Shrimp feast (nymphoides sp. Taiwan)

[Manisha]

Just as the title suggests... I noticed an Amano tucking in


So I moved her along & saw the damage 🙁


Only to see her return minutes later!


With a buddy!


Damage ensued...

So I guess nnymphoides sp. Taiwan & Amano Shrimp are not a good combination 🙂

Its not like the tank looked that great anyway 😀😀@_@

 

[Mick.Dk]

Nymp. hyd. 'Taiwan' is one of the plants Amano shrimp will attack first, when in shortage of other food (=starving).
Mosses are first in line, too - Vesicularias ( ex. christmas and wheeping) are first to be eaten, followed by Taxiphyllums ( ex. java, spiky and flame).
I have had a carpet of Eleocharis 'mini' disappearing within a few days, but those where a large number of extreemely large Amano's, starving after cleaning up a heavy mess of green algae (= my own fault for not taking them out or feed them proberly).
- notice, that Amano's (and ramshorn snails) often will attack an unhealthy leaf, long before you can actually see the leaf is dying (ex. a leaf that is in transition from emerse to submerse or an old, leaf).........they can somehow "smell" the distress of the leaf. In these cases, new healthy leaves are left untouched.

 

[Manisha]

Nymp. hyd. 'Taiwan' is one of the plants Amano shrimp will attack first, when in shortage of other food (=starving).
Mosses are first in line, too - Vesicularias ( ex. christmas and wheeping) are first to be eaten, followed by Taxiphyllums ( ex. java, spiky and flame).
I have had a carpet of Eleocharis 'mini' disappearing within a few days, but those where a large number of extreemely large Amano's, starving after cleaning up a heavy mess of green algae (= my own fault for not taking them out or feed them proberly).
- notice, that Amano's (and ramshorn snails) often will attack an unhealthy leaf, long before you can actually see the leaf is dying (ex. a leaf that is in transition from emerse to submerse or an old, leaf).........they can somehow "smell" the distress of the leaf. In these cases, new healthy leaves are left untouched.

It seems I need to suplement their diet with more 'veggies' 🙂 I wonder also if they have a preference for particular plant types over others? I mention this as I do have a few more noticeably unhealthy leaves they have not eaten. (I have recently introduced crypts that are struggling a bit).

I noticed this damage this morning & was disappointed, I didn't think the plant was in particularly poor health. I'd added Alternanthera Reineckii 'pink' but didn't expect much as medium requirements for light & co2 means its not really suitable for my low tech tank but it was doing 'ok' & was pleased but perhaps my amanos (which are quite large) know something I don't 🙂

 

[Mick.Dk]

I've managed to grow Alt. rein. in "Low Tech" conditions, too.......but the plant is at it's limit, and therefore Amano's are likely to "smell" distress from it. Mine were struggling a long time but attacked and eaten, finally........both from Amano and ramshorns.
The lifetime of an individual leaf of Nymph. 'Taiwan' is actually quite short, by the way, which is why we see them eaten so often.
- and yes; Amano's (and others) prefere some plants to others........

 

[Manisha]

Thanks for the advice - Its been useful as I would have been baffled as to why they attacked the Alt. rein specifically 🙂

 

[Victor Ng-Thow-Hing]

I can confirm that indeed the Amano shrimp are munching on my Taiwan Nymph. I'm okay with it. The Nymph. in my tank is a fast grower, so it's a nice natural way to trim down the leaves.