I have kept shrimp for a while now, but after buying a new lot yesterday I've started questioning some of their behaviour.
Firstly, what is normal behaviour for cherry or amano shrimp? My amano shrimp move around and play in the currents a LOT, but it seems about half of my cherry shrimps just sit there not doing much. I'm not sure which are acting 'normally', any ideas?!
Secondly, my oldest amano shrimp is around two inches long, and I never used to take much notice to his behaviour after moulting. He moulted yesterday (he didn't eat it, but he never does) but I've noticed he's not eating at all today, but he isn't hiding either. Is this normal? Should he either be out in the open eating or hiding somewhere not doing anything?
Thirdly, one of my cherry shrimps is hiding deep in the roots of one of my plants, not moving at all. She is one of the new few shrimps that I purchased yesterday, and she has been very inactive the whole time, although for the last few hours she has stayed basically completely still within the roots, arching her 'back' quite significantly; is she waiting to moult, or is she ill/distressed?
I've kept shrimp for a while but never questioned their behaviour because a) I don't spend hours observing them, and b) they all acted the same anyway. Now that they are all acting differently to each other, I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not!
Here is a picture of the female cherry who's hiding:
View attachment 197547
Firstly, what is normal behaviour for cherry or amano shrimp? My amano shrimp move around and play in the currents a LOT, but it seems about half of my cherry shrimps just sit there not doing much. I'm not sure which are acting 'normally', any ideas?!
Secondly, my oldest amano shrimp is around two inches long, and I never used to take much notice to his behaviour after moulting. He moulted yesterday (he didn't eat it, but he never does) but I've noticed he's not eating at all today, but he isn't hiding either. Is this normal? Should he either be out in the open eating or hiding somewhere not doing anything?
Thirdly, one of my cherry shrimps is hiding deep in the roots of one of my plants, not moving at all. She is one of the new few shrimps that I purchased yesterday, and she has been very inactive the whole time, although for the last few hours she has stayed basically completely still within the roots, arching her 'back' quite significantly; is she waiting to moult, or is she ill/distressed?
I've kept shrimp for a while but never questioned their behaviour because a) I don't spend hours observing them, and b) they all acted the same anyway. Now that they are all acting differently to each other, I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not!
Here is a picture of the female cherry who's hiding:
View attachment 197547