View Full Version : What kind of shrimp did I see at the LFS?
often dignified
02-06-2004, 12:32 PM
The tank wasn't labeled, but these shrimp were cool as heck! They had little "catcher mitt" hands and would sit there on a leaf or log and wait for a food particle to float by and then snatch it up in their "mitt" and eat it... I watched them for about 5 minutes! :p
I bet OG knows :p
bamboo shrimp! they rule! WOOO i guess they eat small fish when they get big, and they are hard to feed, cuz they are filter feeders, but yea they are hilarious!
OldVamp
02-06-2004, 12:59 PM
could have also been a blue mole shrimp (Atyopsis Gabonensis) it has several common names.
reference (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22281&highlight=blue+mole+shrimp)
Must4ng s4lly
02-06-2004, 2:53 PM
These guys LOVE flake food put in the water column. they catch it in their mits. As soon as I would start to feed them their mitts came out :)
One got out of my tank for 24 hrs and I found him on the landing on the stairs 30 ' from the tank. Dropped him in and he was fine! I lost both shrimp cause I did not know you can't use ich meds with them in the tank. next time I will know :)
often dignified
02-06-2004, 4:55 PM
yeaaaaaaaaaaa bamboo or "wood shrimp"
http://www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co.uk/Photos/AtyopsisSpinipes.jpg
:D
just bought one of these myself, labelled as 'freshwater shrimp'.
i eventually found out it was a 'common fan shrimp' (http://www.jjphoto.dk/animal_archive/atyopsis_moluccensis.htm) aka bamboo, wood, etc...
as far as i can find out they will never 'eat fish when they are older', because as mentioned they are filter feeders that use their claw / fans to filter small particals from the water column.
the one i've got hangs around in a small coconut cave or on the intakes of an internal filter. it has also changed colour slightly since i got it and now is very similar to the gravel (red flourite).
as i've never seen ghost shrimp or the like over here i thought i'd give one of these a go and so far its great.
Kagh't
02-09-2004, 8:28 AM
they're quite nice guys to keep, and i've found are quite happy in the cooler temps as well.
they do have a great knack at changing colour, and mine will often blend in so well with their own little bit of wood that you can hardly see them at times.
although they're said only to be filter feeders, they will use their fans as mitts and pick up food off the floor.