Opinion on "Hiding" Amano Shrimp

[jcolon]

Ok ... So here's the situation. I've had Adult Amano Shrimp in my 75gal for a months starting back in May and during that time they would be out and about on the DW, Plants and substrate .. not being harassed by any fish. I counted 5 healthy (eating and active) looking Amano shrimp a month and a half ago.

At the beginning of this month I added about 20 RCS and some Java Moss. Just over two weeks ago, I added 3 additional juvenile Amano to bring me up to 8 Amano .. and nothing else has been added since in terms of stock.
I'm still doing my tank routine maintenance and if my water quality was going south, my Rummynose and Bamboo shrimp and ghost shrimp should give me a visual heads up.

In the last couple of weeks I see one or two Amano out at a time .. whereas before they were almost always out. They do come out after the lights go out ... I shine a light in the tank and see them out. I even saw a juvenile on top of an Adult female who was berried .. looks like they hatched last weekend.

Just curious for opinions from those that've kept Amano's in particular if they've seen similar behavior. I've read that it's normal for them to hide during the day and come out at night. I'm not worried but I am wondering why now in the last couple of weeks .. starting when I added the juveniles.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

I barley ever see mine. I have 3, in a 20g, with 2 swords, a betta, and 4 zebra loachs. They are always on the back of the driftwood and on the underside or the plants(fake). Maybe because of the other fish? Who know, but I wish they would come out more.

 

[Zimmanski]

Shrimp will be more active and out in the open when in a species only tank, even the most docile fish will eat a shrimp if its hungry and can fit it in their mouths, and the shrimp know this. Your fish, although smaller fish and community fish, your shrimp don't care and are just doing what they do, which is hide from potential predators. I have an Amano and a couple ghost shrimp in my 55 and RARELY ever see them, but in my ten gallon with tiny fry and 9 CRS they're all over the tank and swimming in open water even when the light is on. Sorry I don't have any advice to help you out!

 

[Borderlesscott]

I've kept Amano's for a long time, and found that for some months they will be out swimming about or walking around right out in the open and some months they will be hid away amongst my plants. I think all it comes down to is there chosen feeding spot at the time, I've 3 in my main tank at present, for the last 2 weeks they've all been siting on a bit of bogwood enjoying some algae, before that they where on plants right at the back of the tank doing the same.

 

[jcolon]

Hey last night I saw two come out ... munching on stuff on DW. Glad to know I'm not the only one in this boat. Now my only question is do I actually have 8 live Amanos? The most I can say I've seen in the last week is 4 .. at most 5 .. not sure if I just saw the same one twice a minute apart.

I guess for my "piece of mind" I'd feel better if I at least saw 3 adults out at the same time (seems unlikely for now) like they used to a month ago. I know 2 of the 3 juveniles are alive .. the third I think is alive. With that I'd feel better that the two other adults are in there, just hiding.

 

[jondamon]

I have 6 Amano in my 50g and sometimes they are out and sometimes they are not.

It's just how Amano's are lol.

Mine seem to love TETRA PRO COLOUR WAFERS whenever I feed them they always snag one for themselves. Lol.

Another thing is dont freak out when you see what appears to be a dead Amano in your tank. It will just be a moulted exoskeleton. I generally get one a week and I leave it in the tank as its a good source of calcium.


Jon

 

[jcolon]

I have 6 Amano in my 50g and sometimes they are out and sometimes they are not.

It's just how Amano's are lol.

Mine seem to love TETRA PRO COLOUR WAFERS whenever I feed them they always snag one for themselves. Lol.

Another thing is dont freak out when you see what appears to be a dead Amano in your tank. It will just be a moulted exoskeleton. I generally get one a week and I leave it in the tank as its a good source of calcium.


Jon

Yep .. I don't freak out when I see the exoskeleton ... I know it's a molt ... BUT I do have to admit it does look freakish. My largest shrimp .. a bamboo... just molted this past week, that looked weird as the molt was pinned under a DW.

As for wafers ... that's a whole other can of worms in my tank!
I throw in Algae wafers ... but the Barbs go nuts over it! So I break up 2 wafers while the lights are on .. and a third (broken up) after lights go out in different areas for the shrimp.

It's funny! I've read Amano's have been known to go toe to toe with some fish for wafers, but that's tantamount to suicide in the all out brawl that occurs in my tank. I do see at least one Amano making a break for cover with a piece of wafer ... swimming for it's life with a couple of TB's after it. The tetras are smart ... they eat the smaller pieces.

The RTS and all the Barbs get into a fracas over the same piece. There's at least 3 larger pieces spread out, but they insist on fighting for the same one first ... then continue the fight with the next and so on. Eventually the RTS gets mad since it thinks all wafers are his/her ... don't know its gender .. and chases a Tiger-barb or Blackruby. While that's happening the other Barbs steal chunks .. only to be chased by everyone else not being chased by the RTS.

 

[jcolon]

Well tonight I shined a flashlight into the tank and definitely counted 6 Amano ... 99% sure 7. I feel much better that they adults are alive.

It was weird ... I saw what I first though was a very small Amano. I though it was one of those three juveniles, but I kept think it was too small. There's no way it was a baby Amano ... not in freshwater. I went back and it's an RCS that had no red at all ... that was the first near colorless one I saw since I put them(there were a couple colorless) into the tank about a month ago.