Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

OK...I've got a 20L set up to breed RCS and I used filter from my 92G to seed the 20L.
I don't see these in the 92G but they have nearly taken over the 20.

Anyone know what they are and if they are anything I should worry about?

Here is the best pic I can get......cuz they are so damn small.



And here is a video I shot with my dinky camera.......sorry the quality is crappy but at least it shows how infested I am with them.

10mb avi

The large ones look like they could be rotifers. I don't know much about them, so I'll let someone else chime in.

I'd say they are seed shrimp or ostracods (don't know about that spelling).

They are harmless to the shrimp but can be an eyesore. They are usually eaten by fish and not seen in their tanks. you can control them by giving less food and doing water changes, otherwise try to ignore them if you can

Ostracods.........ya........that might be it....I wish I could get a better picture of it.....found this online of a ostracod:

Anyone know if my RCS would eat these?

I haven't seen them eat anything but algea and shrimp pellets.

Probably not. Ghosts might.

If they can catch them, they will. Mine eat moina, which are close to the same size.

badflash wrote:If they can catch them, they will. Mine eat moina, which are close to the same size.

But the difference is that ostracods have a very hard shell. If you hold one in between your thumb and your index finger it feels like a grain of sand. Hard to munch on such things if you're made to be a detrivore.

well that clinches it for me..........I picked one up and if I closed my eyes I'd have had to say i was holding a "grain of sand".

So I guess they are Ostracods.

I'd say seed shrimp, or clam shrimp. I think they are both ostracods. I had those too. They are about the size of a pinhead, and they glide slowly through the water, they don't jerk like cyclops or daphnia. Colors range from tan to greenish.

Shrimp won't eat them but fish will. As will hydra.

Is there a safe way of getting them out of the tank and not hurting the shrimp or baby shrimp? I have heard of using small fish as bulrush mentioned and also feeding less food to the tank. My main concern is that they compete with the baby shrimp for food!. Any suggestions appreciated

I increased the water flow in the tank and they have almost disapeared.