# shrimp panic!



## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

So I have a planted 10 gallon that has a couple Dwarf Gouarmis in it, and I wanted to get some small shrimp as a bottom cleanup crew. I decided that before I tossed in the 4 or 5 Cherry Shrimp that I want, I'd put in a larger Ghost Shrimp as a test to make sure the Dwarf Gouramis would leave him alone. They're doing fine, so I wasn't worried; I'm just waiting on my LFS to get the Cheery Shrimp in this week so I can get them and put them in the tank.

Well I wake up this morning, the timer kicks the light on in my tank, and I go to feed them a few minutes later. As the Dwarf Gouramis are nipping at the food, I start looking around in the tank trying to find the Ghost Shrimp. Normally when it's feeding time, he'll come out and grab little bits and pieces that the HOB pushes to the bottom. Well, I couldn't find him...

Finally after looking under my slat rock structure, I see what looks like a dead shrimp on it's back  my immediate thought was "great, shrimp aren't going to work". It was hard to see because it was in the shadow under the rock, but I kept looking, and noticed it looked a little "lighter colored" than usual, and that I couldn't see any internal organs. Could it be?

So I look a little more around the rock structure, and sure enough, tucked in between two rocks under a ledge hiding is the Ghost Shrimp, happy and healthy as can be.

This is the first shrimp I've ever owned, and I know they molt, I just hadn't seen it yet, and it totally freaked me out at first, lol



Anywho, just thought I'd share my pointless story of the day


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Haha, always a pleasant surprise. I've got RCS and I kept a few ghost shrimp, they were fun and got along but for some reason the 3 ghosts ended up becoming shrimp food for the other guys. Not sure why. Also, are you planning on breeding the RCS?


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

yeah I'm going to put a mix of male and females in hopes that they'll breed. I think the Dwarf Gourmis will keep the population under control by eating some of the smaller young ones


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Sweet! Any idea what sort of water parameters the RCS like to make babies? Mine do, but it's a slow pace and my local friends are all hitting me up for some.


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

have no idea, I'm just going to see if it works, lol


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## polaris96 (Apr 19, 2010)

re hardier than most people think.


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## ValorieMackison (Dec 10, 2010)

The first time I bought ghost shrimp I took them home, looked in the bag & was very bummed to find one had died. It wasn't until I went to transfer them into the tank that I realized the little guy had molted, lol.


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## GypsyV (Nov 28, 2010)

I love shrimp, I can't wait to get some. I want a bunch of the different varieties. Although when I have ghost ones before they always disappeared. Thats gonna be my problem wanting to find every one of them everyday lol.


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## ValorieMackison (Dec 10, 2010)

This is a little off topic, but does anyone have any suggestions on syphoning the gravel with ghost shrimp present? (My shrimp & gravel are nearly the same color!) I'm considering constructing a guard for the end of the syphon but am uncertain how to go about that.

I ask because once upon a time I kept a guppy tank & had a few issues with them getting sucked into the syphon (1 didn't make it out in time..)

Thanks.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

If your shrimp are healthy and alert they should be able to scoot out of the way of the siphon. Just keep the head buried in the gravel and try not to whip it around.


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