If you are interested in fish keeping then Ghost shrimp, which are also known as glass shrimp, is really interesting to keep in your fish aquarium. In this article, we will take a look at how to take care of ghost shrimp, what ghost shrimp eat, what to feed them, their suitable diet, and how a ghost shrimp is easy for freshwater aquarium shrimp to keep. They are very active and busy invertebrates and keep eating on a continual basis in the tank.

They look amazingly beautiful when you keep them in an aquarium or tank with a black background or substrate. The black background makes them visible easily otherwise they mix with the background and difficult to find them because of their transparent look. If you are a shrimp lover then keeping the brine shrimp and the red cherry shrimp is also interesting.

Ghost shrimps are relatively inexpensive and cheaper to take care of and available at almost every local pet store for sale. Besides that, they are great tank cleaners and it is so amusing to watch them eating the algae on the bottom and sides of the aquarium and cleaning the water. They are so small and can’t eat big invertebrates but they are scavengers and decent aquarium cleaners who graze consistently and eat small edible items.

What Do Ghost Shrimp Eat?

Ghost or glass shrimp eat various food including plankton, algae, small particles in water, and boiled vegetables. They are expert pickers and eat a category of algae, dead plant litter, and detritus. Besides that, they love to eat small fish and shrimp pellets. It is really fun to feed them and watch them eat at the bottom of the tank.

They will never deny eating fish flakes, algae wafers, or bits of otherwise uneaten food. There are so many things shrimp eat in the ocean, but in a tank, their diet is a bit different. As per the studies, the food that contains calcium is healthier for the shrimp and an important substance to grow their shell. It is a continuous feeder like a feeding machine and can eat other dead shrimp fish in the aquarium. Well, it is important to take out dead fish and shrimp from the aquarium on time otherwise it spreads ammonia in the tank and is harmful to other shrimp and fishes.

Here is the list of food for the ghost shrimp in your aquarium:-

• Homemade Fish Food.
• Small Live Food.
• Algae.
• Algae Wafers.
• Aquarium Plants.
• Brine Shrimp.
• Fruit.
• Green Vegetables.
• Squid.
• Shrimp Pellet Foods.
• Mosquito Larvae.
• Baby Shrimp Food.
• Daphnia.
• Fish Pellet Foods.
• Insects.
• Flake Foods.
• Frozen Foods.

How To Feed Ghost Shrimps?

There are various foods in the diet of ghost shrimp, but feeding them in a comfortable manner is important. It is a bit crucial to feed them as per the diet requirements so that they can meet their adaptability. If you like fish keeping and keeping ghost shrimp in your aquarium then you need to know how to feed them. You can follow a few steps to feed glass shrimps down below:

• Offer the small boiled vegetables: If you are keeping ghost shrimp in the aquarium then you may feed the small pellets or some bits of boiled vegetables. These pallets are available in every small and large pet store or some deliver them online. A small amount of the boiled vegetable should be fed daily basis.
• Feed ghost shrimps three times a day: Feeding them three times a day will give the best results but you also need to check the instructions for feeding glass shrimps given on the box of store-bought pellets. 1 to 2 pea-sized amounts of boiled vegetables at once, is enough to make them eat. Their usual diet is 1 Algae wafer every other day.
• Change the water on a weekly basis: Proper maintenance and cleaning are important to provide a suitable environment for ghost shrimp. You need to clean at least 40% water in the tank once a week. The use of flexible tubes and a vacuum syphon is preferable to empty the tank and clean water. You need to make sure that any of your shrimp will not be sucked by a vacuum syphon, for that you can put a sponge or a cloth on the mouth of the suction tube.
• Check the water quality before adding to the tank: You may feed your shrimp a healthy diet but compromising with water quality may lead to mad results. Water shouldn’t contain heavy metals and substances like ammonia, chlorine, and nitrite. Their level should be 0 ppm. You can buy a water de-chlorinator from a nearby pet store or use filtered or bottled water.

How To Keep Ghost Shrimp In The Aquarium?

1. Choose the tank

A 5 to 10-gallon (19 to 38-liter) aquarium is enough to keep the ghost shrimp. You can also get a larger tank if you are keeping and raising a large number of shrimps. Be careful with the small-sized tank because of low water volume and limited water surface, overstocking the tank with so many shrimp can create water quality issues and make the quality poor. We have to save shrimps from an unhealthy water environment.

2. Install an air pump for oxygen

The usage of an air pump is mandatory to provide a comfortable and suitable environment for ghost shrimp. It will make them healthy and fulfill the oxygen requirement. You can find it online and in pet stores. It is beneficial for the live plants you will add to the aquarium to oxygenate the water. A high level of oxygen helps in shedding exoskeletons and breeding effectively. Putting the Hang-on-Back (HOB) power filter will be more helpful.

3. Add substrate to the tank

The material used on the bottom of the tank is called a substrate of an aquarium. The crucial parameter in deciding the substrate is the type of water you will use. This ghost shrimp is a freshwater invertebrate and adding some aquarium gravel and sand on the bottom of the tank will be a great idea and are available in pet stores. You have to swill the sand with the help of running water or use the strainer to clean the sand before adding it to the tank.

Add the large gravel first to the bottom. Then add the small ones and then you will cover them with the sand. You have to be aware of any damage to the glass of an aquarium while adding the gravel.

4. Add plants to the aquarium

It is better to put some freshwater plants into the tank, providing a peaceful environment for ghost shrimp will be liked by them. Adding aquatic plants and hiding spots to the tank will be a good idea. Live plants leave oxygen in the water and help in healthy bacterial growth.

There are numerous freshwater plants available nearby and online pet stores. You can some of the plants like moss ball, water wisteria, dwarf hair grass, Vallisneria Spiralis, water sprite, java moss java fern mat, and many other live aquarium plants. You can also put a cavern or other decorative substitutes to create a hiding spot for glass shrimp.

5. Add water to the tank

Fill the tank with water carefully and slowly. Warm tap water is recommended to put in the aquarium. Then add some fish food and flakes or ammonia for fishless cycling. Check the ammonia level of the water every 2 to 3 days. Then test nitrite after 1 week. The level of ammonia and nitrite should be stabilized at 0 ppm (parts per million).

6. Maintain the temperature and parameters of the tank water

Tropical water and community tank range are more suitable and comfortable for ghost shrimp. Ghost shrimp can survive with the water temperature up to 18 and 29 °C. But the water temperature of 24 °C is most profound and suitable for these tiny invertebrates. As far as the pH level is concerned, the pH of the aquarium should be maintained around 7.0 to 8.0. Adding standard lighting to the aquarium will give a classy look to it. Take care of ammonia, nitrite, and copper don’t let them exceed in the aquarium water.

7. Place the ghost shrimp into the aquarium

Put the shrimp with the water in the pet store bag into a bowl.  Open the bag carefully in which the shrimp is placed and pour the shrimp and water into the fresh bowl from the bag. Plunge a flexible tube into the aquarium, and sprain a rubber band tightly around the other side. Down the end with the rubber band over the bowl with the shrimp, and allow water distillation slowly into the bowl.

Tank water will be sucked through the tube into the bowl. Let the water leak into the bowl for about 30 to 40 minutes slowly for the acclimatization of shrimp to their new home. Then use a soft mesh net, pick some of them gently, and release the shrimps into the tank carefully. Now your tank is prepared and these small invertebrates are ready to graze and make your aquarium more beautiful.

What Do Baby Ghost Shrimp Eat?

You might like breeding shrimp or it may happen accidentally at any time then you need to know that the diet of baby ghost shrimp is different from the adult ghost or glass shrimp. The larvae will be very small when they hatch from eggs and can eat food that is tiny and smaller than their size. Baby ghost shrimp usually eat small algae and bits of plants that are edible to them.

You can break it down in a small size so that it will fit into their tiny mouth and feed them. Live food is basically hard for baby ghost shrimp to eat. There is food available in pet stores online and offline which is specifically designed for these tiny little baby ghost shrimps.

The food comes as a powder that you can sprinkle into the aquarium when required. You will have to feed them this way until they become an adult. Once they will have grown legs baby ghost shrimp eat the food as adult ghost shrimps do.

Do Ghost Shrimp Eat Fish Poop?

Ghost shrimp is a picky eater and eats most of every little insect in your fish aquarium. They are ultimate cleaners for the fish aquarium and invertebrates who eat on a continual basis. The ghost shrimp pick the small food from the bottom of the tank which includes fish poop also.

If you like fish keeping then these glass shrimps are beneficial in keeping the water clean. Ghost shrimp are seen eating fish poop many times and they generally eat them. It is also a food full of nutrients for the shrimp.

Do you like keeping shrimp and have any additional information about what ghost shrimp eat? Let us know in the comments section below…