You’ll probably need to know which other fish are the best tank mates for ghost shrimp if you want to add some more interesting animals to the same tank where the ghost shrimp is living.
The best shrimp to keep with a ghost shrimp are usually ones that live in different areas of the aquarium or won’t fight over food, like cherry shrimp. Small fish such as cory catfish and loaches are also excellent companions for the ghost shrimp.
This article talks about the 15 best tank mates for ghost shrimp and why they are good for keeping with ghost shrimp. It also gives a quick rundown of what a ghost shrimp needs to do well in a community tank. Let’s dive right into this topic!.
Ghost shrimp are a popular freshwater aquarium species due to their utility as tank cleaners and their peaceful nature. However, their small size makes them vulnerable to predation from aggressive tankmates. Knowing which fish will target ghost shrimp can help you create a safe environment for these useful critters.
In this article, we’ll cover the most common ghost shrimp predators in home aquariums and ways to protect your shrimp Read on to learn what eats ghost shrimp and how to avoid turning your tank into an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet!
Before jumping into ghost shrimp predators let’s do a quick overview of these popular shrimp
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Species – Most aquarium ghost shrimp are from the genus Palaemonetes Some common species are P paludosus, P. kadiakensis, and P. intermedius.
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Size – Adults reach 1-2 inches in length. Their slender bodies allow them to hide easily.
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Color – Ghost shrimp aptly get their name from their translucent bodies. Their internal organs create a ghostly effect.
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Behavior – Peaceful and social. They may scavenge decaying plants/food but won’t harm live ones.
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Care – Fairly hardy but require good water quality. Group of 5-10 recommended.
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Function – Excellent tank cleaners that eat debris, algae, and aufwuchs. Helpful for cycling.
Now that we know a bit about these useful critters, let’s look at what aquatic species like to make them their meal!
The Usual Suspects – Common Ghost Shrimp Predators
Larger Fish
Fish big enough to fit ghost shrimp in their mouths will readily eat them. This includes:
- Goldfish
- Angelfish
- Oscar cichlids
- Jack Dempsey cichlids
- Convict cichlids
- Betta fish
- Gourami
- Rainbowfish
- Larger tetras
- Larger danios
- Barbs
Being omnivores or carnivores, they’ll snack on shrimp given the opportunity. Their size advantage allows them to easily overpower ghost shrimp.
Bottom Dwellers
Bottom-dwelling fish often prey on shrimp wandering the tank floor:
- Loaches like clown loach or yo-yo loach
- Catfish including corydoras, pleco, synodontis
- African dwarf frogs
Shrimp are part of their natural diets. They will notice if shrimp venture too close and attack.
Crustaceans
Fellow crustaceans see ghost shrimp as prey:
- Crayfish
- Crabs
- Larger shrimp species
They are adept at capturing their quick cousins and will demolish ghost shrimp populations.
Other Culprits
Less common tank inhabitants that eat ghost shrimp include:
- Turtles
- Newts
- Predatory aquatic insects like dragonfly larvae
- Some aquatic snail species
Warning Signs Your Fish Are Eating Ghost Shrimp
How can you tell if tankmates are preying on your ghost shrimp? Signs include:
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Missing shrimp – Population declining rapidly without explanation
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Damaged shrimp – Remaining shrimp showing nipped antennae, tails, or legs
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Hunting behavior – Seeing fish stalking and attacking shrimp
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Culprits hiding after feeding – Shrimp killers hiding or acting evasive after eating
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Bits of shrimp scattered about – Finding dismembered shrimp parts on the substrate
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Shrimp acting scared – Remaining shrimp constantly hiding and acting fearful
When you notice these indications, take steps to protect the remaining population!
Protecting Your Ghost Shrimp
Here are some tips to safeguard ghost shrimp from fish predators and create a safe tank environment:
Choose Tank Mates Carefully
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Avoid known shrimp eaters like bettas, goldfish, cichlids, loaches, etc.
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Stick to small, peaceful community fish like tetras, rasboras, guppies, etc.
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Research any new fish thoroughly before adding to an established shrimp tank.
Provide Plenty of Cover
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Have a heavily planted tank with lots of hiding spots.
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Include solid decor like rock caves, driftwood, pipes, and dense thickets.
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Floating plants give cover for shrimp venturing to the surface.
Use a Species-Only Tank
- Keeping ghost shrimp alone in a species tank removes any threat.
Use a Shrimp-Safe Tank Divider
- Use mesh dividers to section off shrimp from fish tankmates.
Supplement Food
- Well-fed predators are less likely to hunt shrimp.
Have a Backup Tank Handy
- Keep a spare cycled tank for emergencies to isolate shrimp away from dangers.
With some planning and precautions, you can help your ghost shrimp colony thrive safely!
Case Study: Our Ghost Shrimp Tank
To give a real-world example, I’ll share my own experience setting up a ghost shrimp-only tank.
The Specs:
- 10 gallon freshwater tank
- Planted with java fern, anarchis, marimo moss balls
- Natural gravel substrate
- Clay pots and PVC hides
- Sponge filter
- LED aquarium light
- No fish or other creatures added
I started with 20 healthy ghost shrimp from a local aquarium store. Acclimating them carefully, I added them to the tank.
They immediately started exploring their new home, picking at algae on the plants and glass. They readily ate blanched vegetables and shrimp pellets offered.
The population grew steadily as the females became berried (carrying eggs) and I soon had shrimplets scurrying around. The color variations were neat to see too, with some shrimp being more opaque than others.
Because it was a species-only tank, the shrimp could thrive without threat of predation. The plants and decor provided ample hiding spots for molting and for the shrimplets.
Overall, the ghost shrimp-only tank has been a success and simple to maintain. The shrimp keep the tank spotless and are fun to observe. It’s been a great introductory shrimp tank for a beginner like me!
Ghost Shrimp Make Great Starter Invertebrates
Ghost shrimp deserve appreciation for their usefulness as tank cleaners. But their small size means we have to protect them from more aggressive tank inhabitants.
Knowing what eats ghost shrimp allows us to avoid those dangerous species combinations. While they can coexist peacefully with community fish when given proper precautions, shrimp-only setups are safest.
If you’re new to shrimp keeping, give ghost shrimp a try! Keep them in a well-planted tank without fish and you’re sure to enjoy these hardy, fascinating creatures. They are a budget-friendly way to add helpful scavengers to freshwater tanks.
Just be vigilant about potential predators sneaking in. Avoid shrimp eaters, give them ample cover, and maintain good water quality. Do this and your ghost shrimp will thrive for years to come!
Parameters ; Tank Setup
Ghost shrimp need a minimum tank size of a five gallon tank. They don’t need a lot of space, but they do need a lot of plants to feel safe. It doesn’t matter what kind of water it is or how hard it is, but the best temperature for them is between 65 F and 82 F. Be sure any tank mates also prefer these temperatures for the best results!.
Ghost Shrimp Tank Mates – What You Need to Know
If you don’t know what your ghost shrimp needs or what to look out for in potential tank mates in general, you could end up with a very unhappy group of fish. Check out the categories of considerations below to prevent this:
The tempers between tank mates are often the thing that causes the most trouble. A Ghost shrimp, luckily, is very self-focused and peaceful by nature. It will not go out of its way to bother fish, and it might hide most of the time.
That being said, this just makes it more important to find peaceful tank mates that won’t try to hunt down and bother your peaceful ghost shrimp.
It’s important to know the size of any fish or aquarium mare because animals that are too different in size may end up eating or scaring each other. Ghost shrimp are not much larger than one inch, or one and a half inches. They are also intensely thin.
They are small and blend in with their surroundings, so even fish big enough to eat them probably won’t notice them very often. Still, it’s not a bad idea to keep tank mates to no more than a few inches longer than you are.
When tank mates have similar tastes, diets, and feeding zones, they may fight over food, which can be bad for the tank. Ghost shrimp eat dead fish and plants, and they’ll happily eat any food that drifts to the bottom from other fish in the tank. If you want to feed a ghost shrimp something else, all they need is a tiny bit of flakes.
When it’s time to eat, some ghost shrimp get brave and swim up to the top of the tank to eat instead of staying at the bottom. Make sure this does not cause competition from fish that tend to eat in the same zone.
Ghost Shrimp Care, Breeding, WaterParameters, Tank Mates & Feeding.All you need to know! JR Aquarium
Do ghost shrimp eat aggressively?
You should also know that ghost shrimp eat very aggressively. If you are keeping a group of them, it would be good to have a large feeding dish so that all the tiny shrimp have enough room to eat without any fights breaking out. Ghost shrimp don’t need to be fed very often. This is particularly true if they are in a tank with other fish.
What are the side effects of eating shrimp?
Shrimp allergy can be identified from signs and symptoms that appear after consuming shrimp or smelling it, such as itching, the appearance of red plaques on the skin, swelling in the face, especially in the eyes and mouth, and in the throat creating the feeling of a lump in the throat.
What do ghost shrimp eat?
If they were struggling to find food, the ghost shrimp might start nibbling at live plants. This wouldn’t cause much damage unless there was a large group of shrimps at work. The main bulk of their diet would be algae. This grows on hard surfaces and is collected as the shrimp move on by.
Do ghost shrimp eat algae?
Adult ghost shrimp spend nearly all their time feeding; they’re very well practiced at it. They should be able to find algae in your tank easily. Most people worry that they have too much algae rather than too little, which is why the shrimp might have been bought in the first place.