11 year old Shrimpie is upside down, looking for advice

[ShrimpieGirl]

Hi fellow shrimp lovers,

Almost 12 years ago before I knew it was inhumane, I purchased an Ecosphere. They had an endorsement from Carl Sagan on their website, dammit. Two of the three shrimps died right away, but I’ve had the other (Shrimpie) for 11 years.

For about a week he’s become sluggish and today he can’t seem to get off his back and/or side. He just lies there periodically wiggling his little legs. It’s killing me to watch as I imagine he’s suffering.

Could he possibly come out of this episode? He hasn’t changed colors and is his normal red. He righted himself for a few minutes this afternoon and I took a pic but has since flipped back over.

I did not want to but looked up humane ways to euthanize shrimp. They all involve introducing something to the water to do it or prior to freezing them. I can’t do that because he’s locked in his sphere.

I feel so bad for my little Shrimpie. Any ideas?

Thanks so much,
Gracie



P.S. I'm just now reading the parts where you can remove them from the ecosphere. I wish I'd looked this up a long time ago.

[ShrimpieGirl]

Nevermind. Shrimpie's gone.

[dglidden]

So sorry to hear about shrimpie. In the future, yea, one of the better ways to put down a sick aquatic is to put them in the freezer. 11 years is a solid run, and I can imagine how you'd feel, even if it's "just" a little invertebrate. I truly feel for you.

If you're not too put off by it, you could do worse than to get some more and raise them humanely in a real tank with a decent environment? They have given me much joy in the year-1/2 or so I've had mine, and they have multiplied plenty. I love just hanging out at the kitchen counter where the jar is and watching them doot around the jar. Maybe give you a way to memorialize the little guy.

P.S. I'm just now reading the parts where you can remove them from the ecosphere. I wish I'd looked this up a long time ago.

Nothing to feel bad about, you didn't know.