Been thinking about getting ghost shrimp...tips?

Hey! I have been thinking about getting some ghost shrimp for my 10 gal planted community tank(stocked with 6 neon tetras) and was wondering if...
1. They would be ok with neon tetras? I spent $30 on cherry shrimp only for them to be eaten within the next 48 hours. I was hoping this wouldn't happen again
2. Do I need a lid? I don't have one currently and I have read that they are escape artists
3. What do I feed them?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

 

Ghost shrimp are normally bigger when you buy them so stand a better chance with fish.
Don't buy feeder shrimp they will die in a few days, if you can get them from a breeder they will live longer.
Your other option is to get some Ammano shrimp they will be big enough to hold their own, I dont think the neons will have a go at them

 

Ghost shrimp are normally bigger when you buy them so stand a better chance with fish.
Don't but feeder shrimp they will die in a few days, if you can get them from a breeder they will live longer.
Your other option is to get some Ammano shrimp they will be big enough to hold their own, I dont think the neons will have a go at them

Alright so the neons would be fine with them then? Im not interested in getting Amano shrimp because they honestly creep me out lol. Do I need a lid to have the ghost shrimp?
Thanks for the reply!

 

The neons should be fine with them, but you should try to get older/bigger ghost shrimp. I've had multiple ghost shrimp before without a lid on my tank and I haven't had any problems with them trying to escape or anything. Your ghost shrimp will eat any algae that are in your aquarium, and you can feed them algae wafers, fish food, small live food, and boiled vegetables. I found that a good way to make fish pellets sink easily so your shrimp can eat them is to put the pellets and some water in a syringe with a blunt tip, put the syringe upside down with your finger covering the tip, and to pull the syringe like you're sucking something into it.

 

The neons should be fine with them, but you should try to get older/bigger ghost shrimp. I've had multiple ghost shrimp before without a lid on my tank and I haven't had any problems with them trying to escape or anything. Your ghost shrimp will eat any algae that are in your aquarium, and you can feed them algae wafers, fish food, small live food, and boiled vegetables. I found that a good way to make fish pellets sink easily so your shrimp can eat them is to put the pellets and some water in a syringe with a blunt tip, put the syringe upside down with your finger covering the tip, and to pull the syringe like you're sucking something into it.

Thanks so much for your response! I think I will go out and get them today then if they don't need a lid. I just didn't want to find shrimp on my carpet I will look for the bigger ones, and look into some algae wafers. Also, how to add more calcium to the tank? Do I need to? I know its good for their shells...

 

I am going to get some ghost shrimp and was wondering if I need a lid for my tank, I have read that they are jumpers and escape artists but have seen many tanks without lids. I was wondering how the fishkeepers do this, and if a lid is even necessary? Thanks for all the help!

 

Any fish, shrimp, or snail can escape the tank if given the opportunity - I've had shrimp dart out of the tank when scared. Usually only when I'm catching them, but it's not impossible for it to happen in response to a loud sound or something similar, either.

What size is the tank? For most standard tank sizes you can just buy a glass lid off the shelf at a Petsmart/Petco/local pet store that'll fit the tank just fine. You can also DIY sliding glass lids - there are plenty of good YouTube tutorials on it.

This is my favorite one - she does a pretty good job of showing the process. Super easy DIY. This could be modified for cubes and other odd-shaped tanks, as well.

 

Any fish, shrimp, or snail can escape the tank if given the opportunity - I've had shrimp dart out of the tank when scared. Usually only when I'm catching them, but it's not impossible for it to happen in response to a loud sound or something similar, either.

What size is the tank? For most standard tank sizes you can just buy a glass lid off the shelf at a Petsmart/Petco/local pet store that'll fit the tank just fine. You can also DIY sliding glass lids - there are plenty of good YouTube tutorials on it.

This is my favorite one - she does a pretty good job of showing the process. Super easy DIY. This could be modified for cubes and other odd-shaped tanks, as well.

It's a standard 10 gal. I'll definitely get a lid then, the door for the stand underneath always bangs when you close it and I don't want to find shrimp on my carpet

 

It's a standard 10 gal. I'll definitely get a lid then, the door for the stand underneath always bangs when you close it and I don't want to find shrimp on my carpet

Petsmart has their Top Fin generic 10 gallon lids for like $12.99. That's the best deal I've found around here!

 

Do you know where I could find custom glass like in the video?

 

Do you know where I could find custom glass like in the video?

You'd probably have to head to a local glass shop. Home Depot or Lowe's will carry glass, but it's usually super thin and liable to break.

 

Alright, I probably just buy a top fin one or something then. Thanks for all your help!

 

Hey all, I currently have a 10-gallon tank stocked with 6 neon tetras. I was wondering how many ghost shrimp I could get? I was thinking 10-15. I also have another question, what should I feed them? I have plenty of algae in my tank and all the articles I have read have said they eat anything. Which is not helpful at all . Do you have any name brands I could buy? Thanks for all the help!

 

I'd start with 8-10, if the tank is well planted and with algae it's likely they'll be breeding at least semi successfully.

Tbh, they really will eat anything, but a diet high in algae is likely best for them. Any kind of wafer or pellet advertised for plecos will do the trick, something with a lot of spirulina. I know Omega One had pellets advertised for inverts that I liked using a while ago as well.

 

I'd start with 8-10, if the tank is well planted and with algae it's likely they'll be breeding at least semi successfully.

Tbh, they really will eat anything, but a diet high in algae is likely best for them. Any kind of wafer or pellet advertised for plecos will do the trick, something with a lot of spirulina. I know Omega One had pellets advertised for inverts that I liked using a while ago as well.

Ok thanks so much! I’ll start with 10 just to be sure, and I’ll look into the Omega Ones. Thanks for spirulina tip too. Do you know what I should do with the ghost shrimp when I think there’s too much?(If they breed successfully) I could like give them to my lfs right? Thanks for all your help, I’m just getting into this shrimp keeping thing

 

Ok thanks so much! I’ll start with 10 just to be sure, and I’ll look into the Omega Ones. Thanks for spirulina tip too. Do you know what I should do with the ghost shrimp when I think there’s too much?(If they breed successfully) I could like give them to my lfs right? Thanks for all your help, I’m just getting into this shrimp keeping thing

You could certainly try giving them to your LFS! Usually ghost shrimp are sold as feeder shrimp (and if your LFS takes them, they'll likely do so as well, just so you know). Usually if shrimp are breeding they'll manage their own numbers and form a colony. That is to say that the number of shrimp that will survive to adulthood is proportionate to the amount of food and space available to them and the other shrimp in the tank.

If you are overfeeding, more shrimplets will survive to adulthood because the present adults won't feel the need to eat them as they're growing up and the shrimplets themselves will have plenty of access to food.

If you are underfeeding, then shrimplets will be picked off by others before they have a chance to reach adulthood and fend for themselves and the current adults will struggle to find enough food for themselves which may result in a few starving out.

This is of course an oversimplification of the process, but essentially the amount of shrimp within the tank can be managed with how you maintain the survival requirements available to them. Ghost shrimp aren't necessarily the easiest to raise to adulthood either, because unlike some other prolific shrimp varieties within the hobby, they go through a very vulnerable larval stage before morphing into shrimplets. When in this larval stage, they float along in the water column, unable to move or defend themselves and are easily snatched up and eaten by other inhabitants, taken out by strong filter currents, or cannot access enough food. This shouldn't deter you if you are interested in breeding them though! Some small adjustments can nullify a lot of the above mentioned issues and the process of watching them grow can be very enjoyable.

 

Hello again, noticed this after seeing your other thread. Ghost shrimp won't really crawl out of the tank like amanos might - however, if startled near the waters surface, they can jump right out of the water without meaning to. It occurs relatively rarely in my experience, but it wouldn't be the first time it's happened to me. Bearing this in mind, I keep mine in lidless tanks - it definitely isn't a requirement.

 

Usually if shrimp are breeding they'll manage their own numbers and form a colony. That is to say that the number of shrimp that will survive to adulthood is proportionate to the amount of food and space available to them and the other shrimp in the tank.

That's so cool!

Ghost shrimp aren't necessarily the easiest to raise to adulthood either, because unlike some other prolific shrimp varieties within the hobby, they go through a very vulnerable larval stage before morphing into shrimplets. When in this larval stage, they float along in the water column, unable to move or defend themselves and are easily snatched up and eaten by other inhabitants, taken out by strong filter currents, or cannot access enough food. This shouldn't deter you if you are interested in breeding them though! Some small adjustments can nullify a lot of the above mentioned issues and the process of watching them grow can be very enjoyable.

Good to know! I'm not necessarily interested in breeding them, and I'm sure they would be picked off by the neons in the larval stage. I was just checking to make sure that shrimp wouldn't overrun my tank but I guess they keep count themselves! (Which is awesome to me I had no idea they did that!)

I was wondering if i could feed them my fish food, New Life Spectrum Thera +A. It has a lot of seaweed and some spiralina in it which is good for shrimp right? Or would it be better to get them the Omega One Veggie Rounds?

 

Hello again, noticed this after seeing your other thread. Ghost shrimp won't really crawl out of the tank like amanos might - however, if startled near the waters surface, they can jump right out of the water without meaning to. It occurs relatively rarely in my experience, but it wouldn't be the first time it's happened to me. Bearing this in mind, I keep mine in lidless tanks - it definitely isn't a requirement.

Thanks but I already bought the lid haha. I don’t know I just don’t want to take any chances

 

That's so cool!

Good to know! I'm not necessarily interested in breeding them, and I'm sure they would be picked off by the neons in the larval stage. I was just checking to make sure that shrimp wouldn't overrun my tank but I guess they keep count themselves! (Which is awesome to me I had no idea they did that!)

I was wondering if i could feed them my fish food, New Life Spectrum Thera +A. It has a lot of seaweed and some spiralina in it which is good for shrimp right? Or would it be better to get them the Omega One Veggie Rounds?

I'm glad if I've helped, and I promise you won't be over run with them - but hopefully a few of them will make it to adulthood

Honestly, they'll be just fine with whatever food you've got on hand, they definitely won't starve. You can buy them some food all their own if you'd like to provide them with an optimal diet but a lot of the time these shrimp will be grazing on algae and biofilm - they don't need to be fed fish or shrimp foods everyday because they're always eating.

I have to ask, are you buying them from a breeder or from your LFS as feeder shrimp? Feeder shrimp typically won't survive beyond a few months I'm afraid.

 

Thanks but I already bought the lid haha. I don’t know I just don’t want to take any chances

Better safe than sorry! Lids are beneficial in other ways too, so definitely not a bad thing to have them!

 

I never had had any issues with jumping, but a lid does greatly help with evaporation. I personally bought feeders and they did very well but for a better chance get from a breeder. If you get adults I wouldn't worry, they had been fine with my livebearer and bettas in the past. They are pretty spunky, large, and fast.

 

I'm glad if I've helped, and I promise you won't be over run with them - but hopefully a few of them will make it to adulthood

Honestly, they'll be just fine with whatever food you've got on hand, they definitely won't starve. You can buy them some food all their own if you'd like to provide them with an optimal diet but a lot of the time these shrimp will be grazing on algae and biofilm - they don't need to be fed fish or shrimp foods everyday because they're always eating.

I have to ask, are you buying them from a breeder or from your LFS as feeder shrimp? Feeder shrimp typically won't survive beyond a few months I'm afraid.

My local petsmart, they are super cheap and I’m kind of on a tight budget so I was hoping to save some money

 

I never had had any issues with jumping, but a lid does greatly help with evaporation. I personally bought feeders and they did very well but for a better chance get from a breeder. If you get adults I wouldn't worry, they had been fine with my livebearer and bettas in the past. They are pretty spunky, large, and fast.

Alright I’ll make sure to get adults then. Thanks for your help!

 

My local petsmart, they are super cheap and I’m kind of on a tight budget so I was hoping to save some money

I understand, but I just want to warn you that the survival rate is pretty low with feeder shrimp. I started my colony with feeder shrimp, I bought 20 and none of them made it past 3 months. A few of their offspring survived, and were able to breed - but if they hadn't, I wouldn't have any left today. Do not be surprised if you start losing them.

 

I understand, but I just want to warn you that the survival rate is pretty low with feeder shrimp. I started my colony with feeder shrimp, I bought 20 and none of them made it past 3 months. A few of their offspring survived, and were able to breed - but if they hadn't, I wouldn't have any left today. Do not be surprised if you start losing them.

Ok thanks for the heads up. Where would you recommend getting the from the breeder?

 

Keep in mind that the term "Ghost Shrimp" is a common name given to a ton of different shrimp that all look very similar, usually in the family Palaemonetes. There are different species that have different breeding habits and life cycles, some that prefer freshwater, some that prefer saltwater, and some that prefer brackish.

Most of the time, at least here in the States, the ghost shrimp you find in big box stores are either P. Vulgaris or P. Paludosus, with Vulgaris preferring brackish and saltwater and Paludosus preferring freshwater, or lightly brackish water. I used to work at a Petsmart and can confirm that we got in both species, usually mixed in together, and sometimes with other species mixed in with them.

They're kinda hard to tell apart, but look for the ones that have a very clear (or even slightly green) shell and relatively long antennae. In my experience, those tend to be young Paludosus, instead of the Vulgaris, which would definitely prefer saltier water.

Seconded - I can also confirm that feeder shrimp are often viewed as a product with an expiration date. Most of them don't survive past a week or so in the store, so we only ordered in what we could sell in a week. If you can order some online or find a mom and pop store that sells them, you might have better luck in keeping them long-term. I've got a few that I got from a LFS as feeders that managed to escape my net that I've had for almost two years. Most of the ghost shrimp I brought home from Petsmart when I worked there didn't last more than a couple weeks.

 

Ok thanks for the heads up. Where would you recommend getting the from the breeder?

Mmm I don't know if there's an equivalent to Kijiji in the states, but something akin to that may have fish and shrimp breeders trying to sell their fry. Maybe Craigslist? I would reccommend starting there, and if nobody is selling then try a fish specific mom and pop store like ChrissFishes01 has suggested and hope for the best! Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the help everybody!