A Nice Juicy Prawn!

[Llareggub]

I bought a few goldfish and some black goldfish, and some white goldfish, they are all pretty similar and get along as well as fish seem to do. Recently, my son came home with a small (maybe 2-3 inch red/orange fresh water prawn.

He was told at the shop that prawns and goldfish are like Stevie wonder and Paul Mc Cartney in ebony and Ivory, and live together in a world of bliss and harmony.

However, after a week or so, I found that all three of the white goldfish have had their heads eaten off.....(the prawn sits there and looks guilty! - you can tell by his eyes)

I watched for an hour or so and the bugger looks quite evil, if a fish comes near, the claws are out and it looks like a Glaswegian on a Saturday night.

Even my wife remarked about the condition of all of the other fishes tails (They are ripped to shreds).

Could the Sweet Honest Thai Lady have been possibly telling a fib? Do prawns kill goldfish????

Secondly, this prawn, that started off as a 2-3 inch ineffectual creature, seems to grow at an exponential rate.

I went downstairs a couple of weeks ago and found what looked like TWO prawns - this bugger had shed is entire outer skin!! Never knew they did that!

Now, two weeks later it has done it again!

Anyone know how big these buggers grow and if they eat fish/people?

I have been buying that Sakura fish food which the shop recommended, but it is the floating type, so maybe the prawn was getting impatient, I have tried feeding it a bit of rice and it seems to like that and has calmed down a little...Valium in the water or what?

[canuckamuck]

Are you sure it's not a crayfish? does it look like a lobster or a shrimp?

[PhilHarries]

.....(the prawn sits there and looks guilty! - you can tell by his eyes)

Shifty bu66ers are prawns, I would trust one unless it's seen the coals of a barbeque.

Don't know much about the habits of crustaceans but if all was sweetness and light before the arrival and now is like a remake of Scissorhands then you have your cuprit. Circumstantial evidence it may be m'lud but I'd certainly ask for the death penalty particulatly if it's put on a good bit of weight.

[Llareggub]

Are you sure it's not a crayfish? does it look like a lobster or a shrimp?

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea...it looks like a small lobster, it has a flat tail it moves at the speed of light, other than that I really don't know, they just keep calling it GOONG as opposed to GANG

[Llareggub]

.....(the prawn sits there and looks guilty! - you can tell by his eyes)

Shifty bu66ers are prawns, I would trust one unless it's seen the coals of a barbeque.

Don't know much about the habits of crustaceans but if all was sweetness and light before the arrival and now is like a remake of Scissorhands then you have your cuprit. Circumstantial evidence it may be m'lud but I'd certainly ask for the death penalty particulatly if it's put on a good bit of weight.

The bastard just sits there looking guilty...like an Ian Brady of prawns!

I bought two more prawns, they were much bigger, almost 4 inches or so and they died in a week. This monster is a survivor!

[imjustagirl]

Are you sure it's not a crayfish? does it look like a lobster or a shrimp?

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea...it looks like a small lobster, it has a flat tail it moves at the speed of light, other than that I really don't know, they just keep calling it GOONG as opposed to GANG

shrimps and prawns eat algae and plankton and floating debris...neither attack and eat fish! It sounds to me it is possibly a crayfish or lobster pretending to be a prawn... Among other things, lobsters and crayfish eat crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, plankton and small fish. They are not by nature cannibalistic, except when held in crowded conditions (traps, ponds with no food, etc.). Even with banded claws, it's still not unusual to find partially eaten animals in the live-tank when it's emptied thier tank. Sizes depends on what they eat and not what age they are.

[DP25]

I had a shrimp once, all he did was clean parasites off of the other fish. This guy sounds like trouble, better eat him before he eats you

[chickenslegs]

I'm not surprised you had problems with your prawn. Prawns are renowned for being greedy and this one probably killed the goldfish because they were competing for food.

Yes, all prawns are shellfish

[Peterbigeyes]

Prawns do that???? Wow.. respect

[IanForbes]

If it has claws then It's a crayfish, Not a prawn. A prawn is larger species of the shrimp family and doesn't have claws. They feed differently. Shrimp or prawns would not harm fish. In fact it is the opposite and it's the fish that eat prawns. Crayfish DO use their claws for tearing things apart, But, they swim backwards very quickly when frightened.

[DangerousDavies]

Could be a giant river prawn/shrimp.

They have claws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobrachium_rosenbergii

[stiggy]

Could be a lobster in prawns clothing .

[Werfer]

Maybe the prawn found out about the gold fish's recent life insurance policy.

[buddy]

Maybe the prawn found out about the gold fish's recent life insurance policy.

PHOTO?

[IanForbes]

The upper critter in this photo is a shrimp from a Thai river. They don't attack fish unless the fish is already dead. But, most fish will eat shrimp. The lower creature in the photo is a hellgramite which is a carnivorous insect

[buddy]

The upper critter in this photo is a shrimp from a Thai river. They don't attack fish unless the fish is already dead. But, most fish will eat shrimp. The lower creature in the photo is a hellgramite which is a carnivorous insect

Llareggub...

Identity parade!

Are any of the creatures in the Photo your offending beast of the tank?

[dave111223]

Maybe your son misunderstood and the lady at the shop meant that prawns and goldfish go great together with a nice bowl of gravy.

P.S. this reminds me of that simpson's episode where Homer gets a pet lobster called Pinchy.

[Thongkorn]

Its probably Al Ca prawn,

[SamritT]

"it looks like a Glaswegian on a Saturday night." I learn something everyday in TV.

[NanLaew]

Yes it will eat everything in sight and get bigger and bigger. This from recent experience with my little boy wanting to keep a couple of shrimp in the aquarium. All the small fish were eaten with only the larger ones being left alone.

Now, if you really want some action, get the wife to bring back one of them pladook (catfish) thingumabobs live from the market, drop it in and get yourself a cold beer and a comfy seat and see how long that feeding frenzy lasts!

[smedly]

Yes it will eat everything in sight and get bigger and bigger. This from recent experience with my little boy wanting to keep a couple of shrimp in the aquarium. All the small fish were eaten with only the larger ones being left alone.

Now, if you really want some action, get the wife to bring back one of them pladook (catfish) thingumabobs live from the market, drop it in and get yourself a cold beer and a comfy seat and see how long that feeding frenzy lasts!

LMAO very funny......................................can I come watch too, BTW leave the lid off and put all cats out of the room - there could be a mass exit to the floor lol

[Peterbigeyes]

Maybe your son misunderstood and the lady at the shop meant that prawns and goldfish go great together with a nice bowl of gravy.

ROFL! That cracked me up bad

[Llareggub]

If it has claws then It's a crayfish, Not a prawn. A prawn is larger species of the shrimp family and doesn't have claws. They feed differently. Shrimp or prawns would not harm fish. In fact it is the opposite and it's the fish that eat prawns. Crayfish DO use their claws for tearing things apart, But, they swim backwards very quickly when frightened.

Then sir, you have hit the nail on the head!

This little bastard swims backwards like a bullet out of a gun, he has two (I say "HE" as a term of endearment" - I really have no idea) He has two huge claws which he seems to use as a defence, and two more smaller claws that he uses to feed.

Thanks...he actually seems a bit happier if I drop a bit of boiled rice in the tank, at least he isn't ripping off the goldfishes heads!

So again it appears as if the Thai seller was a lying bastard!

[Llareggub]

The upper critter in this photo is a shrimp from a Thai river. They don't attack fish unless the fish is already dead. But, most fish will eat shrimp. The lower creature in the photo is a hellgramite which is a carnivorous insect

Llareggub...

Identity parade!

Are any of the creatures in the Photo your offending beast of the tank?

No mate, nothing even similar, this thing is bright orange / red, with two claws almost as big as its body.

Thanks for the pictures, appreciated!

It looks more like a red underwater scorpion....I am beginning to believe it is in fact a crayfish as an other poster pointed out by the fact that it swims backwards and tries to take my finger off if I go near it!

[Llareggub]

I found this picture, it would seem not to be a pawn at all!

http://www.google.co...iw=1680&bih=865

Thanks for all your help, it is a lesson learn't! Cheers!

Never believe a Thai in need of cash! I appear to have released Hannibal Lecter back in with the Lambs!

Is there a way that they can live together in peace? Like if I make sure it has plenty food, and that the tank size is big enough? or is it innevitable that they will all fall prey to the claws of Edward Scissorhands?

I don't want to get rid of it as it is a bit of an evil little character, and the remaining fish that haven't had their heads chewed off seem to avoid it like the plague.

Maybe a U.N resolution...but will the crayfish veto it along with Israel and China?

I suppose if he refuses to sign I can put forward sanctions and if this fails I will eat him!

[smedly]

If it has claws then It's a crayfish, Not a prawn. A prawn is larger species of the shrimp family and doesn't have claws. They feed differently. Shrimp or prawns would not harm fish. In fact it is the opposite and it's the fish that eat prawns. Crayfish DO use their claws for tearing things apart, But, they swim backwards very quickly when frightened.

Then sir, you have hit the nail on the head!

This little bastard swims backwards like a bullet out of a gun, he has two (I say "HE" as a term of endearment" - I really have no idea) He has two huge claws which he seems to use as a defence, and two more smaller claws that he uses to feed.

Thanks...he actually seems a bit happier if I drop a bit of boiled rice in the tank, at least he isn't ripping off the goldfishes heads!

So again it appears as if the Thai seller was a lying bastard!

maybe that young man of yours knows more than he's letting on, has he something against goldfish you don't know about lol

[Llareggub]

Yes it will eat everything in sight and get bigger and bigger. This from recent experience with my little boy wanting to keep a couple of shrimp in the aquarium. All the small fish were eaten with only the larger ones being left alone.

Now, if you really want some action, get the wife to bring back one of them pladook (catfish) thingumabobs live from the market, drop it in and get yourself a cold beer and a comfy seat and see how long that feeding frenzy lasts!

LMAO very funny......................................can I come watch too, BTW leave the lid off and put all cats out of the room - there could be a mass exit to the floor lol

Funny you should say that, but I made the mistake earlier of putting Plah Gat, (I think it's the local name for them) in with these placid little river minnows, my god it was like a holocaust! It turns out that these are the Mohamed Ali's of Thai Fish, the ones they put in a bottle and hang a mirror on the side and watch them try and kick the shit out of themselves....you live and learn.

I am going back to the city tomorrow, I am going to buy a Thai Redshirt and a Yellowshirt, stick them in a large tank together and see what happens, no doubt the Thai selling them will tell me that they love to live together and are extremely friendly and peaceful !

[Llareggub]

If it has claws then It's a crayfish, Not a prawn. A prawn is larger species of the shrimp family and doesn't have claws. They feed differently. Shrimp or prawns would not harm fish. In fact it is the opposite and it's the fish that eat prawns. Crayfish DO use their claws for tearing things apart, But, they swim backwards very quickly when frightened.

Then sir, you have hit the nail on the head!

This little bastard swims backwards like a bullet out of a gun, he has two (I say "HE" as a term of endearment" - I really have no idea) He has two huge claws which he seems to use as a defence, and two more smaller claws that he uses to feed.

Thanks...he actually seems a bit happier if I drop a bit of boiled rice in the tank, at least he isn't ripping off the goldfishes heads!

So again it appears as if the Thai seller was a lying bastard!

maybe that young man of yours knows more than he's letting on, has he something against goldfish you don't know about lol

Don't laugh, it wouldn't surprise me!

[Llareggub]

Its probably Al Ca prawn,

Ha ha....don't you are making me cry!

[nocturn]

you've been done mate. dam_n them all.