How to get the #$@!%$ shrimps out?!

[comebashme]

I think this is a common problem in planted tanks. Cant even spot any of my shrimps other than my female yamatoes... Dun even know if they . Anyone knows how to lure them out?

[PeterGwee]

Food... My yamatoes love tetra tabmins....

Regards
Peter Gwee

[comebashme]

Eh.... No use... Throw in some mashed sweet potatoes but only managed to get the female yamatoes to run ard. Bought 20+ shrimps but only saw 6 yamatoes, 2 rednose and 1 malayan. Dunno if my golden AE attacked them. Other than that fish, I have cardinals and borneo suckers. I miss my shrimps...

[hwchoy]

how do you know they are females?

[Nicky]

I think this is a common problem in planted tanks. Cant even spot any of my shrimps other than my female yamatoes... Dun even know if they . Anyone knows how to lure them out?

I think the appearance of shrimps in your tank has to do with at least the 2 following factors:

1. The number of shrimps as compared to the size of the tank. Obviously if one put alot of shrimps in a tank he/she is bound to see more shrimps than if he/she puts just a few given the same size tank.

2. Potential predator. In my first ever planted setup, I only have cardinals and few SAE + otos and my yamatos are like kings when comes to meal time. They literally rob the food from the fish-mouth. Now that I have loaches I hardly see any shrimps in my tank even though I know that some survived because I get to see them during re-scaping.

[Justikanz]

I understand how you feel, comebashme, I never see my yamato and cherry shrimps in my 4ft tank... Till I decide to finally start the re-scape... After removing near 50% of the plants to be removed, the yamatos start to appear... 1 VERY red cherry also started appearing... Think they are just hiding... Now I am afraid that the exposure is killing the cherry shrimp...

[comebashme]

Hahaha. The last time they all came out was in protest when I accidentally spilled some medicine for the cardinals into the tank. All decided to gather in the middle of the tank. The only thing they din have were plycards. Anyway, threw them into 'jail' in my small tank while waiting for the medication to expire.

[comebashme]

how do you know they are females?

Well, read from mikes-machine's webbie on how to identify female yamatoes. I think they gave birth to 1 batch coz i noticed small larvae wiggling near my HG when i shone a torchlight in while looking for dead fish. The next day, all became fish food

[jtean]

it takes a bit of time for the shrimpies to come out. my took about 2mths b4 they start to roam around with ease. I must agree that food is one thing that they will definitely hunt. My yamatos is only visible when it is feeding time.