Ghost Shrimp eat Pomacea Bridgesii

[Lupin]

Someone asked me if ghost shrimps are okay with snails but I just answered I am uncertain but would advised against it as a precaution due to the stories I heard as I never had my ghost shrimps mixed with snails before.

 

[sed03f]

Thats very interesting, thanks for sharing. I had one ghost shrimp survive in my angel tank for about 6 months, that thing was buff, big and mean looking last time I saw him.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

also remember there are many shrimp bring sold under the ghost shrimp name.

 

[Wycco]

Not meaning to dig up old threads... (honestly I was googling something else and stumbled upon this)...

Prior to getting ghost shrimp I had perhaps three dozen bladder snails and a small number of ramshorns (and perhaps another two dozen tiny dot sized snails I couldn't identify)... Now I have maybe two dozen ramshorns and an equal number of bladder snails... no tiny snails.

I don't have any snails (besides quilteds and MTS that have tough shells and live in the sand) below 5mm in size.

The lack of tiny snails means they're either eating the eggs or they're eating the baby snails- I've witnessed one ghost pluck a moving bladder snail off a piece of slate and ravage it (and then take it into a cave so I couldn't watch further).

It was really quite brutal- bladder just moving along minding it's own business- then... pluck- ripped from the slate- shrimp reaching in for the meat... then... spin spin spin- the snail was spun round and round and round- then more probing for meat- then more spinning.

Don't know what they do with the shells though- if they somehow eat them- but I don't often see empty shells in the tank- and by virtue of the fact my bladder snail population has shrunk I'd expect to see shells.

The snails over 3 or 4mm they seem to leave... thing is- I'm not getting any new generation of snails- they don't live long enough. My ramshorn number has increased although I don't know how- I never see tiny ones.

... mine most definately are the American Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes) NOT macros- they're not juveniles because just about all the females are berried.

If I am blessed one day with baby Bridgesii or Spixi I most certainly would not trust them in the same tank as ghost shrimp- not until they reach at least a half cm maybe more. (I'd probably keep them seperate anyway for longer than that just to give them a headstart in life).

I don't know the lifespan of bladders and ramshorns- but I wonder if they'll be extinct in my tank when my current snails die off. Certainly the MTS and quilteds seem to be thriving.

I was even nervous about adding neocaridina despite reading many places that the two species are compatible after witnessing the vicious hunting of a bladder snail...

So far I haven't witnessed any shrimp on shrimp attacks- and I have witnessed large female ghosts right next to small neocaridina walking past each other unphased.

I only see about 5 or 6 neo's with carefull examination at a time- I put over 20 in... same was true with the ghosts at first though too- it took them a few weeks to adapt and come out of hiding... I've LOTS of hiding places and lots of plants in the tank so I don't expect to see them all.

I fully suspect that they are all still alive- or close to all alive.

 

[jackiomy]

I am moving my ghosties to my 40 gallon after I saw one eating a cherry shrimp the other day. I only have corys and neons so they will be fine and I will feel better about it. I have noticed a lot of my baby brigs don't make it to adulthood but really wasn't too concerned, survival of the fittest and all that.

 

[Wycco]

I am moving my ghosties to my 40 gallon after I saw one eating a cherry shrimp the other day.

Oh Carp!

Are you sure it was not already dead?

I did quite a bit of research before getting either species and didn't see anything about them eating cherries otherwise I wouldn't have got the ghosts.

I should probably catch mine before they eat them- they've done such an effective job on my snails I'd hate for them to do the same to my little cherries.

I don't have a tank set up- I guess this is as good an excuse as any to get that invert tank I wanted... although I don't have the money to set up a tank at the moment.