# Taking a walk...



## Talonstorm (Feb 16, 2005)

My amano shrimp have always been good little shrimp about staying in the tank, but I added 3 new ones yesterday and one of these 3 decided to take a walk. My awesome dog (she is to my fish tanks what Lassie was to Timmy) told me one was out, so I got it before it wandered more than a few feet, but it leaves me to wonder about a better way to keep them in my tank. The only opening in my hood is where the penguin filter sits, so he must have crawled up the filter inlet and on out. Any suggestions on how to close up this gap better?

And one more brag about my dog. She told me when my betta jumped from his tank also. She just comes over and paws at me until I say "WHAT?!" and then she runs over to the problem and whines pitifully. But she doesn't paw at the flopping fish or the crawling shrimp, she just looks and whines. And if you ask her where the fish are, she runs to the tank and looks at it.  

Tina


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

That is such a smart dog! How totally cute. I'm not sure what would be a good method - perhaps some fine plastic mesh?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

What a great dog! Most would go and stomp it, or eat it.....

I don't think the "taking a walk" thing is really a habit unless they are stressed like they could be when first introducing them to a new tank.

The mesh is a good idea, and I've also heard of people having good luck just taping Saran wrap over the opening, although I've never tried it.


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## Talonstorm (Feb 16, 2005)

Piscesgirl said:



> I'm not sure what would be a good method - perhaps some fine plastic mesh?





JanS said:


> I don't think the "taking a walk" thing is really a habit unless they are stressed like they could be when first introducing them to a new tank.


Maybe you are right about them trying to get out when stressed. I am positive it was one of the 3 new ones I had just added because they were much bigger than the amanos already in the tank. I think I will try taping some saran wrap (or maybe I will go to the craft store and look for plastic mesh for needlepoint) over the opening anyway though.

Thanks for the ideas!


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I can't get over how cool your dog is to do that: Can you post a picture of her? I know this is a invertebrate forum, but an invertebrate-saving dog should be an honorary member!


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## Talonstorm (Feb 16, 2005)

Piscesgirl said:


> Can you post a picture of her? I know this is a invertebrate forum, but an invertebrate-saving dog should be an honorary member!


OK, but I must warn you, she is very cute! ;-) The picture with the tank is at my parents house, their water used to be very murky from the driftwood leaching out tannins. They have fake driftwood now, hehe.








This was taken right after I asked her "Where are the fish??!" She looks at me like "right where you left them stupid", lol.







This is just a cute picture of her.

Tina


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

She is a beautiful as well as smart, dog! Thanks for posting the pictures


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

What a nice looking dog. Thanks for sharing!


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

What a totally awesome dog!!! Sometimes, we're lucky to be blessed, even for a very short time, with the companionship of a *truly* remarkable animal. My first pet rat, Siggy, was very special to me. When I decided to get a rat (in high school) I let *it* choose *me* - I stuck my hand in the tank filled with a bunch of cute baby ones and this one irresistible female tan one ran up and stepped right into my hand. After I had her for a while, I would occasionally let her roam free in the house, and she would come when I called her. I really loved her. I've had others in the fifteen years since, but they just weren't the same... Now I'm horribly allergic to them  . I even had a wonderfully friendly and kooky chicken, too. When my dad would practice his putting in the backyard, she would run after the golf balls and sit on them, thinking my dad was whacking her eggs around. 

Well, in an attempt to stay on-topic, I'd have to agree that something is stressing out the shrimp. The only time I've ever had problems with jumping shrimp was when I was adding fertilizer to a very small tank. Plants will help to keep them in, too, but if you add moderate to large amounts of fertilizer to your tank, this will make your shrimp very uncomfortable and prone to "taking a walk." If you happen to have some plants floating at the surface, and if the shrimp are grabbing at it as if their lives depend on it, this is a good sign that they want out. 

Some people have no issues with keeping shrimp in high-tech tanks. I believe these people maintain a fairly high GH. If your GH is high, this diminishes the toxic effects of trace minerals that shrimp are sensitive to. In soft water, the toxicity can be lethal to sensitive critters at fairly low doses. This is why I've moved all of my shrimp to tanks that do not get fertilizer. I'll have these filled nearly to the top, with a huge gap in the back *and* the cord from the heater they could easily climb up and out on, but they don't. 

Oh - and one other thing that might cause them to want to jump is too high a temperature. They don't like that. 

LOVE the dog :heart: . Is she a Japanese breed, by any chance?

-Naomi


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## Talonstorm (Feb 16, 2005)

Thanks for the complement on my girl, she is an American Eskimo, similar to the Japanese spitz though. She is a very intelligent little dog. When she is out of water in her bowl, she tells me by putting her paw on me and running to the bowl, then sink and looking at the faucet. She turned 10 last month, I don't even want to think about ever losing her!

The shrimp that climbed out was one of 3 that I had just added about an hour before, so it might have just been confused with the new environment. One of the cherry reds I added tried to get out too. Since then there have been no escapees, I have been keeping a close count on them (which isn't easy to do in a planted tank, but luring them to the front with food usually works, lol). Hopefully there won't be any more attempts at freedom! ;-) 

Take care,
Tina


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