Another Amano Shrimp Question

[PrairieSunflower]

I recently bought my first ever amano shrimp.... a week ago maybe?
 
So.... one is out and about... and I maybe see a second (a few times).... but I bought 5 and I never see the others!  Are they still there?  I've seen no evidence that any of them died.  Could it be 5 isn't enough and they are too afraid to come out?  Should I go and get some more?  (My maidenhead aquatics is happy to buy assassin snails from me at 1/4 their selling price.... and I could easily bring in enough to buy several more amano shrimp).
 
OR... am I just being impatient and they are still there somewhere.
 
The one that I do see is always in the most heavily planted area or on the back of the tank.  I've only ever spotted 2 and only in that area... one seems to venture a bit more center of that area in view...

 

[DrRob]

Shrimp are masters of hiding. You'll see them more when they find their grazing spots and learn the cover, but I doubt you'll see all 5 at the same time all that often.

It's part of the joy of shrimp.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Ok.... I shall be more patient... I feel more like I bought 1 shrimp than 5!  LOL

 

[DrRob]

I know what you mean. I have several shrimp. I would tell you how many, but I have no idea.
 
Good grazing points are worthwhile. A night prominent bit of hardscape, in the light where it'll grow a bit of algae, not too buffeted. Seems to attract their attention.

 

[Sophie]

What fish are they in with? I noticed a big difference in character when mixing them with different fish. Some they know can eat them, hence they hide, other times they're super confident because there is nothing to be afraid of!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I have a lot of algae at the moment and I never ever scrub the back of the tank.  I had a problem with my light being too bright and a lot of algae grew.  I fixed that by making a crazy shade (placing a cut up blue transparent bath mat over my condensation guard!  LOL) and it stopped growing but what was there didn't go away.   So... they have a lot of work to do. If I need more algae I can always take the bath mat off for awhile!  ROFL

I have 4 female guppies, 4 female platies and 4 (soon to be 4, NTD) neon tetras.

 

[fm1978]

Hehe, heard this same thing with shrimp quite a lot recently...
 
It's not unusual (insert Tom Jones joke here) for shrimp to be reclusive to begin with at all. Mine were exactly the same and I thought, to begin with, what's the point if they hide all the time! In time, though, after a couple of weeks, you might be able to see many more of them, if not all, when they get more comfortable with their surroundings and new home.
 
I have 7 of the little critters and while 1 or 2 still hide quite a lot, the other chew away at all the funk on my mopani wood out in the open. As they grow, and you'll know they are from their ghostly skeletons, they will increase in confidence and start to boss your other fish around. 1 of mine ejected 3 fish from their hiding place itself!
 
On a personal note, I love every single one of my amanos!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I saw 4 yesterday while standing on my head!!!  LOL  Yeah... and nearly literally standing on my head.  I must have been in a weird mood, I bent all the way over and looked at my tank upside down and managed to spot 4 of the 5 amanos munching away.
 
 
I feel better now.