Ghost Shrimp Question.
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Biggen
Aquarium Advice Addict
Not exactly sure if they will eat all types of algae or not. Ghost shrimp are more handy at eating uneaten food that falls to the bottom of the tank. If you want a true algae eating shrimp, you will have to pick up some Amano shrimp. That is not to say that they won't eat algae, though. Just not sure what kinds.
Keep in mind, that you will have to add iodine to the tank in order to keep FW shrimp alive. Shrimp need to molt their exoskeleton from time to time and can only do this with the help of iodine in the water column. I purchased Kents Iodine solution from my LFS. It's for marine applications but it really doesn't matter. I only put in half the dosage recommended on the bottle as well as to not overdue it.
About one week after I put in the iodine I noticed a couple shedded exoskeletons on the substrate. Kinda cool to see that I helped this along.
Not sure on the breeding thing. Perhaps someone else will know.
Keep in mind, that you will have to add iodine to the tank in order to keep FW shrimp alive. Shrimp need to molt their exoskeleton from time to time and can only do this with the help of iodine in the water column. I purchased Kents Iodine solution from my LFS. It's for marine applications but it really doesn't matter. I only put in half the dosage recommended on the bottle as well as to not overdue it.
About one week after I put in the iodine I noticed a couple shedded exoskeletons on the substrate. Kinda cool to see that I helped this along.
Not sure on the breeding thing. Perhaps someone else will know.
S
SixFootDaisy
Guest
I love ghost shrimp. Except they never seem to stay alive long after they shed their exoskeleton.
Breeding is not exactly easy. I had bought a shrimp from my lfs that did have eggs. I think that all the babies got eaten because they are the size of a mosquito larvae. Gestation is usually almost a month, but you can tell by looking at the eggs when they are due. Most often the parents also eat the babies.
Check on the internet, Im sure there is more information somewhere.
Breeding is not exactly easy. I had bought a shrimp from my lfs that did have eggs. I think that all the babies got eaten because they are the size of a mosquito larvae. Gestation is usually almost a month, but you can tell by looking at the eggs when they are due. Most often the parents also eat the babies.
Check on the internet, Im sure there is more information somewhere.
That iodine thing is very interesting. Normally people that advocate using salt in fresh water aquariums (often for use as a medication) say don't use table salt cause it has iodine in it. But obviously this is not true if you can add iodine without harming fish. Very interesting.
In marine tanks you can add 1 invert per gallon normally, so probably go with that in fresh as well.
In marine tanks you can add 1 invert per gallon normally, so probably go with that in fresh as well.
Inverts don't generally count toward the make per tank assuming they are small snails or tiny shrimp. That is due to their ability to eat left over food etc... So in a 10 gallon 10 small shrimp would be fine. But that is the small cleaner creatures, not big crayfish and such.
Megalofyia
Aquarium Advice Freak
Theoretically ghost shrimp live about a year to a year and a half. They also aren't real shrimp then are more closely related to hermit crabs or something.
Megalofyia
Aquarium Advice Freak
Oh BTW I have found that it is very hard to find information on the web regarding breeding them. I have been wondering what their gestation period was. Thank you sixfooddaisy.
