the petstore labeled them as "Bamboo shrimp" when I saw them they were about 2 1/2-4" long and brown. I wanted to get some, but wanted to make sure that they were compatable with goldies and snails. are they? and if so how do you take care of the little kritters? do they have any special needs? thanks

Bamboo shrimp (AKA wood shrimp) (AKA Singapore shrimp) Make excellent tankmates for goldfish that aren't too aggressive and aren't too large. They hail from clean streams where water is always flowing. In knowing this, they need for their water to be kept impeccably clean (low nitrates) and an abundance of aeration provided by lots of filtration. Their natural range's pH is between 7 and 7.5 (up to 8.0 is ok). Medium to hard water is good also. The temperature of the water can be anywhere from the mid 70's on up to 82 degrees. Being that goldfish thrive in just these conditions, not too much tweaking of the parameters is really needed to prepare for them. Although, it really is best to keep them in a well planted aquarium. that way, they not only get plenty of algae to eat off of the plants, the plants also provide plenty of hiding places for them when they feel threatened, just like plecos.

They are filter feeders. They have two pairs of fanlike claws that filter micro-organisms like algae from the water. If i'm not mistaken, they do a good job of cleaning algae off of things as well. To feed them, you just need to have a nice healthy aquarium with fish making a mess of their food. As I stated earlier, plenty of plants will ensure that they get plenty of algae and micro-organisms to eat. You can also try your hand at feeding them fry foods a couple times a week. To do so, just turn your filter off for about 30 minutes (its safe to do so for no longer than 30 minutes) and drop some into a cup of tankwater to suspend it and pour it into the tank. Or you can try the straw technique and "hand" feed it to them through the straw. Once your done feeding them, turn the filter back on. Don't leave the filter off for more than 30 minutes in any one day though, you don't want to cause the bio-filter to stumble.

I believe you can expect them to live somewhere between 3 and 5 years maximum. I haven't really ever found any pages that can agree.

Hope this helps!

thanx Toothless, you answered pretty much all of my questions!