Ghost Shrimp Care Info & Species Profile
The ghost shrimp is a freshwater shrimp of the Palaemonetes family. This species is small and primarily clear in shade, which is why it purchased its determine.
These shrimp are widespread amongst aquarists because of the shrimp are easy to maintain and act as tank cleaners.
Ghost shrimp make the correct addition to any tropical group consisting of various small non-aggressive fish.
Ghost Shrimp Info & Overview
| Scientific Title: | Palaemonetes swampus |
| Widespread names: | Ghost shrimp, glass shrimp, japanese glass shrimp |
| Distribution: | North America |
| Dimension: | 1.5 inches |
| Life expectancy: | One yr |
| Shade: | clear |
| Weight reduction plan: | Omnivore |
| Temperament: | Peaceful |
| Minimal tank dimension: | 5–10 gallons |
| Temperature: | 65–82°F (23–28°C) |
| pH: | 7.0–8.0 |
| Hardness: | 3.0–12.0 dGH |
| Care diploma: | Easy |
Origin
Although ghost shrimp fossils suggest this crustacean’s existence throughout the Cretaceous and Jurassic intervals, these tiny crustaceans have been first described in North America throughout the 1850s.
Ghost shrimp can typically be seen on sand seashores and coastal areas throughout the Pacific Ocean.
Grownup Dimension & Life Expectancy
Grownup ghost shrimp develop as a lot as 1.5 inches prolonged. Females can develop as a lot as 2 inches prolonged.
A lifespan of only one yr means these small shrimp aren’t recognized for his or her longevity.
Availability
Ghost shrimp will be discovered at most pet outlets, notably outlets specializing in aquatic creatures. They normally worth $0.50–$3 per shrimp.
You can purchase this freshwater species at AquariumFish or Aquariumfishsale.com.
Look & Habits
The ghost shrimp’s clear physique gives it a peculiar look — notably given that clear physique permits others to see what the shrimp have eaten that day.
This species’ peaceful and shy nature makes the ghost shrimp a terrific tank companion for various peaceful species.
Colors, Patterns, and Dimension
Ghost shrimp are clear. This distinctive bodily attribute helps these shrimp avoid predators and makes the species participating in any aquarium. This species doesn’t vary in shade, nevertheless some ghost shrimp have colored spots on their once more. Females develop inexperienced markings on their sides when approaching puberty.
Ghost shrimp are small. Females develop as a lot as 2 inches prolonged, nevertheless males solely develop 1.5 inches. Not like fish, ghost shrimp don’t have fins and use their tails to maneuver.
This species molts typically, as a result of it grows too big to go well with its shell. When these small shrimp shed their shells, they’re notably prone until the model new shell grows. All through this time, maintain your ghost shrimp away from any boisterous fish to avoid harm.
Typical Habits
Ghost shrimp are recognized for being passive and peaceful, making them the right tank mates for busy tanks with many various species.
These shrimp could also be found swimming throughout the middle of the tank or cleaning leftover meals and algae from the underside. They’ve an inclination to stay energetic and busy by way of the day and often burrow throughout the sand.
Whereas this tranquil species enjoys being in a gaggle, a single shrimp will survive fortuitously by itself.
Ghost Shrimp Tank & Water Requirements
Any aquarist hoping to accommodate a ghost shrimp ought to verify the shrimp’s tank is consistently warmth and has a functionality of a minimal of 5 gallons.
Habitat and Tank Requirements
Ghost shrimp get pleasure from decorations paying homage to driftwood, rocks, and sand. Solely use rounded rocks throughout the tank, as sharp rocks can injure the shrimp’s exoskeleton.
Avoid nitrates accumulating throughout the tank. To remove nitrates from the tank’s water, introduce fast-growing floating and root-feeder crops to the tank.
Avoid crops with delicate roots, as a result of the shrimp’s burrowing habits would possibly hurt them.
Water Conditions
One of the best tank circumstances for a ghost shrimp must be as follows:
| Water type: | Exhausting, freshwater |
| Tank dimension: | Minimal 5 gallons |
| Water temperature: | 68–82ºF |
| Acidity: | 7.0–8.0 pH |
| Water hardness: | 10–15 dGH |
| Water dietary dietary supplements: | Calcium |
The tank circumstances for a ghost shrimp must mimic the shrimp’s pure habitat — warmth freshwater, with a layer of sand on the bottom and quite a lot of crops to get pleasure from.
Ghost shrimp don’t require excessive filtration — shopping for a filter to match the dimensions of your tank is sufficient, and a sponge filter is true. The shrimp get pleasure from swimming throughout the bubbles created by an air pump.
Avoid making a gift that’s too sturdy, inhibiting your shrimp’s means to swim.
Care & Weight reduction plan
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Caring for a ghost shrimp is relatively easy. These shrimp get pleasure from a distinct weight reduction plan, along with algae off the aspect of their tank.
Ghost shrimp’s delicate exoskeleton will improve their hazard of harm, so maintain your shrimp’s tank free of sharp decorations.
Weight reduction plan and Feeding
Feed your ghost shrimp a weight reduction plan consisting primarily of algae, aquatic crops, larvae, weeds, and pellet meals. It’s moreover value feeding ghost shrimp calcium dietary dietary supplements to help them kind a tricky shell.
Due to the shrimp’s small dimension, these crustaceans solely require small portions of meals, most of which they’re going to buy from their tank mates’ leftovers. In the event you occur to carry your ghost shrimp alone or just with tank mates of the an identical species, you’ll need to provide them their very personal meals.
The amount of meals the shrimp require is set by how so much algae is throughout the tank. The additional algae there could also be, the a lot much less you’ll should feed them.
A bunch of 4 shrimp desires feeding as quickly as every completely different day, and just one ghost shrimp solely requires meals as quickly as every few days. This species’ scavenging nature means you don’t have to be too strict with its feeding routine.
Regular Care
Caring for ghost shrimp is simple as a consequence of their lack of stringent feeding desires, comparatively small tank dimension requirement, and peaceful nature.
Complement your ghost shrimp’s meals and water with calcium to keep up their shell sturdy. Vibrant lights and entry to hiding areas all through the tank will maintain this species entertained.
Widespread Points
Ghost shrimp react negatively to improper water circumstances, paying homage to pH open air of the 7–8 range, or the presence of ammonia throughout the tank. The shrimp are moreover considerably susceptible to the vorticella parasite and quite a lot of different bacterial infections.
Vorticella is a parasite that appears as a white fungus on the ghost shrimp’s tail and the tip of their nostril. This parasite would possibly set off an absence of urge for meals and energy in ghost shrimp and could also be dealt with with aquarium salt and filter.
Bacterial infections will appear as a pink, swollen spot on a ghost shrimp’s physique. Sadly, bacterial infections are sometimes lethal for ghost shrimp, so the best plan of motion is to separate the contaminated shrimp from their tank mates to stop the an an infection from spreading.
Is a Ghost Shrimp Dangerous?
Ghost shrimp aren’t considered dangerous. However, aquarists must avoid retaining too lots of these shrimp in a tank collectively, because of the species can grow to be aggressive and assault its tank mates when it has to fight for home.
Tank Mates
Ghost shrimp make final tank mates for small, calm, bottom-dwelling fish, ensuing from every species’ shy and non-aggressive natures.
These tiny crustaceans’ dimension makes them prone to being eaten, so avoid pairing them with big predators.
Greatest tank mates for ghost shrimp embody:
Lifespan and Molting
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Ghost shrimp reside for spherical a yr, nevertheless this might vary counting on the particular person and the homeland.
On account of they’re so low-cost and easy to breed, these shrimp are generally used as feeder fish for greater species throughout the residence aquarium, and due to this, are generally saved in extreme densities with poor filtration.
This makes them further extra prone to die all through transport and can improve their mortality value. It’s normal for some folks to die quite a lot of days into lifetime of their new tank, even when the tank is totally healthful.
Although their lives are fast, ghost shrimp molt typically as they eat and develop, becoming too big for his or her earlier shell. This might grow to be fairly frequent. All of it’s decided by how so much they eat and the way briskly they develop.
As quickly as ghost shrimp have shed their earlier shell, they will be considerably prone until their new shell hardens. While you don’t need to fret an extreme quantity of all through this time, don’t be shocked in case your ghost shrimp takes hurt via powerful habits from boisterous fish.
Make certain that your tank has crevices and crops for molting shrimp to cowl in.
In the event you see a molted shell sitting on the sediment, it’s pure to panic and assume it’s a dull shrimp. However, upon nearer inspection, the outlet inside the husk ought to obviously set up it as a discarded exterior.
When your ghost shrimp sheds its shell, you don’t should take away it from the aquarium immediately because of it’ll typically grow to be meals for various shrimp throughout the tank.
Breeding
Ghost shrimp are easy to breed supplied they’re saved in a healthful environment with out predators. For an optimum chance of breeding, stock the tank with twice as many females as males. It’s possible you’ll arrange which shrimp are female by their greater dimension and inexperienced saddle, positioned beneath their our our bodies.
To simulate the shrimps’ hotter mating months and encourage breeding, elevate the tank’s temperature to spherical 80°F. After quite a lot of weeks, the females will produce eggs, which is ready to appear as inexperienced dots spherical their legs.
Allow quite a lot of days for the males to fertilize them. Having extreme ranges of calcium throughout the tank will improve the opportunity of these eggs maturing.
As quickly because the eggs are fertilized, switch the females to a particular tank to allow the youthful to hatch, as ghost shrimp have been recognized to eat their very personal youthful.
The infants’ environment must match the first tank, with a thin layer of sand and some clear decorations. Together with a sturdy sponge filter to the tank will assure not one of many youthful get sucked into the aquarium’s instruments. Feed the new child shrimp small portions of particle meals until they develop legs, at which degree you can feed them the an identical weight reduction plan as an grownup ghost shrimp.
Shrimp are completely grown at 5 weeks earlier, at which degree you can switch them once more to the first tank with their mom and father.
Should You Get a Ghost Shrimp for Your Aquarium?
In the event you occur to’re in the hunt for a crustacean with a singular look and peaceful nature, a ghost shrimp is true. These tiny shrimp is just not going to solely entertain you with their energetic antics, nevertheless they’ll moreover maintain the tank clear and free from algae.
The ghost shrimp’s small dimension and expertise to get along with tank mates make this crustacean a fascinating addition to any aquarist’s tank.
