This morning while doing my normal regimen of feeding the fish before going to work, I noticed all my amano shrimps going nuts. By nuts, I mean they weren't on the ground/fake plants/fake logs scavenging/eating, they were swimming around all over the tank, up and down the glass, along the ground, etc. We're talking all of them at once, and continuously. I watched for a couple of minutes, and they never really stopped. Is this something they are wont to do on occasion? I've never seen them do it before. As far as I know, water chemistry/parameters are normal (last time I checked was last week), and the last water change/gravel vacuum I did was last week. I topped off yesterday, but that was with about a gallon of water in a 20 gallon tank. I don't think anything is wrong, but will see how they are after I go home today. I have 4 rasboras and 5 gold white cloud minnows in the tank with them.
amano shrimp behavior?
- Thread starter etspam
- Start date
Shrimp swimming like that is a sign of stress. They are seeking a way to escape from the water. Check your water for ammonia, nitrates/nitrites, and metals ASAP.
I have a few questions;
1 Do you use a water conditioner such as Amquel+ or Prime?
2 Have you used aquatic (or any) fertilizers in that tank?
3 Have you dosed fish medications in that tank?
Fertilizers and medications contain substances that are highly toxic to shrimp, and most invertebrates. If you've used them, test your water for copper, phosphates, and iron. If there are any measurable amounts, the safest thing to do for the shrimp is move them to another tank.
Many of those invert toxins are absorbed by silicates (rocks and sand, among others) and can leach back into the water for long periods of time.
In the future, if you see this type of behavior from shrimp, take immediate action. You could loose your shrimp in a very short period of time.
Good luck!
I have a few questions;
1 Do you use a water conditioner such as Amquel+ or Prime?
2 Have you used aquatic (or any) fertilizers in that tank?
3 Have you dosed fish medications in that tank?
Fertilizers and medications contain substances that are highly toxic to shrimp, and most invertebrates. If you've used them, test your water for copper, phosphates, and iron. If there are any measurable amounts, the safest thing to do for the shrimp is move them to another tank.
Many of those invert toxins are absorbed by silicates (rocks and sand, among others) and can leach back into the water for long periods of time.
In the future, if you see this type of behavior from shrimp, take immediate action. You could loose your shrimp in a very short period of time.
Good luck!
I use Amquel+ to neutralize the chloramines, but that's about it. I don't have real plants, so no ferts, and I haven't dosed any medications. My gravel is the plastic covered safe stuff you can buy from pet stores, and I haven't added anything within the last couple of months. Maybe the water I added last night had something? But it's the same treated tap water I use every week.
My ammonia/nitrites/nitrates chemistry is pretty stable, and I change water about 20-25% once a week. Unless both filters failed (I know at least one was working this morning), I'd be surprised if those changed, but I'll have to check. Hopefully they're still alive by the time I get home. I don't have any tests for the copper and others though.
My ammonia/nitrites/nitrates chemistry is pretty stable, and I change water about 20-25% once a week. Unless both filters failed (I know at least one was working this morning), I'd be surprised if those changed, but I'll have to check. Hopefully they're still alive by the time I get home. I don't have any tests for the copper and others though.
It sounds like a real mystery.
I know someone who recently lost all of their shrimp in one tank, because they added a rock to her tank. When she turned the lights on, the next morning, all the shrimp were dead. I hope nothing like that happens with you (fingers crossed!)
I know someone who recently lost all of their shrimp in one tank, because they added a rock to her tank. When she turned the lights on, the next morning, all the shrimp were dead. I hope nothing like that happens with you (fingers crossed!)
Well, they're still alive, and weren't swimming around when I got home. Course, today was my weekly gravel vacuum/water change, and after that one or two were swimming around, but eventually calmed down, and now they're all hiding in my plastic, hollow log. I squeezed out the filters a bit (one whisper, one biowheel) to increase flow a bit better, since they were backing up.
I still have no clue why they were stressed this morning, but hopefully they survive the next couple of days without issues. If that's the case, I think they'll be okay. Crossing my fingers, they're much more interesting than my fish at this point.
I still have no clue why they were stressed this morning, but hopefully they survive the next couple of days without issues. If that's the case, I think they'll be okay. Crossing my fingers, they're much more interesting than my fish at this point.
HI!
I dont know much about them!
But ive been reading some breeding articles and that could be males wiching to find some nice lady!
Or just cause they were looking for some food...
I have amano also and sometimes they start swimming along the place till they find what they want!
I dont know much about them!
But ive been reading some breeding articles and that could be males wiching to find some nice lady!
Or just cause they were looking for some food...
I have amano also and sometimes they start swimming along the place till they find what they want!
Of course, you're right. That's why I asked if the person noticed if they had been males. It can seem like all of the shrimp are going crazy with them frantically darting about, but there might be a female or two hidden somewhere trying to keep away from the male frenzy.
I thought it might possibly be something like that, but it didn't look like one or the other were chasing each other. But then again, I'm not sure how their mating rituals go. As far as I can tell, I have seven left (I originally had ten, but haven't been able to find the other three, or find their bodies). This is from doing the gravel vacuum/water change, and seeing who pops out and runs away from the vacuum. When I sat and watched them swimming around, I counted seven, that's why I said all of them were swimming around. But maybe they're all males? I don't know how to really sex them. Some are larger, some are smaller, but I don't know if the smaller are juveniles or females, or what.