I've taken to calling him LG; it stands for "Little Guy".
I found him in Source's Eheim. He's a RCS.
When I scooped him out of what had been his dark, cramped home, he was pale and tiny. Not a speck of red on him. Sickly-looking, but not defeated, you could tell the little mofo was a fighter. Tough.
As my hand came in to scoop him out, he wasn't all that scared. He jumped into my palm as if he were expecting me. "What took you?"
"Sorry, I didn't know you were in there."
"Well, I was. Now get me outta here. It smells like crap in there." As I removed him from the canister, he gave a startled jolt. "Whoa, whoa, whoa--! What's that?!" He covered his eyes with his claws.
"What?"
"That! That...stuff! It friggin' hurts."
I look around until it hits me. "You mean the light?"
"The what--?"
"Light."
"Well, what ever it is, it friggin' hurts. Get rid of it."
"I can't get rid of it. It's the middle of the day."
"Fine. Whatever. Just get me out of this thing."
I dropped him in Might.
It's been a week and some that he's been in there. Initially, he wasn't too fond of me or his new home. He spent much of the time hiding in the shadows of the rocks and whenever I came by, he'd make himself scarce quick. I can't say I blame him. Until then, he had spent most of his life in the dark with no where to move. I'd be a little leery of people, too.
What a difference a few days will make. He's now adjusted to his new home and the little mofo
loves it. I have never seen a shrimp actually play, but LG does. He rides the relatively strong current of the ZooMed as if it were a roller coaster. He will find the spot where the current starts the strongest and then send himself in a lap around the tank. As he's careening across the front of the glass, I can almost see him smile and hear him laugh.
After LG lands, he comes back to the spot where the current is the strongest and does it again. Over and over.
Occasionally, LG will stop to eat and rest, but eating does not seem to be his number one priority as it is for most shrimp.
LG looks like his reason for being is to live life as much as he can for as long as he can.
Much can be learned from even the smallest of things.
This is LG.
It took me eight shots to get this one photo. He moves around that
much.