Hi all,
I've been reading this forum for a long time and have finally registered so that I can ask a question that has me somewhat perplexed, and quite saddened over the disappearance of one of my 2 fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius). He/she dissappeared from my 10G refugium a day or two ago. There is one good sized piece of LR in the tank, which I have searched, so I don't believe that the shrimp is hiding there. The missing shrimp is the smaller of the pair, which I was hoping would eventually produce eggs. The two shrimp have been living there quite happily for about 3 months. Both have undergone numerous molts, so I presume that they are happy. I have seen very little aggressive behaviour between the two, although the larger one generally wrestles food away from the other. There are no other inhabitants of this tank that could pose a problem-numerous small hermits, and a population of amphipods. So, unless this shrimp mysteriously reappears, I must conclude that he/she was eaten by something else. Can anyone confirm cannibalistic behaviour by this species? I am also suspicous because of concerns I have that the shrimp may not be getting enough food. i generally feed with mysis and/or spirulina. They don't seem to get much of the mysis because it floats and/or gets moved my water flow before it gets eaten. I have also tried table shellfish, with the same problem-floating or gets swept out of reach. They do, however, appear to love the spirulina- is this enough? Can anyone suggest a better feeding technique?
If the smaller shrimp was killed and eaten by the bigger one , i would expect to find remains, but alas, not a trace.
Thanks for any reply and thanks also for all that I have learned from reading this forum over the past year or so.
Hoping that my shrimp comes home
,
Hilary Brown
I've been reading this forum for a long time and have finally registered so that I can ask a question that has me somewhat perplexed, and quite saddened over the disappearance of one of my 2 fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius). He/she dissappeared from my 10G refugium a day or two ago. There is one good sized piece of LR in the tank, which I have searched, so I don't believe that the shrimp is hiding there. The missing shrimp is the smaller of the pair, which I was hoping would eventually produce eggs. The two shrimp have been living there quite happily for about 3 months. Both have undergone numerous molts, so I presume that they are happy. I have seen very little aggressive behaviour between the two, although the larger one generally wrestles food away from the other. There are no other inhabitants of this tank that could pose a problem-numerous small hermits, and a population of amphipods. So, unless this shrimp mysteriously reappears, I must conclude that he/she was eaten by something else. Can anyone confirm cannibalistic behaviour by this species? I am also suspicous because of concerns I have that the shrimp may not be getting enough food. i generally feed with mysis and/or spirulina. They don't seem to get much of the mysis because it floats and/or gets moved my water flow before it gets eaten. I have also tried table shellfish, with the same problem-floating or gets swept out of reach. They do, however, appear to love the spirulina- is this enough? Can anyone suggest a better feeding technique?
If the smaller shrimp was killed and eaten by the bigger one , i would expect to find remains, but alas, not a trace.
Thanks for any reply and thanks also for all that I have learned from reading this forum over the past year or so.
Hoping that my shrimp comes home
,Hilary Brown
