Red Cherry Shrimp, posible presa de las Pygmy Corys???

Hola a todos los acuaristas de CAPPR,

En estos momentos estoy muy cerca de montar mi 55 gal y queria poner una school de pygmy corys (al menos 11) y como tambien tendre red cherry shrimp en el acuario me preguntaba si las corys podrian comer a los bebes??? he leido mucho sobre este tema y todos dicen algo distinto algunos dicen que si otros que no... las pygmy corys son muy peque~nas y pienso que que no podran comerse a un red cherry adulto pero no estoy seguro de los bebes... aqui hay un poco de informacion.

PYGMY CORY

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Family
Callichthyidae. Subfamily: Corydoradinae


Distribution
Appears to be endemic to the Rio Madeira basin, Brazil.


Habitat
Small tributaries, creeks, pools and areas of flooded forest. It's often found in large numbers sheltering among marginal vegetation or tree roots.


Maximum Standard Length
Around 1.2" (3cm).


Minimum Tank Size
You could keep quite a large group of these in a tank measuring only 18" x 12" x 12" (45cm x 30cm x 30cm) - 42.5 litres.


Tank Setup
Prefers dim lighting. It looks superb in a heavily planted setup decorated with pieces of bogwood and twisted roots, perhaps with a layer of surface vegetation to dim the lighting a touch.

It can also be kept in an Amazonian biotope setup if you wish. Use a substrate of river sand and add a few driftwood branches (if you can't find driftwood of the desired shape, common beech is safe to use if thoroughly dried and stripped of bark) and twisted roots. Aquatic plants should not be used. A few handfuls of dried leaves (again beech is good, and oak is also suitable) would complete the natural feel. Allow the wood and leaves to stain the water the colour of weak tea, removing old leaves and replacing them every few weeks so they don't rot and foul the water. A small net bag filled with aquarium-safe peat can be added to the filter to aid in the simulation of black water conditions. The lighting should be fairly dim in this kind of setup.


Temperature
72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C)


pH Range
6.4 to 7.4


Hardness
2 to 15°H


Diet
Any food offered must be small enough for its tiny mouth. It will take dried foods, but these should be of a small grade or ground down before being added to the tank. For the fish to develop the best colour and condition a good proportion of the diet should also consist of small live and frozen foods such as sifted Daphnia or Artemia nauplii.


Compatibility
It's very peaceful, but doesn't make an ideal community fish due to its small adult size. It's easily intimidated by larger tank mates and won't compete well for food with them. Many fish often kept in community aquaria, such as angelfish, gouramis and larger catfish will also find it an ideal snack. Keep it alone or in a community of other tiny species, such as similarly sized characins, cyprinids or perhaps some small freshwater shrimp. It also makes an ideal dither species for Apistogramma and other dwarf cichlids, as it tends to inhabit the middle levels of the tank.

It lives in groups in nature so it's best to buy at least 6, preferably 10 or more. You'll find they shoal quite tightly, have more confidence and look much more effective when maintained in good numbers. They'll also school quite happily with other small fish in the tank.


Sexual Dimorphism
Like most corys, it's easily sexed when viewed from above. Females are noticeably rounder and broader bodied than males, especially when full of eggs. They're often also slightly larger.


Breeding
Can be bred in a similar fashion to many other Corydoras species, although the fry require a little extra care due to their size.

Set up the breeding tank (12" x 8" x 8" or similar is a good size), with either a bare bottom, sand or fine gravel substrate. Use air-powered sponge or box-type filtration as fry won't be sucked into these and provide some clumps of vegetation such as java moss. A temperature of around 75°F and a pH of 6.5 should be fine. Filtering the water through peat is useful, as is the use of RO water.

It's usually better to have a higher ratio of males to females when breeding corys and 2 males per female is recommended. Condition the group on a varied diet of live, frozen and dried foods. When the females are visibly full of eggs perform a large (50-70%) water change with cooler water, and increase oxygenation and flow in the tank. Repeat this daily until the fish spawn.

It's worth observing a couple of notes on general cory breeding at this point. Many species are seasonal spawners, breeding during the wet season in their native countries. This occurs at the same time of year as the UK winter, so if summer breeding attempts are failing, it may be worth waiting until winter before trying again. Additionally, it can take several years for certain species to become sexually mature, so be patient. Finally, different tactics may sometimes be required, such as timing of water changes, oxygenation levels etc. If you aren't having any luck, don't be afraid of trying different approaches.

If the fish decide to spawn, they will usually lay their eggs on the tank glass, often in an area where water flow is quite high. Spawning behaviour is characterised by an initial increase in activity and excitement, before males begin to actively pursue females. A receptive female will allow a male to caress her with his barbels, before the pair take up the classic "t-position", in which the male grasps the females barbels between his pectoral fin and body. He then releases some sperm and it's thought that this passes through the mouth and gills of the female, being directed towards her pelvic fins. These she uses to form a 'basket', into which she deposits a single egg. Once this is fertilised, she swims away to find a suitable place to deposit the egg, before the cycle is repeated. If you spawn the fish in a group situation, you will often see multiple males chasing a female as she goes to deposit an egg, in an effort to be the next chosen to fertilise them.

The adults will eat the eggs given the opportunity, so once spawning is complete you have a couple of choices. Either remove the adults and raise the brood in the same tank, or move the eggs and raise the fry elsewhere. If you decide to move the eggs, you'll find they're quite robust, and can usually be gently rolled up the glass with a finger. The new container should contain the same water as the spawning tank and be similarly well-oxygenated. Wherever you decide to hatch the eggs, it's always best to add a few drops of methylene blue to the water to prevent fungussing. Even then, some eggs will probably fungus, and these should be removed as soon as they're spotted in order to prevent the fungus spreading. Other options include adding an alder cone to the hatching container (these release various beneficial chemicals). Some hobbyists even use certain species of freshwater shrimp to pick any fungal spores from healthy eggs. Cherry shrimp, Neocardina denticulata work well. These will eat diseased eggs, but leave healthy ones unharmed.

The eggs hatch in 3-5 days. Once the fry have used up their yolk sacs they should be fed on an infusoria-type food for the next few days, until they are large enough to accept microworm or Artemia nauplii. They seem to be less susceptible to disease when kept over a thin layer of sand, rather than in a bare-bottomed setup.


Notes
There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aquarien und Terrarienzeitschrift), but have proved to be invaluable tools and are now used widely by aquarists worldwide. It's partly this tremendous diversity (along with their undeniably cute looks) that puts corys among the most popular fish in the hobby.

They're also very peaceful aquarium residents. Although they'll consume bite-sized items such as eggs or fry, aggression towards other species is virtually unheard of. Intraspecific hostility is similarly unusual, occurring in only a handful of species (mainly being confined to the "long-nosed" varieties). Provided space isn't an issue this rarely results in physical damage, though. In nature most species occur in large schools and as such do best when kept in a group in captivity.

Most corys are primarily benthic (bottom dwelling), although a handful of exceptions do spend the majority of their time in open water. Unfortunately this behaviour often means that they're often purchased and sold as scavengers that will "clean the bottom" of your community tank. While they'll certainly polish off any uneaten morsels that reach the substrate, they won't keep the substrate "clean" as such. In fact maintenance of the substrate becomes more of a primary concern if your tank contains a few corys, as they can develop nasty infections of the barbels if kept in dirty or otherwise unfavourable conditions. It should also be said that they won't do well if expected to survive on the scraps of food that escape the fish above. Always use sinking varieties to ensure your corys receive the right amount of food.

All corys are facultative air breathers, meaning they have the ability to breathe atmospheric air to a certain extent if necessary. They possess a modified, highly vascularised intestine to aid in the uptake of atmospheric oxygen. This adaptation allows them to survive if their habitat becomes oxygen-deprived for any reason. In the aquarium you'll see them darting to the surface to take in gulps of air on occasion. This is perfectly natural and no cause for concern unless water conditions are deteriorating, in which case the frequency of visits to the surface will usually rise correspondingly.

Corys are part of the "armoured" catfish group, and instead of scales possess two rows of bony plates running along the flanks. The genus name is composed of the Greek words cory, meaning helmet and doras, meaning skin (here used incorrectly to denote "armour"). They also have very sharp pectoral fin spines, which are easily caught in the mesh of aquarium nets and can also produce a painful "sting" if they penetrate the skin. Care should therefore be exercised when handling or moving corys for any reason.

An excellent choice for the smaller aquarium, Corydoras pygmaeus is one of a handful of tiny Corydoras species. It's most frequently confused with C. hastatus , but the two can easily be told apart as C. hastatus has a dark diamond-shaped spot at the caudal peduncle and lacks additional body markings. Conversely Corydoras pygmaeus has a dark stripe running the entire length of the lateral line.

Unlike the majority of its congeners it has a charming habit of swimming in midwater, although this behaviour isn't as pronounced as in C. hastatus .

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RED CHERRY SHRIMP
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Overview

The Red Cherry Shrimp is undoubtedly the most popular shrimp in the hobby due to the relatively easy ability to breed as well as their ability to live in many different water parameters. Most shrimp hobbyists start out with this species because of it easy requirements and to also learn about dwarf shrimp in general. Once acquiring experience in the hobby through keeping the Red Cherry Shrimp most hobbyists move on to the more difficult species like Tiger Shrimp and Crystal Red Shrimp. Other names for this species is Cherry Shrimp, Cherry Red Shrimp and the acronym R.C.S. means simply Red Cherry Shrimp (RCS).



The Beginner Shrimp

I highly recommend that any newcomer to the freshwater aquarium shrimp hobby start off with the Red Cherry Shrimp. This shrimp will teach you a lot, and mistakes causing shrimp deaths can be overcome due to their ability to readily breed. You also don�t want to make a mistake with another more expensive species. Red Cherry Shrimp are the least expensive shrimp in the hobby.



Background

The Red Cherry Shrimp is a selectively bred species, meaning that the red coloration was slowly bred out from the wild variety. A breeder, who is unknown, slowly bred the red trait out of the wild Neocaridina Heteropoda to achieve the all red coloration. Many thanks to whomever it is that completed the tedious task of selectively breeding this species. For more information on the wild type please visit the species information page for the Neocaridina Heteropoda. In the photo below notice the tiny amount of red coloration in the wild type. You can barely see the red speckles. Also notice the green saddle.


Water Parameters

The Red Cherry Shrimp can be housed in many different water parameters. I have kept them in a pH range from 6.0 to 8.0, soft and hard water, temperatures from 72F to 84F and in many different soils like ADA Aquasoil and normal gravel. It is common knowledge that the Red Cherry Shrimp can live in almost any freshwater aquarium given that the tank is habitable and does not contain predators of course. Some have even reported putting them in ponds and in filterless tanks which I dont recommend however. In other words, the Red Cherry Shrimp is the hardiest shrimp in the freshwater aquarium shrimp hobby.



Feeding

Feeding the Red Cherry Shrimp is also easy as they accept virtually any kind of shrimp/fish food. They eat anything from blanched spinach, zucchini, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, fish flakes, bloodworms, and more. Red Cherry Shrimp are not picky eaters whatsoever. Feeding time is a good indicator of health and also if your Red Cherry Shrimp are breeding well. If a Red Cherry Shrimp colony is healthy then it will rush towards the food and jump all over each other in an attempt to grab a bite to eat, almost like ants. If they swarm the food that is a great sign, and of course if you see babies that is a sign that things are doing very well. Unenthusiastic feeding and constant hiding of the Red Cherry Shrimp is a good indicator that things are not good.

Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Remember that shrimp are scavengers in the wild. They will eat whatever they find and are not used to a constant food source 24/7. Not feeding for one or two days is fine and will not harm this species at all. Sometimes I will not feed for a couple of days in order to let the shrimp cleanse their systems and keep the water clean at the same time.



Breeding

The Red Cherry Shrimp is extremely prolific, meaning that they breed readily and virtually around the clock. A healthy colony will quickly multiply and females will be constantly pregnant. It is typically 30-45 days from pregnancy to hatching. The best way to tell if a female is close to hatching her eggs is by the appearance of a set of eyes inside each egg. This is easy to spot and will let you know that hatching is literally days away. Another way to tell is by the emergence of a new saddle when the female still has eggs. The emergence of the saddle is the indication that the female is prepared to have a new set of eggs and that the current eggs are close to hatching. Please look at the photo below to see Red Cherry Shrimp Eggs with eyes.

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amigo en realidad tienes un serio asunto pendiente en cuanto a tu 55.g. pero creo que todo tiene una cadena alimenticia y no estoy muy claro en como es el sistema de desobe de los red cherry,pero por lo normal estos van dejando las crias por todo el acuario y sobre todo ten mucho cuidado con el sistema de filtraje del acuario por que si los corydoras no los atrapan lo hara el filtro,esto lo menciono por que mencionastes un filtro de canister recientemente asi que cuidado y suerte.

Muchas gracias Brio y si yo siempre se pongo algo al canister para evitar cualquier problema...