See...I do it too.

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incysor

New Member
Last night I stopped in Aquarium World because traffic sucked, and I needed some ghost shrimp anyway.
(Sound like rationalization to you?) LOL

Anyway, I did something I rarely do. I made an impulse buy. I bought what they had labled as a 'Purple candy shrimp". I hadn't ever seen one, and I asked one of the women if she could give me any more info. She said she couldn't but she'd go as Dave. Dave came up and said that he hadn't been able to find out much info, but that the little that he had found said they were basically scavengers, and they 'thought' that they were reef-safe. He said that he had to look them up in some taxonomy book that wasn't even in english. I asked if he happened to remember the scientific name. He said he could look it up real quick, while they were bagging it up.

He said he couldn't remember the species name but that the genus was Gnathophyllum, and that there weren't many in the genus. I figured I'd be albe to find something today online. So today in between jobs I searched. I couldn't find anything. I finally just figured that he had misremembered and I started broadening my search. Well it only took me about an hour, (after I'd been looking in the wrong place for four), to find that what I got was this. Periclimenes imperator.

http://www.eco-divers.com/rodklein/10.html

I called Dave to let him know. I figured maybe it would make it easier for him to find them. After all they're pretty, and as long as they will do ok in the tanks they should sell pretty well. He gave me some song and dance that about the fact that Periclimenes, and Gnathophyllum were the same order. Then asked what I'd found out. I told him that I'd found lots of images, and a few pages that pointed to them being commensal shrimp, that stuck around cucumbers, and spanish dancer nudibranches, and he started questioning that info, saying that the sites were probably just hobbyist sites, and if it wasn't a university site, it didn't mean anything.

Once again they've reinforced my opinions about them.

Anyway, now that I've blathered on for a half a page, has anyone kept these before? Is it likely to NEED a commensal partner? Or is it likely to be ok in my tank with nothing to predate it? Let me know if you've got any info on particular foods or anything I should know.

Thanks, and sorry for writing a book here.

B
 
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Jennie

New Member
Oh wow B, those look awesome! Although I know nothing about them I do plan on doing some research on it at the first available moment.

Just out of curiousity, did it run a pretty penny?
 
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incysor

New Member
Yep...The few things I've found with any info, that isn't just an image, is that they pair up with cucumbers or spanish dancers. This could mean that it'll be missing something diet-wise without them, or it could just be a mode of free transportation, and protection. If that's all it is, then it should do fine in the tank, as I don't have anything to predate it, and it shouldn't need to wander far to get food. It was $25. Not the most expensive thing I've bought, for sure, but hopefully I didn't just waste it.

B - Keeping my fingers crossed.
 
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Jennie

New Member
I'm suprised that they would sale something that they have no info on. I'm crossing my finger for you too B.
 
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incysor

New Member
Every store, without exception, sells stuff they don't have info on. Even the best ones. The difference is the best ones will tell you that they don't have any idea what it is.

This is because the stores can fill out request/order forms with their vendors, but they don't really have any control over what is shipped to them. The divers/collectors are mostly semi-educated poor fishermen at best, with very, very few exceptions. Consequently the stores get stuff shipped to them all the time that isn't what they requested, and doesn't match what it's been shipped as.
Then they have to hit the books, and the web and try to figure out what it is, but often they don't have the time/resources to do a thorough job of it, so they just label it something, add their markup to the price they paid for it, and sell it.

B
 
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sadielynn

New Member
wow Incysor that is pretty I will keep my eyes open to see if I can find anything on them keeping fingers crossed that he is ok in your tank.....
 
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fireFISH

New Member
That's an awesome looking shrimp, hopefully you can find some more info. to keep it healthy.

This is completely off topic, but I've always wondered why Dave only hires female employees?? I've been to Aquarium World hundreds of times and have never once seen a male employee.....I know that's completely random but it's seemed curious to me that he only hires females.
 
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mikeguerrero

Active Member
Let me chime in...

When my 12 gallon cycled and water parameters were perfect I went on a shrimp hunt.

I wanted to purchase nano size shrimps and so I became the owner of the sexy shrimp, two anenome shrimps, bumble bee shrimp and this colorful shrimp that incysor purchased.

I also couldn't find anything on their diets. In time I found found out that the bumble shrimp was in a class that dined on clams; and I said bye bye to him; took him back to another LFS that didn't know what it was.

The Incysor shrimp lasted 2 months untill I later came home and it was gone. I never did see it eat :sad: I hope you are more successful than I was, becauase it is one beautiful shrimp.

The anenome shrimps lasted almost one year but I accidently killed them on a massive movement I had when I switched cubes, ammonia spike killed him on the new setup.

Hope this helps a little...

Mike
 
djconn

djconn

New Member
That shrimp is awesome B! Hope you find some more info on it. I'll ask around and do a little research when I get some time.

By the way, have I ever told you that I HATE Aquarium World. Silly bunch of know it alls with the highest prices I've ever seen. :shock:
 
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incysor

New Member
mikeguerrero said:
Let me chime in...

When my 12 gallon cycled and water parameters were perfect I went on a shrimp hunt.

I wanted to purchase nano size shrimps and so I became the owner of the sexy shrimp, two anenome shrimps, bumble bee shrimp and this colorful shrimp that incysor purchased.

I also couldn't find anything on their diets. In time I found found out that the bumble shrimp was in a class that dined on clams; and I said bye bye to him; took him back to another LFS that didn't know what it was.

The Incysor shrimp lasted 2 months untill I later came home and it was gone. I never did see it eat :sad: I hope you are more successful than I was, becauase it is one beautiful shrimp.

The anenome shrimps lasted almost one year but I accidently killed them on a massive movement I had when I switched cubes, ammonia spike killed him on the new setup.

Hope this helps a little...

Mike
Click to expand...
Mike,

I remember this one. I still haven't seen one of them in a store here.

http://nanotank.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... ght=shrimp

But I didn't remember you having one like I bought. I hadn't heard that the bumble bees feed on clams. But they do feed on starfish.

B
 
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incysor

New Member
djconn said:
That shrimp is awesome B! Hope you find some more info on it. I'll ask around and do a little research when I get some time.

By the way, have I ever told you that I HATE Aquarium World. Silly bunch of know it alls with the highest prices I've ever seen. :shock:
Click to expand...
Yep...I generally don't buy anything from AW. The prices are ridiculous compared to the rest of the stores in town, and they're one of the worst about making sh*t up, instead of just telling you that they don't know.
Unfortunately the do sometimes get things the other stores don't, and they're the only store out 290 that has ghost shrimp and brine.

B
 
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incysor

New Member
fireFISH said:
That's an awesome looking shrimp, hopefully you can find some more info. to keep it healthy.

This is completely off topic, but I've always wondered why Dave only hires female employees?? I've been to Aquarium World hundreds of times and have never once seen a male employee.....I know that's completely random but it's seemed curious to me that he only hires females.
Click to expand...
I've noticed it as well. And I have a few ideas on why it would be that way, and it's probably a combination of factors.

B
 
D

dragon79

New Member
Looks like you are on the boat I was one when i made an impuslive buy and bought the "spiny shrimp" That lasted two weeks, and died of starvation. Very pretty, very percular looking shrimp, but couldn't find it's diet for it to munch on and stay alive.

I hope with your shrimp, you'll find it's diet in time and hopefully live. Good luck and keep us updated.
 
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mikeguerrero

Active Member
Brian,

I never photographed him, he was very shy but he had purple tip claws and his body had orange and white spots towards his tail.

He would move around the tank but never gave me a good picture. He was so beautiful just to look at; however I never saw him eat.

My bumble bee shrimp was classified as having a diet on starfish, but I never tested it with a starfish purchase.

What I did notice is that he would hang on the side of my crocea clam and walk to the top and pinch the mantle. The clam was always retracted and wasnt' expanding.

That shrimp would always hang out with the clam and I didn't know if he was hurting the clam or trying to keep a symbiotic relationship with him. I didn't want to take the chance since the clam was like $45 dollars the shrimp was only $5.

Mike
 
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incysor

New Member
I'm hoping that since it seems to have different hosts, that it doesn't have any particularly specific dietary needs.

Hopefully I'll be able to get some pics of it this weekend. The repaired camera showed up in the mail last night. Of course the shrimp moved under a ledge when I was trying to get it unwrapped, so I wasn't able to get any pics.

B
 
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Abarnswell

New Member
It is a stunning shrimp -- well worth it if he works out. He's gorgeous!

From what I read, it sounds like he uses his hosts primarily for locomotion and for shelter/protection. I just hope he doesn't live on parasites. ??
 
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