Gammarus

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infopimp
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Re: Gammarus

Post by infopimp »

Anything that goes for Gammarus will go for baby shrimp, it seems to me.
Terran
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Re: Gammarus

Post by Terran »

yeah ...I was just hoping that there was something out there that preferred gammarus....or rather was better at getting gammarus over baby shrimp...I dont want either populations wiped out...looking to increase diversity
Trail_Mix
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Re: Gammarus

Post by Trail_Mix »

Terran wrote:yeah ...I was just hoping that there was something out there that preferred gammarus....or rather was better at getting gammarus over baby shrimp...I dont want either populations wiped out...looking to increase diversity
What's your tank set-up like? I'm not so sure it's a matter of a dietary preference as it is a matter of ease of predation. Granted, I'm no expert on Gammarus sp., nor do I recall many details regarding their life-cycles. But from what I do remember, Neocaridina shrimp are typically found in pools of water near the head of streams, (geographically speaking, is that the correct terminology?), where they are not threatened by predation from fish, for the fish are not able to swim that far upstream, whereas Gammarus species dwell in all sorts of environments, from freshwater to marine, where they must be constantly striving to avoid predation whilst also likely competing with other little buggers for food.

This would explain their tendency to burrow and spend most of their time in the substrate, where they forage on detritus and such, whereas Neocaridina sp. are much more "gregarious" aquarium inhabitants -- not having predators in the wild -- and tend to spend their time grazing on the bio-film that grows on surfaces out in the open, rather than burrowing about the bottom. The Gammarus also, (from my observation), swim much faster when they do appear in open water, zipping around the tank, and are much harder to see due to their size, shape, (lack of) coloration, and translucent nature. Point being, they are much better adapted to avoid predation than our selectively bred, colorful, slow-moving shrimp. May I ask what you have in your tank that is eating your Gammarus and/or baby Neocaridina?

I suppose you could try to level the playing field so to speak by using a sand substrate, which is not as preferable as a gravel substrate for the Gammarus. Additionally, regularly vacuuming the substrate should not only remove the detritus that the Gammarus thrive on, but likely some of the Gammarus themselves as well, (though they are fast swimmers!). Furthermore, decorating the mid and high levels of the tank with a detailed hardscape and abundant plants, while maintaining ideal water parameters should encourage Neocaridina species to breed near their peak efficiency, and provide a sort of niche to encourage the colony's growth where the Gammarus would be less inclined to explore. I think you get where I'm going with this, however, I am curious about your tank(s), (size, set-up, flora/fauna, etc.), as well as others' thoughts on this topic, for after typing all this twice, (long story), I'm now too tired to re-read it and make sense of it, so firstly, excuse the lack of editing, and secondly, I hope that this is at least somewhat intelligible, and that at least one person reads this and finds it helpful.

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A few questions of my own... in an established tank with decent water flow, would filter-feeding (Green lace/Bamboo/African Vampire) shrimp be able to catch Gammarus? What about some aquatic CP's, specifically, for instance, Utricularia vulgaris? And if so, what threat, if any, would these species pose to baby Neocaridina/Caridina shrimp? I mean, I'm pretty sure I've seen my Amano shrimp attack juvenile Neocaridina before, though I'm never sure if they are actually consciously attempting to eat the baby shrimp, or are just poking around frantically in their little feeding frenzies... anybody know?
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