Glass Shrimps Eating Fish?

[rufusstone]

yesterday i purchased some glass shrimps from my lfs. put them in my 190l tank with some platies, cardinals and amano shrimp. some of my platies are babies, about half adult size, and one was a bit deformed with a bent spine but had been doing fine.

today i can't see my little platy but one of the glass shrimps appears to be chowing down on something suspiciously fish shaped (although completely white). i was worried about shrimps become lunch for bigger fish (when i get them) so i got nice big ones. didnt think of the possibility of the shrimps eating fish?

anyone got any experience of this? these bad boys, if they are the culprit, are going back before chomp on my smallish cardinals. pretty sure the platy didnt just die as he was doing just fine last night.

 

[SamB]

Hey Rufusstone, I have had a similar experience with what was sold to me as Ghost Shrimp - which I believe are the same as Glass Shrimp. 
 
Ghost shrimp are apparently peaceful, small shrimp who do more good than harm in a tank. Unfortunately, ghost shrimp look identical to juvenile Macrobrachium Shrimp:
 

 
The long pincers develop late and in their youth are actually almost impossible to tell apart. The main difference is ghost shrimp stay small, while macrobrachiums continue to grow and develop long and strong pincers.. Here is a fully grown macrobrachium:
 

 
 
 
Besides looking like the stuff of nightmares, they are mean hunters. They usually attack during the night when your fish are hanging in the water asleep.
 
Mine devoured 6 neon tetras before being discovered eating neon tetra #7 alive. 
 
Remove them as soon as possible. 

 

[the_lock_man]

Post a piccy of the front limbs of your shrimp, and we can have good bash at IDing it for you.

 

[rufusstone]

ok, many thanks for that. these little blighters are going back from whence they came. no big pincers on them but they are already bigger than my amanos which are full adult size. soon as hubby gets home, im baggin them up and going back to lfs. poor little disabled platy

 

[rufusstone]

tried to flush em out with an algae wafer but the little b*ggers are too full of platy. soon as i get them i'll post a pic
ok, i got a pretty ropey picture but i see big pincers now. how do i upload a photo?

 

[the_lock_man]

Click "More Reply Options", then under Attach Files, click browse, locate the file and click OK. THen Attach This File. The file must be less than 300KB.
 
If it's got big pincers, then it sounds like a macrobrachium, which as Sam says, are most definitely evil little wossnames.

 

[rufusstone]

 

[the_lock_man]

Ooh, yeah, it's quite clear on the top one, that's a macro - return it, pronto!
 
Just being nosey, is your username because you live in the New Forest?

 

[rufusstone]

thank you, i will, and they better refund me . what is their full name, just so that i can appear well informed!

lol, no, basingstoke but somehow, one day, when driving past rufus stone, my friend started using it as my alias and it stuck

 

[the_lock_man]

image.jpg
thank you, i will, and they better refund me

) . what is their full name, just so that i can appear well informed!

lol, no, basingstoke but somehow, one day, when driving past rufus stone, my friend started using it as my alias and it stuck

 
Not sure of the exact name, but the genus is "Macrobrachium" - do a Google Images search for what they can end up like. >.<
 
I'm from Portsmouth, btw, there's been a sudden influx of Hampshire residents the last couple of days.

 

[rufusstone]

they're gone. and i have some (blue?) amano's in their place. altogether a much nicer looking shrimp and my other shrimps seem to like them.

 

[rufusstone]

maybe the influx of hampshire residents is down to the influx of murderous shrimp?!

 

[the_lock_man]

maybe the influx of hampshire residents is down to the influx of murderous shrimp?!

 
LOL, who knows?
 
BTW, where did you get the shrimp from, just so others can be on the lookout?

 

[SamB]

Glad we found the source of your problem and you got some nice looking alternative shrimp

 

[rufusstone]

maybe the influx of hampshire residents is down to the influx of murderous shrimp?!

 
LOL, who knows?
 
BTW, where did you get the shrimp from, just so others can be on the lookout?

The shrimp were from Pets at Home, Kempshott. I went back in the other day and was disturbed to see them still on sale despite my warning. Please make absolutely sure you are getting glass shrimp if buying from here or your might end up with some very nast little b*ggers in your tank!
oh and thanks for all your help