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Will my rams eat my shrimp.

I had a huge number of cherries. My tank is fairly jungle like:

fc367b7743ef6c9b9d6f7940321b2362.jpg


Pretty sure these guys are responsible for their disappearance:

41497b55f0c59e7597df12b5b606cc75.jpg


337f7237bb4fbfd8375eb1e33f5782de.jpg


I could still find shrimp in there but would need to turn over rocks etc.

Re the sex of your fish. We need some close ups of the fins. They are probably a bit young to tell 100% at the moment


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I had a huge number of cherries. My tank is fairly jungle like:

fc367b7743ef6c9b9d6f7940321b2362.jpg


Pretty sure these guys are responsible for their disappearance:

41497b55f0c59e7597df12b5b606cc75.jpg


337f7237bb4fbfd8375eb1e33f5782de.jpg


I could still find shrimp in there but would need to turn over rocks etc.

Re the sex of your fish. We need some close ups of the fins. They are probably a bit young to tell 100% at the moment


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nice looking tank is that. How many rams have you got? I will get another little tank for cherrys only I think. I will get a few close up pics thanks for the replys guys.
 
General rule of thumb with nature, try everything once. If it fits in an animals mouth, gains some nutritional value from it, doesn't taste awful or poisons it or the energy used doesn't out weigh the energy spent catching it then it becomes dinner. Problem is reproduction takes time feeding doesn't, as fast as shrimp like to breed you would struggle to get something breeding faster than something feeding. With a tank full of small fish the young shrimp only need to survive get to a size where a small fish can't tackle it, some will and some won't. As you add bigger fish the survival rate keeps on diminishing until you hit a point where there are fewer survivors and less breeding and the shrimps chances of survival go down and down and the ones that are big enough to survive the fish drops through natural deaths until the colony collapses.

For best chance the colony needs to be massive to start with and the fish added later. Adding shrimp to a tank of fish immediately tells them food because usually when the fish see you adding something to the tank it is food, for them to see something bright coloured added by you to the tank they immediately make the food connection especially when it's moving. That's why breeders use live food to get young fry eating. The fact it's moving and fits in its mouth is a trigger to chase it down.

You could keep the fish well fed as well. Fish not being hungry makes it less worth while chasing a shrimp down. Rams and Tetras though are quite active feeders, after a good feed you could go back an hour later and they will take food again. Maybe because they come from warmer water and their metabolism runs quicker so they eat little and often, not sure.

Having said all that some fish seem to acquire the taste, probably because they tried once and it paid off then there's no turning back. I've had Betta that would spend all of the day hunting down shrimp but then again I've seen people with shrimp and Betta together and the Betta are totally uninterested. They just check them out then leave them be.
 
General rule of thumb with nature, try everything once. If it fits in an animals mouth, gains some nutritional value from it, doesn't taste awful or poisons it or the energy used doesn't out weigh the energy spent catching it then it becomes dinner. Problem is reproduction takes time feeding doesn't, as fast as shrimp like to breed you would struggle to get something breeding faster than something feeding. With a tank full of small fish the young shrimp only need to survive get to a size where a small fish can't tackle it, some will and some won't. As you add bigger fish the survival rate keeps on diminishing until you hit a point where there are fewer survivors and less breeding and the shrimps chances of survival go down and down and the ones that are big enough to survive the fish drops through natural deaths until the colony collapses.

For best chance the colony needs to be massive to start with and the fish added later. Adding shrimp to a tank of fish immediately tells them food because usually when the fish see you adding something to the tank it is food, for them to see something bright coloured added by you to the tank they immediately make the food connection especially when it's moving. That's why breeders use live food to get young fry eating. The fact it's moving and fits in its mouth is a trigger to chase it down.

You could keep the fish well fed as well. Fish not being hungry makes it less worth while chasing a shrimp down. Rams and Tetras though are quite active feeders, after a good feed you could go back an hour later and they will take food again. Maybe because they come from warmer water and their metabolism runs quicker so they eat little and often, not sure.

Having said all that some fish seem to acquire the taste, probably because they tried once and it paid off then there's no turning back. I've had Betta that would spend all of the day hunting down shrimp but then again I've seen people with shrimp and Betta together and the Betta are totally uninterested. They just check them out then leave them be.
Thanks for the reply, I have about 150 cherrys already and added the 2 rams yesterday. I have just found a adult cherry dead. Doesn't look like it has been eaten at. Could this be down to the rams. Would you say a 150 strong colony will survive against the 2 rams.
 
Could go either way that mate. With 150 all you can do is look for the colony getting less and less visible and if you have to setup a small shrimp tank if it's not looking good. The dead shrimp could be just one of them things. In a colony 150 strong sooner or later an adult is going to pop its clogs at some point. I have maybe 50 or so in a 50ltr with some corys and endlers which aren't known for attacking fully grown shrimp and I see a dead one floating past this morning. Couldn't fish it out because it got stuck down in some weeds so the other shrimp will just feast on it.

In my case with the bettas they seemed to hunt them more for fun than food. If they managed to catched one they seemed to kill it but not eat it. I would imagine shrimp are a bit of a PITA for a fish to eat, it has go to get the shell off it at some point to make it a tasty morsel or get anything worth eating. Maybe if a fish kills one but then can't really get anything out of it nutritionally they may learn its's not worth the hassle. Depends how much the fish just loves hunting and chasing I would say but if they are well fed it keeps them interested in other things that are worth chasing.
 
Could go either way that mate. With 150 all you can do is look for the colony getting less and less visible and if you have to setup a small shrimp tank if it's not looking good. The dead shrimp could be just one of them things. In a colony 150 strong sooner or later an adult is going to pop its clogs at some point. I have maybe 50 or so in a 50ltr with some corys and endlers which aren't known for attacking fully grown shrimp and I see a dead one floating past this morning. Couldn't fish it out because it got stuck down in some weeds so the other shrimp will just feast on it.

In my case with the bettas they seemed to hunt them more for fun than food. If they managed to catched one they seemed to kill it but not eat it. I would imagine shrimp are a bit of a PITA for a fish to eat, it has go to get the shell off it at some point to make it a tasty morsel or get anything worth eating. Maybe if a fish kills one but then can't really get anything out of it nutritionally they may learn its's not worth the hassle. Depends how much the fish just loves hunting and chasing I would say but if they are well fed it keeps them interested in other things that are worth chasing.
I will keep an eye on the colony over the next couple of weeks, then if I need to will buy a 30 litre or so tank and have a shrimp only tank.
 
Just an update took the rams bk. I was loosing to many shrimp. Instead got 20 black neon tetras. Just found one of the with half a shrimp in its mouth. Would this shrimp already of been dead? Or do these guys hunt down shrimp? I already have a massive shoal of cardinal and blue neon tetras and they are fine with my shrimp. Any help would be great thanks guys.
 
The Rams probably killed it mate.

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Just an update took the rams bk. I was loosing to many shrimp. Instead got 20 black neon tetras. Just found one of the with half a shrimp in its mouth. Would this shrimp already of been dead? Or do these guys hunt down shrimp? I already have a massive shoal of cardinal and blue neon tetras and they are fine with my shrimp. Any help would be great thanks guys.

Hi
anything that is being chased (injured) and darting arround will send signals to all your fish that dinner is served.It will surprise me greatly if the rest of your fish stay put.Hurry up with the new tank as U will need to get the cycling going before moving the shrimps in;)
Regards Konsa
 
Hi
anything that is being chased (injured) and darting arround will send signals to all your fish that dinner is served.It will surprise me greatly if the rest of your fish stay put.Hurry up with the new tank as U will need to get the cycling going before moving the shrimps in;)
Regards Konsa
So basically any type of fish will have a pop at the cherrys?
 
You're usually safe with otos and shrimp :) tbh I've found most of my fish in my community tank go for the shrimp when they're first introduced to the tank (the fish that is) and then slowly lose interest over time.
I probably feed them too well and they've become lazy :lol:
 
Hi
+1 for the ottos.absolutely shrimp safe.
It depends on your fish personality too.Usually if it can fit in a fish mouth is considered food.U may have some shrimps left but they will be hiding more and U will barely notice them probably.
I have SAP puffers living happily with amano shrimp while their favourite food is live (frozen) mysis shrimp. Crazy things happen all the time.
Regards Konsa
 
You're usually safe with otos and shrimp :) tbh I've found most of my fish in my community tank go for the shrimp when they're first introduced to the tank (the fish that is) and then slowly lose interest over time.
I probably feed them too well and they've become lazy :lol:
So once my black neons get used to the shrimp. They won't go for them. I havnt seen them go for them as of yet. I'm hoping the shrimp one of them had in its mouth was already dead from the rams. None of my blue neons or cardinal tetras go for my shrimp they are fine with them.
 
Hi
Keep monitoring the tank.Usually tetras U have are ok with cherries.Your RAMs may not be homicidal maniacs and may leave them alone in time too.
Its more about sudden and erratic shrimp movements that may provoke feeding instinct kicking in from your other fish.
The video PAYN3Y posted illustrated it very well.
Usually with strong established colony few losses will not make a dent.
Regards Konsa
 
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Hi
Keep monitoring the tank.Usually tetras U have are ok with cherries.Your RAMs may not be homicidal maniacs and may leave them alone in time too.
Its more about sudden and erratic shrimp movements that may provoke feeding instinct kicking in from your other fish.
The video PAYN3Y posted illustrated it very well.
Usually with strong established colony few losses will not make a dent.
Regards Konsa
Thanks konsa, I have took the rams bk. So only have tetras now. Why do the shrimp move like that?
 
Its more about sudden and erratic shrimp movements that may provoke feeding instinct kicking in from your other fish.

Even with my endlers sometimes if they investigate a small sized shrimp the shrimp will have a little panic attack and dart about in different directions unsure whether the endler is going to have a go or not. Instinct kicks in and the endler will dart about about trying to catch it. Only lasts a second then they both realise it's not happening and wander off to do something else.
 
Here a few pics of my tank to see if there are enough hiding spaces for my baby cherrys. I have a load of neons they can fit my baby cheerys in there mouths. But they don't bother with them.


loving the 3rd photo... could you take some more photos? its how i am thinking of setting my 4ft up like.

where did you get the rocks and stones?

beautiful tank
 
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