I think my betta is a mass-murderer

[irishspy]

Well, it seems the Great Shrimp Experiment in the Betta Palace has come to an end: I think Rocky ate his playmates. :eek:

Last Friday, the shrimp were coming to the end of their second week in their new home. Rocky hadn't paid them any attention that I could see since they were first added, so I thought things were cool. (Of course, now that I think about it, I hadn't seen the big one in a long time.... :lipssealedsmilie: ) I decided it was time to start feeding them in addition to what they found through foraging, so, that night, I dropped a bottom-feeder tablet near where they liked to hang out under the driftwood. Then it was lights-out....

The next morning, Saturday, I went to feed Rocky. "Hey," I thought, "why do you look like you swallowed a marble?" Then it hit me... :eek3:

I looked behind the wood, and there was no sign of the tablet. More ominously, there was no sign of the shrimps, no matter where I looked. Just one guilty looking betta.... :headshake2:

I suppose they could be hiding somewhere among the plants, but, I doubt it. I think there was a fight to the death in the dark over the tablet, and Rocky won. So, rest in peace Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo. :tombstone: :tombstone: :tombstone: :tombstone:

And, Rocky? At $2.50 per shrimp, that little killer had better appreciate the meal! :angryfire:

Oh well, at least they cleaned the driftwood before the end.... :rolleyes:

[Yadokari]

What kind of shrimp was it?
Poor thing :<

[Mgamer20o0]

one of the reasons why i tell people they should put them in their own tank then move out the babies as they breed.

[irishspy]

What kind of shrimp was it?
Poor thing :<

It was a group of four C. Japonica. Interesting, while they lasted. :silly:

[Ulan]

It was a group of four C. Japonica. Interesting, while they lasted. :silly:
If they don't get eaten, they can get pretty old. I just noticed that mine are older than all of my fish (except maybe one guppy). And not a single one of the five that I bought initially has died up to now.

[Yadokari]

Wow, amanos got eaten by a betta? They're pretty big! I wonder how a betta could eat such a thing.

[msjinkzd]

doh, sorry to hear about the shrimpy friends.

[BoredAgain]

Now it's time to feed the Betta to something bigger...as a lesson. A final lesson. Muahahaha!

[irishspy]

They're pretty big! I wonder how a betta could eat such a thing.

That's a darned good question. :confused: Like I said, he looked like he had swallowed a marble, but that could have been from eating the bottom-feeder tablet, sans shrimp. The shrimp could be in hiding, but I've seen no sign of them. My assumption for now is they became a midnight snack.

Unless they were kidnapped by aliens... :joe:

[NickD]

They will go into hiding after moulting but it's unlikely that they all moulted at the same time. It must be the aliens.

[irishspy]

They will go into hiding after moulting but it's unlikely that they all moulted at the same time. It must be the aliens.

I'd seen evidence of molting a week ago (split, abandoned exoskeletons), but not this time. Which is weird: I should think I would see some remains of a massacre. :lipssealedsmilie:

[0live]

Unless they were kidnapped by aliens...


AHEM don't you mean kidnapped by Thor! (avatar)


sorry to hear about the shrimps.. though keep an eye out.. you never know!

[caitylee]

Yeah when my betta ate his tankmate ghost shrimp I did find his tail ....