Ghost shrimp

Quick facts

Adult size

4 cm

Lifespan

can live up to 1.5 years

Tank zone

bottom

Temperament

peaceful

Difficulty

beginner

Typically wild-caught

yes - acclimate slowly

Water parameters

Temperature

18–28°C

pH

7.0 to 8.0

Hardness

5 to 20 dGH

Tank requirements

Minimum volume

20 L

Minimum length

30 cm

Flow

low

Lighting

moderate

Substrate

any

Hiding spots

needed

Lid

required - jumper

Feeding

Diet: omnivore, feeds primarily at the bottom.

Scavenger that eats anything organic: fish food, algae, biofilm, decaying plant matter, dead fish, dead shrimp. In a community tank, they clean up whatever settles on the bottom. Supplemental feeding with sinking pellets, algae wafers, blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach), and occasional frozen food keeps them healthy. They're not effective algae cleaners despite the marketing; their algae consumption is modest compared to Amano shrimp or nerite snails. Feed every other day if the tank has other food sources. In dedicated shrimp tanks, feed a small amount of shrimp food or blanched vegetable 2-3 times weekly.

Compatibility

• The cheapest and most expendable freshwater shrimp in the hobby. Sold for pennies as feeder shrimp and as 'algae cleaners.' The low price means they're frequently impulse purchases with little research.
• Safe with small peaceful fish. Any fish large enough to eat them will. Angelfish, cichlids, and most fish over 8 cm treat ghost shrimp as food, which is their intended purpose in the feeder trade.
• Can be aggressive toward smaller shrimp species. Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus and related species) are larger and more assertive than cherry shrimp or Amano shrimp. They'll harass and occasionally kill smaller Neocaridina in shared tanks.
• Useful as live food for predatory fish. Their low cost and availability make them the standard feeder shrimp in the hobby.

Habitat

Native to freshwater streams, ponds, swamps, and ditches across the southeastern United States, from Texas through Florida and up the Atlantic coast. The species commonly sold as 'ghost shrimp' is Palaemonetes paludosus, but the name is applied loosely to several similar-looking Palaemonetes species and occasionally to unrelated transparent shrimp. Wild-caught from Florida and Gulf Coast waterways in enormous quantities for the feeder and bait trades. Almost never captive-bred commercially because wild collection is cheaper. The body is nearly transparent, with internal organs visible through the exoskeleton. Some individuals develop a slight bluish or greenish tint. Females are larger (up to 5 cm) than males (3–4 cm) and carry green eggs under the abdomen when gravid. The 'ghost' name comes from the transparency. They lack the vivid coloration of ornamental shrimp species, which is why they're valued as feeders rather than display animals. Some hobbyists keep them deliberately in species tanks where the transparent bodies and scavenging behavior are interesting in their own right.

Breeding

Females carry green eggs under the abdomen for 2-3 weeks before releasing larvae. Whether the larvae survive depends on the species: some Palaemonetes species sold as 'ghost shrimp' have a planktonic larval stage that requires brackish water to survive, while others develop directly into miniature shrimp in fresh water. This inconsistency is because 'ghost shrimp' isn't a single species. If the larvae need brackish water and you're keeping them in fresh, you'll see berried females repeatedly but never any surviving young. For fresh-water-breeding populations, larvae develop into tiny shrimp within 1-2 weeks and are immediately free-living. They eat biofilm and microorganisms. Population growth is slower than Neocaridina shrimp because clutch sizes are smaller and larval mortality is higher. Breeding without knowing which species you actually have is a guessing game.

Common problems

Short lifespan is the main limitation. Ghost shrimp typically live 1-1.5 years, much shorter than cherry shrimp (2-3 years) or Amano shrimp (3-5 years). They're also less hardy than they appear: sold as feeder shrimp under stressful conditions (overcrowded, unheated tanks in stores), many die within days of purchase from accumulated stress. Buying from a store that maintains them in reasonable conditions improves survival. Molting problems from mineral deficiency (low GH) kill them the same way as other shrimp: they get stuck in the old exoskeleton. Maintain GH above 6. Copper sensitivity applies to all shrimp; avoid copper-based medications in tanks with ghost shrimp. The aggression toward smaller shrimp species surprises keepers who assume all shrimp are equally peaceful. Ghost shrimp can catch and kill small Neocaridina, especially during molting when the smaller shrimp are vulnerable.

Bioload

Bioload coefficient: 0.1 (tiny crustacean; floor-lifted to validator minimum (comparable to cherry shrimp)).

Bioload coefficients are calibrated against the neon tetra as the anchor (1.0). See the methodology page for the formula and how each value was derived.

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Stocking ideas by tank size