Water Sprite being torn apart by Amanos!

[RightTurnClyde]

Anyone ever have their Water Sprite torn apart / eaten by amano shrimp? I added 5 to my tank last week and in that time they have stripped a lot of leaves and "branches" off my water sprite. I'm upset because it was just starting to really take off for me. I asked this in the invert forum and was told to try feeding them more meaty foods, but this seems like an inherent behavior. Anyone have experience with this? Soon my water sprite will just be bare stems.


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[FishCr8zy]

Could you post some pics of the water sprite and the damage? Amanos usually don't eat plants like most other shrimp. Were the leaves damaged/dying before they were eaten?

 

[FishCr8zy]

The amanos could also be trying to just eat algae/bio film off the leaves and ripping the plant apart by accident when they try to eat it.

 

[mattcham]

Where did you get your amano shrimp? I've been searching for months...

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[RightTurnClyde]

The amanos could also be trying to just eat algae/bio film off the leaves and ripping the plant apart by accident when they try to eat it.

I think this is the case. They pick at it so aggressively. I have pieces of it floating around the tank constantly. Is there an aquarium equivalent of chicken wire I can put around the plant? Lol...


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[RightTurnClyde]

Where did you get your amano shrimp? I've been searching for months...

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TheShrimpfarm.com

They really do a great job shipping the little guys. Really well insulated with a heat pack. You have to keep checking their site though. They go out of stock quickly.


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[mattcham]

Thanks for the link. Good luck with your shrimp infestation. LOL. Maybe put the shrimp in a net breeder until your plants recover.

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[FishCr8zy]

I think this is the case. They pick at it so aggressively. I have pieces of it floating around the tank constantly. Is there an aquarium equivalent of chicken wire I can put around the plant? Lol...


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Haha no I don't think there is chicken wire for it. But you could try doing what Matt said, put the shrimp in a breeding net and let the plant recover. Once it recovers and starts spreading again, put the shrimp back in. Water sprite grow pretty quickly once established so if shrimp keep pecking at it, it can usually grow back faster than the shrimp can eat.


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[mattcham]

Water sprite grow pretty quickly once established so if shrimp keep pecking at it, it can usually grow back faster than the shrimp can eat.

Unless you have an army of shrimp... I used a school of 150 molly and swordtail to rid a tank of all algae within 3 days, but when I reduced the school down to just 10 fish the algae started coming back.



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[FishCr8zy]

Yes but what I am saying is that for every leaf the shrimp destroys, 2 more leaves will replace it. The water sprite will outgrow the amano's appetite for algae on the leaves.