I have a mystery Mr. Amano

[jweis]

I was unable to find a food without some form of copper.

I use Omega One's Super Color flakes. I buy it from Petsmart. It does not contain copper.

The ingredients are: Whole Salmon, Halibut, Seafood Mix (Including Krill, Rockfish, & Shrimp), Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Fresh Kelp, Astaxanthin, Lecithin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Phosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Natural and Artificial Colors, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Folic Acid, Biotin, Inositol, Tocopherol (Preservative), Ethoxyquin (Preservative).

[Judi]

How much of an issue is dietary copper? I notice that some shrimp foods contain small amounts. Hikari makes a point of mentioning it, stating that copper is necessary for blood regeneration.

[DelawareJim]

Copper, along with iron, helps in the formation of red blood cells. It also helps in keeping the blood vessels, nerves, immune system, and bones healthy. Oysters, clams, and other shellfish are good sources of copper.

Cheers.
Jim

[150EH]

I don't think these trace amounts will kill any shrimp or at least Cherry's and Amano's should be ok, but in another thread some one was talking about using an algeacide with copper that might kill everything in the tank including the plants.

[sfarkhan]

Well, I may have found out what's going on: predation?

The cherries survived 24 hours being drop acclimated to both QT and the display tank.

Then they just started dissappearing in the main. I netted the QT gang and dropped them into the main and watched. This morning there were two on leaves. I another one on the dwarf hair grass and watched a male Apisto devour it. The RCS was about the size of a cardinal.

I wonder if the same thing happened to the amanos - Most of the amanos were whole only a few were eaten and the rest dissappeared (probably eaten).

Not sure how to proceed so I may just take a break from inverts for a while and stick to otos...

[FrannyB]

Apistos and shrimp are not a good combination unless your population of shrimp are breeding like cockroaches and have lots and lots of hiding places.

[Judi]

Sorry for your shrimp losses, but at least now you know it's not likely to be anything you did or anything to do with your water.

[krisw]

Still seems strange to me. Apisto eating cherries, yes. Apistos eating Amanos, not that often in my experience. I guess if they're new Amano that are still fairly small in size... However, usually when an Apisto kills a shrimp, there's not a whole lot left to find.

[jweis]

Still seems strange to me. Apisto eating cherries, yes. Apistos eating Amanos, not that often in my experience. I guess if they're new Amano that are still fairly small in size... However, usually when an Apisto kills a shrimp, there's not a whole lot left to find.

I tend to agree with Kris. When larger fish were eating my RCS, there was nothing left to see. The Amanos are pretty large and if you are finding them belly up, that sounds like a toxic envirmonment vs being victims of prey. I think you still have a mystery on your hands.

[sfarkhan]

hmmm.... The cherries are still alive and kicking. I saw one yesterday munching on a leaf...

Based on your collective experience: What are amanos more sensitive to than cherries. From what people tell me they are both cockroaches, haha...

Salt in the water? I know amanos breed in brakish water? I don't have copper.

Maybe the water conditions in Rachel's tank were a lot more different than the guy who sold me the amanos... More acclimation time?