Evil Killer Ghost Shrimp

[garyc2013]

I recently inherited a mature aquarium which had (what I believe to be) a ghost shrimp. I bought three neon tetras yesterday and now have only one left!! Within 2mins the shrimp had devoured one neon and ate the second one over night. Has anyone else had this problem? I have read that these shrimps will only eat dead fish but this has clearly not been the case! Also, can anyone suggest any different fish I can add to the tank that are a little bit bigger than the neon tetras in the hope they can survive with the shrimp? I have a 46l fluval edge aquarium. The shrimp is quite interesting to watch so don't really want to get rid of it if I can help it but obviously need to fish to survive! Thanks

 

[molliwopp]

Keep him well fed. Realisticly neons are about the biggest fish suitable for the tank unfortunatly and some would say too big. Merry christmas.

 

[Coyne]

Did you see the shrimp attack the Neons, or just eating them?
Its possible that they just died due to problems acclimating to your tank and the shrimp wasn't the cause.

 

[garyc2013]

Did you see the shrimp attack the Neons, or just eating them?

Its possible that they just died due to problems acclimating to your tank and the shrimp wasn't the cause.

Hi. No he actively hunts them. They were actively swimming about and he grabs them one by one and proceeds to hold them then feast on their heads before letting their bodies float away. This doesn't seem like normal ghost shrimp behaviour from what I have read

 

[garyc2013]

Keep him well fed. Realisticly neons are about the biggest fish suitable for the tank unfortunatly and some would say too big. Merry christmas.

Thanks and happy Boxing Day .

 

[Camescu]

Hi. No he actively hunts them. They were actively swimming about and he grabs them one by one and proceeds to hold them then feast on their heads before letting their bodies float away. This doesn't seem like normal ghost shrimp behaviour from what I have read

Doesn't sound like a ghost shrimp to me. You got pics?

 

[shellyx]

Does it have long claws at the front? My friend had one sold to her as an amano and it wasn't, it tore up a lot of her fishes tails can't remember the name to it so I'll have to ask her.

53 gallon elephant nose tank
16 gallon Giant African shrimp tank

 

[garyc2013]

Doesn't sound like a ghost shrimp to me. You got pics?

Here is the little critter

 

[garyc2013]

And here stalking the neon

 

[garyc2013]

Do you think this could be a macrobrachium? The previous owner of the tank was very vague with contents. I only agreed to take the fish to save them from being flushed. This is defiantly an aggressive little shrimp who has killed 2 neons in 2 days

 

[shellyx]

Do you think this could be a macrobrachium? The previous owner of the tank was very vague with contents. I only agreed to take the fish to save them from being flushed. This is defiantly an aggressive little shrimp who has killed 2 neons in 2 days

That's what I'm wondering, my friend has one of those (couldn't think of its name) and he now lives on his own in a smaller tank, her fish were really torn up.

53 gallon elephant nose tank
16 gallon Giant African shrimp tank

 

[Fresh2o]

Do you think this could be a macrobrachium? The previous owner of the tank was very vague with contents. I only agreed to take the fish to save them from being flushed. This is defiantly an aggressive little shrimp who has killed 2 neons in 2 days

I would say yes (Machrobrachium). Those front claws are long. I have read about non-ghost shrimp slipping into ghost shrimp shipments. I believe you need to rehome/isolate it for the sake of your fish.

 

[shellyx]

I would say the same, definitely remove it or you are going to have further issues.

53 gallon elephant nose tank
16 gallon Giant African shrimp tank

 

[garyc2013]

Thanks a lot to all. I will have to find the killer shrimp a new home

 

[Fishfur]

That does not like palaemonetes, the common North American ghost shrimp. It DOES look like a machro.. I've had Blue Claw whisker shrimp in the past, which are machros too but very peaceful. Twice I got yet another machro species as bycatch, which looked like the Blue claws when young but grew larger, had much larger claws and was extremely aggressive. It hunted down and ate all my Snowballs, which the Blue Claws ignored entirely except when they were tiny babies, and even then did not get many of them.

For that matter, I always have Ghost shrimp too and the nasty machro could have come with them too, I suppose, though it's not a native shrimp. But for sure, not a nice guy to have with small fish.

I'd find him a new home, he is not going to stop the predatory behaviour.