injured shrimp due to cannibalistic tendencies

[sam]

recently I found one of my shrimps eating at another, I have since isolated the injured one and upped the amount of food being given to them. what should i do with the injured RCS? how long will it take to heal?

[sdlTBfanUK]

Thats a new one on me, I have seen them eat dead ones but never a live one! Be careful not to overfeed as a reaction as that could put them all at risk? I don't think they heal as such like some crabs that grow back, if it is badly injured it may be better to euthonize it!

Simon

[jayc]

1 hour ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

I don't think they heal as such

Not true. Shrimps that have lost all their legs can grow them back.

 

On 9/2/2019 at 7:15 PM, sam said:

what should i do with the injured RCS? how long will it take to heal?

Keep them safe from being attacked again. Separate it. Get a breeder cage, those are great for holding sick shrimp too.

It depends on where the shrimp is injured.

As I said above, legs and antennae can grow back.

 

Try feeding your shrimps frozen blood worms, that you can get at any aquarium. Sounds like your shrimp need some protein in the form of meat.

Edited September 3, 2019 by jayc

[sdlTBfanUK]

I didn't realise they grew legs back like some crabs can, good to learn something new.

I am reading the 'invertebrates' book at the moment and lots of crayfish seem to eat each other if they don't get enough protein as JayC states!

Simon

[sam]

1 hour ago, jayc said:

It depends on where the shrimp is injured.

shes injured between the the carapace and the abdomen, I've separated the shrimp and shes looking a bit better, a breeder cage is a good idea 

can I get some recommendations on food? i have been feeding them a bottom feeder pellet recommended to me  by another shrimp keeper that is high in protein but my shrimp just don't seem that interested and would rather scavenge.

thanks for your help!

2 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

 it may be better to euthonize it!

that would have been my first instinct, let nature take its course and all that, but shes one of my favorites so I'm willing to go a little further for her

what foods would you recommend? i have high protein bottom feeder pellet I've been feeding them but they don't seem that interested in it 

thanks for your help

Edited September 3, 2019 by sam
forgot to say thank you

[sdlTBfanUK]

Shrimp king make a food Protein and as JayC says bloodworm. I use the tetra bloodworm in a tube for my betta if you don't want frozen, though depending where you are it may not be available in your country.

https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/snacks-for-fish/2116-tetra-fresh-delica-bloodworms-80g-tube-4004218259249.html?search_query=freshdelica&results=6

Is this a newly set up tank as mine don't touch food yet but just graze as there must be enough biofilm to keep them happy in the tank that is 3 months set up.

Simon

[sam]

1 minute ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

 

Is this a newly set up tank as mine don't touch food yet but just graze as there must be enough biofilm to keep them happy in the tank that is 3 months set up.

 

it is a new tank yeah, less than 2 months old (not including cycling)

[sdlTBfanUK]

You sound the same as me as my 3 months included a month cycling so shrimp have been in the tank 2 months also. At the moment they won't touch any food, or cooked vegetables and I assume it is because there is enough biofilm to keep the (maybe) 10 shrimp fed. Adding another 10 shrimps today so that may change if there isn't enough for them all but I will have to wait and see?

Simon

[sam]

Just now, sdlTBfanUK said:

. Adding another 10 shrimps today so that may change if there isn't enough for them all but I will have to wait and see?

 

i went from 10 to around 20 the other day due to a gift from a friend and haven't noticed any change in the feeding habits, most were juveniles/shrimplets though so wait and see i guess  

[sdlTBfanUK]

What size aquarium is it and what type of shrimp are you keeping in it?

Simon

sorry I realised you said RCS. What sort of setup have you got?

Edited September 3, 2019 by sdlTBfanUK

[kms]

I've had a shrimp eaten alive when I started keeping shrimps back in November, it was eaten in the stomach, the chances of it surviving is slim, so I wouldn't waste time doing anything.

[sam]

7 minutes ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

What size aquarium is it and what type of shrimp are you keeping in it?

Simon

sorry I realised you said RCS. What sort of setup have you got?

its a 5 gal that's been heavily planted, here's a photo https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LrXAm09zZeSGdshppbzUXjIb-kyd4jLS/view?usp=sharing 

the one that's been injured is closer to a fire red than a RCS but the rest are low/mid grade 

yourself?

[sdlTBfanUK]

Your tank looks great and very well laid out, shrimps will love it in there. It is similar size to mine so it is interesting that IF you cycled for a month and then added shrimp we both have the same happening. Probably the biofilm/algae in that size tank should be enough for 10 shrimps and it would have built up whilst the tank was empty of shrimps in the cycle period! 

My tank is soil substrate with bee shrimps and lots of hideous algae but I am hoping that will clear itself. I haven't had that problem before?

If you are going shopping for food, I would also get some 'baby' food as well for when you get newborns, it is usually a powder and I use the chi ebi. I think most people (me included) don't clean the back (or sides) of the glass inside the tank as that biofilm is good for the shrimps (especially babies) to eat, though it doesn't look very attractive? Always feed a lot less than the manufacturers recommend as overfeeding will kill shrimps and is probably the most common problem.

Hope the injured one recovers!

Simon

[jayc]

12 hours ago, sam said:

 i have been feeding them a bottom feeder pellet recommended to me  by another shrimp keeper that is high in protein but my shrimp just don't seem that interested and would rather scavenge.

Shrimp that are new to the tank will be slow in accepting processed foods especially when there is biofilm available. They will eventually learn to eat pellets when they get hungry. But don't wait in getting the bloodworms however. 

Note: Protein you  find in pellets foods is never going to be as good as the protein from meaty products like bloodworms. (Don't feed them steak though, LOL). Drop a pinch of bloodworms into the tank and watch them fight for it. Bloodworms are especially good for shrimp before they moult and breed. The female shrimps need the protein much more and their chances of a recovery is much faster after moulting/breeding/laying eggs.

Don't be too hung up on only feeding pellets and bought foods. The occasional kitchen vege scraps can be washed, blanched and fed to shrimps too. Look around your garden for leaves and flowers. Mulberry leaves are a favourite of shrimps. If you don't have a mulberry near by, look for Oak leaves that have dropped for Autumn. Flowers like roses, hibiscus, dandelions, nasturtiums, and almost any flower can be fed fresh by just dropping it in the tank as long as you know no pesticides have been sprayed on it. I'll bet you these veges, flowers and leaves have more nutrition than processed foods. The added bonus, flowers for example, have antibacterial and antifungal properties. And flowers have an abundance of vitamins and minerals, flowers also contain a huge amounts of carotenoids and flavonoids compared to leaves. Specifically, Crytoxanthin, Zeaxanthin and Lutein which is obviously lacking in the leaves. These carotenoids enhance the colour of shrimps. 

Have a read of the food & nutrition forum for a lot more ideas on foods you can use. https://skfaquatics.com/forum/forums/forum/44-food-nutrition/

@sam, if you add in your location in your profile, we might be able to give you better advise on foods based on your location.

[sam]

3 hours ago, jayc said:

 

 if you add in your location in your profile, we might be able to give you better advise on foods based on your location.

I'm from Perth and there's a mulberry tree around the corner, do the leaves need to be dried first or are they best put in fresh?

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by sam

[sdlTBfanUK]

I will try bloodworm myself today, it never occurred to me for shrimps, but I have it for the betta.

Try and always use leaves or other food that has no pesticides or pollution on it as that could kill the shrimps.

Simon

[jayc]

On 9/4/2019 at 11:36 AM, sam said:

do the leaves need to be dried first or are they best put in fresh?

With mulberry leaves, either method is just as good.

Dried leaves last longer and can be left in the tank. Fresh leaves have higher nutrition.

So alternate the two. With fresh leaves you can drop them in fresh, but the shrimp won't eat them until it goes soft. So it's great for feeding when you go on holiday. Or you can blanch the fresh leaf and drop it into the tank, the shrimps will eat that sooner. Dried leaves are also good for when you go away.

 

On 9/4/2019 at 5:10 PM, sdlTBfanUK said:

I will try bloodworm myself today, it never occurred to me for shrimps

It's on my shrimps staple diet for a while now. You should try it.Don't put too much in however, just enough for one per shrimp.

Edited September 5, 2019 by jayc

[Steensj2004]

7 hours ago, jayc said:

With mulberry leaves, either method is just as good.

Dried leaves last longer and can be left in the tank. Fresh leaves have higher nutrition.

So alternate the two. With fresh leaves you can drop them in fresh, but the shrimp won't eat them until it goes soft. So it's great for feeding when you go in holiday. Or you can blanch the fresh leaf and drop it into the tank, the shrimps will eat that sooner. Dried leaves are also good for when you go away.

 

It's on my shrimps staple diet for a while now. You should try it.Don't put too much in however, just enough for one per shrimp.

Dried, frozen, or live bloodworms? I should pick some up.

[sdlTBfanUK]

Probably best to just put a small amount of the bloodworm in first and see if the shrimp eat it otherwise it will pollute the water too much! My shrimp wandered passed it but weren't interested but the snails seem to be feasting on it so it wasn't a waste.

Simon

[jayc]

7 hours ago, Steensj2004 said:

Dried, frozen, or live bloodworms?

Frozen bloodworms.