shrimp?

[fishymissy]

This is going to sound very strange but here goes. My 20g nano is in my bedroom, and as I was getting ready to take a nap (I work nights) I was watching the tank as usual....what better way to fall asleep? Anyway I noticed these small things swimming around underneath a small ledge. Had to get my glasses to make sure I wasn't seeing things, but there they were. These are not copepods or ampipods (sp?), I know what they look like. These are very small about this size --. clear in color with a head and tail. They looked very much like (freshwater) angel fry that I have raised in the past. They swam for all the world like a fish. Able to go forward very fast.
This tank has had a pair of camelback shrimp in the tank in the past....the female was removed last week, I'm still trying to catch the male. The shrimp are in/going in another tank to provide live food for future seahorses. These shrimp have released larvae in the past so I know they have been breeding. I also have had a pair of scissortail gobies (aka dart) in the same tank. The female recently jumped out of the tank :( but in the past they have bred too. Then, I noticed my yellow tail damsel mouthing on something floating in the water, a very small shrimp exoskeleton. Even though this all points to these being shrimp, the swimming behaviour has me stymied. They swim so much like a fish....do juvi shrimp swim like this? I know that when the adult shrimp swim, it's always backwards.....
Sorry this is so long.

[fishymissy]

Update~
These are definitely shrimp. I got a good look at one this morning. It was right by the front of the tank in the light, not under a dark ledge. It has the classic shrimp tail, but the antennae are not fully developed yet, or at least not that I can see. One thing that surprised me was under the ledge they looked clear in color. Even though they still are clear, they have a nice reddish tint to them.
So I guess my next question is has anyone raised camelback shrimp before? Any tips?

[Guy]

Have you looked up Mysid Shrimp to compare against yet? In my experience, shrimp larve swim upside down and are very poor at manuevering. The actions you describe sound more like a tiny mature shrimp.

Guy

[fishymissy]

Thanks for the suggestion Guy, but mysis shrimp are freshwater critters. :(

[Guy]

Originally posted by fishymissy
Thanks for the suggestion Guy, but mysis shrimp are freshwater critters. :(

Yes. That's why I suggested you look up Mysid Shrimp.

[fishymissy]

Whoops!!!
I thought you meant that these were mysis shrimp......sorry!:D

The physical resemblance is there but only because most shrimp look pretty much the same body wise. If I could see one swimming then that would help.
I'm guessing that what I have are not completely like the adults yet. I have no idea how many times they.....what is the word I'm looking for? Not evolve, and morphing sounds like something from Power Rangers....I can't think of it now, but I hope you know what I mean!

[fishymissy]

Another update~

At first I had thought I only had a few, it has now come to my attention that there are at least 30 of them. They are at different sizes too, which I am guessing means that they are from different "batches". I am amazed that they have survived in the tank, especially with the fish in there. I do believe that because I don't skim and I dose DT's it has helped them develop. If anyone has any info or tips I would appreciate it.
Some of the larger ones have started to develop white spots on their head, while the red tint has pretty much stayed the same.