Ghost shrimp killed my fish, what other type of shrimp would be safe?

ive got a 180 ltr tropical tank at 26c, with a mix of tetras, mollies guppies a gold fish and chichlid. 4 months back i brought a ghost shrimp and over the next 3 weeks 8 fish misteriously died at night, as soon as the shrimp was removed no more died!!



i really lke shrimp and would like another one, is there any suggestions of friendly ones that wont kill my other fish! (the shrimp was about an inch long with plenty of plant cover)

Ghost shrimp killed my fish, what other type of shrimp would be safe?
All shrimp are opportunistic predators. That said, shrimp are usually too small to bother other fish and vice versa. You'll never see one grappling with a fish, even a Tetra. I can't be certain but its possible the shrimp had some sort of virus that spread to other fish, or maybe it free loaded on their food. Either it's not the shrimp's not the culprit or that ain't no shrimp.



Which fish died?



It's most likely coincidental. Here's some safety tips, or things to look out for if you want:

Tetras should be kept in groups of six or more.



A group of Mollies with at least three males and at least five females, will usually minimize the aggressiveness of any one overly aggressive Molly. Live food keeps them satisfied.



Water temp for Guppies should usually be slightly lower than yours. Guppies are another fish requiring live food. Do you feed your fish live foods? Keep two or tree females for every one male. How long have you had the Guppies? They only live for two years. Although 8 fish in three weeks is a bit of a long shot.



Cichlid temperature should be around 78f (74-82). Higher the temp, the more it grows. Cichlid eat flakes, pellets, frozen, and even live food. Feed in small amounts at regular intervals rather than one feeding frenzy. These are fairly aggresive and I'd say you've more to worry about from these than the shrimp. Keep an eye on their behavior.
Reply:Ghost shrimp CAN NOT kill fish. There are two possibilities that happened.

1. Your fish died and the ghost shrimp ate them, which is what they are for.

2. The shrimp carried a disease that passed onto the other fish and they died and he ate them.

No matter what, a ghost shrimp will eat anything edible that falls to the bottom.



I'd suggest to place your shrimp in a different tank and place a cheap feeder goldfish in it. That way you can find out how the shrimp "murders" it, or if he even does it at all.



~ZTM
Reply:The fish you name are not really compatible. You have tropical fish mixed with coldwater fish (the goldfish), and you have a cichlid of an unspecified type in with peaceful livebearers. Cichlids are generally aggressive or at least semi-aggressive. I agree with those who say it is doubtful the shrimp was the fish killer. A shrimp is simply not equipped to catch and kill a healthy adult fish.



With that said, there are those who claim that large ghost shrimp have been known to catch and eat newborn guppy fry. You don't mention the type or age of the fish that you claim the shrimp killed, so despite my doubts, I can't say for certain whether the shrimp was or was not the culprit. Disease certainly may also have been a factor. Ghost shrimp are scavengers and will eat any dead or dying fish they come across, so it's not suprising at all if you caught it munching on dead fish.



Another ghost shrimp would most likely be a safe addition to your community tank. However, if you are still nervous and want a safer type of shrimp, you might want to try RCS (red cherry shrimp). Their maximum size is smaller than that of ghost shrimp, and they do not have the reputation of fry molesters that ghost shrimp have.
Reply:Theres no way a ghost shrimp killed them. What i think has happend is that the ghost shrimp had a disease and passed it on to your fish they died and the ghost shimp started munching on them. What where the ammonia,nitrite.nitrate and ph readings when the fish died?



And that goldfish shouldnt be in with tropical fish, The chichlid is probibly killed the other fish as they are known to be aggresive



~ GG
Reply:its HIGHLY unlikely the ghost shrimp killed the other fish, i think you have a mass murduring fish in your tank
Reply:The water is way too warm for your goldfish. Goldfish are not tropical fish; they require cold water and should be kept in a separate 20 gallon tank away from your other fish, who need warm temperatures.



It's highly, highly unlikely that your ghost shrimp was responsible for killing eight fish. My guess is that the shrimp was carrying a disease which passed on through the water to your fish and killed them. If you want to keep more shrimp, ghost shrimp will be fine. Cherry shrimp are good too.



You also need to remove the cichlid as it might be a little too aggressive for your other fish.
Reply:It is possible that the only thing that your shrimp did was nipp at the tails and only ate them once they were dead at the bottom. My suggestion is that perhaps the criminal is the cichlid that you have in your tank. What kind of cichlid is it? As far as I know-you cannot put cichlids in a tank with the fish that you have. Also how big is that gold fish that you have. If is bigger than the mollies and guppies-can you say dinner?
Reply:you can put him in another tank