Predatory Scuds Hunting My Baby Shrimp?!

[Jadenlea]

I am confused.. how can everything be gone? Shrimp couldnt kill and eat 20 scuds

[AoxomoxoA]

Originally Posted by xenxes

It can only mean one thing, an EPIC BATTLE ensued in the late of night, where the 20 scuds and 1 rcs attacked and cannibalized each other, until only ONE survivor remained!

Originally Posted by diwu13

I'm pretty sure they all ate each other until none remained except that lone victor. And he's so full from eating all the other inhabitants he's laying on his back.

Definitely this one

[randyl]

I think they all went back to the main tank. These breeder boxes need serious mod to prevent this.

[diwu13]

Originally Posted by Jadenlea

I am confused.. how can everything be gone? Shrimp couldnt kill and eat 20 scuds

No this is very possible. I have zero scuds in all my shrimp tanks because each shrimp can eat 20+ scuds @_@!!

[WestHaven]

This is so interesting. Are there any benefits of having scuds in your tank?

[xenxes]

Scuds are actually a sign of good health in a tank. They are fairly sensitive and only exist in very clean and oxygenated water. They are mainly detrivores that feed off waste in the top inch of the substrate. Great for any fish tank, but they're competing with, and perhaps eating my shrimp! More evil experiments when I get back home. Out of town for a few.

[sayurasem]

Originally Posted by xenxes

Scuds are actually a sign of good health in a tank. They are fairly sensitive and only exist in very clean and oxygenated water. They are mainly detrivores that feed off waste in the top inch of the substrate. Great for any fish tank, but they're competing with, and perhaps eating my shrimp! More evil experiments when I get back home. Out of town for a few.

They also eat moss. I notice they always hangout on my flame moss pad and some of my moss strands are "bald" missing leaves only the stems remains.

[hedge_fund]

Originally Posted by sayurasem

They also eat moss. I notice they always hangout on my flame moss pad and some of my moss strands are "bald" missing leaves only the stems remains.

Yup, I can confirm this too about the flame moss.

[WestHaven]

How could one get some scuds in your tank if you wanted to?

[hedge_fund]

Originally Posted by WestHaven

How could one get some scuds in your tank if you wanted to?

You can come to Greenwich CT and pick some up from me for free.

[WestHaven]

Originally Posted by hedge_fund

You can come to Greenwich CT and pick some up from me for free.

Ok, I'll do that sometime in the future. My tank is still cycling.

[BlackDiamondShrimp]

Threadfin Rainbows are so effective in exterminating these scuds and so do the Least Guppies. I had 75Gallon planted tank where literally millions of scuds swam in open freely , every nook and cranny and root were infested with these guys. The 7 Threadfin Rainbows, 7 Least Guppies, and 5 Dwarf Cajun Crayfish eliminated them to extinction in less than 3 months. I was shocked actually. When I removed the tank of fish, shrimps, and crays the scuds never ever again returned this was 1 year ago.

Bullet Points:
The Threadfin Rainbows will actively and efficiently hunt the babies since their mouths are so small

The Least Guppies will eat babies and juvies very efficiently and actively, night and day non-stop. Seriously these guys don't know when to stop.
Least Guppies are very intelligent and will investigate constantly where the scuds are hiding, due to their curious nature unlike the regular guppy too dumb to find food unless it is waved at them.

The Dwarf Cajun Crays will hunt the adults in very nook and cranny they can crawl into(adult scuds too big for the Rainbows and Guppies)

[shrimpNewbie]

If I had scuds I wouldn't want them gone I'm a fan of all
Life in a tank even nematodes. I hope someone local has scuds to seed my tank my RCs can't outbreeding my fishes hunger.

[sayurasem]

Originally Posted by shrimpNewbie

If I had scuds I wouldn't want them gone I'm a fan of all
Life in a tank even nematodes. I hope someone local has scuds to seed my tank my RCs can't outbreeding my fishes hunger.

Why put fish and shrimps together

[xenxes]

I threw back in 2 platy fry/juvies (.5") in the tank, they active hunt through the gravel. Large reduction in scuds in the water column, but you can still see a few large ones swarming around. They'll probably eat some baby shrimp too but at this point the benefit outweighs the cons. Still have tons of scuds, most are just in hiding.

I've noticed that in my tanks with a fine sand substrate, there are very few scuds. They only see to borrow through gravel / fluval plant stratum.