FAQs on Freshwater Crustaceans: Gammarus
(Scuds)
Related Articles: Forget
Crawfish Pie, Let's Make a Crawfish Tank! By Gage
Harford, Freshwater to Brackish
Crabs by Bob Fenner, Terrestrial Hermit
Crabs, Invertebrates for Freshwater Aquariums by
Neale Monks,
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& & FAQs on:
FW Crustacean Identification,
FW Crustacean
Behavior, FW Crustacean
Compatibility, FW Crustacean
Selection, FW Crustacean
Systems, FW Crustacean Feeding,
FW Crustacean Disease, FW Crustacean Reproduction &
Small Freshwater Crustaceans Groups, by Genus:
Triops, the Daphnia (Water Fleas), Cyclops, & Crustacean Selection,
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Shrimp, FW Crabs,
Terrestrial Hermit Crabs, &
Marine Hermit ID,
Hermit Behavior, Hermit Compatibility, Hermit Selection, Hermit Systems, Hermit Feeding, Hermit Reproduction, Hermit Disease/Health, &
Crayfish FAQs, Crayfish 2, Crayfish ID, Crayfish Behavior, Crayfish Compatibility, Crayfish Selection, Crayfish Systems, Crayfish Feeding, Crayfish Disease, Crayfish Reproduction,
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Are these Gammarus shrimp? 6/2/16
Hello wonderfully helpful people!
<Howsit Sab?>
I turned on my light in my 10 gallon freshwater tank today and was greeted
with the sight of tiny crustaceans zipping around that most definitely
should not be in there. They're brown and tiny, only about 3/16 of an inch.
I've managed to catch 4 into a container, but there's at least a couple
more. After scouring the web I came to the conclusion that they seem to be
Gammarus shrimp, but would like your expert opinion.
<I do think this is Gammarus as well>
Provided that they are Gammarus shrimp, should I put them back in the tank
or should they be removed?
<I'd keep them as useful scavengers. Neat animals>
Thank you very much!
-Sabrina
<Welcome! Bob Fenner>
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Re: Are these Gammarus shrimp? 6/2/16
Hello Bob!
Is there a chance of them taking over the tank or harming my Pygmy cories?
They're kind of freaky looking.
-Sabrina
<Not much chance of either; however if the Corydoras or other egg-laying
fishes were spawning, these might be consumed. BobF>
Re: Are these Gammarus shrimp? 6/2/16
I was hoping the Corydoras would spawn but I read that these shrimp hide in
the substrate and can't be eradicated,
<Mmm; well... can be... by chemical means... Poisons that target
Arthropods... And to some degree via purposeful predators>
so I suppose that dream is out the window. I guess I'll return them back to
the tank then and let them eat the detritus. Thank you for your help once
again!
-Sabrina
<Cheers, BobF>
Re: Are these Gammarus shrimp? 6/7/16
Yikes I definitely don't want to use poisons. Is it common for tanks to acquire
a variety of tiny crustaceans?
<Yes; healthy ones do quite often. Especially if stocked with live plants>
After finding the shrimp I looked much more closely at my tank and noticed a
tiny white dot, smaller than a grain of salt, swimming towards a moss ball and
climbing up it. When I sucked up the shrimp I also sucked up little round black
thing smaller than the white thing that swims around rather erratically. If this
is normal I definitely don't mind having a nice varied ecosystem going.
-Sabrina
<I am of the same philosophy, practice. Perhaps an inexpensive microscope is in
your future? Fascinating fun.
Bob Fenner>
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Re: Zoa and Amphipod Problems...
Unrelated 3/21/07 Hello Mich I'm back
again.. <Doug, it's been so long, what 24 hours,
maybe more! Hee!> I'm seeing something very
similar in my freshwater planted tanks as well.. They look similar
to the ones in my SW tank just smaller.. Maybe .125" compared
to .2-.4" in my SW tank.. These fw ones will eat
pellets, cutup shrimp and catfish fillets.. They also
like to rip moss to shreds.. This pic is of one tearing the fronds
off of a piece of moss.. A friend took this
pic.. <WOW! A great macro shot!> Are
they similar? <Likely so.> Do you think there is
a chance that the SW ones might eat meatier foods like the fw ones
do? <Yes, they are detritivores... eat waste... dead
foods, not living corals, thought they may appear to be as they
will stealing food and cleaning waste from corals.> Thank you in
advance for any info.. <You're welcome! -Mich>
Doug Again I'm attaching a link to the pic because I don't
know how to resize.. http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c306/fishnfst/gammashrimppic-1.jpg
<This is a fine option. And again a wonderful photo,
kudos to your friend!> |
A Gammarid beauty!
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