Amano shrimp disappearing act.

[Kharris453]

Hello! So I've got a 5gal lightly planted aquarium with some oto's ,Danios, a betta, and 2 amano shrimp. The amano shrimp were added in yesterday they seemed to be doing fine all night. They were eating algae like nobody's business. This morning I look around for them and am unable to find them. There is one cord leading from inside to outside the tank. I checked all around my room with a flashlight and inside the tank the best I could. They're gone! I did find a shrimp on the ground behind the tank, but I think it might have been a ghost shrimp that had mysteriously disappeared a month or so ago because he was dried up, but I'm not sure because it has a few dots going down the body. So I guess my question is. If they did escape, how long do they have and how far can they go? Also, is the one I found a ghost or amano? Lastly, how can I keep them from escaping again? The only cord leading out is my heater, and I can't get rid of that. Thanks a bunch

 

[Colin_T]

that's a recently dead shrimp unless you washed it. It looks like an amano shrimp

Shrimp can live out of water for a few minutes to few hours depending on how hot it is and how humid it is. Generally by the time you realise they are missing, they are already dead.

Drop the water level down a bit so it is a good inch below the covers. Then use a piece of sponge and cut it to fit the gap in the cover glass around the heater cord.

 

[Demeter32]

I had the daylights scared out of me once by an recently escaped amano. Saw something crawling across the floor a few feet from the tank and thought it was the world's creepiest bug. You need to have all the holes covered or the shrimp can escape. Both my amano shrimp in one 10gal managed to escape but the 2 in a separate 10gal are cool as cucumbers. They seem to love their planted 10gal and the female has been berried at least 3 times already.

You've got an interesting stocking, IMO no species of danio should be in a 5gal as most are schooling and need plenty of space to swim about with friends. Plus most danios prefer cooler temps than bettas and most bettas prefer either no tank mates or tank mates that are less active than the average danio.

 

[Colin_T]

I used to keep gilgies (freshwater crayfish) and they are notorious for climbing out and going walkabout. I use to find them behind the fridge, in bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry. You name it they get out and wander.

I had mysis shrimp too once. I had tight fighting covers and dropped the water level down. Each night the stupid things jumped out of the water and got stuck to the underside of the cover glass. Over the course of a week I lost about 100 of them.

Had an octopus do it once too. Mum saw this thing crawling across the floor and screamed, I came out and it was 8 legged occy going for a walk across the lounge room floor.