Well, I was checking out my 29G Biocube and in the back corner I saw a little pile of tiny MTS and pond snail shells. The pile was where I put a piece of zucchini. The zucchini was covered with tiny snails for a few days. I noticed the Ghost Shrimp hangin around the zucchini picking off the tiny pinhead snails. Is this normal Ghostie behavior?
My Ghosties are snail killers!
- Thread starter frigginchi
- Start date
You wouldn't happen to accidently have an assassin snail you put in there? I wouldn't doubt the ghosties but i've never heard first hand of shrimp killing snails....
Ive witnessed ghost shrimp assasination of snails... its really interesting... but they will only take on snails smaller than them strangely enough
Many types of ghost shrimp are carnivorous. There are some ghost shrimp that grow large enough to catch and eat small fish like neons, so I believe them eating snails.
I have not only seen mine kill and eat small snails but baby cherry shrimp! It's cool but put a big dent in my snail population!
I've not seen them eating MTS or any other type of snail with an operculum- but yes, I've witnessed my ghosties eating bladder snails before.
Mine are just a common Palaemonetes sold as ghost shrimp most places- nothing fancy. Definately not one of the macrobrachium species that are infamous for eating snails and fish.
Funny thing is- I've only witnessed snail-eating behaviour from females- I also believe it to be a learned behaviour- not all females eat snails- just certain individuals.
Mine are just a common Palaemonetes sold as ghost shrimp most places- nothing fancy. Definately not one of the macrobrachium species that are infamous for eating snails and fish.
Funny thing is- I've only witnessed snail-eating behaviour from females- I also believe it to be a learned behaviour- not all females eat snails- just certain individuals.
FYI:
Other snail killers I've witnessed in action. Cajun Dwarf Crayfish (cambarellus shufeldtii) - I've witnessed these attacking small snails before... including baby spixis.
and... as a lead in the other snail killers... Spixis. I occasionally witness Spixis attacking other snails- but like the Ghost shrimp, I've never seen them attacking anything with an operculum.
I have seen the young Spixis attacking Ramshorns that are bigger than themselves though.
Other snail killers I've witnessed in action. Cajun Dwarf Crayfish (cambarellus shufeldtii) - I've witnessed these attacking small snails before... including baby spixis.
and... as a lead in the other snail killers... Spixis. I occasionally witness Spixis attacking other snails- but like the Ghost shrimp, I've never seen them attacking anything with an operculum.
I have seen the young Spixis attacking Ramshorns that are bigger than themselves though.
