Ghost Shrimp

fish description – Ghost Shrimp Care Guide ($Palaemonetes\ paludosus$)

Category	Detail
Scientific Name	$Palaemonetes\ paludosus$
Common Name	Ghost Shrimp, Glass Shrimp, Grass Shrimp
Origin	Freshwater streams, lakes, and ponds (Southeastern United States)
Adult Size	1.5–2 inches (4–5 cm)
Temperament	Peaceful, highly active scavenger, can be opportunistic predators of fry/shrimplets
Lifespan	1–3 years
Care Level	Easy (Very resilient)

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Appearance and Sexual Differences

 

• Short Description: This shrimp is almost entirely transparent (glass-like), making internal organs visible. It has a slight back hump and a characteristic orange or yellow spot often visible in the center of its tail (caudal peduncle).
• Coloration: Largely transparent. Females are typically larger (up to 2 inches) and often display a green ‘saddle’ (undeveloped eggs) on the underside of their abdomen when ready to breed. Males are smaller and more slender.
• Fins: N/A (Crustacean). Females carry eggs (greenish) under their abdomen for about three weeks.
• Behavior: Highly active bottom-dweller and scavenger that is mostly nocturnal but will forage day and night. They may display burrowing or sifting behavior in soft substrate. They are peaceful but opportunistic and may prey on very small fish fry or shrimplets.

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Tank Requirements and Water Parameters

 

• Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons (19 liters) is the minimum for a few individuals. A 10-gallon tank or larger is recommended for a healthy colony and greater water stability.
• Schooling: Highly sociable; best kept in a small colony of at least 6–10 individuals to encourage activity.
• Temperature: Wide tolerance range: $65^\circ$–$84^\circ\text{F}\ (18^\circ$–$29^\circ\text{C})$ (ideal $70^\circ$–$76^\circ\text{F}$). Stability is important.
• pH Level: Highly adaptable: 6.5 to 8.0. They are tolerant of a wide range of water hardness. As with all invertebrates, copper is toxic.
• Aquascape: Requires a mature, cycled tank. Provide abundant live plants (especially fine-leaved plants like Hornwort or Java Moss) and driftwood to offer continuous grazing surfaces, detritus, and vital hiding spots, especially after molting. Substrate can be sand or fine gravel. Use a sponge filter or pre-filter on the intake.

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Diet and Feeding

 

The Ghost Shrimp is a highly omnivorous scavenger.

• Staple Diet: Feeds on algae, biofilm, detritus, and decaying plant matter. They are excellent scavengers but must be fed directly.
• Supplementation: Offer a varied diet of sinking foods: algae wafers, shrimp pellets, and small frozen meaty foods regularly: Bloodworms, Brine Shrimp, and Daphnia. They also enjoy blanched vegetables. Calcium supplements are beneficial for shell growth.
• Schedule: Feed small portions once daily. They will also consume food missed by fish.

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Compatibility

 

• Caution: Copper is lethal. Due to their moderate size (2 inches), they can sometimes be preyed upon by aggressive or large fish. They are opportunistic predators of fish fry and shrimplets (e.g., Neocaridina shrimplets).
• Breeding Note: Breeding is possible, but the young hatch as free-swimming larvae (not miniature adults), which are difficult to raise and often starve or get sucked into filters in community tanks.
• Good Tank Mates: Peaceful fish that won’t eat them. Examples include Snails, Amano Shrimp, Corydoras catfish, Otocinclus, and small, peaceful Tetras or Rasboras.