Long arm shrimp; Macrobrachium beh. hlth.      2/20/16
Hello,
My long arm shrimp just molted for the first time since I've owned him.
Now he is going around the tank collecting sand and putting it on his face. I can't find anything about shrimp doing this. Why is he doing it? Is he okay?
<Do you have sufficient alkalinity and alkaline earth content in this system? Do you dose w/ iodide-ate? Have you read on WWM Re? Do so>
Here is a link to a YouTube video of him doing it:
https://youtu.be/JwaqjgT2Bpg
-Kay
<Nice. Bob Fenner>

Rosenbergii   11/17/13
Hi crew,
Does anyone know where I can get some Machrobrachium Rosenbergii for my aquarium.
Thanks Sean
<Where about in the world are you? That will have a substantial bearing on the answer to this. Use your search engine of choice to find Macrobrachium rosenbergii suppliers (do note the correct spelling of the name) and you should find commercial suppliers without much trouble. Macrobrachium rosenbergii are very rare in the aquarium trade though, for obvious reasons: size, predatory habits towards virtually everything, territoriality and acute intraspecific aggression. Nonetheless, in a very few places (e.g., Texas and Louisiana in the US) they occasionally turn up in aquarium shops, perhaps as a sideline for local shrimp farms. On the other hand, in Europe this species isn't much seen, with other, smaller and more manageable Macrobrachium species being preferred, such as the excellent Macrobrachium eriocheirum. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Rosenbergii   11/17/13
Ahh sorry dude, I' live in the UK. I have searched the internet and find how rare it is to pick them up.
<Right. Now, the only place I've seen them is the Aquatic Design Centre in London. Call/e-mail them and see if they have some in stock. You could also try Keith Lambert at Wildwoods. He's very good at getting oddballs and (Yay!) does mail order, which is quite unusual in England.>
Read that sometimes people buy them mistaken sold as other species.
<Yes, but to be fair there are lots of Macrobrachium species, and some of the larger ones are easily confused.>
Their size and predatory habits are what makes them exciting and I'm setting up a huge tank at the moment.
<To be honest, I'd have thought a single tank for a single specimen would be more logical. It's not like you'd be able to combine them with much, save perhaps substantially larger armoured catfish (and even then, I wouldn't be surprised to see these shrimps pecking at their fins).>
Sure these can be purchased as post larvae and shipped over from the States? Sure also their popularity would grow in Europe once more widely available,
<I wouldn't bank on it! There's a good variety of easier shrimp species, including medium-sized Macrobrachium spp. I do readily admit that adult Macrobrachium rosenbergii are very impressive animals, but it's surprisingly easy to get bored of single killer animals unless you have a fish room where you can store its tank without stopping you from keeping other fish. Most folks who buy a killer shrimp, cichlid, catfish or whatever end up bored after a few months, and decide they'd sooner use that aquarium for a mixture of more sociable animals. Obviously I'm trying to give you the downside to these shrimps; but they're not difficult to keep, even remotely, so if you think one would be fun, and you're happy to keep such a beast for several years, then go for it!>
Thanks-Sean
<Most welcome, Neale.>
Re: Rosenbergii... prawn      11/20/13
Thank you ur been fantastic.. will see how i go and update you on any progress and how i get on if get sorted and up and running.
<I shall look forward to hearing.>
Perhaps i be the guy in the future who can supply to aquariums in uk???
<Maybe! Cheers, Neale.>

FW lobsters and crabs... in/comp.     2/1/11
Hello there,
<Hello,>
Just a few questions if you dont mind, but first a short history.
I have an Electric Blue Lobster,
<Crayfish, not a lobster.>
he has been living in brackish water for a few months and seems to be doing great.
<Surprised, to be honest. Presumably not very brackish? SG 1.002 or 1.003?>
I had a Pleco and a flounder in the tank with him as well as several small feeder fish.
<Likewise, the Plec won't be happy above SG 1.003.>
The lobster himself has grown from around 2 inches to around 3 1/2 in the time that I have had him. The Pleco was around 6 inches at the time of his demise, the flounder around 1 1/2 inches at the time of its demise. my lfs told me that the Plecos seemed to have difficulty with the water in our area!
<Least of your problems. Plecs aren't naturally found in brackish water, and while some may adapt to very low salinities -- they seem to have done so in the canals of Florida -- it isn't ideal. Flounders are a crap-shoot, and at least the sort sold widely in the US, Trinectes maculatus, is a subtropical species with a limited lifespan in tropical aquaria. It needs fairly brackish or marine conditions to do well. So let's say a water temperature of 15-18 degrees C/59-64 degrees F, with a specific gravity around SG 1.005 upwards to fully marine.>
#1: The lobster didnt bother the Pleco or the flounder for quite sometime, they seemed to tolerate each other. Is it possible that the Pleco died due to the water and the lobster made it a meal, got a taste for fish and went after the flounder next. ( he literally ate them both in a matter of a week)
<Crayfish will certainly eat anything dead. They are largely herbivorous in the wild, but they're also scavengers, with carrion being a significant part of their diet.>
#1.5 Is it safe for me to get another large Pleco to go in the same tank as the lobster?
<Crayfish are ALWAYS best kept on their own. You will never, EVER hear me recommend mixing them with anything else, certainly not fish.>
#2 I am so ashamed to say that just today I went to buy some feeders
<Do read about why feeder fish are bad:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fdgfdrartneale.htm
There are almost no situations where they make your hobby better. Even putting aside cruelty issues, they introduce disease, they are too rich in fat and thiaminase, and they increase the risk of aggression.>
and came home with a Red Asian Crab,
<An amphibious, brackish water animal. Not suitable for aquaria.>
he was in an aquarium at the store and I wasnt told that his living conditions should be any different!
<Perisesarma bidens is the common species. Needs mostly land, with a pool of brackish water to bathe in. Not terribly hard to keep, but most die after a few months because of poor care. Completely unsuitable for cohabitation with crayfish.>
I am wondering how long he can survive in my aquarium? (while I set a proper one up for him)
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: FW lobsters and crabs    2/1/11
Thank you soooo much Neale,
<Glad to help.>
I will do what I can to clean up my act. And never again will I add to any of my tanks before consulting with WWM first.
<No need to go quite that far, but we are *free* and we do try to answer questions within 24 hours, so if all else fails, ask your retailer to put aside any beastie you're interested for a day or two, and drop us a line.
Do also spend some time searching the WWM site -- there are few things we haven't answered at least once before!>
Shannon
<Cheers, Neale.>

electric blue lobster, repro.    1/23/11
hello WetWebMedia crew
<Salve,>
I have a few questions about my electric blue crayfish/lobster. See I bought it for a good price because there female was caring eggs and the baby I bought was about an inch long. I was wondering if this species is asexual?
<No. Male and female crayfish are distinct. Sexing them is quite tricky, but do-able. Identify the species you have, and then use Google to find images of the males and females. Generally, there are differences in the shapes of the appendages under the abdomen.>
I was told it was but I would like to be sure.
<You were told wrong.>
Thank you,
Tavian
<Cheers, Neale.>

Whisker shrimp  5/11/10
Reading about whisker shrimp it sounds a lot like they may go after my fish.
<What's a "whisker shrimp"? Do you mean a fan shrimp, Atyopsis, such as Atyopsis moluccensis?>
Do you think it would be safe to keep two of them in my planted tank with a female Betta and a small 2" Bristlenose Pleco or will they eventually attack the fish?
<Atyopsis species are completely safe and do not attack fish. They may eat a dead fish, but they won't be the cause of that fish's death. In this sense they are different to Macrobrachium spp. shrimps, the so-called
Long-arm Shrimps, which are indeed opportunistic carnivores and mostly not suitable for community tanks.>
Thanks,
Tim
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Whisker shrimp 5/11/10
Looks like I made the wrong choice because they are in the Macrobrachium family.
<A few Macrobrachium are fine in community tanks. If you haven't perused the excellent PetShrimp site, have a look there:
http://www.petshrimp.com/shrimpspecies.php >
<<Macrobrachium spp. will eat most any fish they can catch... RMF>>
It's not worth bringing them back for $4 so I think I will put them with Scuba the red eared slider and see how long they last. Scuba may get a gourmet meal.
<Indeed.>
Thanks,
Tim
<Cheers, Neale.>

Concerning Macrobrachium prawn co-habitants   12/31/09
Hello,
Local LFS has couple of what they dubbed "FW Prawn" - by the way it looks I think it is one of Macrobrachium.
<Quite possibly; there are numerous Macrobrachium species, some fairly small, some very large. The smallest are something like 5 cm long, the biggest over 30 cm. Without a species name, or at the very least a trade name, it's impossible to say which one you've seen. In the last year I've seen both small and big species on sale in London, England, so simply because it's a small thing at the moment doesn't mean it'll stay small for the rest of its life.>
It measures about 3'' long and at least 6 between antennae tips. Very long front arms, but not armored and squat like a lobster. Transparent or semi-transparent body. Internet has little info on this Prawn minus the fact that they are usually raised for human food.
<Macrobrachium rosenbergii is indeed widely farmed, and sold as Freshwater Tiger Prawns as used widely in Asian cuisine.>
So questions:
1. Tank dimensions for the prawn? Water requirements? Is it really a freshwater?
<Most Macrobrachium spp. are freshwater shrimps, though some occur in brackish water too. With very few exceptions, the traded "pet" species are freshwater in terms of maintenance, even if they won't breed in freshwater.>
2. Adult size?
<Anything from 5 to 30 cm.>
3. Compatible with: filter shrimp Atyopsis gabonensis?
<Not really, no. Macrobrachium spp. tend to be opportunistically predatory and somewhat to extremely territorial depending on the species. While the smaller species may well coexist with Atyopsis spp., the bigger ones will simply view them as food.>
Weather Loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus ? Pecolita Plec (2 inches and with white spots, LFS didn't know the Latin name) ? Other Prawns? Polypterus fishes? Silver dollars?
<Possibly; again, depends on size/species.>
4. Nutrition requirements?
<Wild Macrobrachium consume plant and animal matter, essentially opportunistically, and in captivity should be given a mix of green and meaty foods.>
5. Overall recommendation of it as a potential addition to
- 10 gallon invertebrates tank (warm water)
-15 gallon tank with a single weather loach (cold water) (soon to be traded to LFS)
- 55 gallon Polypteridae tank (upon previous WWM recommendation I traded in all large cichlids - bichirs remain the most predatory thing in the tank) ?
<Unless you know for sure otherwise, keep Macrobrachium on their own. With only a few exceptions, they mix poorly with tankmates. Most are tropical or else subtropical, and all need neutral to basic, moderately hard to very hard water. At least some form stable pairs, and they're certainly fun kept this way, when the protective behaviour of the male is fun to watch. They are also somewhat delicate, at least initially, and being able to watch them feed and settle in on their own is very helpful.>
Thanks!
Elena
<Cheers, Neale.>

Blue Lobster, bad moult    12/6/09
My blue lobster just molted about 2 weeks ago, basically right when I got her into my tank. About a week after her new shell is getting a fuzzy white coating on the body and claws. It is getting thicker and she don't seem to be pulling it off. Is this normal?
<No.>
She eats well my fish, when she catches them, and I feed her shrimp pellets about 4 times a day, and always eats them.
<Have you read anything about the natural diet of Crayfish? They are primarily herbivores, and their diet should be mostly greens. Don't feed them live fish, and certainly moderate the amount of protein they receive.>
Once and a while I will throw in a couple of algae wafers and she eats the outside but leaves the green centre.
<What iodine supplement do you provide? If none, let me remind you that Crayfish benefit from iodine, e.g., via a marine aquarium iodine supplement at one-half the normal dose.>
The PH is sitting at 6.8 - 7.0 and has little fluctuation.
<Much to acidic for Crayfish; you need hard, basic water with a pH around 7.5. Raise the carbonate hardness, most easily by adding Rift Valley Salt mix at about one-half the normal dose. Note that "tonic salt" or "aquarium
salt" isn't what you need; as you surely no, but I'll reiterate, carbonate hardness is supplied by bicarbonate salts, not chloride salts. Time to do some reading, I suspect.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_1/cav1i4/crayfish/crayfish.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/crayfish_basics.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Aquaculture of Malaysian prawns   8/6/08 Dear Bob, Can you please tell me of a good book or website that gives details about how to breed/raise Malaysian prawns? Many thanks! June <Mmm, yes, I can. The works listed here: http://www.miami-aquaculture.com/macrobra.htm are about the most complete, up-to-date re culture of Macrobrachium. Bob Fenner> Thanks so much Bob! I really appreciate it! Warm regards, June <Most welcome my friend. BobF>

We were told it was a ghost shrimp I don't have a picture, and I don't have an digital camera, but I will try to describe this shrimp the best way I can.         It was a huge shrimp. The pet store told us all ghost shrimp grow that big if allowed to live that long. I think that's bogus. Anyways, this shrimp is 3 or 4 inches long, <Mmm, not what folks generally call a "Ghost Shrimp" then. Please see here: http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/misc_critters/shrimp_ghost.htm> has long arms with small pinchers on it and a red nose. It's opaque with black stripes. <Sounds like a (small so far) Macrobrachium... rosenbergii... put this name in your search tools> We also bought a dozen ghost shrimp from this place and it looks like there are much smaller animals of the same species mixed with the common ghost shrimps. They (the 'ghost shrimps' in question) have the same black stripes down the side of it. We tried to ID it at the German language web site you suggested to someone earlier but didn't see it. I'm positive it's aggressive as it tore off almost all of a gold fishes tail within 30 minutes of being in the tank. <Yikes! Do separate this animal, schnell!> We're not sure what to do with it. My wife wants to keep it, but if it's going to terrorize the little fish I'm going to put in the Oscar tank and see how it likes the terrorism. <Oh, these two may learn to coexist> I know you don't have much to go on but just envision a ghost shrimp 4 inches long with similar pinchers and black stripes down each segment of it's body and a red nose... Any help you could give us on this would be very appreciated. Thank you... Jason <Read on my brother. Bob Fenner>

Re: We were told it was a ghost shrimp (Not a ghost of a chance) Thanks for your help. We had also bought crayfish at another store. <Man! Pinch city!> My wife didn't want to leave this huge shrimp in with a bunch of white clouds for fear of them getting eaten so we took them out (after trying to catch him, almost impossible) and put in with a small crayfish (had to do some tank swapping). The huge shrimp (which I now believe to be a Macrobrachium lanchester) tried to eat the crayfish. <Yes... would have eventually> I would have thought the crayfish would fight it off and they would go to their respective corners and stay there. <No... like putting me and a pizza in the same room...> Well, that didn't happen so we had to separate the two. I don't think my wife knows what to do with this huge shrimp but she wants to keep it, if you think it can coexist with the Oscars I'll suggest it to her. <If both are kept well-fed, not too crowded...> But the Oscars are only 3 inches long now albeit very aggressive (the result of feeding mostly live food to them, which included ghost shrimp). Eventually I think they would eat it. What do you think? There are 5 of them. Soon there will only be 2 though (55 gal. tank, <... still too small a system eventually> want them to pair off then going to get rid of the others), maybe it could fend off two? I guess I could always get up late at night, grab the shrimp, steam him and eat him with some cocktail sauce, and then blame it on the Oscars? What do you think? <Mmm, worth a try... Bob Fenner>

More Mystery Shrimp! - 10/04/2005 Hello, <Hi!  Sabrina the slightly shrimp-obsessed with you today....  And please let me apologize for the extreme lateness of my reply; on top of having been sick and missed some emails in my box a few days back, you've really given some perplexing pictures!  Excellent photos, I must add.> I have seen this question before ("Mystery Shrimp - Fun with Freshwater Inverts") but I would like to ask it once again... is what I have actually a ghost shrimp? <Not what is commonly considered to be a ghost shrimp, but it does look like a Palaemonetes species to me.  Perhaps P. antennarius - your shrimp seems to have the same bizarre iridescence that they exhibit.  They do develop markings like yours shows as they grow, but yours is more prominently marked than ones I've seen.> or is it a "long-arm" - Macrobrachium... because this guy's arm's aren't longer then his body, but he is a bit big to be a ghost shrimp. He is about 4.5cm (1 3/4"). <Not a Macrobrachium, as far as I can tell, but not a "common" "ghost shrimp".> I have posted photos here: http://www3.telus.net/public/al_s/ShrimpPhotos/  I am wondering what the morphological difference is between the Macrobrachium and the Palaemonetes? <Well....  See, you're asking tough questions now!  Just kidding, this is a good one.  To be quite honest with you, I do not know the difference in systematics between these two genera.  They are both in family Palaemonidae, though Palaemonetes shares the subfamily Palaemoninae with a few other genera, whereas Macrobrachium is not in that (or other) subfamily.> is it just the length/size of the pincer arms or am I missing some other key item? <Macro = big, brachium = arm ....  All of the shrimps of genus Macrobrachium do have very prominent "arms".  Some more so than others, to be sure, but all are quite big.  This can be somewhat less noticeable in females, but even most females have really big arms.  Also, all of the Macrobrachiums (Macrobrachia?  Uhh, I don't know the pluralization of this word!) that I have met seem to have an impressively large rostrum.  Some Palaemonetes do as well though, including P. antennarius, whose rostrum can be quite wicked-looking.  Physically, those two pincer arms will tell all.  Or most, at least.  Yours is not a Macrobrachium, as far as I can tell.  Now, that doesn't mean it's not aggressive!  P. antennarius, if it were just the size of a dog, would take over the world and wipe out humanity.  And you'd hear an evil laugh while they did it.  Fortunately, they stay at or under 2", so hopefully we're safe.  Or maybe that's just what they want us to think....> Thanks,  -Rose <And thank you for showing us these great images; I do hope you enjoy this animal.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina> Differences between Palaemonetes and Macrobrachium species shrimps....  9/21/05 Hey Bob! <Sabrina> I know I should know this, or at least be able to find it, but I don't and I can't.  I wonder if you know, or can point me in the right direction. <Will try> What, physiologically, ARE the differences between these two genera?  I mean, aside from the (macro) big (brachia)" arms"/pincers, what really makes a Macrobrachium a Macrobrachium?  What makes a Palaemonetes a Palaemonetes?  Both are of the same family (Palaemonidae), though Macrobrachium is in sub-family Palaemonidae....  But....  What determines this?  I've struggled a couple days to try to find *something*....  hobby-related websites and the few books that mention shrimps (including Uwe Werner's Aqualog) just talk about care, and those big honkin' arms....  and I can't seem to find any scientific websites that really explain what makes a Macrobrachium a Macrobrachium, or a Palaemonetes a Palaemonetes.  Any thoughts?  I wish/hope it could be as simple as counting scales, rays in fins, tooth shapes and pharyngeal bones....  Fish are so easy <. <Don't know... w/o "looking"... likely at SIO... but here is the feedback from Google on Systematics of the Palaemonidae: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-27,GGLD:en&q=systematics+of+the+palaemonidae Looks like there are some useful bits here... and I would try the (not ready for prime time) "Google Scholar" as well... Next time you're in town, let's make a sojourn down to the Scripps Library... am facile at searching "the literature". Bob F> Thanks much.... -Sabrina

Macrobrachium rosenbergii information Robert, Around 14 years ago I purchased three "Blue Lobsters" from a pet store in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Later on I learned that they were known as Macrobrachium rosenbergii. These three invertebrates were the most interesting aquarium pets that I had ever owned. They are long gone now, but I recently purchased a 125 gallon aquarium which I intend to put my larger Cichlids in. Thinking about what to put into the empty 55 gallon, I remembered the "Blue Lobsters" which I loved having in the past. My question is where can I purchase them??? I can not find them anywhere in the West Michigan area. Whenever I ask pet shop employees they look at me like I am crazy!! If you might have any information that might be helpful please e-mail me back. <These crustaceans are still about, though not near as popular as they were years back. This one species is widely and intensively cultured as a food organism (mainly in the Far East). It and a handful of new species of interesting prawns, shrimp and true lobsters can be had from larger retailers and etailers. Please contact the folks on our Links Page here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/links.htm to start your search, and ask your local fish stores if they'll please look, special order one, more for you. Bob Fenner> Andy Shearer

Mystery Shrimp - Fun with Freshwater Inverts Hey all, <Hey, Chris> I have a rather odd hitchhiker that came with my bumblebee shrimp today. It's about the size of a large ghost shrimp, it's pincer arms are about as long as it's body <This alone screams "Macrobrachium!"  Now, Macrobrachium *what* is the question.> and are sort of banded in alternating pale red and grayish-black. LFS said it'd snuck in with the bumblebee shipment and hadn't injured/killed any of the bumblebees in the couple weeks it had been in their tank at the store, but they're not sure what it is. <Fun!> Well, due to various chaos today involving having to return/exchange the tank I got for Xmas (Marineland 10gs apparently have different dimensions than All-Glass 10gs), having to take relatives to the zoo for their annual Zoo Lights event, discovering I either need to buy an adaptor for the power cord and/or change the outlet the tank was going to be plugged into, my new 10g didn't get set up like I'd planned it to be. <Boy, when things go wrong!> So, for the night, the bumblebees (and unknown) all got placed in a 1 gallon tank with an airstone and some algae wafer bits. A short time later, both my sister and myself observed this unknown shrimp would wander the perimeter of the tank trying to pinch the tails of all the bumblebees (who'd jump out of the way). <Oh yes.  Macrobrachium shrimps almost all are aggressive meat eaters.  Fish, shrimp, anything that holds still long enough to be nabbed, are all at risk.> So the unknown got moved to a separate 1g, where he's mostly watching the bumblebees in the tank next door. <Dreaming of snacking, I'm sure.> (The bumblebees now appear much happier, munching away on the algae wafer and exploring instead of sitting in groups along the walls) <Probably feeling a touch safer, now that they're not potential meals!> So, can anyone ID this critter? <Your photos are quite unclear (no offense, just an observation) and therefore very difficult to tell anything for sure....  is it possible to get him into a position against a solid background?  It'd be especially nice to be able to see his first pair of legs, their shape, color, etc.  From what you've given me, the best rough guess I can give you is Macrobrachium japonicum.> I'm probably going to try and take him back, unless someone can convince me he'd be better behaved in the 10g with the bumblebees (and future fish inhabitants) rather than how he acted when stuffed into a 1g with them. <I would not expect him to change his ill manners, not at all.  But it certainly might be fun to hang on to him in his own tank, see what he grows up to be!  I'm sure he'll worm his way into your heart, even with an unbeatable appetite and a bit of a bad disposition.> I'm hazarding a guess it's some kind of Macrobrachium, perhaps? <Almost definitely.> The object it's sitting on in the photos is an airstone if that helps with scale at all. Given the day it's been, you're probably going to tell me I just got a future 5" monster shrimp that eats fish or something ;) <Well....  ;)  I do believe you're reading my mind!  I'm not at all certain on his ultimate size, though.  I'd guess somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple of inches.  Small fish would likely be at risk, and small shrimp, as you've observed, certainly aren't safe.  But again - don't give up on him just yet!  He may prove to be an endearing little dude, well deserving of his own tank.  Give him a chance, if you can.> Thanks again for any help you're able to provide,  Chris <You betcha.> --Addendum-- A friend located this photo that sort of looks like the unknown shrimp:  http://www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co.uk/Shrimp.htm?Longarm.htm~mainFrame  (scroll down to Striped-Hand Prawn and click on the image). Although this site's photo is a bit redder than the one I have appears. <This picture looks very much like Macrobrachium japonicum to me.> And it seems to be the only site on the internet that uses the name Striped-Hand Prawn (aren't common names fun to deal with?) <Ugh.  I think the world would be a far less confusing place if we simply scrapped ALL common names.  *sigh*> Also, I already checked through the photos at   http://www.wirbellose.de/arten.html#Großarmgarnelen   to try and ID it with no luck (Remembered the site from when it was pointed out to me in the forums by vintage_fish <Hey, that's me!  ;) > several weeks ago in regards to a different species) <Try this one:   http://www.wirbellose.de/arten.cgi?action=show&artNo=220 .  Do please look very closely at the faint striping on the legs (I bet this is a juvenile or young female) and compare with your shrimp.  Also, try a Google search on Macrobrachium japonicum and check out some of the pics that come up.  If at all possible, try to get a clearer pic on a plain (perhaps black) background.  In any case, a fun little fellah to find out more about, if you can spare a tank for him!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>