Ghost shrimp are small transparent shrimps that are sold in aquarium stores or fish food stores. Many species fall under this denomination, but they all require more or less the same basic care. If shrimp are kept in a comfortable environment without predators, they multiply quickly.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparing a Suitable Environment
Step 1. Buy a large aquarium
It should have a minimum capacity of 4 l for each shrimp. No matter how many pets you have, most ghost shrimps do well in 40L aquariums as a minimum.
If you have decided to take a smaller aquarium, make sure that each shrimp has at least 6 liters available to be able to adapt to the small size
Step 2. Purchase a second aquarium for breeding
The hardest thing in the whole process is keeping the young shrimp alive. If you allow the eggs to hatch in the same tank as the adults, they will eat the babies. The second tank does not need to be as large as the first, but if they have a lot of space, the young animals will have a better chance of surviving.
Step 3. Add a filter to the main tank and a sponge filter to the breeding tank
These are indispensable for keeping the water clean. Most filters clean the water by a suction process, but this could be deadly dangerous for newborn shrimp. A sponge filter is much safer and does not carry this risk.
- If the aquarium is larger than 40 l and also contains fish, you should put a hanging or basket filter to ensure adequate cleaning; in the breeding tank do not use anything more than the sponge filter.
- If you don't want to buy a sponge filter, you can cover the filter's intake spout with a piece of nylon stocking. Alternatively, if the filter is too weak to suck in adult shrimp, you can detach it before the eggs hatch and change 10% of the water every day until the specimens grow. At this point you can reconnect the filter.
Step 4. Install an air pump in each tank
Like all aquarium animals, shrimp need air in the water in order to breathe. Without a pump, the oxygen present will quickly run out and the shrimp will die.
Step 5. Cover the bottom of the tank with sand or gravel
Light sand or gravel keeps the shrimp transparent, while dark pebbles stimulate the shrimp to cover themselves with small spots that make them more visible. Choose the backdrop of the color you prefer.
If you want more details on installing a freshwater aquarium, read this article
Step 6. Fill the tubs with the right water
Many use chlorine-treated tap water, so first you need to add a chlorine remover or chloramine remover to make it safe for your pets. As a last resort, leave the water outside for 24 hours to evaporate the chlorine.
Step 7. The temperature must be between 18 ° C and 28 ° C
This is the wide temperature range within which ghost shrimp live comfortably. Many aquarium enthusiasts, however, prefer to keep the water at a temperature close to the central values of that range. Put a thermometer in the tank to monitor the heat of the water and add a heater if the aquarium is in a cold room.
Step 8. Add live plants and hiding places
Ghost shrimp feed on debris that falls from plants, but you can also keep them on commercial food if you prefer not to put plants in water. You should choose those with thin and delicate leaves such as antocerote, carolinian cabomba, and yarrow. If there are fish in the tank as well, add empty flower pots or other upside down containers to give the shrimp a place to hide and only they can enter.
- For best results, allow the plants to settle for about a month so that the chemical composition of the water stabilizes. Sudden changes in the levels of nitrogen or other chemicals could kill the shrimp.
- Read this article for more details.
- It is highly recommended to add plants in advance to the breeding tank as well, as their residues are the first forms of food that baby shrimps eat as soon as they are born. Many aquarists use the java moss in the hatching tank because it traps food and allows infants to feed.
Part 2 of 4: Caring for Adult Specimens
Step 1. Buy healthy shrimp if you want to keep them as pets or fish food
Those selected as "food" reproduce very quickly and lay many eggs, but are more delicate and have a short life. Well-groomed shrimp survive for a couple of years and are easier to manage and keep.
The shopkeeper should know what kind of animals he is selling you, but you can get an idea from their living conditions. If they are kept in a cramped space without too many plants, they are likely raised as food for fish
Step 2. Introduce the shrimp into the new water slowly
Float the bag with the animals inside on the surface of the water. Every twenty minutes remove ¼ of the water content of the bag and replace it with that of the aquarium. After doing this 3-4 times, pour the contents of the bag into the tub. This process allows the animals to slowly adapt to the temperature and chemical composition of the water.
Step 3. Feed the shrimp small amounts of fish food
These animals are active scavengers but although they can survive on algae and plant debris, if you wish to encourage their reproduction you should give them tiny particles of fish food every day. A single crumbled pellet is enough for six adults.
If there are fish in the tank, use pellets that sink to the bottom because shrimp are unable to compete with larger animals for floating nutrients
Step 4. Change the water every week or two
Even if it looks clean to you, the chemicals build up and prevent the shrimp from living well. Change about 20-30% of the water every week for best results. Make sure the old and new water are at the same temperature to avoid stressing the animals.
Change 40-50% of the water every other week, especially if the aquarium is not very populated for its size
Step 5. Be careful not to add any more fish to the tank
Any medium-sized animal will eat ghost shrimp or otherwise annoy them enough to prevent them from reproducing. If you want an aquarium inhabited by several animals, just add snails or small fish.
If you have decided not to purchase a breeding tank, do not put any fish in the only tank available to you. Since adult shrimp eat babies, if you add in other predators the chances of survival for baby shrimp are next to nil
Part 3 of 4: Hatching and Feeding the Young Shrimp
Step 1. Check that you have both male and female specimens
Adult females are significantly larger than males so it shouldn't be hard to recognize them once they have grown up.
You don't need to be even in number. One male for every two females is just fine
Step 2. Check if the females have eggs
If you've taken care of your pets properly, females lay eggs every two weeks or so. There are small clusters of 20-30 gray-green colored balls attached to the legs of the female specimens. These legs, called "pleiopods" are small growths attached to the lower part of the body, so the eggs seem to adhere to the abdomen of the female.
Look to the sides of the tank for a better perspective and sharpen your eyes to see if there are any newborn babies before you see the eggs
Step 3. After a few days, transfer the females with the eggs to the breeding aquarium
Give the males the opportunity to fertilize the eggs but then move the females. Use a net to catch them and quickly take them to the breeding tank where there are no fish or other shrimp. Keep the second aquarium pretty close and let the operations go quickly without too much stress. Females who are disturbed drop their eggs, so be very careful.
Step 4. Wait approximately 21-24 days for the eggs to hatch
Check the females to monitor how egg growth is progressing. Towards the end, you should see small dots inside each egg - these are the eyes of the baby shrimp! When hatching occurs the females swim upwards and shake their legs to drop the cubs a few at a time.
Do not disturb the "mothers" during this operation because the newborn shrimp must be released within an hour to be able to eat. It may take some time to complete this step; in nature, the mother knows that the cubs are more likely to survive if she releases them in different places
Step 5. Return the females to the main tank
Once they have deposited the newly hatched pups, they need to be transferred back to their aquarium. Puppies no longer need parental care, on the contrary, parents will try to eat them if they stay around.
Once the baby shrimp are alone and can move, you may not even be able to see them because they are very small. Continue adding food to the breeding tank for three weeks even if you don't see them
Step 6. Feed the puppies small amounts of specific crumbled food
During the first / second week of life, the shrimps are in a larval state and have very small mouths. There must be many plants and algae that provide food called "infusoria". You should always supplement their diet with these other nutrients but remember that they must always be in small quantities:
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Store-bought rotifers, microworms, arthrospira platensis powder, and brine shrimp.
Breed Ghost Shrimp Step 19Bullet1 - You can buy fry food but make sure it is powdered and suitable for newborn pets.
- Filter small amounts of egg yolk with a tightly woven colander if you don't want to buy commercial food.
- Java moss is great for trapping small amounts of food for baby shrimp to eat. However, do not add or remove plants while the larvae are in the tank as this could upset the chemical balance of the water.
Step 7. When shrimp legs sprout, you can start feeding them the same food as adult shrimp
The surviving larvae enter the juvenile stage and look like miniature adults. At this point you can feed them regular food even if you have to crumble it.
Step 8. Transfer the shrimp to the main aquarium once they are fully developed
After a couple of weeks the puppies have paws and after the fifth week they are ready to share space with other adults.
If you have a lot of eggs or larvae in the breeding tank, move the larger ones after 3-4 weeks
Part 4 of 4: Troubleshooting
Step 1. Do not move the females if you realize that this prompts them to abandon the eggs
Moving to the breeding tank could be a stressful event that interferes with the growth of eggs and adult specimens. If the females die or abandon their eggs during the move, consider modifying the main tank to care for the babies:
- Remove the fish from the main tank. Since you don't use the breeding aquarium, you can put fish in this by altering the composition of the plants if necessary.
- Turn off or cover the filter. If your model has a suction tube, it may suck up the small shrimp. Cover the suction nozzle with a sponge or piece of nylon stocking. Alternatively, turn off the filter and manually clean the aquarium by changing the water (10%) every day as the pups grow.
- Accept that some babies will be eaten by adults. The chances of this happening are reduced if you use a very large aquarium, even if it is a difficult event to avoid.
Step 2. Check for babies who are not eating
Floating larvae cannot eat much after hatching. If you notice that they are ignoring food the next day, look for a different food immediately as they may starve in a short time.
Step 3. If all of your shrimp die after placing them in the aquarium, use a different water or introduce the animals more slowly
You must use dechlorinated tap water or bottled water. Don't use rain or river, unless ghost shrimp live there.
- You should never pour the water from the shrimp bag directly into your aquarium. Read the “Caring for Adult Specimens” section for more details.
- Buy a kit to test the characteristics of the water. Read the "Tips" section to know the correct pH as well as the chemical levels essential for the life of shrimps.
Advice
- For successful farming, keep ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels as close to zero as possible.
- If you check the pH and acidity levels of your aquarium, try to keep them constant between 6, 3 and 7, 5; the hardness of the water should instead be between 3 and 10.
