Are Amano Shrimps Eating Plants?

[don_kihotis]

Hi people, i was really surprised to see my shrimps making holes on this plant. I think it's an Alternanthera.
I know that they are cleaning the algae from plants not eating them as well.
Any one had a similar experience?

 

[DrRob]

They will eat softer bits, and may destroy weak plant tissue whilst getting algae off it. Overall they tend to be beneficial, as removing the algae lets more light get to the plants.
 
Do you feed them specifically?

 

[don_kihotis]

Hi Dr. I have 9 of them in a 132L (35G) tank.
My plants are really minimal now as i have recently started this project. I am not feeding them something in particular they just feed on the algae which is plenty and they also "steal" some flakes from the fish.
I am planning to get more on Saturday and then i will start feeding them a special food for crustaceans in pellet form. 

 

[DrRob]

Then they're unlikely to cause much trouble in those numbers.

 

[don_kihotis]

Thanks Dr.
Will it be a problem to feed them with pellets since the fish are also going to compete for them?

 

[Zikofski]

I notice amano will eat dead or dying plant leafs as they tend to get more algae as I have noticed so maybe just snip that leaf away as I have Around 15 amanos in a 23gal heavily planted and they do wonders at keeping algae at bay my tank is high tech and I do cut away one or two leafs from every plant weekly

 

[Zikofski]

i have also just bought some Alternanthera and i have witnessed amano shrimp eating this plant not sure why, why this plant no other plant gets eaten.

 

[don_kihotis]

i have also just bought some Alternanthera and i have witnessed amano shrimp eating this plant not sure why, why this plant no other plant gets eaten.

 
Hi Zikofski. Interesting to know. My Alter went to the garbage. The shrimps destroyed it totally. The whole tank was having floating pieces of it so i took it out. But it's not the only plant that is not doing well due to the shrimps. I have placed 2 Hemianthus on a driftwood tying them with fishing line but the shrimps are tearing them apart while cleaning. 

 

[Zikofski]

i have had 2 tanks and this is the 4th attempt at growing Alternanthera and still no luck, all the time they drop there leafs and then go soft and wither away, but this time its not done that yet, but the shrimp has eaten it I'm hoping over the next few weeks it will sprout some new leafs but we shall see. i still don't understand why this plant yea its red not green but why the shrimp pick on this plant

 

[don_kihotis]

Last week i bought a Cryptocoryne and today i found some leaves having holes. I think Dr Rob got it right. Maybe the leaves are becoming softer (probably from the lack of nutrients) and the shrimps are eating them.

 

[Zikofski]

no no, those crypts if u just bought them, then they will be melting, as soon as u move a crypt or change its environment like ferts co2 or even light they melt, some strange reason they don't like change, just melt away, BUT they do regrow, just eave them in and they should regrow. if not then something is seriously wrong in the tank as crypts will grow in almost anything from my experience i just re scaped my tank and my crypts are melting i have started seeing new growth so as soon as it that grows a little more, il remove the melting leafs

 

[don_kihotis]

Thanks for the tip mate. Very interesting to know. I was worried a bit but what you said makes me relaxed.
I will take some more photos tomorrow and update my Journal Thread.