The Case Of The Vanishing Shrimp

[september_blue]

About four months ago I got a 5gal hex tank for a betta and bought a couple of amano shrimp to go with him. The tank has quite a lot of plants and some bogwood, so I thought the shrimp would have lots of places to hide if the betta bothered them. I saw them zipping about for a few days (the betta seemed to ignore them), and then... nothing. No sign, alive or dead. I kept an eye out for them for a while in case they were just hiding really well, but eventually assumed they'd died or become betta food.

Tonight, I was vaccing the tank and a shrimp exoskeleton floated up. It was definitely a shed skin from a moulting rather than a dead shrimp, and it was much bigger than the shrimp were when I put them in. Huh.

So, my questions:
1. Does this mean one of the shrimp at least might still be alive in there? The tank has a sand bed (do they burrow?) and there are lots of hiding places, but surely I'd have seen it by now if that was the case? There was an apple snail in there until recently who I suppose could have been eating the shed skins.
2. If one of them is alive, should I assume that the hiding means it's not happy and work on trying to get it out of there and into somewhere better for it?

 

[~T~]

Bettas can and will eat shrimp but its usually hit or miss. They dont burrow but are very god hiders. I actually had one live on a tank with some juvie cichlids (convicts, BP's, texas etc). I couldnt find it when I moved the previous inhabitants out and asumed he was either eaten of would be after the cichlids moved in. Several months later one morning I turned the tank lights on and he zipped across the front. Lucky the cichlids we still in sleep mode or he would have been ones breakfast. I managed to catch him and put him in a safer home. So yep yours may be hiding and if you never see them then they are not happy. My amanos are always out and about in my planted tank.

 

[malakye]

I would have thought in that small a tank you would have seen them, I have 6 amano in my 4ft community tank who I see daily. Mine don't bury but they do hide in the cave. I guess its a good sign you have seen the shed skin though.

 

[september_blue]

Thank you! After taking the betta and all the plants and bits of wood out, I found two fat amano shrimp zooming around on the bottom of the tank. They've now been transferred to another tank where there are also lots of hiding places, but where they'll hopefully feel less of a need to hide! I might head down to the LFS tomorrow if they'd be happier shrimp with company - would 3 or 4 be a better number to have?

The betta tank is right next to my desk, and I watch him swim about all the time. I am absolutely amazed I didn't see anything of the shrimp until today.