Shrimp missing after adding them?

[VioletThePurple]

I had bought five shrimp just a day ago. Later last night I only counted two. Today I can't see any. I siphoned the gravel, nothing. Then I picked up some decorations and found one dead body. I think they might've all died but I can't find more bodies and I don't want to cause an ammonia spike by not being able to find and remove them. I wanted to see if the shrimp would be compatible with my other fish (mollies and platies). Is it possible my fish ate them? My tank is established, unfortunately I can't tell you parameters because I don't have a test kit. I don't know why else they would've died, maybe just an unlucky purchase?

 

[BrianK]

mollies and platys could definitely have eaten them. Shrimp are also pretty good at hiding though also.

 

[RipJaws7]

They might have been eaten if they’re small enough and your mollies are grown, or maybe some of them weren’t acclimated enough to the tank water. I 100% recommend buying some sort of way to test the water. Test strips will suffice, they’re more affordable than a kit. People always hating on test strips even though they work just fine for your general needs. Make sure it can test for at least has pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Hardness and Chlorine. I like to test weekly, but it’s up to preference and situation.

 

[connorlindeman]

I had bought five shrimp just a day ago. Later last night I only counted two. Today I can't see any. I siphoned the gravel, nothing. Then I picked up some decorations and found one dead body. I think they might've all died but I can't find more bodies and I don't want to cause an ammonia spike by not being able to find and remove them. I wanted to see if the shrimp would be compatible with my other fish (mollies and platies). Is it possible my fish ate them? My tank is established, unfortunately I can't tell you parameters because I don't have a test kit. I don't know why else they would've died, maybe just an unlucky purchase?

I wouldn't experiment on live fish. There's plenty of information online. No need for experiments.

 

[VioletThePurple]

I wouldn't experiment on live fish. There's plenty of information online. No need for experiments.

I did look it up beforehand, and results were mixed. One thing said it depends on the fish. So, I thought that either I'm giving my fish a live snack, or the shrimp will survive. They were ghost shrimp, bigger than the other shrimp at the store so I thought they'd be fine.

 

[VioletThePurple]

They might have been eaten if they’re small enough and your mollies are grown, or maybe some of them weren’t acclimated enough to the tank water. I 100% recommend buying some sort of way to test the water. Test strips will suffice, they’re more affordable than a kit. People always hating on test strips even though they work just fine for your general needs. Make sure it can test for at least has pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Hardness and Chlorine. I like to test weekly, but it’s up to preference and situation.

I have a few grown fish but the ghost shrimp I got were pretty big compared to all the other shrimp at the store. I acclimated them the same way I do with all aquatic life I put in the tank, float the bag for like 15 minutes so they adjust to temp then release.

 

[VioletThePurple]

mollies and platys could definitely have eaten them. Shrimp are also pretty good at hiding though also.

I hope they're just hiding but I found one dead so at least one is dead from unknown causes.

 

[Sgooosh]

How did you acclimate the shrimp? sometimes when the conditions in the store are different from yours they can get really stressed and die

 

[Slaphppy7]

Ghost/glass/grass shrimp are usually raised as feeders, and most times in very poor conditions...they aren't the healthiest/best shrimp to try for a beginner

But more importantly, you need a test kit...there's no way to properly advise anything with your tank(s) until we know your water conditions are right

 

[VioletThePurple]

How did you acclimate the shrimp? sometimes when the conditions in the store are different from yours, they can get really stressed and die

I acclimated them the same way I do anything in the tank, I floated them in their bag for like 15 minutes then released.

 

[BrianK]

I acclimated them the same way I do anything in the tank, I floated them in their bag for like 15 minutes then released.

You need to do it a bit differently for shrimp. Put them in a container with the water from the bag, slowly drip tank water into the container for at least an hour (or more).

 

[VioletThePurple]

You need to do it a bit differently for shrimp. Put them in a container with the water from the bag, slowly drip tank water into the container for at least an hour (or more).

So, I need to drip acclimate shrimp instead of traditional acclimation. Good to know if I want to try shrimp again

 

[Sgooosh]

So, I need to drip acclimate shrimp instead of traditional acclimation. Good to know if I want to try shrimp again

it's better to keep some of the water in the dripping container for maybe like a week or more so they acclimate better, 1 hour might not be enough...
I don't really know a lot about drip acclimation though

 

[Aqua67]

All crustaceans are sensitive and must be acclimated slowly. I use an airline with a knot in it to slowly drip 1 drop every 2 or 3 seconds into the shrimp bag and after an hour, I pour the shrimp into a net and release into the tank. Before I even start the acclimation I make sure the tank water meets the parameters that the shrimp require. I also test the water the shrimp came in just to see where it is at. If they are pretty close, I acclimate for 60 minutes. You could do it longer if the parameters are widely different.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Without a test kit, acclimation is a moot point...who knows what the tank water holds