So I've started a small 2.5 gallon tank to grow pods and shrimp ... I was cleaning the pods off of a filter sock yesterday to add to the tank and noticed about 3 tiny shrimp looking things. I picked them off too and threw them into the container. There were many sizes of pods in there also. I did notice these guys zipped around the cup extremely fast. They seem flattish and pretty uniform in size all the way from head to tail. They are a light red color. Tail seems split into 2 pieces that are overlapping. It seems to have the "nose" like a typical shrimp but I really can't tell what the arms look like, but I did see them extend somewhat a couple times. I cleaned the filter sock again today to see if I could find another to take some pics. I couldn't get it too clear because it is just so tiny ... but hopefully it's enough to make an ID.
This morning I started looking up shrimp and pods and whatever I could find that might be similar and the first thing I saw was mantis shrimp ... this had me worried and that's when I caught another to document. Anyway ... it seems flat and uniform in size like the mantis but the tail doesn't flair and the arms don't SEEM to be fat and round like the pics I see online. My other thought was a baby peppermint shrimp since that is the shrimp I had in that tank until recently and it was carrying eggs when I got it and I've heard they can carry sperm and fertilize for months after mating ... which would explain babies with only 1 shrimp. The only problem is that all of the pics I've found for peppermint shrimp larvae/babies seem to be huge heads and skinny bodies ... nothing like this one.
Can anyone offer any thoughts? Names? Pics?
For size, this is a medium food storage container on top of a dish towel. It is smaller that some of the amphipods (I think!)
IMG_3978.JPG IMG_3986.JPG IMG_3990.JPG IMG_3995.PNG IMG_3996.PNG
This morning I started looking up shrimp and pods and whatever I could find that might be similar and the first thing I saw was mantis shrimp ... this had me worried and that's when I caught another to document. Anyway ... it seems flat and uniform in size like the mantis but the tail doesn't flair and the arms don't SEEM to be fat and round like the pics I see online. My other thought was a baby peppermint shrimp since that is the shrimp I had in that tank until recently and it was carrying eggs when I got it and I've heard they can carry sperm and fertilize for months after mating ... which would explain babies with only 1 shrimp. The only problem is that all of the pics I've found for peppermint shrimp larvae/babies seem to be huge heads and skinny bodies ... nothing like this one.
Can anyone offer any thoughts? Names? Pics?
For size, this is a medium food storage container on top of a dish towel. It is smaller that some of the amphipods (I think!)
IMG_3978.JPG IMG_3986.JPG IMG_3990.JPG IMG_3995.PNG IMG_3996.PNG
