Spontaneous Generation Shrimp?

[DWC]

A shrimp pictured below appeared in my 10 gallon planted tank (Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias nana) currently housing a school of zebra danios. No plants, decor or fish have been added to this tank in over a year. I thought maybe Tetra pellets as they list shrimp eggs as ingredient but Tetra customer support says high heat used in production so any eggs would no longer be viable. Any ideas where Sherman came from? How long can eggs be dormant? The plants in this tank were harvested from a Betta tank whose growth was becoming too lush so they haven't so they would have to carry any stowaways for nearly 2 years or more. I realize Aristotle's idea of Spontaneous Generation went out with Leuwenhook and others in the 1600's.

Thanks for your experience. Sherman is my first, though inadvertent, shrimp and he is quite charming, getting along well with danios.
David
Sorry, I guess photo too big to upload. Sherman is maybe 3cm long and is brownish red without markings. Seems partial to harvesting algae off piece of driftwood though spends a lot of time within Java Moss "forest". Not 'scared' of danios who ignore him both when he is crawling and swimming.

David

 

[Chad]

I'm really curious to see this creature. Can you resize the photo and upload it please? 

 

[Baccus]

To upload pictures you need to join an online photo sharing site like photobucket or Flicker, these sites automatically resize pictures and make them the right size for the forum.
 
Shrimp don't tend to "lay" their eggs like fish would, female shrimp carry the eggs and tend to them for the entire gestation time. I think perhaps Sherman came as a shrimplet hitch hiker from the betta tank, provided the betta tank used to house shrimp that can and do breed in fresh water. I think the only reason that you are now seeing the shrimp is that it is now big enough to feel secure in its environment and not be eaten by its tank mates.
Plenty of times I have removed plants from my various tanks and accidentially taken not only shrimplets but also full grown shrimp for a ride as plant hitch hikers.

 

[DWC]

Sherman. Hope his photo uploads, just using my ancient iPhone 4. Concerning transfer of baby shrimp, I have NEVER knowingly had shrimp and I purchased the plants over 2 years ago. They came mail order wrapped in damp paper. They were first in a Betta tank and then the thinnings went into the danio tank where Sherman appeared. Puzzling.

David

 

[Chad]

That's a cherry shrimp. They are one of the Neocaridina shrimp. They are sort of the shrimp version of livebearers in that their young hatch looking just like the adult with no external larval stage. They are very very tiny when they hatch. 

 

[DWC]

Thanks for helping identify Sherman. Maybe I will try to purchase some at my lfs to keep him/her company and maybe breed. What is normal life span? Can they be kept with a Betta safely or would my male Bettas consider them food? Now each male Betta only has snails as tankmates.

Thanks again.
David

 

[Chad]

The betta will certainly eat the fry. However, if you provide a place for them to hide many of them will survive. I have kept adults with betta and the fish left them alone but smaller shrimp are on the menu. 

 

[JakeMalone]

Um, Tcamos, male fighters hate anything colourful, especially red. Maybe try mosquito rasboras. they only grow only 1.5 cm, so it's unlikely that they'll eat them. They're red so they will work well with the red cherries. Happy fish-keeping!

 

[Chad]

I'm not sure what the Um is for Jake. Betta don't hate anything colorful. They don't do well with define conspecifics or fish with similar morphology but but in my experience color isn't much of a trigger for them.