Advice On Ghost Shrimp!

[FishyWater2525]

Hi all!!

So after moving, I visited my "new" local pet store to check out what they had. I noticed hundreds (literally) of ghosts shrimp spread out among 3 different tanks. I asked how much they were, and the worker said they were $0.50! I've decided to pick up ~10 this coming week.
I had a couple before, when I first started fish keeping, and because of being a newbie and having no idea whatsoever what I was doing, they, and the other fish, died within two weeks.. That was about 2 years ago, and I haven't had any since! Time to get some more!
I'm wanting to put them in my 10g cold water tank (69-71F). It houses 6 White Cloud Mountain Minnows and 2 Amano Shrimp. It's densely planted with Anarcharis Elodea that's growing like crazy! A can barely see through the tank! It's been set up for a little over a year, and is definitely cycled.. Haha
What do you guys think? Any tips on keeping Ghost Shrimp, and can they sustain a population on their own?
Thank you so much!

 

[wildroseofky]

I find ghost shrimp to be so under rated as tank inhabitants. I like to watch them swim around the tank. Very entertaining. They like water on the low end of tropical, around 76 degrees. They can live in higher temps but do not seem to breed at high temps. Most fish will eat them so lots of hiding places is a must. They prefer low nitrates too. My population died out when I let my nitrates get above 40. When I kept a watch on my tank and kept nitrates low they breed like crazy. I was told they wouldn't breed in freshwater but turns out that is a myth. There are some that need brackish water to breed but the ones most commonly sold in pet stores breed just fine in freshwater. I started out with 10 and within a year I had so many they covered my tank. You need to have some floating plants or moss to make sure the larvae survive to become little shrimps. They start out like a mosquito larvae and stay at the top of the tank. Fish usually eat them but if you have some dense floating plants some will survive. It takes about a week for them to turn into tiny shrimp. They need an older tank so they will have enough bio film to eat when they first hatch. I had good luck feeding mine Hikari First Bites fry food. All the shrimp love that stuff. They should do fine in your tank if the fish do not eat them.

 

[FishyWater2525]

Thank you!! Do you think they'd breed in 70 F degree water? And a lot of the Anarcharis Elodea is floating, along with caves and stacked rocks to hide in... I'll try to get a moss ball, and if not, some java moss for the babies. I wouldn't worry about my minnows eating the babies.... Unless they're sleeping, or it's feeding time, they stick mostly to the middle if the tank. Thanks again!!!! And the Amano shrimp wouldn't fight/harm them, would they?

 

[wildroseofky]

I have had them live in just a bucket of water sitting in a cold part of the house and they did fine. I once sucked one out the window onto a metal roof in 40 degree weather and rescued it. It lived. Although I wouldn't recommend that. LOL Ammano shrimp will not bother them. Most shrimp will live together fine. Ghost shrimp get big and that makes it hard for small fish to eat them. I had one that was almost an inch and half long.

 

[FishyWater2525]

Bahahahaha
Wow! And thanks!!!!