Beware Of Rogue Ghost Shrimp

[Larkspur]

My shrimp and bettas lived great together for a few weeks now. I noticed this morning when I went to feed them that my Mad Hatter has small nicks and tears all over the edges of his tail. I thought maybe the fish was chewing itself as I've heard some will do. Sweeney, my other betta, is perfectly fine. No bites or tears. I didn't think of the shrimp being the problem. After all, I have shrimp on both sides of the divider. Then like on cue a shrimp swims up and intentionally aims for Mad Hatters tail!!! He grabbed on and my poor fish was swimming around trying to dislodge the rogue shrimp! I actually gasped and threw my hand in the tank and tried to spook it, but it just kept EATING his tail.

So I thought shrimp eating tails was all a myth. Well, its not! From what I see not all are going to be tail eating villains. My other fish has 5 shrimp on his side, but he's also a faster swimming fish, and has more attitude. It was just one particular shrimp being troublesome. However, I've pulled the 2 large ones out of Mad Hatters side. After work I'm going to fish out more.

And tonight the shrimp are getting the death sentence. I'm taking them over to my boyfriends house where 6 cichlids are eagerly waiting to eat them.

 

[Ben M]

And tonight the shrimp are getting the death sentence. I'm taking them over to my boyfriends house where 6 cichlids are eagerly waiting to eat them.

harsh much!
couldn't you find someone to give the shrimp to?

cheers

 

[jacko32]

top quality cichlid food

 

[Chard56]

My shrimp and bettas lived great together for a few weeks now. I noticed this morning when I went to feed them that my Mad Hatter has small nicks and tears all over the edges of his tail. I thought maybe the fish was chewing itself as I've heard some will do. Sweeney, my other betta, is perfectly fine. No bites or tears. I didn't think of the shrimp being the problem. After all, I have shrimp on both sides of the divider. Then like on cue a shrimp swims up and intentionally aims for Mad Hatters tail!!! He grabbed on and my poor fish was swimming around trying to dislodge the rogue shrimp! I actually gasped and threw my hand in the tank and tried to spook it, but it just kept EATING his tail.

So I thought shrimp eating tails was all a myth. Well, its not! From what I see not all are going to be tail eating villains. My other fish has 5 shrimp on his side, but he's also a faster swimming fish, and has more attitude. It was just one particular shrimp being troublesome. However, I've pulled the 2 large ones out of Mad Hatters side. After work I'm going to fish out more.

And tonight the shrimp are getting the death sentence. I'm taking them over to my boyfriends house where 6 cichlids are eagerly waiting to eat them.

I've been waiting for the other shoe to fall. I keep hearing about all these people that suggest shrimp as tank mates and thought about what happened to my fish when I put a crawdad in my tank when I was young. I go fishing a lot and have seen what happens to the minnows if there are crawdads in with them. Shrimp, Crawdads; same thing only different. It's their nature to capture and eat small fish.&nbsp; MMMMMMM shrimp! Are they big enough for salad shrimp?<br>

 

[Curiosity101]

Are you positive it's a ghost shrimp? I've never heard of them attacking fish before...first time for everything n all that so I'm not trying to say you're wrong. It's just hard to believe without seeing it.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Are the shrimp well fed? I've had ghost shrimp on and off for years and the only fish I see them eat is if one croaked or they managed to get a hold of very young guppy fry, I've never seen them go for larger fish.

 

[Larkspur]

Positive about them being ghost shrimp. I actually got them from a local fish store (not a big name place like Petco) and they're sold as feeder food at this place.

I make sure they are fed. I usually feed my bettas twice a day and often will feed flakes as well as betta food because the shrimp will swim to the surface and eat some of the flakes.

It was only one particular shrimp I think that was doing it. Like I said, I have 5 on one side with my other betta. They're perfectly fine. However, just one particular one must have learned that betta tail tastes good on the other side of the divider with my other betta. There were 3 in there. I took two out. The third is smaller and I never see.

This shrimp intentionally went for the tail. And it must have learned it could do this within the last day or two. I never noticed bites or tears in my betta prior. One of those...once they taste blood...can't trust them situations.

So the rogue is removed as well as his equally sized counterpart. Not going to remove anymore unless they turn rogue too. These two lived a good short life in my tank, but now...they have to face the consequences and my boyfriends cichlids will be more than happy to solve my problem with a little snack.

Edit: here is a pic I took with my phone. Anything I can do for him? He looks awful.