What fish won't eat baby shrimps but will eat live black worms?

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Natosha24

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Mar 24, 2007
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Reisterstown, MD 21136
I have a 10 gallon invert only tank. It consists of red cherry shrimps, brig snails, and ramshorn snails. oOo and 7 little bitty bristlenose plecos that are much too small to be shifted to other tanks--which was the purpose of sticking them in the shrimp tank... grow out only! So anyways, several months back I had kept this tank as a fry tank and I fed the fry live black worms. Well, apparently these live black worms have been living in my substrate and reproducing all this time. I have noticed them in my other tanks but the fish eat them when they pop up so it's no big deal, I actually kinda like them. Free live snack! Anyways, since the shrimp and snails don't eat them they're are becoming a pita. It's literally like having a carpet of worms sticking up out of the substrate. I was hoping the bristlenose plecos might find them to be a tasty treat, but the BNs are just too small. I need to get rid of some of these worms like NOW. I have avoided doing a deep gravel vac because of all the baby shrimps. Instead, I just vac over top of the gravel and have a piece of netting over the end of the vac which of course saves the worms from being sucked up. Also, they are well fed. Since everything in the tank eats from the bottom, I only feed them sinking foods as well as veggies which also sit on the substrate. Urg. It's driving me bonkers. I feel like I'm creating a worm farm or something. Anyways, is there a fish that I could put in there that will eat the worms but not bother with the itty bitty shrimps? Or should I just consider it a lost cause and let things go the way they are and eventually have to remove my nylon from the gravel vac and go to town at suckin' them up? Let me know if you'd like a shot of my worm carpet. LoL. After work I can take a picture and post it if need be.
 
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msjinkzd

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Feb 11, 2007
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man, i have no idea what to suggest for you. It might be worth siphoning out all of your shrimp and snails into a holding container and then get teh blackworms out. i would like to see a pic of this living worm carpet.
 

Natosha24

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Mar 24, 2007
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Bah! I was afraid someone would say that. LoL. That seems like it will be a verrrrrry long an involved process as I can't even seem to get rid of them all in my other tanks that have fish eyeing every inch of the substrate waiting for an unexpecting worm to stick his head up. The tiger barbs are hilarious when it comes to worm hunting! Anyways, even in those tanks I end up sucking up 10 or so worms each time I do a water change (1-2 sometimes 3 times a week depending on my schedule and boredom). I can't imagine ever being able to suck up all the worms in the invert tank but perhaps I may have to do it every so often. :( Maybe if I do end up having to go that route I'll just swap out the substrate or change it over to sand. Thanks Jinkz, I really appreciate your input. You're a much trusted "expert" in my opinion. ;) I'll post a worm carpet pic in a little while. Keep your eye out for it.
 

Natosha24

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Mar 24, 2007
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Reisterstown, MD 21136
Ok, here are pictures of my worms. They're not the greatest, but you will get the idea. I had to take the pictures in the brightest areas in my tank. The plants tend to block the lighting at the substrate level and with flash it looked horrible, but they are not just in this one spot, they're EVERYWHERE. :eek:






 

StereoKills

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Sep 10, 2007
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Wow. Sorry, I think manual extraction may be your only option. I can't think of anything that wouldn't eat the baby shrimp too. Something to be wary of when feeding live food!
 

soobie

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Yeah, I was thinking cories too. My pandas love blackworms, but I have no experience with shrimp.
 
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