Disapearing Algae Shrimp + Barb In Filter!

[AngelPen]

Me and my boyfriend have a relitively new tank, we've had it around 3 months now, it's our first tank together, but I kept tropical fish as a child. We have a 4 foot Juwel Record tank, and have not had any problems so far!

However the other day I noticed one of our 5 lined barbs was missing! We had 6. After counting several times we presumed it dead and decided to search the filter for it, we found it inside the filter swimming around! We fished it out, and he seems fine, although one side of his head looks a bit squashed! I wondered just how he managed to get in there? There are small vent holes but he's a lot bigger than those! I don't want it happening again, so wondered if anyone could enlighten me?

Also we bought 6 Algae shrimp, after being advised that a bigger shrimp would possibly eat our neons or guppies. We have had them about a month, and at first they inhabited an island toy we have in there, then they seemed to prefer our pirate ship which has a hole in the side so they could hide in there. We assumed they just wernt very sociable, except the one which wanders around the tank now. But after our search for the missing barb it seems the shrimp are not in the ship after all, and are no where to be seen! Does anyone know or could tell me what could have happened to them?

There are no "Big" fish in our tank, we have 4 angel fish, but they are still quite small, only about 3 or 4 inches. Other than that we have quite small fish, so I dont think the shrimp would have been eaten?

Any suggestions would be much appreiciated as this is very puzzling! Thanks,
Penny

 

[Tetras]

I would search the filter again. I have cherry shrimp, fullgrown, looked to big to me so I didn't bother covering the intake, found one in the filter alive and well. I have equipped my intake with fishnet now, a lot of people use a sponge from lfs to cover the intake. If you don't see your shrimp, they could have gone into a molt, mine did and I didn't see them for quite a while after this.

Welcome to the Forum!!!

 

[AngelPen]

When we got the shrimp the lady in the shop said we may not see them very much, but there isn't anywhere they could hide in our tank, now they are not in the ship! So it's quite strange!

Is the intake on the filter the vent things on the sides? Can you buy the stuff to cover it from the pet/fish shop? Also the tube on the filter which seems to pump water out (the fish like to swim in the current from it!) could the fish possibly get up that?

Penny.

 

[Tetras]

Maybe if you can write what filter type it is it could help, mine is pretty basic aquaclear 20, so it's easy to see on mine where the water is suctioned in.

Yes you should be able to get the sponge at the lfs, there are a few posts regarding this somewhere, I think it is some type of a filter sponge.

Anyways I am sure there are some more people who can contribute to this as the part with your fish being in your filter is quite odd.

 

[Arfie]

Shrimp are quite insecure, so perversley if you do not give them plenty of spaces to hide in, they will try and hide as much as possible, whereas if there are plenty of hiding places, they feel brave enough to come into the open. They can also hide pretty much anywhere including upside down under plant leaves etc.

Sadly they are also renowned escape artists and if they can get out of the tank, they often will.

Is your Juwel filter open at the top? if so, your fish probably jumped into it, I had zebra danios that used to do that in my smaller Juwel tank.

Arfie

 

[AngelPen]

Yeah we were told that shrimp like to hide, which is qhy we assumed they were in the ship when they disapeered! Our tank has a lid on though, so I don't think they could have made it out of the tank! Hopefully they will turn up again! We are going to have another search of the filter. I don't want to find them somewhere in the room!

The filter has a lid on it as well, so the fish getting in there is very puzzling! I guess we might never work it out! I wondered if he'd somehow snuck in there when we were changing the filter sponges.

Thank you for your help!
Penny