Guppies vanishing

[miskairal]

Good morning. I set up a small 40 litre planted tank 6 weeks ago, 2 weeks later I added 3 baby guppies from my pond. I also accidentally introduced some small snails from my pond.
Those guppies grew quickly and some transfers have taken place as I only wanted female guppies in my tank.
10 days ago I introduced 10 red cherry shrimp which have also thrived, moulted and grown, 1 died.
over the last few days, each morning I had 1 less guppy until only 1 remained. Yesterday I took 3 more young from the pond to the tank. This morning only 1 guppy remains.
These guppies were NOT sick. There are no remains to be found in the tank. I have kept guppies on and off for 40 years, I know a sick guppy. I have checked back on video I took the day before 1 guppy vanished and she was swimming, no bloat, eating etc. Last night my husband shone a torch in at 1am and saw them all. This morning at 6am 3 are gone.
The shrimp and snails are eating snowflakes, peas, broccoli, beans and fish flakes, all in small quantities. No ammonia or nitrates and zero nitrates thanks to all the plants.

Any ideas? I even covered the tank last night in case ghekkos were getting them.

 

[Colin_T]

The shrimp are eating them. The fish might be dying first or might just be getting eaten. If the fish are babies then the shrimp are probably hunting them down, or something else like a dragonfly larvae got into the tank and is eating them.

 

[Naughts]

Did you check the tank thoroughly for nymphs? Dragonfly or damselfly nymphs predate on fry and small fish. They hide well so you may have to dismantle the whole tank to find them.

 

[miskairal]

The shrimp are eating them. The fish might be dying first or might just be getting eaten. If the fish are babies then the shrimp are probably hunting them down, or something else like a dragonfly larvae got into the tank and is eating them.

Thankyou. I am suspecting the shrimp but had read everywhere they are safe with guppies. It's the first time I've owned shrimp.

 

[emeraldking]

Thankyou. I am suspecting the shrimp but had read everywhere they are safe with guppies. It's the first time I've owned shrimp.

I've got guppies combined with shrimps in a number of tanks. They're totally not interested in eachother. But when a guppy dies, those shrimps won't hesitate to consume it. They're cleaners...

 

[MaloK]

In large quantities shrimps makes short orders of any corpse.

But, Never seeing or finding any proof of anything, is a bit much.

 

[miskairal]

Exactly. Within hours a guppy does not suddenly get sick, die and get eaten with nothing is left. I was so annoyed yesterday I thought I'll beat you, whatever you are, and added 10 larger female guppies from my pond, total 11. I still have 11 this morning. I dropped a blanched pea in and sat and studied the interaction and the shrimp flicked themselves away from the guppies, seeming wary of them.