My "ghost" Bamboo Shrimp

[stormomi]

I'm sorry, but I just don't know where this should go.

I bought one of these little guys, the store named "rock shrimp". It was about half an inch, white with a brown stripe, with filtering fans. It was not that active, not that good looking either.

This shrimp I placed in a 10 gallon with a CT betta and a pair of guppies. In less than a month it went missing. I did gravel vac and searched the whole tank and couldn't find it. Once in awhile I would find molted shell. I assumed it was just from before the betta ate the shrimp.

After changed my substrate from white to black gravel, this morning I found another molted shell. So I checked my HOB and found the little guy. Nearly 2 inches and a nice red color.:grinyes: It's been living there for about 3-4 months!

No idea how it ended up in there, since it was too big to get sucked into the filter.

 

[Nolapete]

Looks like you hit the right spot. Shrimp are inverts.

That's very cool. I'm sure he was glad you found him. Or maybe not since he probably got trapped in there after an escape attempt.

How about a pic so we can help you identify him?

 

[pixl8r]

They (filter feeding shrimp) climb up into them, I've seen it happen. I've had them do that too, and unfortunately one of mine died on top of my filter media. They do it because they have the urge to move towards places of high water flow.

To keep them out, I took a piece of acrylic and glued it to the filter so that there's only an 1/8th of an inch gap. It doesn't impede water flow and keeps the buggers from getting back in.

 

[vampie]

I've never had a problem with mine, though I sometimes do hear about them jumping from the tank or into filters. I keep mine in ideal setups though.

 

[stormomi]

well it seems like it rather lives inside the filter than in my tank. He went missing again. Going to look after I get back from school.

 

[Lansirill]

Do you have a cave or anything for your shrimp to hang out in? Once mine found the PVC cave that I had put in for my GBRs (and they didn't want) he's taken to hanging out around there pretty much all day long, although he comes out at night. He may be going for the HOB just to have an enclosed space.

 

[vampie]

It's more likely that it just jumped into the filter because it was a better feeding ground. I'd have to assume the tank doesn't have the water movement bamboo shrimps need, since there's also a betta in there.

I keep mine in a hillstream tank. They don't jump or hide.

 

[stormomi]

at first I intended this tank to be for a pair of GBR. I guess I'll go look for something to be a cave.

Perhaps lowering the water level to create more water movement? I have a tall plant in front of the HOB, hoping he'll cling onto that and be happy.

 

[vampie]

A lot of people do okay with the "perch next to the filter", it's certainly better than nothing.

 

[pixl8r]

It's more likely that it just jumped into the filter because it was a better feeding ground.

That may be true, but I don't think it's always the answer. In my filter feeder shrimp tank I have a penguin power head on the opposite side of the tank as the HOB filter. When I add food for my other shrimp it gets stirred up right quick. I have a piece of drift wood, and a volcanic rock set close to the power head. The bamboos are usually perched on top of one or the other. Even so, they eventually took a swim up the HOB filter.