Otto cat, Yamato shrimp - did my Platy eat them ?

[boothbrave]

Just added a couple of Yamato shrimp to a 10g tank which houses 3 platys, otto cat and a couple of ghost shrimp.

Now I can't find any of the shrimp, or even the Otto cat? Checked the filter (did find one ghost shrimp in one piece clung to the filter) but no other evidence of dead bodies. Did a thorough check on the tank, even the gravel.

Leading up to this, I've been doing pwc to combat the algae problem at the same time, some cooler water as my apartment is way too hot. Not a dramatic change in temp but just a couple degrees.

Ghost shrimp I'm not too concerned about as I don't think they have too long a life span but for the Yamato shrimp and the Otto Cat to go missing, did my Platy eat them overnite? I did notice one Platy poop quite a bit but seemed strange as I've cut back the amount of food given.

Also I don't have any cats who could be responsible !

Thanks in advance

 

[greenmaji]

Is your platys mouth big enough to swallow the otto and shrimp whole? This is usually the only way they will be able to eat the other fish, there mouth has to be big enough.. I kind of doubt that it could be the platy.. I would look toward the filter.. the impeller can chew things up into tiny pulp so you wouldnt be able to actually identify what was lost but there should be some evidence left over anyway.. finding a sponge that will fit over the intake of your filter will prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future.. it will also keep your intake clean..

 

[boothbrave]

Thanks I'll check the filter once again but you're right that there should be some evidence left over.

For the platys eating them I just thought more about "picking" at them rather than eating them whole. Still there would be some evidence remaining.

Anyone notice those Yamato shrimp poop quite a bit?

Still it all seems strange for the 3 to go missing and die? :? Anyone have that happen to them where one day you had a fish and than next day - a "who done it"?

 

[Rocket2001]

my otto cats seem to mysteriously disapper also..I've had two sets of three and they all "disapeared"

 

[FawnN]

Shrimps are notorious for hiding and reappearing later on. As for your otto, he could have died and just got sucked up by the filter or got munched on by your platy.

I don't think your platy was the fishie that killed him though if he has gone MIA.

What are your water parameters?

 

[boothbrave]

Parameters such as nitrate, nitrite, and amonia levels are at 0 ppm.....but just today I found the Otto cat on the floor dried to a crisp ?!

Poor guy, either he jumped out over nite (had the lid opened to let excess heat escape) or he attached himself to my make shift chiller as I removed it from the tank.

As for the Yamato shrimp, still can't find them ? My water temp. gets up there at 30celcius/86 farenheight. Is that too much for most fish to handle and than jump out?

 

[krap101]

how fast is the filter going?

 

[greenmaji]

a fan directed at the tank will work just as well as anything that would consiveably be a homade chiller unless you converted a window a/c unit for the job, big expensive DIY job. and the best solution is putting a small cheap window a/c unit in the window of the room.. you can get them for less then $80 new.