# Shrimps eating moss



## Glaucus (Oct 11, 2009)

A while ago i introduced two moss species (spiky & taiwan) to my tank. New growth had their leaves stripped, leaving behind the stems. I thought conditions were just not right for the moss. But later i found some moss in a hard to reach place, flourishing. So something must be feeding on it. Im almost certain that this must be due to the new shrimps i added feeding on it. I used to grow moss beautifully with an army of red cherry shrimps. The shrimps i introduced after this are black bee shrimps. Are these known to feed on moss? And is there a way to keep them from shredding the moss?


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## SHWAGert (Nov 10, 2011)

All shrimp are known to eat moss, CBS (bee shrimp) included. Many shrimp keepers will keep moss in the tank to supplement feeding for the shrimp. Shrimp being scavengers, it sounds like they are hungry and eating your moss. If you want to limit this moss eating, you need to increase your feeding ever so slightly.


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## Morgan (Jun 28, 2011)

My CRS prefer the biofilm from the substrate, where my yellow(cherry) are scraping from plant surfaces. It may look like they are eating mosses, but usually dwarf shrimp just scrape the day's bio growth off surface.


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## TarantulaGuy (Apr 15, 2009)

I've never seen my cherries eating moss, and I have a couple hundred in a 10 gallon. My moss thrives. The only thing I've seen them do is graze the biofilm off it. I even had to take 99% of the moss out one time due to a utricularia infestation. With barely any moss and an army of shrimp the moss still took over again.


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## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

Ya mine graze the moss never eating. I so say maybe your under feeding your shrimps?
So what, how much and often do you feed them?


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## Glaucus (Oct 11, 2009)

ATM i keep only a small selection maybe 10 BCS and some more cherries. I supplement them with wafers a couple of times a week. This should be enough. We dont want them to become lazy now do we :bored:. They do have to compete with some bottom dwellers though, i will see if i can separate the feeding zones.

I have not seen cherries eating moss but all was fine until i introduced the slightly bigger BCS lurking around the moss, snapping away. Worse, i noticed parts missing- and zigzag patterns on the edges of developing anubias leaves for a couple of times now.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

What bottom dwellers are they "competing" with? Dwarf shrimp are nowhere near big enough to damage something as tough as an Anubias leaf, but rasping fish can (i.e. plecos, whiptails, other various algae eating species).

I have tons of shrimp (including crystals and their larger cousins C. breviata), and tons of moss, they get along just fine. The only moss-munchers in my collection are the crayfish...


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## XMX (Feb 17, 2011)

Wow. I've never had a problem with any of my shrimps eating moss or plants. Are you sure the plants are not just suffering from nutrient deficiency?


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## Glaucus (Oct 11, 2009)

The shrimps are accompanied by a group of corydoras. The only fish capable of eating the moss is the siamese algae eater (suspect #2) but as stated i did not have a problem before the BCS were added. I am thinking of dropping in a new fresh batch of moss and watch it closely. See what monster comes out.

I could clearly feel and see the jagged edge (precision angular cut) of the remaining anubias leaf. The damage is done when the leaf is still folded up when its fresh and soft. It becomes really apparent when its fully grown. At this point it remains untouched. I am not aware of a deficiency that causes a jagged edge on a leaf that is otherwise looking fine. I did not take a picture of it, next time i will.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

I'd put my money on the SAE - they're notorious for nibbling on moss.


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## Polarize (Jun 28, 2011)

I highly doubt it was the shrimps, unless maybe the moss was already decaying or something along those lines. As the others have said, shrimp typically just eat the biofilm on the moss, not the moss itself.


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