Is my big shrimp eating my smaller shrimp?

Question

I have a FW tank with a big shrimp(i think its called a bamboo shrimp) and a few smaller shrimp (not sure what they are called, but they are at full size at about 1-2 inches). Some of them are missing.

Answer 1

yes.
they r cannibals. cannibles eat their youngs. if you want to stop it just feed them enough so they wont have to eat the small shrimps.
hope u found the solution.
dont forget to pay me ten points.

Answer 2

What does a shrimp eat?
When shrimp are still small (smaller than 1 cm), they do not live at the bottom of the sea; but float around in the water. They will mainly eat small plants and animals that are also floating around in the water. These small plants and animals are called plankton. Shrimp, however, grow quite fast (after a year they are usually 4 cm long) and they already live at the bottom of the sea. They also have started to eat a larger variety of food and more and more often they search for other small animals as food. Especially when it is dark, they will search for small mud shrimp, very small shellfish and worms. Shrimp even regard a dead crab or fish as a lovely meal. Smaller shrimp and shrimp that have just moulted (exchanged their shells) also have to be very alert to make sure that they do not meet hungry large shrimp because they eat each other (real cannibals!). As you see, shrimp are not too selective. That is why they are also called the great cleaners of the sea. Finding food in the muddy water of the Waddenzee is a difficult enterprise for shrimp. That is why they do not use their eyes to find food but they find it using their great sense of smell. Shrimp do not have noses like many animals on land but have a number of feelers on their heads with which they can smell very well. These feelers also help shrimp detect where exactly the aroma of the tasty snack is coming from.

Answer 3

Bamboo shrimp (aka wood shrimp) do not eat other shrimp. They are filter feeders by way of the little fans they have on their front legs.

I keep them myself and have never had any problem with them even touching another shrimp or fish in their tank. I have five different kinds of freshwater shrimp and only the red clawed shrimp are agressive, and only the males have pinchers that could catch another fish or shrimp. They are starting to breed and I now have some shrimpelettes (?) in the tank that the adults are not bothering.

What is probably happening is other fish in the tank are eating them or they are just dying and decomposing somewhere out of sight.

Answer 4

Many species of crustations are opertunistic feeders and not above canableizim. Especialy when another is molting its shell. (wich smaller shrimp do more often and larger shrimp do less) Provide more places for them to hide in and burrow under so this doent happen. It ushally take about 3 days for the new carpace(shell) to harden and most crustations will create a litte cave burrow or lock them selves inside a seashell to shed. This may also happen when claiming domenancy( a fight to the deth) or just for fun/food. some speciecs of fish enjoy shrimp meals too.

Answer 5

Bamboo shrimp dont usually eat other shrimp. Chances are the small shrimp you have are ghost shrimp and they've been crawling or jumping out. Same thing happens to me and my tanks. i get all these ghost shrimp both for food(my fish love them) and for decoration(they're funny). But they jump out and it hurts when you step on their dead, dried up bodies. They're sharp.

So dont say that your bamboo shrimp is eating them yet, as bamboo shrimp are 'filter feeders'. Good luck finding the culprits. PS- fish may be eating them or they may be hiding.

Answer 6

I got hungry and sauteed them in a little butter and garlic. Sorry.