Ghost Shrimp Disappearing

[The-Raven]

Are my fish eating them? My fish are all relatively small still, and I think only the Killies have big enough mouths to tackle them... But I've never seen any of my fish 'pick on' the shrimp.

In any case, every day I make my count and there always seems to be one less than the previous day - and I can't find any carcasses anywhere.

My loach and corys are still relatively small...

 

[beblondie]

Ghost shrimp are a natural food for many fish so I'm going with the idea they are blue plate specials-Anne

 

[The-Raven]

Ghost shrimp are a natural food for many fish so I'm going with the idea they are blue plate specials-Anne

That's what I was thinking (otherwise I wouldn't've made this thread)... but of who?

My loach and corys are far too small to tackle anything the size of a ghost shrimp (in my opinion anyway... each shrimp is about half the size of my loach, and maybe 3/4 the size of my corys). The only thing I think is large enough to take on a ghost shrimp are my killies, but like I said, I've never even seen the fish interact with the shrimp...

 

[FrAnK3333]

Im not for sure but loaches can eat shrimp. Not the bigger kind, but ghost shrimpp grow to an inch maybe 1 and a half. Clown loaches could tackle something like that, Ive seen them do it with snails, but then again they love snails.But shrimp like to hide too....

 

[Y2J]

U need a video recorder or use webcam if ur pc is close enough to the tank and record a hr or so and see if u spot the attackers - open a x-file on it if u must B)

 

[The-Raven]

Im not for sure but loaches can eat shrimp. Not the bigger kind, but ghost shrimpp grow to an inch maybe 1 and a half. Clown loaches could tackle something like that, Ive seen them do it with snails, but then again they love snails.But shrimp like to hide too....

my loach can't even take a shrimp pellet without breaking it up into fine particles... so unless it's hiding it's super fish might from me during the day...

 

[FrAnK3333]

Many fish do that, my convict has to do that, and yet it can kill a lot of fish easly.

 

[Y2J]

I ve just seen a picture of a ghost shrimp *shudders* i wouldnt want any of them, reminds me of spiders - and we certainly dont get on.

And also if i was a fish i wouldnt wanna be taking a bite out of that, although for them i'm sure its tasty

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I got a bad batch of shrimp the one time, over half died but I never found much of the bodies due to cories, guppies and the other shrimp...

 

[Y2J]

They ve grown on me now ) can u have them if u have gravel? I was just reading about them and it said they dig burrows into the sand..so if u can have them in gravel do they just live on the gravel? - or would i need sand

 

[The-Raven]

They ve grown on me now ) can u have them if u have gravel? I was just reading about them and it said they dig burrows into the sand..so if u can have them in gravel do they just live on the gravel? - or would i need sand

I have mine on gravel. I pretty much view them as cleaners (and apparently now after this thread, special food when my fish feel like it). So I'm not too worried about their comfort... especially since they only cost 26 cents a piece

 

[BigC]

The Killis will have eaten the shrimp, its a natural instinct to them. They are Golden Panchax (Aplocheilus lineatus-Gold) if I remember from your fish pics. They generally feed from the surface but if they see those shrimp scuttling around the open space on the gravel they will surely devour them with relish. Either that or they have escaped some shrimps have been known to climb out of the tank..

 

[Y2J]

"The ghost shrimp is also surprising long lived. A 10 cm individual excluding appendages may be 10 years old and many reach an age of 15 or 16 years old."

Wonder if yours will live that long

Apprently you are supposed to have plants for them to hide in.. if warmer water they are more active to and may even fight off fish who are attacking

If i get some, will try to get them to mate.. if they do and some get eaten now and then hopefully there would always be some in the tank so i wouldnt have to buy any replacements

 

[FrAnK3333]

Chost shrimp on get to an inch or about 3 cm....

 

[The-Raven]

The Killis will have eaten the shrimp, its a natural instinct to them. They are Golden Panchax (Aplocheilus lineatus-Gold) if I remember from your fish pics. They generally feed from the surface but if they see those shrimp scuttling around the open space on the gravel they will surely devour them with relish. Either that or they have escaped some shrimps have been known to climb out of the tank..

The top is covered so they can't escape....

It is the killies that have been eating them however. How do I know? I just returned from class to find that one of my juvenile killies was dead on the bottom... at first I just shrugged it off since I'm currently cycling my tank with them... but then once I got it in the ziploc bag (to return it... woohoo for walmart's lenient return policy) I noticed that it's mouth was still wide open... why? There was a shrimp, obviously too big for this little killie, lodged in there.

I guess that's what we call natural selection... or 'biting off more than you can chew'