Got "ghost shrimp" from lps that I dont think are ghost shrimp. dwarf puffer safe?

[ancestral_stars]

I recently bought some fish from online that included some ghost shrimp. I liked them so much that I went to go get more from the lps. Now, the ones I got from online literally went straight to cleaning up my tank and never looked back. They dont bother anyone and are quiet and discrete. The ones from the petsmart however are always racing around my tank madly and seem to be extremely aggressive.

I have seen one even try and attack my dwarf puffer. My little dwarf puffer is just a babe and at .5 inches he/she is not much to be reckoned with. When he/she is awake I am sure defense wont be an issue but asleep could one of these more aggressive "ghost shrimp" catch the dwarf puffer unaware? After some brief research it is possible I have some strain of Macrobrachium instead of the real ghost shrimp (Paleomonete).

I know that I bought 3 from pestmart and the rest are from online. What should I do?? Should I take out the ones that are aggressive? Can they hurt my puffer ?

 

[The Zigman]

post some pix and lets see what you actually have.

Ghost shrimp can be pretty agressive, but that usually doesn't mean alot when they are fighting a stingray or something...

 

[vwill279]

Not much we can do to help without pics of what you have. There are some prawns that look similar to ghosties, though they're generally much larger with long claws. If they do end up being prawns, you will have to move them ASAP, as they can get very large, are voracious eaters and hunters, and will probably kill and eat your puffer. However, my ghost shrimp can be quite active and aggressive. They will sometimes even fight my DP's for live blackworms, though they have never shown an interest in attacking them otherwise. However, I have never noticed them "cleaning" anything in the aquarium and they scoff at any vegetable food proffered. They're actually quite useless except as an interesting critter to watch. I have them in there to "test" how my DP's will do with shrimp so that I can add some cherries someday.

Get us some pics, preferably with each type of "ghost shrimp" you have so we can compare them. If you cant take pics of them, try to find ones on the internet that look exactly the same.

 

[RisiganL.]

Sounds like you might have a macrobrachium shrimp. Some look like ghost shrimp but get larger and are WAY more aggressive. I bought one as a ghost shrimp (I knew it was a macro) and it grew about 2.5" and would eat feeder guppies!

 

[ancestral_stars]

LOL is this some kind of newbie joke? Like sending them to the 4th floor that doesnt exist or something? haha I just tried to take pics and it was an epic failure. All I can really say is upon very close observation they really do look the same though the ones in question are a little bigger (older?) and seem scragglier.. where as the for sure ghost shrimp seem more delicate and graceful. But really they look the same.

 

[nerdyrcdriver]

LOL is this some kind of newbie joke? Like sending them to the 4th floor that doesnt exist or something? haha I just tried to take pics and it was an epic failure. All I can really say is upon very close observation they really do look the same though the ones in question are a little bigger (older?) and seem scragglier.. where as the for sure ghost shrimp seem more delicate and graceful. But really they look the same.

How would it be a joke? The only way they can tell you what you have is if they can see pics. You could just have some aggressive ghost shrimp, or you could have some sort of prawn that may look the same at first, but as they mature, will become larger at a faster rate, and more aggressive.

 

[ancestral_stars]

I will keep trying for a good photo then=) I was just trying to be funny (asking if it was a joke) cause I failed so bad at getting a decent shot the first time around=) No harm intended.

 

[Jacob928]

You aren't the only one having trouble taking aquarium photos! I need to get a low-light macro lens... if only i had the money. I have better luck with my point and shoot, even if the quality isn't the best.

Heres a pic of my RCS, thats the best one i was able to come up with so far.

And heres a pic of my dog taking up all the room in bed. Lol sorry thats weird and random

 

[pixl8r]

It would be nice if pet/fish stores would stop accurately list shrimp by species and common name.

OK, if you have Palaemonetes paludosus (the normal species you see sold as Ghost, Glass, or feeder shrimp in North America) then your fish will be fine. While P. paludosus are not classified as dwarf shrimp (their claws are proportional to their bodies), they are not real hunters, they are scavengers.

If you have a Macrobrachium shrimp species, then your puffer may be in trouble. Many Macro species look very close to P. paludosus while young. However, as they grow larger, 2" and up, they will quickly take on attributes that P. paludosus dose not have. For example, elongated claws, and darker coloration of the claws. Most Palaemonetes species only have color at the tips of their tails and at leg joints. If you see prominent horizontal stripes, you've got a Macrobrachium species.

However, your dwarf puffer will devour all of your shrimp, once it's big enough.

 

[ancestral_stars]

Thanks for all the info everyone. Still trying to get a good shot- maybe at night I will sneak in when everyone is sleepy and still. I actually think these guys are fascinating whatever their species. I really find that watching them and studying them is as interesting as the fish in the tank!

So if some of them start developing certain characteristics and grow 2 inches and up then I need to remove them quickly. That is helpful actually I will have to prepare for that. I do not want to take the chance that either the dp or shrimp will get hurt (whatever their genus) so I will make other accommodations. Thank you so much! I feel like I have finally found a place to get real answers. What they tell you at the petstore etc and what you find online is not always clear or accurate. Thanks=)