Ghost Shrimp

Overview: Extremely beautiful and delicate looking Ghost Shrimps are also popular as Glass Shrimp. They have a glass-like translucent body, which is why the name ghost/glass is given to them. They look very attractive due to their unique features and body color. If you are looking for a shrimp to add in your tank, Ghost Shrimps will be a great option as they are easy to care and maintain. At the same time, being scavenger in nature, they work as an efficient cleaner of the tank, eating up all the algae growth and dead and decomposing materials. It is not important to keep the Ghost Shrimps in groups as they are self-sufficient and live happily all alone. They show two prominent functions in the tank- swimming freely in the water and feeding, which can also be called cleaning the tank.

Habitat: Ghost Shrimps are native to North America and belong to the Palaemonetes family. They are the freshwater shrimps that can live in freshwater aquariums happily. They are traded as aquarium creatures since 1850 due to their exoticness. Although there are many shrimps belonging to the Palaemonetes family, only ghost shrimps are most popular among the aquarists. Once you add them, your tank will look clear most of the time as they eat up the entire leftover food of the fish and prevent the algae bloom.

Water conditions: Ghost Shrimps prefer freshwater for thriving. Make sure you have at least 5 gallons tank if you are keeping a shrimp. Although 2 to 3 ghost shrimp per gallon are considered ideal, maintain a limited population as they breed very easily and multiply. As far as water parameters are concerned, maintaining a specific range will be the best as the extremities may bring stress to the shrimps and hamper their growth and development. The right range of temperature for shrimps is-

• Temperature: 65 and 82ºF
• pH: 7.0 – 8.0

Care guideline: Shrimps love when you have good vegetation and other hiding spots in the tank-like driftwood, décor, and aquarium equipment. Keep an eye on water levels like nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia and ensure they do not spike up. It may cause toxicity to the fish as well as shrimps. Although they continually feed on algae and decomposing matter, you can give them dry pellets, flakes, and blanched vegetables.

Do You Know?

Due to the translucent body, you can view the inner-workings of the body of the ghost shrimp when it processes the food. It is one of the reasons why people want to add them in the tank as it brings fun, excitement as well as education.

WARNING- Copper is toxic to invertebrates; therefore, avoid all types of food products, plant fertilizers, and medications that have copper in them in any form. If you have shrimps in your tank, always read the labels and make sure that the products you are using are copper-free.