Information on Ghost Shrimp

The Ghost Shrimps belong to the Palaeomonetes genus and are found both in fresh water and brackish water. The reason the Ghost Shrimps are so named is because they are totally transparent and they are also known as the Glass Shrimps. As a matter of fact the food particles that they eat and are present in their stomach can be seen from the naked eye. The feeding habits of the ghost shrimps make them good cleaners and hence they help in keeping the aquarium clean.

Information on Ghost Shrimps

The female ghost shrimps can grow up to 1.5 inch in length while the male ghost shrimps seldom reach more than 1 inch in length. Their life span is about two years. They molt new exoskeletons every few months as they grow and are very vulnerable the first time they molt till their exoskeleton hardens. The body is segmented and consists of 10 pairs of legs. The first four sets of legs have tiny claws that help in feeding. The ghost shrimps have a totally clear body and the food in their digestive tract is visible to the naked eye. The shrimps also have a orange-yellow dot on each side of their tail. The females carry the eggs in dark balls under their belly.

Ghost Shrimps and Aquariums

It has been observed that the ghost shrimps are a little aggressive towards other ghost shrimps and the larger ones can get very aggressive to smaller ones if too many shrimps are kept in an aquarium tank. Hence, the number of shrimps kept in a tank should be moderate. A right number is calculated by allowing 1 shrimp per gallon or 4 liters of water.

The ideal temperature of the water in the aquarium for ghost shrimps is between 65 and 80 degree Fahrenheit. They need a lot of hiding space which they will use to their benefit when they are molting. The aquariums should contain plenty of hiding spaces that are too small for other fishes in the aquarium. Add a few plants that the shrimps can climb on.

The suitable companions for the ghost shrimps in the aquarium are small livebearers, small Tetras, Rasboras and other fishes that are small and not capable of eating the shrimps. Aggressive fishes should not be kept in the same tank as the ghost shrimps.

Ghost Shrimps – Diet

The ghost shrimps are scavengers in nature and eat just about any small bit of food that can find while scanning the bottom. They also swim upside down and eat food from the surface of the aquarium or pond. In an aquarium, the ideal food would be flake food. It is also recommended that some kind of variation be included occasionally and the ghost shrimps can be given small bits of frozen food.

Breeding Ghost Shrimps

It is very easy to breed ghost shrimps. The female ghost shrimps can be seen with pink eggs or baby shrimps under their bellies in swimmerets. When they move around, they often shake the eggs gently by moving the swimmerets to keep them well provided with oxygen. However, it is very difficult to raise the baby shrimps. The main reason behind this is that they are very hard to feed as it is difficult to find food that is small enough to feed them. Hence, it is better and easier to breed ghost shrimps in ponds where there is plenty of food available for the young shrimps. A few female shrimps and a couple of male shrimps in a pond can result in many baby shrimps in a couple of months.

It is also recommended that the female shrimps that are carrying the eggs should be relocated to another tank while they are carrying the eggs and kept their till the babies are released. After this, the adult shrimps can be returned to the main tanks while the babies can grow in the smaller tank until they are a little bigger. The reason behind this is that the babies are as small as mosquito larvae and are very easily eaten even by the smallest of fishes.

Ghost shrimps are ideal for any aquarium that is used for keeping small fishes as they are great helpers that keep the aquarium clean and help maintain a high quality of water.