# I will end this ghost shrimp!



## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

I look over to Sir Crispin's tank just a few minutes ago to spy my male shrimp _clamping onto my halfmoon's tail while the fish desperately tried to shake him off_. I felt completely like









The only reason why I haven't taken that ghost shrimp out of the tank right now is because I'm moving and the net is at my new place. The other two shrimp (females) are much nicer, and they get to stay. But...

Tomorrow, that shrimp is gonna die. It's going to be like


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## Amaya Yuy (Mar 23, 2011)

OMG this made me lmfao =D


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

I say move it to a bowl of it's own...

As much as I don't want to promote it...If it cost only 39 cents....:evil:

KEEEEEEEL IIIIIIT! Throw him into a pot of boiling water! I'm sure your HM would love a shrimp snack.:twisted:

PWN THE SHRIMP!


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

I don't know what I'm going to do with it, yet. Maybe chuck it outside to feed a bird.


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

I vote chuck it into a bird bath...Or a pond full of koi.


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## LittleNibbles93 (Feb 7, 2011)

That last one is COOL.

Do a weird experiment with the shrimp  Like...see if food-coloring will turn him pink? Or blue?


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

Hahahaha I laughed so hard at that. Poor dumb shrimp...maybe he needs more excitement?


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## LittleNibbles93 (Feb 7, 2011)

Just throwing this out there, but, how big do Ghost shrimp get? o_o I expected them to be tiny...I was at Wal-mart last week and ALMOST got the last 3 they had, but, they're size scared me. They were the same size as my female betta, so...about the size of a VT female.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

omg those gifs xD I'm glad someone other than me uses them on this forum! I say _*off*_ with the shrimpies head!


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

I find it strange that people oppose experimentation or killing of bettas but find experiments on shrimp funny? A bit hypocritical isn't it? Take it back to the petstore. You shouldn't kill an animal when there is an alternative. It might *just be a shrimp* but people say the same thing about fish... It probably just sees your betta as a threat anyway. Just my opinion though.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I'm pretty sure everyone was just kidding, no worries.


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

Some were jokes, but others weren't so much. Just hope the shrimp won't suffer for it.


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## lunawatsername (Apr 20, 2011)

i laughed alot, bot only because im sure they were joking. i dont think theyd kill an animal for acting like an animal (i hope)

but honestly, those gifs were too funny xDDD


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

I was mildly serious but I hope the little guy will be alright. It sounded like the OP was kidding. Probably will end up in a petshop or transfered to his own tank. 

....But is seeing if food coloring will turn him blue all that bad? (Is it wrong I find it a little funny?)


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## lunawatsername (Apr 20, 2011)

i think its funny... but theirs no way to know if it would do any harm, so better not :/ but i can still imagine little blue and green shrimp right? D


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

I'm also not for experimenting on animals for no good reason. If I get a cheap aquarium today at a rummage sale, I'll pop him in there. If not, I'll see if any of my friends want a ferocious, trained attack shrimp for a pet.


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## demonr6 (Dec 27, 2010)

Ride 'em cowboy! - says the ghost shrimp..


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## DearAmbellina (Apr 22, 2011)

There needs to be a "Like" button on this forum..kinda like Facebook..lol! that last pic if funny...tropic thunder.. I might not kill the shrimp but I'd definitely slap it around a bit!!


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## demonr6 (Dec 27, 2010)

**No ghost shrimp were harmed during the posting of this thread.**


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

It actually looks like the shrimp in question might be a macrobrachium shrimp, which are more aggressive, not a ghost shrimp!


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## demonr6 (Dec 27, 2010)

Whoa.. I just looked more closely at the ghosts in my nano tank.. their little arms where the pincers are, they have a colored band that is red / orange maybe. It is definitely colored though in that shade. That isn't one of these offending shrimp in question is it?


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

Some ghost shrimp have red on their arms, but if they have red claws then it is most likely a macrobrachium. Although, there are some macrobrachium that are almost impossible to tell from a ghost shrimp.


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## demonr6 (Dec 27, 2010)

Oh, good.. this shrimp will live to see another day. Unless of course it dies on it's own then nothing I can do for it.


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## thatgirl (Mar 21, 2011)

LOL!!! I had the same thing happen to me and both of my shrimp went bye-bye.


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## demonr6 (Dec 27, 2010)

Well, I had bought five last Sunday.. the lady who was handling them dropped one on the counter as she was transferring it and it turned into a five minute ordeal to pick it up and bag it. I am going to make an educated assumption that the shrimp that died later that day was that same shrimp. The next day I could tell things were not good.. lost another that evening. Throughout the week I noticed they really were not that active or eating much. Lost another on Thursday.. and then there were three. Came home this afternoon to find another belly up so down to two now. I know that they are not treated in the best conditions since they are intended as feeder fish and I have read on a couple of forums that you have to buy a load of them and just to get a few survivors which is the case with the only two ghosts I have. I had ten at one point and I am now down to two who happily coexist with Dante and a crew of olive nerites in my 6.6 bookshelf. Unless of course they are dead too, I don't check on them much since they are always hiding under the log.


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## tracyalexa (Mar 29, 2011)

poor shrimpy.


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## ktrain13 (Apr 24, 2011)

demonr6 - That's a lot of shrimp. I've only gone through two (I've only had my fish since January) but neither died of natural causes. My first lasted a month or so before it got stuck in my filter and died one night. It was so tiny...it never stood a chance. My second one was bigger but sadly only survived about 30 minutes as my betta, who is usually docile and hardly flairs, brutally attacked it. Needless to say, no more companion shrimp for Poseidon.


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## Ethan (Dec 3, 2010)

GienahClarette said:


> I look over to Sir Crispin's tank just a few minutes ago to spy my male shrimp _clamping onto my halfmoon's tail while the fish desperately tried to shake him off_. I felt completely like
> 
> 
> 
> ...



OMG LOL that was way way to funny :lol:


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## Mac Myers (Jan 12, 2011)

Correct on the Macrobrachium. Ghost Shrimp ( commonly _Palaemonetes paludosu_s) are a small long arm shrimp that don't attack anything and would easily be shaken by a Betta. They may be aggressive when it comes to stealing food, but they do not get much over 1.5 inches (3.81 cm). If it's larger... then it's Macrobrachium (commonly dayanum) in the pet trade. The are meaner than snakes and will kill anything that they can get their claws on. And they are diurnal and will catch sleeping animals at night. I hate them.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

Haha..Those Gif's made me lol. (everyone turned to look at the crazy lady laughing at her laptop)

I had a few true ghosties that hung off my betta..ripped his back fin all to heck...They all died off though after a week..I only have 1 left. He is a cute little ghost shrimp though..He follows the corydoras around all day.


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## demonr6 (Dec 27, 2010)

My issue is Polo chases the shrimp out of the tank and to their deaths. Dante is more forgiving although I caught him harassing the apple snail when I first put it in there. That snail is now over two inches and bigger than Dante so he does not mess with it anymore. I don't know what I am going to do about that snail, it is getting too big and does not seem to stop growing. HELP! We bought two of them at the same place, same white snail and this guy is 5x the size. They are kept in different tanks though. He is easily as big as a golf ball now.


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

He'll get bigger! Mine is over the size of a golfball, and there isn't much you can do.


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## Burd (Apr 10, 2011)

Dude I have the ghost shrimp from HELL in my tank. The bugger is bigger than my female betta fish. He's peaceful at least but DAYUM.


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## demonr6 (Dec 27, 2010)

shinybetta said:


> He'll get bigger! Mine is over the size of a golfball, and there isn't much you can do.


That is my in to get a much larger tank.. you know, for the sake of the snail. I told my wife let's get rid of it and take it back to the LFS but she is attached to it so if you want the snail, I get a bigger tank!! muahahahaha!


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

I completely agree this This topic about being mean to a shrimp was okay in the beginning but has gone way too far! The shrimp is not harmful. All that it cold do to defend itself is do what it has done to the half-moon. As for the shrimp if you are planning on hurting him or killing him, this is considered animal cruelty. You guys really need to grow up and do the right thing and either give it away or sell I or separate it from the betta. Did you ever think of if it was a betta, how would you feel if it was the betta or you were he shrimp it would be so cruel to do Ny of hat stuff. It was okay if it was a joke and it wasn't so graphic.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

lol wow, I love your addition of .gifs. xD

Reminds me of a story about an algae eater _sucking the scales off of the other fish...._

D8


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

Burd said:


> Dude I have the ghost shrimp from HELL in my tank. The bugger is bigger than my female betta fish. He's peaceful at least but DAYUM.


He may be a macrobracium. Can you get pics? Some machrobrachiums are semi-peaceful.


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

BlakbirdxGyarados said:


> lol wow, I love your addition of .gifs. xD
> 
> Reminds me of a story about an algae eater _sucking the scales off of the other fish...._
> 
> D8


Ahuubawhaaaat? That's like the substance of my nightmares. D8


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## lalalaura (Mar 25, 2011)

HAHA that was great! Ghost shrimp creep me out. I don't think you should experiment on it though, they are living things and don't deserve that. Flush it or do something that will give it a quick death. 

Ew I bought two of them to put in my 5.5 gallon because my fish would spit his food out and it would sink all over the bottom. So I put the shrimp in a QT tank for a bit and every time I would look at them I would get the creeps. Then the next day I noticed one of them was dead and turned pink and white and the other one was having him for an afternoon snack. Ugh it was gross but I couldn't even bring myself to touch the tank they were in so I got my dad to empty some water and pour alcohol in with them and flush them while I wasn't looking. Needless to say the female had gross green eggs all over her belly and I did not want that in my tank. Bleh gross. Even thinking about it grosses me out. EWW


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

Ok, guys. I've stated at least once that Mr. Shrimp isn't getting experimented on. He's in quarantine right now until I have another tank. 

So, it'd be cool if people would read through what's actually happened before startin' on the 'don't be cruel' train. Also, punctuation is awesome. Run-on sentences aren't.


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## Martinismommy (Dec 2, 2010)

Don't let that shrimp eat my beautiful Grandsons tail!


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

He won't, Karen! I've got him far away from Sir Crispin in another container. C:


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

I think you should name him Goblin....

Cause only a goblin with a death wish would do that....


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

I'm glad both the shrimp and betta are safe. I just worry when people talk like that even when it is "just joking" because some people will get the wrong idea and think that it is ok to mistreat lower organisms. There are a number of younger kids on here and it could be misleading for them...

The gifs on the other hand were absolutely hilarious. I would have had the same reaction!! It really amazes me that people have so much trouble with their ghost shrimp... I've had a few dozen and I've even bred them in tanks containing bettas and I've never had any instances of aggression :/


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

It's only the one, too! The other two were perfectly harmless. Although, they're in much more danger of becoming snackages...


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

GienahClarette said:


> It's only the one, too! The other two were perfectly harmless. Although, they're in much more danger of becoming snackages...


Yep, if anything my shrimp were always in much more danger of becoming food, especially the youngin's. The aggressive one is the only male right? Do you feed them or do they just clean up after your betta?


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

DarkMoon17 said:


> Yep, if anything my shrimp were always in much more danger of becoming food, especially the youngin's. The aggressive one is the only male right? Do you feed them or do they just clean up after your betta?


They clean up after Sir Crispin, and seem to enjoy the permanent algae buffet.


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

Is it possible that Mr. Shrimp didn't think there was enough food and hitched a ride on a mobile buffet? Ghost shrimp will only eat algae out of desperation (similar to bettas actually). Obviously it would be a bad plan to put him back in Mr. Crispin's tank but, in the future your shrimp might be less aggressive if you make sure they are well fed. Maybe throwing a bottom feeder pellet in once a week would do the job (that way they will still clean up after your betta while not being too hungry)--food makes everyone happy


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

DarkMoon17 said:


> Is it possible that Mr. Shrimp didn't think there was enough food and hitched a ride on a mobile buffet? Ghost shrimp will only eat algae out of desperation (similar to bettas actually). Obviously it would be a bad plan to put him back in Mr. Crispin's tank but, in the future your shrimp might be less aggressive if you make sure they are well fed. Maybe throwing a bottom feeder pellet in once a week would do the job (that way they will still clean up after your betta while not being too hungry)--food makes everyone happy


Oh snap! I had forgotten that. I'll pick them up some bottom feeder pellets tomorrow.


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

It happens lol I have the opposite problem, my poor oto cats ate all the algae in their tank, I don't know what to do with them now since they don't eat sinking algae tablets ^^;


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

GienahClarette said:


> Ahuubawhaaaat? That's like the substance of my nightmares. D8


(I'm so late in replying to this.)
Yeah, and I even had an algae eater that tried that on my Pearl Gourami. Freaked the poor big guy out. D|

Turns out, algae eaters do that when they get hungry. >>


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

Update: 

So, remember that male shrimp? After starting him on some bottom feeder pellets, he was much more docile and didn't attack Sir Crispin again. Unfortunately, Sir Crispin seems to have a mind for revenge. When I checked this morning, it looked like my betta had bitten off all of the male shrimp's legs on one side--leaving only the first joint. 

If I don't chase my betta away from the bottom feeder pellets, he'll chase the shrimp around or simply lay on top of it so the shrimp can't eat. 

Someone's a little...bitter about the tail thing.


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

lol people say fish have short memories but somehow I don't believe them!
Maybe you can try feeding Sir Crispin some frozen blood worms/brine shrimp during the shrimp's feeding time. That might distract him for a little bit... maybe... it seems he might be out for revenge though~


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

I'm trying to distract him as best I can. He'll be getting some blood worms today, and we'll see how that goes. xD He's been chasing that one shrimp around all morning, and just doesn't want to give it a break. He's even ignoring his floating mirror.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Oh man.

Kinda sounds like how my betta's treating me. >_>
I took out all the plants in his tank but the only silk one he's had. (He likes to slither through every tight space he can, so the plastic plants, though temporary, still tore his fins.) I finally got him a living plant (that won't melt X_x), and he loves it. Slithers through hairgrass, uses it as sort of a bed, lol.... But apparently he liked his plastic stemmed plants. Everytime he sees me, if he doesn't see the food jar in my hand, he flares with both his gills and his fins. >>
Even flares like mad when I put a finger in. He doesn't bite... maybe he only does that 'cause he likes the new plant. Dunno.

lul

But in any case, I don't believe fish have short memories. I hear too many stories like yours and mine (well, not specifically like them of course) that prove otherwise.


What if you floated the shrimp in a cup during his feeding time? That way he can't be bothered... much. (Your betta might try to attack the cup or push it around a lot. <<


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

I was getting ready to feed the two of them today, and found Sir Crispin playing with the shrimp's corpse.  My fish had a scale missing and a small wound on his head; it looks like they fought. So much for resolving that grudge peacefully. 

Whelp...maybe Sir Crispin doesn't like neighbors.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Yikes....

Well, as sad of an ending that had to be, at least it's resolved. >>


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

And now at least I know that Mr. Fish doesn't exactly play nice with others.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Well, it's the shrimp that started it, right? |D

Not that I'm all for a "HE DID IT!" sort of thing when a vase breaks.


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## GienahClarette (Jan 28, 2011)

True! Sir Crispin was getting along fine with the shrimp until one of them started this...aquatic blood feud.


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## laughing (Mar 12, 2011)

GienahClarette said:


> I look over to Sir Crispin's tank just a few minutes ago to spy my male shrimp _clamping onto my halfmoon's tail while the fish desperately tried to shake him off_. I felt completely like
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This. Made. My. LIFE.


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## CyerRyn (Apr 8, 2011)

This whole thread made me LOL Well, except for the unfortunate death in the end, but everything else was hilarious. I'm too afraid to keep anything other than Betta's. Ghost shrimp.. I seen them at the pet store and they gimme the creepies.. I'm not fond of things with more legs than a cuddly kitty. That first .gif is my reaction when I see a spider or centipede. :shock:


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## laughing (Mar 12, 2011)

CyerRyn said:


> That first .gif is my reaction when I see a spider or centipede. :shock:


OMG LOL!!! That's sooo great! Everyone should use .gif because I understood her COMPLETELY.


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