Amano Shrimps - Where Did They Go?

[michaelwgroves]

Hi, last weekend I purchase 10 Amano Shrimps for my 900 litre planted aquarium, and I have not seen them since!

All my other fish are still happy, my Ammonia and Nitrite are 0 and my Nitrate is 0.5
I thought maybe they had been sucked up into my filter, but I have just done my weekly clean up and no bodies in there.
Maybe they have been eaten, but they were about 1" long and the only fish that might have had a go is my 3" Gourami or my 1.5" (Body Size) Angels. But I don't think they would......

I think I have created a nice setting for my fish including caves and wood to hide, although none of my fish use them (ungrateful sods, that took my ages to build that cave!) So I'm hoping that are hiding, are they nocturnal?

If they are still around, they have not made any impression on my hair algae!

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks
Michael

 

[littlelegs]

Apparently Barbs could eat them?? So I have been told.

 

[Mr Miagi]

What ive read about Planted Aquariums, and Amano Shrimp, your gonna have alot of difficulty finding them in a 900L planted tank! So they might not be gone, just difficult to view.

 

[raptorrex]

lol they may well have developed two legs and a high function brain by the time you find them in there!!!. it may be worth looking out for shrimp casts, that will be your first indication that they are sill there.

 

[michaelwgroves]

Bit worry that my Cherry Barbs might have eaten them, although i would not have thought so as they don't appear to be aggressive to my other fisk and I have several moly babies they have not eaten, although I did buy my Angels to eat the platy babies as they were real ugly, don't want ant ugly fish in my tank!

I know there's a lot of room in there but I would have thought I would have caught a glimpse by now, how often do they shed thier casts?

I thought if they were only coming out at night, at least my hair algae would have gone?

Thanks
Michael

 

[Waterloo Kid]

I can't find mine in a 400 litre tank so good luck! I thought I'd lost them and didn't see them for nearly a year but all of a sudden I started seeing casts. They are still in there somewhere! Try looking at your tank about 3 hours afetr lights off. Turn on the lights in the room where the tank is and look carefully. you might see one walking across the substrate or on a plant leaf. If you're lucky that is! They do tend to be more active at night.

WK

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah they're pretty reclusive especially if they're in with some bigger fish. Ian has some with his angels and gourami's and never sees them, in my small fish community they're out all the time. They hide lots if they feel at all threatened.

 

[michaelwgroves]

okay, so there a bit sheepish! I'll keep an eye out late at night, but what about my hair algae, do you think I have enough shrimps, or should I buy some more or, or did I get it wrong, maybe they don't like hair algae?

If I did get some more, can anyone recommend another species?

Thanks
Michael

 

[jimbooo]

the only time i see my 15 or so living in my 180 litre is when the algae wafers go in. then all the shrimp scamper to the front glass, grab a wafer and scurry away with it into a crevice before the fish can get them. quite fully to watch actually. try putting some algae wafers in the front of the tank and sit and watch for 10 mins or so. best done just before lights out, not sure why as i dont think they are nocturnal.

 

[julia298]

although I did buy my Angels to eat the platy babies as they were real ugly, don't want ant ugly fish in my tank!

Platty babies ugly?! They are sooo cute. Give them away and buy some fish food for your angels you cheapskate. I can see why you might not want to be overrun by platties but seriously... ugly?

 

[Fillet 'O' Fish]

I had the same issue...put 12 Amano in my 450 litre tank and have only seen one in the last 4 months !!
Im not sure where they went, but have heard that my Clown loach and angels are a bit partial to shrimp for a snack

 

[michaelwgroves]

although I did buy my Angels to eat the platy babies as they were real ugly, don't want ant ugly fish in my tank!

Platty babies ugly?! They are sooo cute. Give them away and buy some fish food for your angels you cheapskate. I can see why you might not want to be overrun by platties but seriously... ugly?

Under normal circumstances I would agree, I do like platties. I offered a home to my nephews platties as he was giving up his aqurium. However, when I saw his tank I was surprised how anything could live in such muck!
They are orangy, yellow, with black sploges all over. The young looked just like thier parents! I was gonna get angels anyway, the babies just made me buy them sooner rather than later.


Bit worrying Angels and Clown Loaches have a liking for Shrimps, I did see one of my Angels have a right good look at one of the shrimps when I put them in, but he did not have a go, and they had not been feed for several hours. To eat the shrimps they would have to eat a bit at a time as the shrimps are (were!) nearly as big.

Well, I'm just gonna keep hopeing and keep a look out after dark

 

[anodized]

the shrimp are jumpers as well. when i had a lot of plant growth i found some 6 or more feet from the tank

 

[dave_m13]

When I moved my 6 Amano shrimp into the large tank I was not sure how they would be, people on here have them with Clown loach. The shrimp are all pretty big though, had them for over a year. At first I could only see a couple on wood, so decided that I would get 3 more, found large ones at LFS but again could only find a couple.

Then couple of weeks ago when doing large water change and sort of tank change, looked underneath a piece of bogwood and there they were, all 9. So I think they just hide at different points of day, after water change though I think that they have acquired this piece of wood as there own as I know this is where my clown pleco used to be but not anymore.

 

[PaPeRo]

Yeah Amanos are very good at hiding and camoflaging with green plants. If your cherry barb is small then there's no way it could eat your Amanos since they have very small mouths. The only time the Amanos are vulneratble is during molting but they usually hide and do that at night.