new here

[tcollins]

hello, I am Timothy, live in murfreesboro. I have an 18g tank with ghost shrimp in it, been keeping an aquarium for about a week lol. I don't have any cichlids as i don't have the tank to put them in though i do want some mbuna cichlids at some point, the blue ones are really cool

[angel]

Hi Timothy! We're about all things aquatic--ghost shrimp are cool! Thanks for joining. What made you decide on ghost shrimp?

[tcollins]

it is my first real tank, and so i am going slow for now. I like ghost shrimp, always wanted them and figured they were a cheap way to test the waters so to speak on a new tank, if the shrimp do well then add in fish, etc. I am actually going to be adding some platies soon and maybe some cory cats as well

[angel]

The platies should work out, although the ghost shrimp might grab some of the babies. They'd never get them all, though. Cory cats I'm not sure. I have one, and if I put ghost shrimp in the tank with him, which are food for the stingray anyway, she's right there. Considering cats sometimes eat shrimp pellets, I'm not sure they wouldn't try out a shrimp. But I never watch because I don't want to see them get eaten.

[angel]

By the way, we share a birthday Though I had it first. WAY first! So you can keep it.

[tcollins]

LOL well if the cats do eat the shrimp they go back and i get another 10 shrimp for $2 lol. I prefer shrimp over cats it is just i have heard so much how cories are everyone's favorites so figured i would try them out. As for the platies there are some really pretty ones at my LFS that have a bright yellow tail that i want to breed and see about getting to some people around here

[nitroglyc]

I used to have Neon Tetras... I found out that if you have 6 neon tetras, and 4 die you get one ghost shrimp... lol. Long story... I'll have to tell you later. Welcome to the forum Timothy, you will find some of the nicest people here, and very knowledgeable as well.

[tcollins]

thanks nitro! i am looking forward to it, especially since it is middle TN based and people are actually near me, i am part of fishlore.com as well but everyone there is so spaced out it is difficult to relate with them on local matters

[nitroglyc]

I hear ya... I am a member of tropicalfishcentre.co.uk... wanna talk about distance. I can't just go visit one of them... lol

[tcollins]

lol i know how that is, i have family in scotland, would love to live there but yeah who knows about that happening any time soon

[nitroglyc]

I think mollies are some of the best beginner fish. I used to keep live bearers back years ago... that was before I found out about the different variety of the cichlids. I started with a 10g when I was 17 with some guppies, mollies, platties, and one pair of swordtails. Now I am trying to start breeding cichlids, but I am so green, I have a lot to learn about them. I had a molly drop once, but it was a bad time for her to drop as it was the great ice storm, and we had no power for almost a month here. I had to constantly plug and unplug the filter and heater from the generator. and had to add ice to the aquarium every so often as my father kept the wood burning stove up over 110F. Most made it, but the fry were lost, and I lost interest in the live bearers as well. Like you said, start off slow and work your way up... I think it is way more fun to do it that way instead of rushing in and getting it all done at once. I have been working on my setups for about 3 months now. I have 4 tanks, 2 10's, 1 29, and 1 55. I have the 55 almost done, just need to get a more efficient filter, and a better heater, and I need to get that pH up and some other decorations. My 29 is bare, so I am still way behind on it... but I will be fixing that soon I hope. One 10 is setup just as a small tetra tank, no decor yet though or heater. then my last 10 is going to be a hospital. Once I get all these the way I want them, I am going for the big daddy of my collection, I am going to get a 125gallon, and do a SW Reef with Clown Fish for my wife (who will have nothing to do with the fish after we get them home.). Welcome to the hobby man! Stick with it, build up your skills and knowledge, and people will be constantly asking you for advice.

[bunnie1978]

Nice to meet you, Timothy. Ghost shrimp are fun, trying to find them when you sit down to look at your tank....

Watch out for them though! I've found that just about any fish that can catch them will eat them, though I think plecos don't bother unless they are already dead. My cardinal tetras used to love to tear them up, as did my siamese algae eaters (even when they were still babies) and cories, platys, angels, and guppies. I think that's all I've ever had them with that I've seen eat the ghost shrimp.

Do you have any plants in your tank? Plants are awesome. I'm a plant person.

[vladsbtch]

Welcome Timothy. Good to see new people here. I think you will like it. I belong to way too many fish forums but I like this one the best. I have gotten to know most of the people here. I have only met a few from some of my other forums.
I am like Tina and I feed ghost shrimp to some of my fish but I do have some in a tank with my blue fin killies. They seem to all get along fine in there.

[tcollins]

bunnie i do have some swords, going to be getting more plants, probably some onion for the back to grow up or some other kind of tall plant, and some moss to carpet the top of my rocks and pottery

[davidtcb1]

Welcome Timothy!