# Scuds



## ScarletFire (Nov 4, 2012)

Are scuds harmful to shrimplets?


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

I used to believe they weren't but I have since changed my mind about that. 

In general they aren't, however they are plant eaters (at least the ones I have are) and as such they eat away at my mosses, floaters and the algae that grows on the glass, and lately were also eating the shrimps food, ie barley, pellets and algae wafers 

Algae is very beneficial to baby shrimplets as it is one of the first foods they can eat as newborns (along with biofilm on filters) so when your tank has a lot of scuds they outcompete for this food, and can deplete it very quickly. 

I have noticed that over time my baby shrimps are just not making it to adulthood, and I now believe its because their food is being eaten by the scuds etc.

I just finished recleaning 2 of my shrimp tanks from any aquatic life forms so that I can restock them with new shrimps. I did this by taking out the shrimps in the tanks (including all babies) and then popping in my pair of Killifish (Bonnie and Clyde  so named because they are vicious killers of anything that moves)

They ate everything in those tanks, scuds, planaria ALL living things. I have nothing living at all in those tanks now and even after a week I don't see a sign of any life at all, not even a snail. They are now ready to be restocked with my shrimps.


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