Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

I did search, but most posts were in shrimp only tanks. I am missing one of the female Ghost shrimp. I have had 2 of them molt, and one is berried (yeah me!)...the missing female also had a saddle, so I know the missing female must be the other one that molted. The last female is the largest one I own, and she is not saddled, and she looks like she is getting ready to molt (ugly grayish shell, after molt, she is clear again).

My question is...if she was in the process of molting (community tank with 4 guppy and 1 Male Betta and 4 other GS..5 including the missing female), could they have attacked her and eaten her? The exo (sp?) is fully intact, so I know she got out ok (both exo's are fully intact), but because she was newly molted, could they have eaten her completely? She was in the tank on Friday, and on Monday, she was gone. I have waited (and looked) for her to come out of hiding, and she has not. I am convenced that she is gone forever. The tank is tightly covered, so being eaten is the only thing that could have happened to her.

Any opinions?

If you keep shrimp with fish it is absolutley essential that hiding caves be provided. Right after molting a shrimp is very soft and easily killed. It is possible, but unlikely that a beta or guppies would completely eat an adult ghost shrimp, but it is possible.

She may be hiding yet. I've had situations where I'd torn a tank apart looking for a molted shrimp, only to have them re-appear a week later.

Bottom line, unless you view your shimp as feeders, you should not have them with fish that could have shrimp on the menu. If this is not an option for you, provide lots of plants and caves, and cross your fingers.

These are feeders (or at least the offspring will be). I have a cave with java moss in it, and the smaller males use it a lot even if they are not ready to molt. I don't see her in there, but like I said, it is FULL of moss (did this for a hiding place that the fish could not easily get into), so she may be in there...if she is berried, I may be seeing her and the other female, just not at the same time.

I am getting a 55g for these fish and shrimp this week end (of cource I have to let it cycle), so when I transfer them, maybe she will have reappeared again?!

Hi Suzie,

Although that is a possibility I sincerely doubt it. I have a tank that started with only 10 GS and never had a problem when even the youngest have molted. I know this because I now have over 25 of these shrimp now.

After molting is when female shrimp mate and I found that they are very good at hiding until the exo hardens specially in a well planted tank. Give it a day or two and you will probably see her at feeding time. Good luck.

Rick

justrick wrote:Hi Suzie,

Although that is a possibility I sincerely doubt it. I have a tank that started with only 10 GS and never had a problem when even the youngest have molted. I know this because I now have over 25 of these shrimp now.
Rick

You sure we are talking about the same species? Palaemonetes paludosus reproduces via larva. Guppies will suck every one of these down minutes after they are released. I see no way they could survive in a community tank for the week it takes them to morph to shrimp.

There are a large number of shrimp called ghost shrimp, just about any colorless shrimp. Do yours have a larval stage?

Hi again Suzie,

Yeah I was talking about the same species. my tank is heavily planted with lots of java moss, hair grass, micro-swords and various other mid and backround plants. I also have a baby-saver prefilter on my filter intake tube. I have found many a baby ghost grazing within the tiny crevices. Although most end up as food for the tetras(and I am sure now for my bamboo shrimp) a few have ended up surviving. Good luck.

Hey justrick!

Long day at work, so I am just getting a chance to get back online.

These guys are for producing food for my other fish (guppys are for producing food also, but have only produced 1 brood of fry in the few months I have had them.

The first time the GS (mine have the tale-tale red band around their antani? and pinchers...and the other place...I forget...remember I don't spell very well )...had babies, one day she had eggs, the next I had babies that LOOKED like mini-shrimp...if that was larva, it was unlike any larva I have ever seen...they WERE mini-shrimp...anyway, I have 3 babies that I can find, but returned 6 to the tank after posting my very first question on here...sorry totally off subject. I guess I will just wait and see if she returns (comes out of hiding)...this tank is by no means "heavy planted".