Shrimp Id Please!

[nessar]

I was sold this shrimp as a temperate freshwater shrimp by Pets at Home about 6 months ago, but he looks both different to his buddies and the tropical shrimp I have. He's also grown a small amount, but I doubt he'll grow much more as like I said it was 6 months ago. For size reference that thing he is next to is a half coconut.

Anyone know what he is, and whether he is dangerous? His front arms being so big worry me, although I doubt he could do much harm...

 

[Baccus]

If I knew which country you where in it would help (Australia is limited on what exocitic shrimp are allowed in to the country) but to me it looks like a Macrobrachium species. The long arms can be a hazard to small fish, I have actually watched them hunt fish, they are also partial to snails.

 

[nessar]

Sorry, I'm in Britain

 

[Baccus]

I am pretty sure Macrobrachium are allowed in to England. There are literally heaps of types but if you look up the species name you might be able to fine point which type it is. Quite a few seem to be from Australiasia.

http/www.crayfishworld.com/pictureindex.htm

Some where like the above link might help.

 

[Baccus]

Heres some pictures of one of my local types of Macrobrachium sp.

 

[nessar]

You know, he looks very much like your third picture! The arms look just like that. (edit: although I think he holds them more out, and they may be a tiny bit bigger actually)

One of my apple snails and 2 of my moutain minnows have died since I got him, but I didnt really think much of it, as I bought them from Pets at Home and their stock is usually unhealthy (although unfortunately its the only place I can get to here). Its probably a coincidence, but is that type dangerous?

edit again : no actually I just realised his eyes are different to that pic, his sort of stick up and are just black balls.

 

[Baccus]

Like I said there are heaps of types of Macrobrachium the long legs I think is one of the major ways of telling which species it is after that it all gets to technical with mircoscopes etc. .
Personally I would only trust it with large fish without flowing (tempting) tails, even other smaller shrimp can be on the menu for this species.

 

[nessar]

Oh dear... he is a little over 2 inches I think, and his front claws are similar to the last pic you posted, is this big enough to be a threat? I have to admit he always has struck me as more predatory and confident than the other shrimp and they keep away from him, but I just assumed he wouldnt cause any trouble as he was so small.

I have moutain minnows and 2 small celestial goldfish, so not the best tankmates for that shrimp then... my goldfishes fins look like theyve had a couple of nips too, I thought it was the minnows although they arent nippy fish.

Oh dear, I could take him back to the shop I guess, but I hate to do that unless necessary, as the advice they give out is appalling, so I doubt he'd get a good home. Mind you, if he's killing off my minnows and snails... The only other tank I have is my betta's tank you see, so thats not an option.

 

[Baccus]

Being with fairly small fish (the minnows- although minnows should be quick enough to make hasty retreats) and slow moving fancy goldfish aren't the best options for this shrimp, although it will be safe from the goldfish snacking on it. I know that goldfish will scoff cherry shrimp as soon as they find them.

They are a confident shrimp and like hanging out on timber that is setup through different levels of the water colomn. They also like a leaf or something they can crawl under, even they are a large shrimp they live with some big predators, so they still like the option of hiding. I have caught macrobrachium species as large as 10cm (not sure what that is in inches) and young ones as small as 5cm. I think you will be safe from having one of the giant types that get up in the 20cm mark.

The pictures I posted are of my two (I have a male and a female at the moment but they are not an easy species to raise the larval young of) and they are quite happy in a 20L tank with a filter and some timber and a bit of plants as well as gravel. There was a couple of local rainbow fish in with them but I have since moved the rainbows not becuase the shrimp where a threat but they where getting to big for the tank. Now there is only one gambusia female in the tank with the shrimp and she seems to be surviving them just fine. But she was wild caught (feral here in Australia and a declared pest) and probably already knows to not rest near these shrimp. There are also local snails in with the two shrimp and I am pretty sure the shrimp have been having a feed on the snails, because the snail numbers have slowly been dwindling.


So I guess if you had the room you could get a small tank (might not even need a heater depending on how warm your home stays) with filter and set these shrimp up in their own custom abode. They are an interesting shrimp to watch and they are quite cluey getting to know you and watch what your doing. Personally I wouldn't take them back to the shop you purchased them from simply because they will just on sell the same shirmp to some other unsuspecting person.

Best of luck with the shrimp, and hopefully you can not only fine tune which type it is but also find a way to enjoy its company.


Some extra pictures of my ones.

Above the male in the background.

Male and female together with a purple spotted gudeon behind them.

 

[WLuke93]

Hey, I've had 4-6 of these before in my tank, idk what their scientific name is, the shops just call them glass shrimps, they're completely harmless and wont attack fish, they just scrounge on the floor and eat waste, if you see it with a dead fish, it hasnt killed it, its just eating the remains

I was sold this shrimp as a temperate freshwater shrimp by Pets at Home about 6 months ago, but he looks both different to his buddies and the tropical shrimp I have. He's also grown a small amount, but I doubt he'll grow much more as like I said it was 6 months ago. For size reference that thing he is next to is a half coconut.

Anyone know what he is, and whether he is dangerous? His front arms being so big worry me, although I doubt he could do much harm...

 

[nessar]

Hey, I've had 4-6 of these before in my tank, idk what their scientific name is, the shops just call them glass shrimps, they're completely harmless and wont attack fish, they just scrounge on the floor and eat waste, if you see it with a dead fish, it hasnt killed it, its just eating the remains

Hi, were yours the types with the long arms at the front that they wave about?

 

[WLuke93]

like really long thin claws/arms? yeah mine had those, they didnt bother fish, they just waved about abit and if i a fish touched it, they moved, its just for finding food or feeling about far infront of it, its not powerful enough to do damage. these shrimps were very handy at clearing dead fish from my tank, they'll carry and eat the dead ones but wont ever attack a fish

Id reccomend getting him a couple pals :')

Hey, I've had 4-6 of these before in my tank, idk what their scientific name is, the shops just call them glass shrimps, they're completely harmless and wont attack fish, they just scrounge on the floor and eat waste, if you see it with a dead fish, it hasnt killed it, its just eating the remains

Hi, were yours the types with the long arms at the front that they wave about?

 

[nessar]

UPDATE:
The tail fin of one of my goldfish looks like its been shredded, they have had fins with what look like little nips in them since I last posted, but over the last two days this ones have gotten so bad... Water parameters seem fine, nitrates high but then they always are as my tap water contains ammonia and nitrate. I'm now really worried that it is this shrimp doing this, as it has grown a bit and is now really confident, its always swimming around and climbing the sides of the tank, and the fish keep away from it.

I've been putting it off but I think I may have to rehome him, I dont know what else could be causing it. But then, predatory as he is, it seems odd that he'd attack them and do so much damage, his legs are only tiny after all...

 

[Baccus]

If its the shrimp doing the damage to the goldfish I would bet my bottom dollor the shrimp is having a nip at night when the gold fish is resting. Can you put the shrimp in another tank on its own for a bit and see if the gold fishes tail improves? Failing that can you put the shrimp in a suspended net/ breeder trap that it cant escape from but can still be in the tank? I know the Macrobrachium species that I get are quite good jumpers and climbers, but with some weed and maybe a small piece of timber in the holding "cage" the shrimp will be happy to stay put at least until you can see if the gold fishes tail does improve without the shrimp able to get to it.

 

[WLuke93]

It wont be the shrimp, i had these in a tank of different fish and although confident they didnt harm anything, their 'claws' are for looking for food amd feeling where they're going, they're not powerful enough to do damage.

UPDATE:
The tail fin of one of my goldfish looks like its been shredded, they have had fins with what look like little nips in them since I last posted, but over the last two days this ones have gotten so bad... Water parameters seem fine, nitrates high but then they always are as my tap water contains ammonia and nitrate. I'm now really worried that it is this shrimp doing this, as it has grown a bit and is now really confident, its always swimming around and climbing the sides of the tank, and the fish keep away from it.

I've been putting it off but I think I may have to rehome him, I dont know what else could be causing it. But then, predatory as he is, it seems odd that he'd attack them and do so much damage, his legs are only tiny after all...