Kris Weinhold - Guitarfish.org

Kris Weinhold (left) chats with fellow
shrimpkeeper and planted tank hobbyist Jack Ho.

I had to opportunity to meet Kris Weinhold this past Saturday when he gave a talk on planted aquariums. Kris is the author of the blog GuitarFish.org, and was invited by the Madison Area Aquatic Hobbyists club (MAAH) to share his expertise. It was an excellent talk and I am glad I made it.

I actually discovered Kris' blog when Sulawesi shrimp first hit the hobby and I was looking for information on them. Kris was one of the first in the US to acquire them; however, like many in the beginning, he faced some difficulty in maintaining his colonies.

We chatted briefly about the shrimp hobby, nano fish, and aspects of the planted aquariums. Kris urges planted tank hobbyists to enter competitions - such as the AGA an IAPLC - and noted that these are great opportunities to receive comments, advice, and suggestions on improving one's own aquascaping approach, as he experienced firsthand; IAPLC's entry period closes in 34 days, get your submissions in!

Some new shots of a few shrimp:

Super Tiger Shrimp Habitat

The Crustahunter team shows us the Super Tiger Shrimp's (Caridina cantonensis) natural habitat! From what I've gathered online, they are found in swampy areas and not in creeks such as where the Bee Shrimp can be found. Also mentioned in the video are other new shrimp, with one called the "Blue Fu Shrimp" (a bit more info provided by a comment on this post). Stay tuned for more exciting news regarding these new shrimp, plus other new species recently shown! Check out the video below:

Feeding Time!

A good friend and fellow shrimpkeeper gave me some new food to try: barley straw pellets and Ebita Breed Quatro 2. My shrimp love both of them and swarm over it immediately. One thing about the barley pellets though, is that it breaks up quickly and into lots of small pieces; using a feeding dish is a good idea if you are concerned about waste in your tank. Feeding time is usually when I take photos as the shrimp come out of all the nooks and crannies. I still haven't had the chance to get a macro lens yet, so pictures aren't as crisp and clean as I'd like, and as other shrimpkeepers' photos out there. :(

The water flow can't stop the shrimp from eating, watch them pile up!
(Video from masaki5125@YouTube).

Check out this video of a beautiful nano tank, plants, and shrimp - very peaceful!