# Ghost shrimp questions



## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Hi guys,

I got a couple of ghost shrimp, 3 guppies, and 2 pond snails in a diy 10 gallon aquaponic. Because it's an aquaponic, it's got bare bottom and is quite empty. It's got a piece of mopani wood with 2 sad anubias. Sad because they are covered in algae. The whole tank in fact has quite a bit of green algae. It got started before I planted the top, and my seedlings are just coming up, so they are not doing much of nutrient absorption yet.

So first question is, how much should I be feeding the shrimp, if at all? Do they eat green algae? Do they eat snail eggs? Do I need to supplement anything?

Second, is it normal for them to be swimming all over the tank with the fish? I thought they were supposed to be shy, and the smaller one of them actually is, he just hangs around the wood and only ventures out sometimes. But the bigger one is fearless. She is swimming all over, making me wonder what's wrong with her. Is she hungry?

Thanks!


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Amano Shimp eat algae.


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Thanks ThatFishThough, how would I know which one I have? I googled it and they look identical to me.

Regardless though, seeing that you can actually see inside them, if they were hungry would they have brown tummies? Or would they be totally clear? Mine are brown, and you can see their little stomachs contracting.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Then they are full. 

You probably have Ghosties; Amano aren't all - out transparent, like foggy glass. And they get big!


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Great, glad they are not starving, I was beginning to worry! The fish come so fast and gobble up every last flake.

Hmm, I wonder if my bigger one is amano then. I thought it was a she because it's bigger, but it's also kind of milky. The little one is totally clear.

So regarding activity, some things I read say that they swim all over when they are happy and secure, and others say they are uncomfortable and trying to get out. What do you think?


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Here's an amano shrimp (not my photo): 








See those reddish brown lines and speckles? Ghost shrimp don't have those. That's the easiest way to tell them apart. 

If they're out and about it means they feel safe and secure. If they're at the top of the water trying to climb/jump out, that's when you need to worry. If they're just swimming around the tank they're fine.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Not all algae eaters eat all algae. So it depends on they type of algae as to whether the Ghosties will eat it.


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

SplashyBetta, thanks! My shrimp have red bands on their antennae and red dots on the tails, but they don't have the red specs on their bodies. So ghost shrimp they are. And thanks for clarifying about the behaviour. She must be happy than because she is all over the tank.

RussellTheShihTzu, I think it's beard algae. It's quite nice looking actually, if it just stayed on the wood, but it's growing on glass as well. The shrimps' tummies are brown, does that mean they are not eating the algae? Would they be green if they did?


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Got a photo of your shrimp

Ghost shrimp are often mis-identified quite often they are macrobachium


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

I don't think they are macrobachium, they don't have the big red claws. I'll try to take and post a pic tomorrow when it's light.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I had some with guppies before, and they were all over the tank. They even hung upside down from the floating plants and grabbed food while I was feeding. I fed my guppy fry defrosted frozen food, and the ghosties were there to eat any leftovers. Since some of them ate directly, I didn't add any food specific to them. They might appreciate some sinking pellets from time to time. It'll be a trick to get the pellets down while the guppies are eating at the other end of the tank.


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