# Behavior Problems with Amano Shrimp



## AshleyMac (Jun 22, 2011)

So I have a ten gallon with 6 CPD 2 cherries, 1 bamboo shrimp, and 1 amano. Half of the tank is full of plants so there are lots of places for hiding. The cherries and CPDS were added recently. The tank started as the amano with two mystery snails and 6 White Cloud Minnows. The White Clouds were recently given away and still healthy. The Amano has lived in this tank for almost two years (old I know) 

About two days after the arrival of the new shrimp the Amano got very very territorial. He pushes the cherries off his moss ball (literally runs up to them and pushes them off with his arms.) He refuses to eat his algae tabs, instead he runs around and gathers all of the sinking pellets for the CPDs that he can find and carries them around for an hour while he eats them. While he is picking them up he flies around pushing fish out of the way. (I wish my pictures weren't blurry, it actually looks quite funny) 

Since he is so old, and it was originally his tank to start, I want him to be happy - but he seems crabby. They are definitely all fed enough, maybe even too much. I know this may seem dumb, but the Amano and his tank mates were my first fish, so really I am still pretty new to this. 

Any reasons why he is acting like this, how to help him be a bit happier, anything would be greatly appreciated. FYI if the solution is to move him out, I only have a 2g hospital tank on hand and my DH will have a heart attack if I buy more fishy things.


----------



## jayjigga (Mar 22, 2011)

AshleyMac said:


> ...but he seems crabby.


I won't be of any help on this one, but that "crabby" part made me laugh...It probably wasn't an intentional play on words, but it made me chuckle after a long day of work. I like that he's got spunk though, pushing his way around...

When my cherries begin to be too much for my cherry tank, I'll end up throwing them in with my Amanos, so I can imagine I'll have some experience with this, but not any time soon.


----------



## raven_wilde (Jul 12, 2006)

I honestly wouldn't worry about it unless your creatures start harming one another... it sounds like there is enough food to go around so his territoriality is not going to starve anyone out. Also, for what its worth, I have a 30 gal with Amanos, Cherries and Bamboo shrimp... come feeding time its every shrimp for himself and there is certainly a fair amount of pushing and shoving but I haven't noticed that this has been in any way detrimental to their quality of life.


----------



## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

One of my yellows or amano's or whatever it is was molting yesterday, had its front done, was resting before starting the back and one of my sunkist orange shrimp was already on its back eating the molt before it was even off it. lol.


----------



## AshleyMac (Jun 22, 2011)

Oh thank you all! I guess I just get protective because he is so old, and one of my cherries only has one eye and sticks to her rock. I'm not entirely sure she knew what hit her when she did venture to the yummy moss ball...all she knows is that her rock is safe and shes not leaving it ever again (for now at least) 

I will continue to try to get a picture of the hoarding, it will make you laugh. Today I counted four pellets. One jammed in his mouth, the others stacked on it while he was stretching his little pinchers as far as they could go to hold them all while waddling around the tank floor.


----------



## 10gallonplanted (Oct 31, 2010)

Lol what a greedy shrimp, my CRS are like that too.


----------



## Plantedshrimptank (Jan 18, 2011)

Amanos are greedy little pigs. Mine are anyways and since they are the biggest shrimp in the tank they have their way with the other dwarf shrimps.


----------



## AshleyMac (Jun 22, 2011)

I got a picture! This is no where near as bad as yesterday, but you still get the point. I know that "he" is really a she, but this was recent discovery. Anyway this is shrimpers with food pebbles. Don't mind the random red rock, I'm still fishing those damn things out.


----------



## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Plantedshrimptank said:


> Amanos are greedy little pigs. Mine are anyways and since they are the biggest shrimp in the tank they have their way with the other dwarf shrimps.



My were greedy shrimpcidal little pigs too. I don't keep them anymore. They steal all the food and they are escape artist...


----------



## gtu2004 (Feb 17, 2010)

shrimpnmoss said:


> My were greedy shrimpcidal little pigs too. I don't keep them anymore. They steal all the food and they are escape artist...


Didn't you know they were suicide bombers? Their born mission is to not have other shrimps get food. They'll just grab the food and take it with them to heaven.


----------



## wetworks (Jul 22, 2011)

I have only ever kept Amano Shrimps with other Amano's and fishes, but not with other dwarf shrimps, so I am not sure what this particular behavior is about. I do have five Amano's in a community tank, and they have definitely staked out a territory and tend to stay there; it is possible that your Amano considers the whole tank to be her territory and this is a display meant to show the other tank inhabitants who is boss. I am probably reaching a bit here, but I sort of drew my conclusion from the territorial behavior of fishes since there is not a whole lot of behavioral info on freshwater inverts just yet. I hope that as more and more hobbyists keep these fascinating shrimps the hobby as a whole will become more educated in their habits and behaviors.


----------



## tbarabash (May 18, 2011)

My amano shrimp are the biggest group of jerkoff a*shole shrimp I've ever seen haha. I had a few crystal reds and a few yellow shrimp in with them and I saw them always chasing them around, never thought anything of it until I saw the biggest amano (at least 1.5" and a heffer) chase down the crystal red and jump on it and start picking at it. At the time I was headed out the door and didn't really think it was necessary to separate them, nor did I have a second tank for that use, but upon my arrival home both the original CRS and his other friend were dead and being eaten by my 3 amano shrimp. No more keeping anything with amanos as far as I'm concerned. 

I've even seen the amanos, at feeding time, swim up to where the food is coming in and push away/jump on my guppies in order to grab their flakes. They're fun shrimp to watch but boy can they be jerks


----------



## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

My Amanos do most of the things you mentioned. They try to grab food from each other, swim off to eat an impossible amount of collected food, and push my tetras away with their antennae.

They also light on my arms occasionally and pull at my arm hairs.


----------



## AshleyMac (Jun 22, 2011)

I'm glad to hear it is not just mine! Other than at feeding time, and the moss ball - she is rather peaceful. Today I found her and the two cherries lined up next to each other on my giant rock with arms going. The amano is really quite social, I got the cherries because 1. I've always wanted some and they were never in stock and 2. the amano would sit next to the bamboo in the plants under the filter output for hours and the bamboo could care less. I thought she wanted friends. She does stay close to the cherries now and doesn't bother the bamboo. Feeding time today went very smoothly. She only took two food pellets at a time instead of four or five.


----------



## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Experiencing the same thing. Bought 2 Amanos to try and avoid algae in a tank with lots and lots of fissidens and mini pellia. However since I only feed once every 2 days in very little amounts, these little buggers keep stealing for my PRL so they only get to eat what those two spit out.

For what it's worth, they are only there to eat algae - so far none (crossing fingers) - which makes me feel at this point they are useless and actually more harmful than good.

So jealous of all those videos where the Amanos and other shrimps would just eat harmoniously. Could it be I am underfeeding?


----------



## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

While he's generally placid with the other shrimp, the amano in my community tank-- last of a very old group--routinely pesters and pushes my 4.5" female pleco off her favorite driftwood perch so he can pick at it. 

My ghost shrimp, a crusty old female in the same tank, long since learned to swim to the top of the tank (37g tall, it's a lot of swimming for a little shrimp) to be first in line when food hits the surface. Nearly peed my pants laughing yesterday when I checked the tank and saw her on the back of one of the black skirt tetras trying to pull a shrimp pellet out of its mouth. Ride 'em, cowgirl!


----------



## Jadenlea (Sep 15, 2011)

I posted this somewhere else but before I moved, I had amanos in a large tank full of large fish. I bought 12 and a yr and a half later I still had 11 when I moved and had to rehome them. Anyway, they used to swim right up to large fish and take the food right out of the fishies mouths. 

I love their personality. I didnt add them to my small shrimp tanks just because I worried noone would eat but the Amanos.  Your shrimp sounds like he is behaving perfectly normal to me.


----------



## CoryLover8 (Jul 31, 2014)

Maybe you should get a second moss ball that is kept a good distance away from the first moss ball.


----------



## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

I had amano shrimp live over 5 years so he is not that old yet. Amanos live much longer than other dwarf shrimp. Also keep an eye on the CPDs. I lost 3 of 6 amano shrimp to CPDs and black darter tetras, but I am not sure which of the two types of fish did the damage. If I had to guess I would say the black darter tetras as they only eat live food but CPDs take out scuds like there is no tomorrow.


----------



## DayOlder (Jul 12, 2014)

I've got 16 amanos and I think they are great to watch. I've seen them swimming upside down gathering food at the surface and holding so much food they were no longer buoyant and falling to the substrate not letting go of a single piece. I've also seen them during feeding time run up a branch and jump on the back of one of my rasboras and ride him to the surface. It's like a rodeo. The harlequin rasbora will buck and change directions trying to throw the amano. IMHO the amano run the tank and both the rasbora and neons try to avoid them.


----------



## caique (Mar 16, 2012)

I have 15 amanos in my 75 and they will steal food from 5 inch plecos if they can get away with it, and most of the time they take food there is always another goody for everyone so no worries. I have so many cory's, plecos Taiwan super red shrimp and fish in that tank they have to be a bit aggressive. 

I like seeing them carry almost a 3rd of a algae wafer, they have to be heavier than they are.


----------



## Aquadawg (Aug 18, 2012)

*Amano sent me to the ER*

I was pulling some java moss from my tank and was bitten by my amano. I had to go to the emergency room and get 15 stitches. Ok, not really. They are very territorial though.


----------



## TankFreak420 (May 31, 2014)

garfieldnfish said:


> I had amano shrimp live over 5 years so he is not that old yet. Amanos live much longer than other dwarf shrimp. Also keep an eye on the CPDs. I lost 3 of 6 amano shrimp to CPDs and black darter tetras, but I am not sure which of the two types of fish did the damage. If I had to guess I would say the black darter tetras as they only eat live food but CPDs take out scuds like there is no tomorrow.


I would have a hard time thinking it was the CPD's, I mean all my amano's are bigger than any CPD....


----------



## Mortis (Mar 31, 2011)

My Amanos have also always been really territorial. They are always the first to pounce on any food that I drop in and will swat away any other shrimp or Otos that are feeding on it.

Now I drop a smaller pellet near each amano and then feed the other shrimp while these guys are busy feeding. They really are quite aggressive


----------



## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

I love my little amano dudes. It's kind of surprising that they can chase things away with just their antennae, but they can. They don't seem to chase the few neos I have, but one of them insists on leaping at the gudgeon. 
For some reason, they're afraid of the little tiny crocodile toothpick fish. They start nervously edging away when they see this itty-bitty fish, the size of a short toothpick, coming their way. And the things have mouths like pipefish, so I have NO idea why the amanos are freaked out.


----------



## Booter (Jul 3, 2016)

Fyi I've seen videos claiming to have amanos for upwards of 8 years.

Just added 3 amanos to my fnacy goldfish tank. So far so good . They're terrified of the fish though lol. Goldfish seem oblivious to their existence.


----------



## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

When I had three Amanos, they schooled. I had one remaining and added him with cherries. He was territorial at first, but established a pecking order. Things calmed down after that. He would still beat every one up at meal time. 

If your Amano was truly unhappy, she would try to escape the tank. She will probably just make sure everyone knows who the boss is.


----------



## travellife (Sep 11, 2013)

This thread is cracking me up. Just added my 1st Amano to a tank with 2 Neocaridinas and he's being a little jerk. Or jick which is a combo jerk and dick as penned by my daughter. He's going to town on a decaying crypt leaf (best not be hitting healthy leaves) and steals food before the other 2 shrimp get a chance. I just lost a 2 year old very entertaining ghost shrimp so he'll be my cheap entertainment replacement.

Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk


----------



## JonRon (Jun 6, 2017)

AshleyMac said:


> Oh thank you all! I guess I just get protective because he is so old, and one of my cherries only has one eye and sticks to her rock. I'm not entirely sure she knew what hit her when she did venture to the yummy moss ball...all she knows is that her rock is safe and shes not leaving it ever again (for now at least)
> 
> I will continue to try to get a picture of the hoarding, it will make you laugh. Today I counted four pellets. One jammed in his mouth, the others stacked on it while he was stretching his little pinchers as far as they could go to hold them all while waddling around the tank floor.


This is so funny. I can not stop laughing!!


----------

