Breeding
Females carry eggs beneath the abdomen and release miniature shrimp—there is no free-swimming marine larval stage. Intake guards and dense fine cover materially improve shrimplet survival.
The Room · Livestock catalogue
Know the animal.
Then build around it.
A practical guide to the freshwater invertebrates currently living in our systems: what they are, which forms we keep, how we operate their water, and where the identification still needs evidence.
House photography is replacing reference images as the room record grows. Any remaining reference photograph shows the species or likely genus—not one of our exact animals.
Return to The RoomDwarf shrimp
Cherry shrimp / Neocaridina
Neocaridina davidiOften listed historically as N. heteropoda
A small, fully freshwater shrimp whose colour lines can be selected over generations. Mature biofilm, steady minerals, and stable water matter more than chasing a perfect number on any one test.
In our room
Four active breeding lines, each kept separately to preserve colour and track outcomes cleanly.
Lines in the room
- Bloody MaryDedicated breeding line
- Blue DiamondDedicated breeding line
- Sunkist OrangeDedicated breeding line
- Yellow Fire / GoldenbackDedicated breeding line
- Adult size
- About 2.5–3 cm (1–1¼ in)
- Life cycle
- Direct development; fully freshwater
- Social pattern
- Peaceful colony grazer
- Primary foods
- Biofilm, algae, detritus, prepared foods
Operating target
Stable on purpose.
These are the working targets for our systems—not the outer survival limits claimed for the species.
- Temperature
- 22–24 °C (72–75 °F)
- pH
- 6.8–7.6
- GH
- 7–9 dGH
- KH
- 3–5 dKH
- TDS
- 180–260 ppm
- Nitrogen
- NH₃/NH₄⁺ 0 · NO₂⁻ 0 · NO₃⁻ <10 mg/L
Line integrity
The four colours are the same species and can interbreed. Keeping them apart preserves selection work and prevents the records from becoming guesswork.
What TDS misses
TDS is a useful consistency check, not a mineral recipe. GH, KH, source water, and the actual remineralizer still determine what that number means for moulting and shell formation.
Freshwater shrimp
Amano shrimp
Caridina multidentataFormerly common in the hobby as C. japonica
A larger, active grazer with an amphidromous life cycle: adults live in freshwater, while newly hatched larvae require salt water to develop before returning to freshwater as post-larvae.
In our room
Two adult groups are current. T-005 holds five wild-type animals as of the September 7 record; T-006 holds the white phenotype group, last exactly censused at 20 on August 23.
Groups in the room
- T-005 · Wild-type5 last reported Sept. 7 · future transfer not completed
- T-006 · White phenotype20 at Aug. 23 census · no fresh recount
- Adult size
- Roughly 3–5 cm (1¼–2 in); females larger
- Adult habitat
- Freshwater
- Larval phase
- Marine / brackish development
- Primary foods
- Biofilm, soft algae, detritus, prepared foods
Operating target
Stable on purpose.
These are the working targets for our systems—not the outer survival limits claimed for the species.
- Temperature
- 22–24 °C (72–75 °F)
- pH
- 6.8–7.8
- GH
- 6–10 dGH
- KH
- 2–5 dKH
- TDS
- 150–250 ppm
- Nitrogen
- NH₃/NH₄⁺ 0 · NO₂⁻ 0 · NO₃⁻ <10 mg/L preferred
Adult versus larval water
The adults stay in freshwater. The separate larval programme currently targets 30 ppt (SG ~1.022); that figure does not belong on an adult Amano tank label.
Structure and cover
Rock faces, wood, filters, and shaded edges all provide grazing area and refuge. A secure lid matters: Amanos are capable climbers, especially when stressed or following wet airline and cable routes.
White is a phenotype label
The white group is recorded as a captive-bred trade phenotype of C. multidentata, not as a different species. The line will stay documented by source until its inheritance is better understood.
Planorbid snail
Ramshorn snail
Planorbella duryiWorking species ID for the common ornamental aquarium form
A disk-shelled, air-breathing freshwater snail valued as a grazer and detritus processor. Captive lines occur in several body and shell colours, but the colour of the current house stock has not yet been logged.
In our room
Recorded at common-name group level in T-001 through T-006 and T-011. T-007 has probable snails, but the group is not confirmed; T-008 through T-010 have none.
Room placement
- T-001–T-006 · T-011Presence only · species and colour unconfirmed
- Adult size
- Usually 1.5–2.5 cm (⅝–1 in) across
- Respiration
- Air-breathing pulmonate
- Reproduction
- Hermaphroditic; gelatinous egg masses
- Primary foods
- Film algae, biofilm, detritus, soft decaying tissue
Operating target
Stable on purpose.
These are the working targets for our systems—not the outer survival limits claimed for the species.
- Temperature
- 21–25 °C (70–77 °F)
- pH
- 7.2–8.2
- GH
- 8–15 dGH
- KH
- 4–10 dKH
- TDS
- 180–300 ppm
- Nitrogen
- NH₃/NH₄⁺ 0 · NO₂⁻ 0 · keep NO₃⁻ controlled
Useful, not magical
They recycle leftovers and graze surfaces, but they do not remove nutrients from the system. Waste still ends up in the water and substrate until it is exported through maintenance and plant growth.
Population is a food signal
A sudden population increase usually means more edible material is available. Reduce excess feeding before treating the snails themselves as the problem.
Shell condition
Persistent pitting or whitening points to mineral, hardness, pH, or diet problems. Hardness and calcium availability matter more than a TDS number by itself.
Physid snail
Bladder snail
Physella acutaLikely ID for the common aquarium bladder snail; also listed as Physa acuta
A small, quick-moving air-breathing snail with a thin, usually mottled shell. The likely species is widespread in aquariums, but exact identification should be checked from clear views of the shell and living animal.
In our room
Recorded at common-name group level in T-001 through T-006 and T-011. T-007 has probable snails, but the group is not confirmed; T-008 through T-010 have none.
Room placement
- T-001–T-006 · T-011Presence only · species identity unconfirmed
- Adult size
- Usually 6–12 mm (¼–½ in); sometimes larger
- Shell clue
- Thin, pointed, left-coiling shell
- Reproduction
- Hermaphroditic; capable of self-fertilization
- Primary foods
- Diatoms, soft algae, biofilm, detritus
Operating target
Stable on purpose.
These are the working targets for our systems—not the outer survival limits claimed for the species.
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- pH
- 7.0–8.2
- GH
- 6–15 dGH
- KH
- 3–10 dKH
- TDS
- 150–300 ppm
- Nitrogen
- NH₃/NH₄⁺ 0 · NO₂⁻ 0 · keep NO₃⁻ controlled
Identification clue
With the shell upright and its opening facing you, a physid opening is on the left. Long, threadlike tentacles and rapid movement help separate bladder snails from pond snails.
Reproduction
One introduced animal can establish a population. That makes them useful and resilient, but it also makes plant transfer and responsible containment important.
Plant impact
They mainly graze surface growth and weakened tissue. Visible damage to healthy plants should trigger a closer look at plant health, food scarcity, and whether the snail identification is actually correct.
Minute planorbid snail
Dwarf ramshorn snail
Gyraulus sp.Possible G. parvus; species not confirmed from the house stock
A genuinely tiny, flat-coiled planorbid—not simply a juvenile of the larger ornamental ramshorn. Species-level identification is difficult from the common name alone, so the catalogue stays at genus level for now.
In our room
The sideways-shell dwarf ramshorn group is recorded in T-001 through T-006 and T-011. T-007 has probable snails, but the group is not confirmed; T-008 through T-010 have none.
Room placement
- T-001–T-006 · T-011Presence only · exact species unresolved
- Adult size
- Often about 2.5–5 mm (⅛–3/16 in) across
- Shell form
- Thin, flat coil with several tight whorls
- Reproduction
- Freshwater egg layer
- Primary foods
- Diatoms, periphyton, biofilm, fine detritus
Operating target
Stable on purpose.
These are the working targets for our systems—not the outer survival limits claimed for the species.
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- pH
- 7.0–8.2
- GH
- 6–15 dGH
- KH
- 3–10 dKH
- TDS
- 150–300 ppm
- Nitrogen
- NH₃/NH₄⁺ 0 · NO₂⁻ 0 · keep NO₃⁻ controlled
Why the name stays broad
Several minute planorbids look alike in an aquarium. A seller label or apparent size is not enough evidence to promote Gyraulus sp. to a confirmed species name.
Ecological role
Their small size lets them work over leaves, fine plants, and crevices that larger snails miss. They are micrograzers and detritus processors, not a substitute for waste export.
Containment
Tiny snails and egg masses transfer easily on plants, tools, and wet containers. Keep aquarium water and livestock out of local waterways and inspect material before moving it between systems.
Observation project
Freshwater predatory leech
Barbronia cf. weberiProvisional comparison only; species confirmation pending
A freshwater leech observation tank established with two founders is maintained as a curiosity and documentation project—not as a feeder or live-food culture. The ‘cf.’ preserves Barbronia weberi as a comparison without turning a plausible identification into a confirmed species claim.
In our room
The dedicated 5-gallon freshwater observation tank is now T-011. Fred and Fiona were the two founders recorded on August 30; current presence is confirmed but the present census is unknown.
Individuals in the project
- FredFounder isolated from T-002
- FionaFounder isolated from T-002
- Population record
- 2 founders on Aug. 30; current census unknown
- Project start
- 30 August 2026
- Origin
- Hitchhikers isolated from T-002
- Current question
- Identity and natural diet unresolved
Operating target
Stable on purpose.
These are the working targets for our systems—not the outer survival limits claimed for the species.
- System
- Dedicated 5 US gal (18.9 L) freshwater observation tank
- Status
- Active observation project
- Identification
- Barbronia cf. weberi · provisional
- Feeding evidence
- No prey confirmed yet
Identification boundary
The house photograph documents the living animal, but it is not a taxonomic determination. The working comparison remains provisional and will not be silently promoted to a confirmed species.
First feeding trial
Two tiny bladder snails remained alive at the last observation. That records an unsuccessful or incomplete trial—not proof that snails are never prey.
Containment
The animals remain in a dedicated observation tank while identity, feeding ecology, reproduction, and transfer risks are investigated. Nothing from the system is released outdoors.
How to read this catalogue
Precise where we know. Honest where we don't.
Working ranges are not tolerance claims
A species may survive outside the range shown here. That does not make the edge of survival a good operating target. Stability, oxygen, acclimation history, and mineral composition all matter.
Common names are not identification
Aquarium snail names are especially loose. Until shell orientation, scale, aperture, and the living animal support a species-level ID, the catalogue stays at the most defensible rank.
Medication and containment
Copper-bearing medication can be dangerous to invertebrates. Plants, snails, eggs, and aquarium water are never released outdoors; local ecosystems are not an extension of the fish room.
Sources and photo credits
Selected references
Reference photographs
Images were resized, compressed, and may be centre-cropped by the layout. Each remains under its linked licence.
- Red Cherry Shrimp 1 — TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blue Shrimp — Atulbhats, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Super Yellow Cherry Shrimp — Nayar Ihale Malog, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pregnant C. multidentata — Jolielover, CC BY 4.0
- C. multidentata close-up — Richard Bartz, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Amano Shrimp — Atulbhats, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Planorbelladuryi — RealGatba, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Planorbella duryi 05 — Dat doris, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Planorbella egg mass — 5snake5, CC0
- Blasenschnecke 01 — Dat doris, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physella on an aquarium plant — Barbalalaika, CC0
- Physa acuta side view — Juliette Tariel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gyraulus parvus 0780 — Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0
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