Ghost Shrimp Problems

[IowaFish]

Hi everyone-

Well I just went to my LFS and I bought 5 neon tetras for my 10gal. tank. After getting the fish adjusted to the water and slowy adding the water from the tank to the bag I let my tetra's into the water. About 5 mins later I went back to check on the them and noticed there was only 4 of them and I saw 1 of my 3 ghost shrimp and already eaten half 1 of the neon tetras! I didn't think ghost shrimp were like this. I don't have another tank to switch fish too either...Should I be worried about this?

I have two live pants that they usually eat off of, and they also seem to collect some of the fish food that manages to get to the gravel. I hope my tetras make the night 8O

 

[dskidmore]

You sure those are ghost shimp? I havn't heard of them catching live prey, especially not a mid-zone swimmer like a neon.

What are your water parameters?

It is possible you had an ammonia spike from adding so many fish at once, or the fish had some sort of malidy and died of it. The ghost shrimp will gladly snack on a fresh corpse.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I agree with dskidmore. I've never heard of a ghost shrimp attacking another fish. Not unless it was already dead.

 

[IowaFish]

ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-25

Well im just going to assume that the fish happend to die while it was in the bag, but I could have swore, I saw all 5 swimming around...and Im positive these are ghost shrimp.

Thanks for your help everyone

 

[EMTtony]

It wasn't the ghost shrimp. That tetra died of something else and the shrimp decided to snack on it.

 

[IowaFish]

Maybe I got a bad batch of neon tetras because I only have two left, I have seen 2 of the shrimp eating eating 2 of the tetras, and I have no idea where the other one is... :?

 

[Joey17]

I once had a ghost shrimp latch on to the tail of one mail fancy tailed guppy i used to have and rode around in the tank.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I've seen ghost shrimp cannabilize their comrades when they fall, I've seen them pick apart a corpse, even surf a leaf to the top of the tank, but never have I seen one attack a fish. I think it's safe to say that neons are far too frail and can die from someone passing gas in the same room as the tank.

I would first guess you have a high PH or high water hardness. Also what temp do you keep the water at?

 

[IowaFish]

80degrees...I do have hard water

 

[rippin17]

as previously said ive seen the ghost shrimp eat a corpse. never attack a live fish tho

 

[dskidmore]

In my experience, neons are not that frail, but some fish stores abuse all thier fish, and have a high dieoff rate no matter what the fish.

What was the condition of the tanks at the LFS?

Could also have been shock from the hard water, but it seems that acclimation procedure was followed.

 

[Lance M.]

Neons are frailer than compared to other tetras.

Are you sure those are ghost shrimp? Perhaps you could provide pictures. There are shrimp that people confuse with ghost shrimp (because they look the same , but get larger and develop colors later on) that will attack shrimp. But ghost shrimp do not attack living fish.

 

[IowaFish]

I have one picture in my gallery it's with my yellow lab...I don't think you can see the shrimp that well though, but it's the only picture I have here at college, because I don't have a camera

 

[Veneer]

Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes) shipments often include juvenile Macrobrachium spp. as lookalike contaminants.

 

[IowaFish]

I looked up a picture of the Macrobrachium...That may be what I have...Because I have one that is starting to get fairly large over 2 1/2 inches, and I didn't think Ghost shrimp got to be that large? Maybe they do...Are the Macrobrachium more aggressive?

 

[Lance M.]

Ghost shrimp stay under 2 inchs.

And Macrobrachium spp. get very large and will attack (and kill) fish if they get a hold of them.

That is what I believed the problem was.

Hmm just looked at the pic in your gallery and I can see the 2 shrimp. They look brown from the picture. I don't know if it's just the picture or are they actually a transparent brown?

 

[IowaFish]

They are transparent but have a brownish tint to them. Some have a large brownish dot in the middle of them, possibly the organs or what not? I have a feeling they are the look a like of the ghost shrimp because I'm positive those neons were fine when I put them in the water...All 5 of them have disappeared now ...

 

[mrzap]

I've seen ghost shrimp cannabilize their comrades when they fall, I've seen them pick apart a corpse, even surf a leaf to the top of the tank, but never have I seen one attack a fish.

Haha just the other day I saw my ghost shrimp surf a leaf to the top to get a freeze dried bloodworm

I have never seen one attack a healthy fish.

 

[Veneer]

Some of the more transparent Macrobrachium attain an adult length of 3" or so, whereas others mature into 24" giants.

 

[IowaFish]

Well...what a suprise....They don't seem to bother the other fish, an occasional grab at the fin, but nothing other then that...