off load to you.

----------


## Fuzzy

> Haha Fuzzy, when you move the ball they infested, the shrimp will probably scatter all over the place. They seem to feed on detritus, and like boxedfish says, they dislike current. A sponge filter is all that they need for filtration purposes.


These marimo balls are so heavily infested, I think if I scoop them with a big net there will still be enough for a sizeable starting culture  :Shocked: 

lol.

----------


## ranmasatome

Xinghao & fuzzy!!

I wanT!!! let me know where and when i can collect!!

PM me with your contact so i can sms you!

I can come tonight or tomorrow night :Smile:  :Smile:  YAY!

----------


## Kiatster

I know its been a long time since the last post, but just want with share this with fellow seed shrimp lovers. (I love them because my endlers and Betta loves them). :Grin: 

Image shows Seed shrimps having lunch. (Munching on Nana Petite leaves)

----------


## berlinjs

Thank you for the tip, zebra fish.

----------


## Xianghao

sorry ranmasatome, long time never follow your thread. I have since added a few cheap guppies to my pot, they wiped out the entire seed shrimp population already.. anyway i used to isolate a bunch of seed shrimp in a brands chicken essence glass bottle with nothing but a few strands of java moss and put in the sun. u will be surprised the seed shrimp survived several months and even succeeded a few generations. these buggers are really hardy i tell you..

----------


## ranmasatome

No problems man  :Smile: .

Who else has some to spare.

Kiatster! spare me some leh.

----------


## silane

This is a very interesting project. 

It would be fun to see who can breed the largest seed shrimp.

----------


## martin.kwang

endlers put inside with shrimp tanks ?

----------


## Kiatster

Bro, the population is not growing enough to feed my fish, how to spare you. Maybe when i have a population boom!




> No problems man .
> 
> Who else has some to spare.
> 
> Kiatster! spare me some leh.

----------


## 43a57

Digging this out again to update, I've already have a self-sustaining culture in a small container.
I haven't done anything for years, the algae bubbles oxygen in the day in the sun by the window.

----------


## huizhong

What do you do with this culture?

----------


## SirBest

> What do you do with this culture?


 Feed to his juvenile fishes, perhaps? They make excellent food for grow ups.

----------


## 43a57

> What do you do with this culture?


actually, really nothing with it. I cover the container to prevent mosquito breeding. I sit by the table and watch them swim.
I've developed an interest in all things small and micro. I have micro mini plants that flower at 3 cm in adult size. 
I started raising brine shrimp, hoping to get fresh water fairy shrimp and clam shrimp eggs.

----------


## TTerry

Sorry to dig up this old thread. Anyone still culturing seed shrimps? Is it nutritous live food for fishes?

I have been battling seed shrimp aka Ostracods in my 10g shrimp tank for few months. They are super hardy.... read that their eggs can survived without water, my weekly maintenance is to siphon them out from my shrimp tank, their reproduction are insanely fast!

----------


## Trevor

Hi Tterry,

From 1 T to another T, would it be nice if I engage my horde of guppies to help you in the battle against the seed shrimps please? Let me know ya! Thank you  :Smile:

----------


## Silvermist1980

So this thread is really really old, but having come down with seed shrimp (no idea how), I pretty much killed off almost all of them. Having identified them and learning what they are and what they do... im starting to culture them as clean-up in my aquariums and food for my fish, especially my fry. I heard they like warmer water? I have them growing in a plastic coffee creamer container with some mossimo balls and some thick algae I peeled off one of my tanks. Do they eat fish waste as well or just excess food/plant matter?

----------

