# Ghost Shrimp



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Okay. I have a question about, Ghost Shrimp. Let me tell you what happened. I have taken an interest to Ghost Shrimp as a Tank Mate.
And I was wondering, How many Gallons do I need for 1 Male Betta, and 1 Ghost Shrimp? It's because I don't want my Tank to be Overstocked, and too much Ammonia in it. I really want it as a Tank Mate for my Betta but, I want to think it through first. I just wanted to know if there is any Special Needs for it, or anything. I know they eat Leftover Food that Fishes don't eat. And that they are Translucent. But, I've also heard that they could be Eaten AND Eat Small Fish. I just want to know how to care for them Properly, and make sure that the Shrimp AND my Betta are going to be safe and compatible together. Any Advice would be Greatly Appreciated. 
Thanks!!! ;P


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## FrostSinth (Apr 26, 2012)

I got four ghost shrimp, my betta attacked and killed 3 of them, the last survived and is still surviving. My betta leaves him alone for the most part, but the shrimp spends most of the time hiding out.

Lots of cover, and don't let your tank get above 78 degrees or the poor things will cook. They'll eat whatever your betta doesn't (a bit of extra won't hurt either).  

This is just what I know.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Thanks. I'm still thinking about it. When he killed them, was it messy?
Poor Things. Wait, did he EAT them? Or just Kill?
And what size tank can 1 Shrimp Live in with a Male Betta?
I'm afraid my Tank is too small. But it does have a Hiding Barrel.
While I'm There, I'll probably get some Java Moss if PetSmart has it.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Ghost shrimp produce next to no ammonia, so don't worry about that. You could easily have 4 shrimp per gallon, even with a betta in the tank. 

Your betta may eat your ghosts, but by providing plenty of cover such as dense-growing plants like lacefern and java moss, you maximise their chances of survival. 

Ghosts aren't great algae eaters and do have claws, so they can nibble on a betta's tail. I don't hear of this often, but it does happen. I prefer red cherries for this reason. Cherries are also much easier to breed, as the fry survive a heck of a lot more easily than ghostie fry. 

If you have to do 100% changes on your tank, shrimp aren't for you. You want a tank where partial changes are enough.


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

I'd like to mention that you need to take care where you buy your shrimp from. Ghost shrimp are often sold as feeders and are priced very cheaply - sometimes, due to this, they aren't treated so well so please remember to quarantine them before adding them to your betta tank and check for any diseases.


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## Ramble (Mar 13, 2012)

Interesting...I got both cherry shrimp and ghost shrimp...the cherry shrimp didn't last long at all, but the ghost shrimp are breeding and growing like crazy.


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## Crowntailed (Apr 19, 2012)

If you get shrimp you need/should have more then 1 they like to be in groups so i would go atleast 4-5. I personaly like cherry shrimp better because they are a little bit larger then the ghost shrimp.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Thanks for the Answers!!! 
Your Replies REALLY helped me. Oh, and my Betta lives in a 3.5 Gallon. (Enough?)
If it is, How many Shrimps can I put in it? As you said, they do better in groups. And also, is a few medium pieces Java Moss enough for them? I also have a Hollow Barrel that my Betta sometimes goes into.
Thanks for Helping me!!!


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## Tracey (Jun 8, 2012)

So what did you end up getting and how did it work out? I'm thinking of doing the same, but was interested to know how it went for you first.


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## Cargo (May 25, 2012)

Some bettas eat them and some don't. It is good to have a planted tank, with carpeting plants. Dwarf hairgrass and microsword are good examples of carpeting plants. Then you could have a moss ball or two, some java moss, java fern, etc.


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## kykartracer (Jun 1, 2012)

I got four ghost shrimp for each side of my divided tank and they are working out great so far. As said above, provide plenty of cover and you should be fine. My bettas nudged the shrimp and chased them when I first dropped them in, but quickly lost interest. The ghost shrimp come out after lights out to feed while the bettas are lounging on their leaf beds, lol.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

I got one ghost to see if I can keep it alive, if it seems to do ok, I will probably get it a friend, after reading that they are fairly social.

So far so good - Chicory flared at it and stalked it for a while, but after being diverted a few times, seems to be completely ignoring it now. It's actually sitting up front in plain view!


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

I have had 6 ghosties, and to this day none have lived very long, but i blame my filters, and my heating, i just learned, on this thread, that i may have cooked my shrimp in my 2.5 gal. my female ate mine all the others died from my filter sucking them up... so, make sure that your filter and fish don't eat them lol. and PLEASE QT them, i got 'water fleas' in my tank from the ones i bought at walmart! nasty little buggers...


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

Just at add my 2 cents.....
I haven't read what's going on, but...
I bought 3 Ghost shrimp at Petsmart for like $1.25....I fell in love with them, all alone in their tank with nothing but each other! So I brought them home and quarantined them in a glass jar for a day, with about 4 inches of water. Well, I bumped the table and one shrimp shot upwards, right out of the water and it landed on the side of the jar, STUCK there. I had to pull of several shrimp a day until I added them to the betta tank quite early for fear they'd dry up on the side of the glass.
Ash, Brock, and Misty (Pokemon trio) scuttled around happily in the tank.....3 gallons, with just some sprigs of Anacharis, a tea mug, a couple of bigger fake plants, a silk plant, and a moss ball. Omelette is a ferocious predator and he immediately stalked a shrimp, but as soon as he approached Misty--CHOMP!! Misty stuck out a little claw and grabbed onto Omelette's nose as hard as she could....Om was obviously in pain because he kept jerking side to side, then when she let go he swam into his mug to recover xD
He stopped that until one day I gave Brock to my friend as just a little gift, a cute little pet to have on her desk (all she has is 3 cats)...A couple of weeks later I came home to Om's belly severely bloated, and a big shrimp carcass in front of the tank. Apparently he had eaten her, ripped her open and only eaten the inside. The exoskeleton was all that remained. 
Ash is still surviving, but so is Brock because he's alone.
Ash gets by when I feed Om his pellets, I always do it in a certain corner of the tank. While Om is busy stalking his pellets, I drop a couple in an opposite corner and Ash is usually smart enough to swim up to them and grab them. 
I highly recommend having a Marimo moss ball....your shrimp will have SO MUCH FUN with it....their bitty little claws can easily be inserted between little "leaves" of moss and can pick out whatever food and dead moss bits it can find.


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

aw im sorry about 'Misty' ... but my female did the same thing, and only the shell was leeft, i was so mad! i didn't name mine tho, bcuz they looked alike to me..


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## Arctic Mama (Mar 14, 2012)

Here's my .02

I had three ghost shrimp in a five gallon tank with my betta and while he appeared to leave them alone for the most part, I noticed he still occasionally attacked them. Within two weeks two of the three were dead and yes, he picked at the carcasses. I moved the remaining shrimp to a less aggressive tank and he did better. It depends on the fish, of course, but for my betta no tankmates is better. Ghosties became expensive treats.


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## brad himself (May 29, 2012)

These stories are the norm:

My betta destroyed 3 shrimp in one week. I just introduced 5 new cherries this past week, and he quickly made mincemeat out of two of them within a few days. He finally got the ghost shrimp he has been living with for a while now as well.

I believe, no matter the cover or hiding places, the shrimp will be nipped at, attacked, or even eaten completely if put in a tank with a betta. It is nature! Bettas are aggressive fish. Yeah, I believe they all have personality, but they are all aggressive. Even the most skittish, nervous bettas will eventually see an opening and take it.

My betta has a giant bump in his body from scarfing down the whole shrimp. It looks painful. That is also something to consider.


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## chibir3dpanda (Feb 15, 2012)

I had 10 Ghost Shrimp and my veiltail Kaida ate all 10 of them!


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## Twilight Storm (Apr 14, 2011)

Just found this post. I was wondering if my betta could or would eat cherry shrimp if he likes to eat ghost shrimp.. From the above posts it looks like the answer is yes. Thanks for chatting about this.


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

I have one 5 gallon with Cherry Shrimp and my betta boy I'm that tank either can't catch them, or doesn't really care. I'm sure if he had a chance he would eat them.

I got a single Amano Shrimp for another tank and I thought he would be more comfortable with other shrimp buddies so I moved 3 of the Cherry Shrimp to that tank. They've disappeared. I think the betta in that tank, Percival, (aka Toruk) took them out. The Amano is surviving so I got two more as buddies for him. They all hide from the swimming shrimp killer, but are happy to run around and pick through the Najas and other plants. They're much bigger than the Cherry Shrimp so I think Percival is a bit hesitant about approaching them.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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